DISTINGUISHED LEADER AWARD
‘Leadership is what you do when people aren’t watching’ ESSEX DISTRICT ATTORNEY JONATHAN BLODGETT IS A DEDICATED SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE
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Mike Dean photo
o u c o u l d s ay c o m m u n i t y involvement is in Jonathan Blodgett’s DNA, courtesy of his grandparents. His grandmother was the first female visiting nurse in Peabody. His grandfather ran a small insurance office in the city and was involved in civic affairs, including the local Chamber of Commerce. Early in his career as a lawyer, Blodgett served on the Peabody Parks Commission and later spent 16 years on the Planning Board. He went on to serve as chairman of the School Building Committee for two school projects in the city. As a lifelong resident of Peabody, Blodgett says he has never considered community service a sacrifice. Nor has he sought attention for his work. “Leadership is what you do when people aren’t watching,” he says. “Service just makes sense to me.” They were watching when Blodgett was on the baseball field for Peabody High’s Tanners and later at Princeton University in New Jersey, where he was a three-time letterman. He firmly believed he would go on to play left field for the Red Sox. But when a professional baseball career didn’t pan out, he decided to give law school a try. Married with young children, he enrolled in Suffolk Law School at night so he could keep his day job and support his family. He began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in Essex County under Kevin Burke, before going on to spend 16 years as a partner in his own private law practice in Peabody Square. IMPACT MAGAZINE
