If you can relate, then look no further than Cindy Rowe as a source of ultimate inspiration. In this busy world, with a family to boot, Rowe has long been defined by activism. Her range of operation is astounding, her dedication exemplary, and her slate of accomplishments remarkable. Yet an unassuming nature, gracious disposition and humble demeanor characterize Rowe, who is not only helpful to all, but seems continually poised to take on another worthy effort.

For the past 14 years, Rowe has been the Chair of the Brookline Democratic Town Committee, one of the most active local political committees in the state, and was just elected for an additional two-year term. She also serves as outreach and fundraising consultant for the Jewish Alliance on Law and Social Action (JALSA), a progressive group headed by Sheila Decter, the former New England regional executive director of the American Jewish Congress. JALSA formed in December 2001, following the reorganization of the AJC.

Rowe’s work and volunteer activities led to faith-based community organizing. She co-chairs the Social Justice Committee at Temple Israel in Boston, which has the largest Reform congregation in New England. She was recently appointed as the Northeast Council Regional Social Action Chair, and is a member of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, a national governing council that sets policy positions for the Reform movement.

"Cindy is phenomenal at multi-tasking, has a fine sense of humor, and works well with a wide range of people," said Alex Coleman, J.D., Ph.D., a member of Temple Israel's Ohel Tzedek Core Leadership Team and the Lead Organizer for the GLBT & Allies Action Team.

Rowe is also on the board of the Lawyers Clearinghouse on Affordable Housing and Homelessness. And (take a breath), as Rowe Resources, she advises non-profit and advocacy organizations and government agencies on federal and state legislative matters that span advocacy, fundraising, event planning, and board management. Ten years ago, Rowe founded the New England Housing Network, which links regional housing advocates on federal policies, and has been working with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington to ‘export’ the model. As if all this weren’t nearly enough, Rowe has begun teaching occasional courses in organizing, fundraising, and event planning.

At Rowe’s native Bronx High School of Science, courses in calculus and laser physics were required. But the school was also where her first experience in changing public policy occurred. “I was editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper. We raised the money to publish the newspaper by selling bagels in the high school cafeteria.” The program, however, proved too popular. Perhaps due to its deleterious effect on the cafeteria’s business, the City of New York suddenly declared bagels a "non-nutritious" food. Rowe and her group were told that they could no longer sell them to students in the morning. “As editor of the paper, I attended a press conference with then-Mayor Edward Koch,” Rowe recalled. “When I asked the Mayor why the City thought bagels were non-nutritious, he was scandalized to hear that this staple of the New York diet had been treated so poorly.” Koch hooked Rowe up with the Head Dietician for the City, and after a few meetings, she was able to get the bagel once again deemed “nutritious.”

“It was a very important learning experience for me in seeing how one person, asking the right question to the right person at the right time, could have a big impact,” she said.

After high school, Rowe, then Cindy Berman, moved to Boston to join Harvard College‘s Class of 1986, where she obtained a degree in Government and English, and wrote her senior thesis on presidential campaign rhetoric. While working in the State House over a two-year period, she wrote portions of the Governor's budget proposal and analyzed local aid and revenue policy.

Prior to beginning law school at Boston College, Rowe moved to Brookline. “There, I deepened my interests in public policy, particularly in the area of affordable housing,” she said. During law school, a fellow student invited her to a meeting of local Democrats. It turned out to be her first introduction to the Democratic Town Committee.

“Brookline is such an exciting place to be involved in politics,” she observed. “People are fiercely committed to making a difference in the world, starting in their own backyard. They are constantly challenging their elected officials to push hard at the State House to give voice to many issues of social and economic justice.”

Following law school, Rowe worked for State Representative Marc Draisen, whose district included parts of Brookline, Brighton, West Roxbury, and Roslindale. “I spent many long hours talking with condominium owners across the state, and drafting what became the first major reform of the state's condominium legislation in over 30 years,” she said. Rowe left the State House to manage Draisen's campaign for lieutenant governor.

Election years are a particularly focused time for Rowe. This year, the BDTC launched a precinct-by-precinct grassroots effort, based on fellow Brookline resident, and Harvard Law School graduate Michael Dukakis’ successful gubernatorial elections. Rowe has been working closely with Dukakis on the model, which she hopes will serve as a blueprint for the next presidential election. “It involves the establishment of precinct teams responsible for turning out voters on Election Day 2006, to elect a Democratic governor in Massachusetts,” she said.

Being a mother is a wondrous experience for her. “My husband, Martin, and I continue to rejoice as we watch our daughter, Marjie, grow,” she said. “First grade has come with its share of experiences, including loose teeth, discovering reading, and for me, trying to figure out how many different stain removers you need to get out markers, paint, mud, and an assortment of other interesting substances.

“Parenthood constantly makes me think about how we explain our complex world in terms that a six-year-old can absorb,” she said. “It has also brought into focus how much of a role family and close friends play in my life, and the importance of prioritizing these relationships.”

It’s clear that Rowe takes all of the relationships in her life: professional, volunteer, family - and the people involved in them - very seriously. They, as well as many others, are far better off for that.