President of the Massachusetts Select Board Association: Westwood Select Board Member Michael Walsh

As a way to introduce them to members, the MMA is sitting down for interviews with the new presidents of the member groups who took office in January.

Depending on the time of day or season of the year, people might find Michael Walsh in any number of settings: at a select board meeting, in a courthouse, or behind a DJ console.

But for Walsh — whose titles include Westwood Select Board chair, 2022 president of the Massachusetts Select Board Association, attorney, and disc jockey — all of those roles intersect as he connects with people. Even if it means getting the party started in his part-time job as DJ Mike Walsh.

“I like music so much, and it’s kind of a public service,” he said. “You’re still out there. You’re still with the public. And you’re trying to make sure that everyone there has a good time.

“Believe it or not, it’s kind of a continuation of just being in the public and getting a good result.”

Walsh has practiced law for more than three decades, having earned degrees in communications and speech and in law from Suffolk University. He currently focuses on workers’ compensation and Social Security law.

Walsh enjoys using his professional skills to help people, including on the Select Board, where he has served since 2014.

“I like being able to listen to people, hear their concerns and try to figure out the best way that we can address them,” Walsh said. “You get both sides, so you have to figure out what is that compromise, where is that middle ground, to try to help people see things from both perspectives.”

Walsh served as the MSA’s first vice president last year, after having served as secretary. As president, he hopes to get more members engaged with the group, especially as people emerge from a remote-only environment.

A father of six, Walsh lives with his wife and three youngest children, along with their 8-year-old labradoodle, Sandy. They also have a home in North Falmouth, and for the past 28 years in a row, he has enjoyed vacations in the Caribbean.

“I guess I would be an Arubaholic,” he said, adding that being near the water brings perspective.

“When you sit next to the ocean,” he said, “you realize what a small influence you are, compared to the ocean.”