Joining Congressman McGovern in Washington
Hitchcock Hero Award for Environmental Activism
About Me
My Experience
Amherst Charter Review Committee
Chair, 2024 - Present
Amherst Public Shade Tree Committee
Chair, 2023-Present
Co-Chair, 2022
Treasurer, 2020
Member, 2019**
Sunrise Movement Amherst
Co-Hub Lead, 2019-2024
Co-Founding Member, 2019
Governor Healey's Youth Climate Council
Inaugural Member, 2023-24
University of Massachusetts Amherst
GPA: 3.30
Smith College
Arboriculture Intern
Forthcoming Summer 2025
Bus Driver
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, 2024-Present
Amherst-Pelham Regional High School
GPA: 3.81
Robert Frost Chapter
National Honor Society
Member, 2023-24
Amherst Regional High School
Alpine Ski Team
Captain, 2023-24
Lettered, 2020-24
My Skillset
Harnessing the power of community and
honing climate science to positively impact the region through local political action.
- Invited Speaker at the League of Women Voters. "The Intersection of Race and Climate" May 27, 2023 Amherst, MA
-Invited Speaker at the Massachusetts Tree Wardens and Forester's Association. "How Public Shade Tree Committees Can Better Help Their Local Tree Wardens" October 13, 2022 Northampton, MA
In the News...
Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll Unviel Winning Essay
The Boston Globe
Samatha J. Gross
The Daily Hampshire Gazette
Nine People Recommended for the Town Charter Review
June 27, 2024... Hynes, a recent Amherst Regional graduate, serves on the Governor’s Youth Climate Council and is a member of Sunrise Amherst and the ...
Youth-led Sunrise Amherst Making their Voices Heard
May 31, 2024... “We recognize there are needs for almost all town departments, but what peaked our interest was the current crisis in our schools,” says Julian Hynes, a co-hub lead for Sunrise Amherst.
May 5, 2023 ... Putting their thoughts into a 600-word essay, “Inspiring Change and Dangerous Hope: Unequal Representation in the Commonwealth” the three students, Adniley Velez of West Springfield, Ja’liyah Santiago of Springfield and Julian Hynes of Amherst, were selected as winners of the statewide portrait essay contest ...
Teens at Climate Panel Speak to Need for Collective Action to Combat Climate Change
Mar. 21, 2023 ... In terms of making progress on a local level, Hynes observed that action is impeded when municipal officials want to be climate-conscious, but don’t know what steps to take.
Amherst Educators Decry Low Pay in Stakeout of Town Budget Meeting
Nov. 8, 2022... High school student Julian Hynes said educators are committed to their students. “It’s embarrassing our school district has to have a mini-Survival Center for some of our paraeducators,” Hynes said.
Merry Maple likely gone by fall
Aug 10, 2022 ... ... while Shoshona King voted against their removal, and Chairman Henry Lappen and member Julian Hynes abstained from the vote.
Line item needed to purchase tree
Apr 20, 2022 ... Henry Lappen, Bennett Haslip, Sara Lawler, Julian Hynes, Shoshana King, Gordon Green, Ellen Keiter.
UMass neighbors object to removal of two big tree
Mar 24, 2022 ... ... Gordon Green and Julian Hynes voted in favor, while Bennett Hazlip and Shoshona King voted against, and Chairwoman Sara Lawler abstained ...
'Change coming to Amherst': Newly elected officials expected to ...
Nov 6, 2021 ... A statement issued on behalf of the organization by high school student Julian Hynes expresses hope that the council will take stronger ...
Parents, students denounce school budget cuts in Amherst
Apr 11, 2021 ... Julian Hynes, a student at the high school, said he worries about his peers with the budget plan. “I have many friends who will be going ...
Editor's column: Recording the first rough draft of
Dec 30, 2019 ... We're grateful to live in a community where citizens are so engaged, and no one illustrated that spirit more than Julian Hynes, ...
The Amherst INDY
Collins Center Presents Potential Work Plan for Charter Review
by Anita Sarro
Report on the Meeting of the Charter Review Committee, February 13, 2025
This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded. The meeting was delayed due to technical issues with the zoom connection.
Present: Julian Hynes (Chair), Andy Churchill, Bernie Kubiak, Meg Gage, Marcus Brown.
