A fourth-generation Islander who is focused on keeping the Vineyard attainable for families and the middle class joined the Oak Bluffs select board last week. 

Sean DeBettencourt ran unopposed at the April 10 election, taking the seat of longtime board member Gail Barmakian. His arrival on the board completes a total revamp of the government body, with all five members being elected for the first time in the last four years. 

Mr. DeBettencourt has had a longstanding interest in politics and double majored in political science and history at UMass Amherst. He also holds a master’s degree in education from Fitchburg State University. Mr. DeBettencourt started in town politics three years ago on the finance and advisory committee.

“One of the real reasons I started getting into this is the reality is we can work on a local level to make meaningful improvements to our town,” Mr. DeBettencourt said in an interview with the Gazette after his first board meeting.

Mr. DeBettencourt has also served on the planning board for two years, but resigned for the select board position. He joins the board as Oak Bluffs grapples with affordable housing issues, environmental concerns about nitrogen in its ponds and coastal resiliency.

“A goal of mine is that while we welcome all visitors, and make sure that everybody who owns property here is respected, it’s also important to keep in mind that residents live here, lifelong Islanders, families that have generational ties, people that move here to try and make a middle class lifestyle here,” he said. “It’s very easy to let that slip away. Other resort communities have had that slip away. I think it’s important that we keep focusing on how do we fix that problem.”

When not in town hall, Mr. DeBettencourt works as a sixth-grade social studies teacher at the Tisbury School. He is also raising his six-month old daughter, Ivy.

“I also really want to make sure that this is a place that my daughter can grow up in, in the same way that I did, and it ought to be at least as nice as when I grew up,” he said.

Mr. DeBettencourt cited wealth disparity, affordable housing, infrastructure and environmental concerns that were top of mind as he began his term on the select board. He said that the question is how to balance the issues and that he looks forward to learning from the rest of the select board.

“I think it would be presumptuous of me to walk in with a board with as much experience as ours has, and say I’m going to do X, Y and Z. I want to walk in with enough humility to learn from the people around me,” Mr. DeBettencourt said. 

Mr. DeBettencourt wants to listen to members of the community to make sure he best represents the town. 

“I want people to recognize that town government isn’t like Sean DeBettencourt on the select board running things,” he said. “It’s Sean DeBettencourt trying to channel the feedback from the community to make our community work for everyone.”