Community Action Pioneer Valley's
Board of Directors
Community Action is led by Executive Director Clare Higgins, and is governed by a eighteen Board of Directors. One-third (6) of the members of the Board live with lower incomes and are elected by residents living with lower incomes in Franklin and Hampshire Counties. These seats give people with lower incomes a direct voice in shaping Community Action's policies and programs. The other twelve Board members represent public officials and organizations from the private sector.
This configuration provides the opportunity for needs and priorities to be established by peers of those participating in our programs. In this way, decisions about programs that address poverty are moved out of the political arena and back to the people who are most affected. At the same time, private and public representatives gain a clearer understanding of the issues confronting those who use our services.
2020-2021 Board of Directors
Michael Aleo
Lesser, Newman, Nasser & Aleo, LLC
Wendy Berg
Attorney (Retired)
Barbara Black
Northampton Public Schools (Retired)
Robert F. Brainin
Jacob's Pillow
Jackie Brousseau-Pereira
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Ellen Cain
Department of Children and Families (Retired)
Charity L. Day
LifePath
Chelsea Depault
Greenfield Co-operative Bank
Lizbeth M. Del Toro-Mejias
Baystate Health
Yogesh Malik
Greenfield Savings Bank
Anita McConnell
ServiceNet
Rachel McMahon
Office of Rep. Susannah Whipps
Amber Ortiz
Community Representative
Department of Children and Families
Crystalyn Osborne
Community Representative
HS&ELP Policy Council
Alyssa Sutton
Community Representative
Nellie Taylor Donohue
Community Representative
Easthampton Public Schools
Click here to view Community Action's Board of Directors Schedule
Click here to view Community Action's Board of Directors Bylaws.
If you would like to learn more about our Board of Directors or would like to join our Board, please contact the Assistant to the Executive Director at 413-376-1141.