Carlo DeMaria is a unique local leader who has had the privilege of spending more than half his life serving his beloved hometown of Everett, Massachusetts. It’s hard to say which is greater: his love for his hometown or his vision of all the possibilities its future continues to hold.

DeMaria is a lifelong resident of Everett and the proud son of Italian immigrants, Rosa and Carlo. Throughout his life, DeMaria has always valued his family and his Italian upbringing, which has shaped him to be the person he is today. It is common for him to reference the lessons that he learned from both of his parents when he is developing solutions to issues facing the community.

Growing up, DeMaria attended Everett Public Schools and graduated from Everett High School in 1991. While he was young, he had a paper route that introduced him to the importance of knowing the people in your community, building relationships, and learning about what goes on in the lives of other people, which gives insight into the issues that matter to them. He went on to earn his Bachelor in Criminal Justice degree from Northeastern University in 1995. Biking from home to campus gave him his early glimpses of how communities could be built without relying on cars.  It was also during his time at Northeastern that DeMaria discovered his passion for public service.

As he was searching for a co-op, DeMaria decided to run for public office to serve the community that inspired him to pursue his dreams. He was successful in his endeavor and began his career serving the City of Everett in 1994 as a City Councilor and later served as Everett’s Alderman-at-Large and as President of the Board of Alderman.

Since 2008, Carlo DeMaria has proudly served the City of Everett as mayor. He made the decision to run for mayor initially because he saw that the community had been undergoing a period of deep political divide, and he knew that Everett needed to start healing and coming back together if it was to start moving forward in a positive direction.

While others may view Everett as an underdog or one of the overlooked communities in the shadows of the Boston skyline, Mayor DeMaria has always believed that Everett is front and center for the next generation of growth and development. 

DeMaria boldly advanced Everett as the perfect host community when a casino gambling license became available because he knew that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to clean up a heavily contaminated former chemical plant site and transform it into a vibrant entertainment and recreational waterfront resort. The Mayor knew this opportunity would catalyze future development of the entire Lower Broadway area. His vision is becoming a reality with the interest in adding hotels and restaurants in the area, as well as the sale and redevelopment of the former Exxon site that is tearing down decades of storage tanks to make way for mixed-use, residential, and commercial properties to generate job opportunities and new tax revenue for the city.  There is also the potential for a private developer to clean up the former Mystic Generating plant using private funds for a professional soccer stadium that would create for Everett residents access to a clean, revitalized waterfront for the first time in generations.

Mayor DeMaria has never lost his focus on the core function of city government in the midst of his efforts to lead larger-scale economic development opportunities. He remains committed to ensuring that the needs of residents are met by maintaining a robust street and sidewalks repair program; a capital improvement program that will ensure that all parks and open spaces have been renovated; keeping streets clean in good weather and plowed promptly during the winter; and continuing to support community efforts to prevent food insecurity among residents. He fights to bring much-needed job opportunities, business development, and revenue-generating growth to the city. He also works closely with the city’s state and federal delegation, ensuring Everett’s interests are prominently heard on Beacon Hill and in the Capitol.

Mayor DeMaria’s critical priorities are increasing the availability of not just affordable, but also low-income housing; advocating for the expansion of public transportation options in Everett, including a rail stop and the expansion of the Silver Line; and advancing a strategic plan for a new Everett High School facility with expanded vocational programming space. Adding more units to the City’s housing supply will prevent families and senior residents from being forced from their homes due to rising rent costs. Expanding Bus Rapid Transit lanes to give residents a 1-seat ride into Boston will open up increased access to job opportunities, while the Silver Line and a rail option will incentivize business and industries to locate in Everett. A new expanded vocational opportunity will create a viable workforce pipeline for the businesses that locate in Everett while increasing the availability of higher-paying job opportunities for residents.

Outside of government, DeMaria is a successful entrepreneur. He has experience owning and operating Honey Dew Donuts franchises, which gives him the valuable perspective on the challenges facing small business owners. DeMaria is also a member of the E-Club and the Italian-American Club. He is an inaugural and dedicated supporter of the Orange Rose Foundation and shares its commitment to preventing domestic violence and supporting survivors. DeMaria endorses community involvement as a measure of civic and personal pride. He formerly served as a catechist teacher at Our Lady Of Grace, a pop warner football coach for the Everett Huskies, and Everett Little League coach.

Throughout his time in public office, DeMaria has served the community with passion and pride. He governs the city with the residents’ best interests in mind. DeMaria believes Everett’s future success hinges upon elected officials who care about growth, opportunity, and the fundamental desire to improve the community. Mayor DeMaria is an authentic leader who is not afraid to take a position and stand by that position when he believes something is best for the city.  

When asked why he has chosen to spend his career serving as an elected official, Mayor DeMaria’s answer is simple: he loves Everett. DeMaria has chosen to remain in Everett with his wife, Stacy, and their three children: Carlo, Caroline, and Alexandra. Mayor DeMaria is proud to call Everett his home, and the work he has done while in office and will continue to fight for is because he wants all Everett residents to feel the same sense of pride and belonging in the city.