Resolution on the Retirement of Kate Joyce

RES 2026-09 FIRST IN COUNCIL February 9, 2026 City of Cambridge COUNCILLOR SIMMONS MAYOR SIDDIQUI COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY COUNCILLOR NOLAN COUNCILLOR AL-ZUBI VICE MAYOR AZEEM COUNCILLOR ZUSY COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN WHEREAS: Kate Joyce began her service to the City of Cambridge in 2004 as a laborer with the Department of Public Works, bringing with her a strong work ethic, a willingness to take on any task, and a deep sense of responsibility to the people and institutions she served; and WHEREAS: Over the course of her career, Kate Joyce advanced from laborer to skilled laborer, a progression that reflected not only her technical abilities but also her reliability, professionalism, and commitment to doing every job well; and WHEREAS: Kate Joyce spent nearly twenty-two years working at City Hall, where she became an indispensable presence, routinely helping to set up and break down the Sullivan Chamber for countless City Council meetings, committee hearings, public events, celebrations, and civic gatherings, often before or after regular business hours and in all manner of conditions; and WHEREAS: Kate Joyce could be counted on during the most challenging moments as well as the celebratory ones—through the heat of summer, the cold of winter, and especially during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic—continuing to show up, to help, and to support the work of the City and her colleagues; and WHEREAS: In addition to her daily responsibilities, Kate Joyce embodied the spirit of public service through her generosity, good humor, and steady presence, offering a helping hand, a shared laugh, or a moment of connection that strengthened the sense of community among City employees and reminded all who worked with her that City Hall is sustained not only by policies and procedures, but by people who genuinely care for one another; and WHEREAS: Kate Joyce’s contributions were recognized through numerous honors, including the City Manager’s Outstanding Employee Award, the Carl Barron Award, the Department of Public Works Commissioner’s Award, and the Mayor’s Luminary Award, reflecting the high esteem in which she was held across departments and administrations; and

WHEREAS: In addition to her service to the City of Cambridge, Kate Joyce has worked part-time for the Harvard Clerical and Technical Workers for nearly three decades, further demonstrating her dedication and commitment to supporting others; and WHEREAS: Kate Joyce’s career exemplifies the often-unseen but essential work that keeps City government functioning day in and day out, and her presence has been part of the human connective tissue that made City Hall not just a workplace, but a place where people showed up for one another and for the residents they serve; now therefore be it RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record offering its sincere congratulations and deepest gratitude to Kate Joyce on the occasion of her retirement, thanking her for twenty-two years of outstanding service, dedication, and kindness to the City of Cambridge and its people, and wishing her good health, happiness, and fulfillment in her retirement, while also expressing its appreciation to her wife, Ellen, for the support that made Kate’s years of service possible; and be it further RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Kate Joyce on behalf of the entire City Council. In City Council February 9, 2026. Adopted by a yea and nay vote:- Yeas 9; Nays 0; Absent 0. Attest:- Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk A true copy; ATTEST:- Paula M. Crane Interim City Clerk Click or tap here to enter text.