Early Riser Vong, 22, Assumes Control of Mayor Nicholson’s Communications Office

By any description, the position of communications manager for a mayor is vital, especially in these times when people are used to receiving news directly and instantaneously.

When you’re 22 years old and you’re the communication manager for the mayor of a city with close to 100,000 residents – well, it can be an eye-opening experience.

Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson and Communications Manager Valerie
Vong are pictured in the Mayor’s Office at City Hall.

Valerie Vong is a Dean’s List student and will graduate in May with honors from Clark University, a highly selective college located in Worcester.

Vong worked as an intern and then became digital media director on Jared Nicholson’s campaign for mayor in 2021. When Nicholson, who like Vong has some impressive academic credentials (Princeton, Harvard Law School) of his own, was elected mayor in November, Vong applied for a position in the Nicholson Administration and was hired to be communications manager for the Mayor’s Office.

What’s it like to have such a key role in the day-to-day life of the city?

“It definitely gets a bit overwhelming, however, I feel very happy and proud, and I’m excited to be able to have such a large position assisting the city forward,” said Vong.

Vong has several responsibilities in the Mayor’s Office.

“I do press releases, I run the Mayor’s social media, I make all the graphics, I do a lot of the communications stuff (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube),” summarized Vong.

A Proud Lynn English Graduate

A member of one of the first Cambodian families to settle in Lynn, Vong is a 2018 graduate of Lynn English High School where she was an inductee in the National Honor Society and president of numerous clubs. She is fluent in four languages, English, Khmer, Japanese and Korean.

Vong has been a remote, full-time college student at Clark for the last five semesters due to the pandemic.

“I definitely miss being on campus and interacting with my friends and professors,” said Vong, who was nominated “Clarkie of the Week,” which is an ongoing honor for students who have made outstanding contributions to the school community.

 She has a double major in English and Environmental Science with a concentration in Public Policy and Environmental Policy.

Vong is also a Fellow for AAWPI (Asian-American Women Political Initiative), an organization that highlights Asian-American women in politics, and an intern for MASSPIRG Students.

Vong’s sister, Veronica, is a Lynn English graduate and currently a student at Brandeis University. Her brother, Kellsun, is a second grader in the Lynn school district.

Praise for Mayor Nicholson

Valerie Vong is thankful to Mayor Nicholson for hiring her to work in his Administration.

 “I’m incredibly appreciative of everything that Mayor Nicholson has done for the city, even prior to being elected as mayor,” said Vong. “He’s such a role model to me every day throughout my pursuit of education and my career.”

Noting Mayor Nicholson’s connection to Harvard, Vong added, “It’s kind of funny. I’m currently in the application process for graduate school, and one of them is going to be Harvard’s Kennedy School, so I think it’s really interesting because the Mayor went to Harvard as well.”

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