Charter Review Committee Debates Outreach Strategies
By Anita Sarro
To control costs, the committee agreed with Churchill’s suggestion to request the Collins Center for an initial, more limited, consultative contract that could be expanded as needed. Instead of the committee determining the scope of work, along the lines described in Hynes’s January 2 memo, a vote passed unanimously to request the Collins Center to present a scope of work and estimated cost at the next meeting.
Students Urge Funding Shift from Policing to Schools
by Toni Cunningham
Salary data presented by ARHS student Julian Hynes showed that the average police staff member earned about $15,000 more than the average school staff member ($72,171 vs. $56,735). Hynes, representing the Sunrise Movement, pointed out that teachers...
Shade Tree Committee Split on Recommendations for the Merry Maple
by Maura Keene
Bennett Hazlip, Julian Hynes (co-chair), Ellen Keiter, Shoshona King, Henry Lappen (co-chair), and Sarah Lawler
Controversy Continues to Plague Town Council Appointments
by Maura Keene
Public Shade Tree Committee: (for terms to expire June 30, 2025):
• Gordon Green
• Bennett Hazlip
• Julian Hynes
Social Justice Committee/DEI Director Clarify Differences About Police Engagement with BIPOC Youth
by Maura Keene
Public comments from Julian Hynes, Jay Smith Crooks, and Vira Cage voiced concern over...
Opinion: Local and Green. Introducing the Amherst Climate Alliance
by Darcy DuMont
“Though the town has set bold goals, its actions thus far don’t reflect the urgency of meeting those goals,” said Julian Hynes, of Sunrise Amherst.
Plant Medicine Resolution Sent Back to Committee for Reworking
by Maura Keene
In public comment, Marisol Bonifaz and Julian Hynes of Sunrise Amherst spoke in favor of reducing the police department budget in order to better fund education, the CRESS program, and climate resiliency.
Public Hearing on the FY23 Budget Sparks Public Support for Racial Equity Programs
by Maura Keene
...agreed with the above points, as did a contingent from Sunrise Amherst including Marisol Pierce Bonifaz and Julian Hynes. Hynes also spoke for an increase in EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) staffing...
Council Approves Funds for Reparations, Debates Funding for Community Responder Program
by Maura Keene
Others who spoke for funding the programs proposed by the CSWG were Michele Miller, Mattea Kramer, MarisolPierce Bonifaz, Julian Hynes, Birdie Newman...
Photo of the Week: An Indy Gallery
Sunset At Simple Gifts Farm. Photo: Julian Hynes
Town Council: Regional Schools Anticipate $1.2M Budget Cut
by Maura Keene
...Allegra Clark, Kristin Worgess, and high school student Julian Hynes all spoke against the elimination of the second art teacher at the Middle School. Hynes said students and staff will need extra support next year, and this is a move in the wrong direction.
The Reminder
High School Environmental Action Club Seeks Suport for Tree Planting in Amherst
by Trent Levakis
Julian Hynes, a sophomore at the high school, has been involved on the project as a member of the EAC for the last two years. While Hynes said...
The Amherst Bulletin
Amherst College Donates $2.5M over three years to the Town of Amherst
By Scott Merzbach
Feb. 14, 2025... A $2.5 million donation from Amherst College will support the Amherst and regional schools, the town’s emergency services, and infrastructure work downtown over the next three years, as well as one of two municipal building projects the town is undertaking.
Progressive Groups Focus on Amherst Budget Values, Priorities
Apr. 20, 2022... Julian Hynes, co-hub lead for Sunrise Amherst, wrote in an email that the discussion will be about how the budget supports Amherst values. That will then be used as the basis of a letter sent to town government.
The Graphic
Generation Ratify Amherst Exposes Gender Pay Gap in Amherst
by Julian Hynes with Kaz Andrews, Cameron Baird, Marisol Pierce Bonifaz, Ada Paessel and Cady Reiken.
Mar. 15, 2023 ... Generation Ratify Amherst is the local chapter of the nation, intersections, youth-led movement fighting for the enactment of...
Julian Hynes, lover of trees, briefs us on everything Merry Maple
Dec. 21, 2022...One of the major health issues facing the tree was “crown die-back, a tree issue that causes the tree to not leaf out anymore at the top sometimes,” Hynes said. “Even though a lot of the outer branches were leafing out, that main leader was not leafing out anymore.”
"The State House is the People’s House – and symbols matter. I was inspired by this submission from Julian, Ja’liyah and Adniley, who considered how they themselves could be the face of leadership in our state." -Maura Healey Governor of Massachusetts
Awards and Recognition
