Lorrey’s Power Ploy Through Executive Auction
01/26/2015
By David Perry
It was all business when Lila Lorrey strode in to Lowell City Hall Jan. 13 at 9:30, but Lorrey – a 17-year UMass Lowell employee – offered plenty of fun for her day as Lowell City manager.
Lorrey, assistant to the Vice Chancellor of University Relations, earned the office with a high bid of $800 to the annual Salvation Army fundraiser on radio station WCAP. Lorrey’s bid of $300 was bolstered by a $500 bid from Lowell funeral director John McDonough.
The actual City Manager, Kevin Murphy, cooked up the idea to help with fundraising efforts.
“I heard the top bid had been $300, and I thought I was worth more than that,” deadpanned Murphy. “Then I heard the total was $800. That’s better.”
Lorrey knows Lowell’s governmental turf. Her husband, Marty, a retired postal worker, served on Lowell’s City Council for a term from 2011-2013.
She arrived a few minutes after 9:30, with a bag of gifts.
She heard Murphy interviewed on the radio, noting he called the popovers from a merchant at Mill No. 5 the “best” he ever tasted.
“Well,” she thought, “you haven’t had mine yet.” She baked a dozen, half of them sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
The first order of business was installing prominently upon Murphy’s desk a framed photograph of Lorrey and her husband.
The biggest hit was an oversized red button that said “No” on it. When pressed, it said, “No,” or “N-O,” or other negative responses. Fascinated and humored, Murphy lugged the button around the office, slapping it to all who would listen.
Also in the bag, more gifts for Murphy.
In what she called a “survival kit,” Lorrey packed a pacifier to use on “whiners,” a box of tissues for “crybabies,” toothpicks so Murphy could “pick out the good in everything," work gloves “in case he needs an extra pair of hands,” rubber bands so he could be flexible, batteries for energy and mints, “to remind him he’s worth a mint.” She also packed two tea mugs for tea breaks, with “stay calm and drink tea” printed on them. And there was a magic wand “so he could do all the things people want him to.”
Lorrey’s day was loaded with meetings. First, there was a gathering of 10 powerful leaders (including State Sen. Eileen Donoghue, State Reps. David Nangle and Tom Golden) to discuss state, local and federal approaches to improving eight city bridges owned by ENEL. (Because UMass Lowell’s buses rely on the bridges, Chancellor Marty Meehan and Director of Campus Planning and Development Adam Baacke were also involved in the conversation.)
There was a meeting about Lowell’s Master Plan, then a visit to UMass Lowell for Gov. Charlie Baker’s visit, a parks department meeting. And more. It all wound down with a brief City Council meeting.
Earlier in the day, before the meeting, Lorrey posed for a photographer in the Council chambers. She knew her role as “manager.”
“Listen,” she said, waving around to the rest of the council chamber. “The way it works is, I work for them, not the other way around."