I’m running for Library Trustee in Watertown, Massachusetts, my home for over 20 years. The Watertown Free Public Library is a shining light in our community, a rare place where everyone is welcome and has free opportunities to learn and connect. With my expertise in law, finance, technology, and conflict resolution, I will help keep our beloved library going strong.

• The library needs to be responsive to the community, and is one of the few places in our city regularly used by people of every age, job, language spoken, and socioeconomic situation. My background in dialogue facilitation and conflict resolution will strengthen the library’s ability to listen and respond to the needs of the community.
• Did you know there is an entire chapter of the Massachusetts General Laws governing libraries? Trustees are responsible for legal compliance, and as a lawyer I’m well-qualified to help.
• All libraries are facing challenges due to funding cuts, anti-inclusion efforts, and movements to curb intellectual freedom and ban books. I am ready to advocate for our library system and make sure our library stands strong.

About me

I live in Watertown with my spouse and our two teenage sons who have been going to the library since they were babies.

I’m a technology lawyer. My practice focuses on data privacy, cybersecurity, and AI governance. I also teach and write about negotiation and constructive conflict resolution in my free monthly Substack, Negotiation for the Rest of Us.

Currently, I am a member of Watertown Community Conversations  and the volunteer ombudsperson (conflict resolution specialist) for the Periplus Collective for BIPOC writers. In the past, I have served as a board member and president of the Watertown Community Foundation, as a board member and vice president of the Mosesian Center for the Arts, and as a volunteer tutor for Project Literacy.

I am a graduate of Harvard Law School and hold degrees in computer science from Brown University and Harvard University.

The Watertown Free Public Library is one of my favorite places and you can regularly find me with my laptop in the quiet reading room, browsing zines and puzzles upstairs, attending a community meeting downstairs, and perusing the display of new books in the lobby. As trustee, I will help sustain our library as a place of learning and community for all.

Please vote Pia Owens for Library Trustee in the election on November 4, 2025.

Questions? You can fill out the form below to get in touch with me.