About
Hi! I'm John Chaimanis
If you’re in Auburndale on weekday mornings, you might have noticed me bringing my three kids to school. On a weekend, you might have met me coaching youth sports on a Newton playing field or seen me with my family heading to Sunday service at Our Lady’s Help of Christians in Nonantum. To my neighbors, I’m simply the guy who waves hello, greets you with a smile, and actually listens when you talk about what matters to you.
From Teacher to Change Maker
Twenty-five years ago, fresh out of Villanova with a finance degree, I made a choice that surprised people. I became a volunteer teacher in Roxbury. While classmates headed to Wall Street, I went to an underserved community. Helping people to help themselves felt like a bigger and more worthwhile challenge. That choice changed everything. I was soon a founding member of a school in Dorchester, where I ran business operations, did substitute teaching, and even managed cafeteria operations. When a Harvard professor of a professional development class suggested I should get an MBA, I saw an opportunity to make a bigger impact.
Creating Things That Matter
Pursuing my MBA at Babson College, I discovered how to turn good ideas, data and collaboration into positive change and tangible results. Today, I run a company that transforms underutilized spaces into clean energy facilities—projects that create hundreds of jobs; provide cleaner, cheaper electricity; and slow climate change. Problem-solving is my life’s work and my favorite hobby.
For the past two decades, I’ve overseen investments of more than $2 billion into infrastructure projects, many involving complex public-private partnerships. I have the experience and expertise to play a very useful role on the City Council as Newton begins to address its century-old infrastructure in this age of climate change.
Newton Is Home
I didn’t just move to Newton – I put down roots. My wife Gina is a lifelong Newtonian whose family goes back generations. Our three kids attend Newton Public Schools. Our multigenerational household in Auburndale reflects Newton’s warm community. We take care of each other across generations.
When I mentor students or give lectures at the graduate level, when I coach Newton sports teams or volunteer at our church, I know I’m investing in the future Newton’s children will inherit.
A Different Kind of Leader
In a world of increasingly loud politics and one-sided answers, I bring a different approach. I believe in asking hard questions, always listening, and then applying my experience with the expertise of others to understand complex problems. Once the problem is understood and interests and become clear, we can choose what is best for Newton.
I’m a moderate. I prefer facts and compromise over ideology. I aim for collaboration, not conflict. I’m the kind of person who’d rather find the right answer than win the argument.
After founding organizations, creating jobs, and building clean energy infrastructure, I’m
ready to bring that same problem-solving approach to Newton’s biggest challenges.
