Cambridge City Clerk Retires, Will Not Seek Another Term

Cambridge City Clerk Diane P. LeBlanc will not seek another term and will leave at the end of her term on May 31.

In an interview, LeBlanc said she will be retiring in May but is thankful for the opportunity to serve Cambridge since her tenure began in May 2022.

“I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to serve as the city clerk here in Cambridge,” LeBlanc said.

The City Clerk is the official record keeper for Cambridge, maintaining and filing business, professional, and vital records like birth certificates and marriage documents. The position has the official custody over all the city’s documents and records, and also keeps record of all council meetings.

As she reflected on her time, LeBlanc cited her work preserving the city’s archives as a major achievement of her term with the city.

“One of the things that I think proudest of during my tenure is we have made great headway in advancing the focus on the records management function and archives function of the city clerk's office,” LeBlanc said.

“I think it’s important that the city, the citizens of Cambridge, know that the records are being protected,” she added.

LeBlanc reflected on her 50-year career as a public servant, saying that after working at the federal and local levels, she decided it was her time to retire.

“I’ve done 37 years with the federal government. I served 10 years in my home community of Waltham as a city councilor. I ran for mayor; that was quite an adventure. I served as a city clerk in Lawrence, and another wonderful assignment in Cambridge,” LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc said that she hopes to use her retirement to spend more time with her family and her dog, work on home improvement, garden, and volunteer.

“I’ve been very fortunate here. I have had a wonderful staff that I will truly miss, but I did decide this was a good time to move forward to whatever the next chapter holds,” LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc was well-liked in the city and among city officials.

In a statement to The Crimson, City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 wrote that he “deeply appreciated” LeBlanc’s “leadership, professionalism and expertise as City Clerk.”

“She has a genuine passion for providing high-quality customer service and has spearheaded critical work that has preserved and protected important historical documentation across the city,” he wrote. “We are grateful to Clerk LeBlanc for the transformative work and impact she has made throughout her time in the City.”

The City Council elects the City Clerk, who serves a three-year term, in May. LeBlanc’s retirement gives the city about two months to seek out a new clerk in time for the new term. In the past, the council was given a nine-month notice to find a new clerk when ex-clerk Anthony Wilson announced his retirement.

While LeBlanc was unsure what the future would look like after retirement, she jokingly talked about one possibility.

“My two sisters retired from Harvard, so you know what? If I get bored, maybe I’ll check out the job opportunities there,” she said.

​​— Staff writer Jack B. Reardon can be reached at jack.reardon@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @JackBReardon.

— Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at shawn.boehmer@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.