10th Anniversary Gala Speakers

Dr. Crista Johnson-Agbakwu, an Obstetrician/Gynecologist, is the inaugural Executive Director of the Collaborative in Health Equity at the University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan Medical School and UMass Memorial Health. She is also a Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and a Professor in the Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Population & Quantitative Health Sciences. Her efforts will seek to center health equity throughout all aspects of clinical care, research, education, and community engagement; leveraging institution-spanning, community-wide, and global assets which foster and sustain community embeddedness and trust while nurturing the recruitment, retention, and promotion of underrepresented minorities in medicine (URiM) across trainees, faculty, staff, and leadership. Her vision is for UMass Chan Medical School to become the premier academic institution nationally and globally in advancing health equity for vulnerable, underserved, and historically marginalized communities.

From 2008 – 2023, Dr. Johnson-Agbakwu was the Founding Director of the Refugee Women’s Health Clinic (RWHC) at Valleywise Health in Phoenix, AZ, and the Director of the Office of Refugee Health in the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center at Arizona State University. Her research focused on investigating strategies to advance sexual and reproductive health equity for women of color, including migrant women, with the aim of improving health care access and utilization, sexual and reproductive health education, counseling, community engagement, as well as enhance health care provider cultural competency.
The RWHC was the first of its kind in the state of Arizona and has been nationally recognized as an innovative best practice model of care wherein she has spearheaded a unique patient-centered medical home for migrant families. Exponential growth beyond women’s services, has led to the care of over 16,000 patients across Women’s Health, Pediatrics, Internal and Family Medicine, hailing from 68 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia, and the Middle East and speaking over 71 languages.

She has led a federally funded effort to improve health care services, community engagement and provider cultural competency on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), gender-based violence, and has provided consultative expertise to the CDC and WHO on refugee women’s health and FGM/C.
Dr. Johnson-Agbakwu has garnered numerous awards including most recently: the 2022 APGO Humanism in Teaching Award, the 2022 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation on behalf of the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Phoenix, the 2022 Lisa C Bruch Woman of the Year Award by the Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation, the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Program in Human Sexuality Inaugural 50 Distinguished Sexual and Gender Health Revolutionaries Award, the 2021 ISSWSH Humanitarian Service Award, and the 2018 ACOG CREOG National Faculty Award for Excellence in Resident Education.

Evelyn A. Toney is a seasoned financial and real estate professional with over a decade of experience in mortgage lending, business development, and community engagement. As Vice President of Business and Community Development at Bay State Bank, she leads strategic partnerships that support economic growth, small business development, and inclusive financial access—particularly for historically underserved communities across Worcester and Central Massachusetts.

A proud Worcester native, Evelyn has built a career rooted in financial literacy, equity, and advocacy. Her leadership includes past roles as VP/Sr. Loan Advisor at Rhome Mortgage LLC and Director of Underwriting at Homepoint, where she specialized in lending strategies and operational excellence. She is also a licensed Realtor with Real, helping individuals and families navigate the path to homeownership with confidence.

Evelyn currently serves on the boards of:

• ADELANTE Worcester, supporting the advancement and connection of Latino professionals;
• Latino Education Institute (LEI) at Worcester State University, working to improve educational outcomes for Latinx students;
• Worcester Bravehearts, fostering youth engagement and community pride;
• NAHREP® Central Massachusetts, where she serves as Vice President, leading initiatives to increase Hispanic homeownership and promote financial literacy.

She holds a BBA in Business Management from Becker College and actively participates in women’s leadership conferences, chamber events, and local forums. Evelyn is deeply aligned with MAWOCC’s mission to dismantle racial and gender inequities, and she brings with her a powerful combination of industry knowledge, lived experience, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting women of color across the Commonwealth.

A trailblazer, Gail most recently served as the first Chief Marketing and External Affairs executive at Carney Hospital, a member of the Steward Health Care System. A member of the hospital’s executive leadership team, she reported to the hospital president. She created and oversaw the implementation of a marketing strategy to rebrand the hospital, strengthen partnerships to increase the patients, developed community and legislative relationships to enhance the delivery of equitable health care. Previously, as the Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center’s first Chief Development and Communications Officer, Gail led fundraising, communications, government relations and external affairs. She joined Harvard Street, first as a consultant, to launch a marketing and re-branding campaign which produced its 50th Anniversary gala, and worked with the CEO and Board to begin a capital campaign for a new state-of-the art health center building. Prior to joining HSNHC, Gail was the president of Gail Jackson Communications (GJC), a consultancy she founded and led for 17 years specializing in all aspects of communications including: fundraising, diversity & equity marketing, community outreach strategy, political affairs, and events production and management.

GJC’s clients included the American Red Cross, The Henri Termeer Initiative – with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. & MassBio, La Alianza Hispana, and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) – She has spearheaded global DE&I marketing initiatives for Avon Corporation, Pfizer, Shell Oil, and for Partners HealthCare in Massachusetts. Throughout her career, she’s held leadership roles in Corporate America, Government, and Non-profit management including at Wang Laboratories, Action for Boston Community Development, Roxbury Community College, The Ad Club Foundation, and as the Massachusetts Executive Director for Political & Community Affairs of the 2004 Democratic National Convention Committee.

A strategic thought leader who is passionate about women’s issues and justice for all, Gail is the first woman of color to become president of the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus. Under her leadership, MWPC inspired & endorsed the most women and women of color to run for political office in its history, Co-hosted the 175K attendee historic Women’s March on Boston Common, and expanded the organization state-wide. Other boards have included the ACLU of MA, Boston Center for the Arts, YWCA – Haverhill, YMCA-Dorchester, a Massachusetts Health Center, The National and Local Coalition of 100 Black Women, and the Girl Scouts of America-Girl’s Golf Program of New England.

A native Bostonian, Gail studied Broadcast Journalism at Graham Junior College and Journalism & Public Relations at Suffolk University. She lives in Quincy, MA with her husband Ray.

This proud Worcesterite via Grafton Hill grew up in a double-decker with her mother (a former teacher), father (retired firefighter), and older sister. Jo Elle earned her bachelor’s in nursing locally and has worked in various healthcare settings in Worcester. Currently, Jo Elle is a Labor and Delivery Nurse at UMASS Memorial Hospital. A loving caretaker from an early age, Jo Elle has continued to further her education in maternal health. She is a Certified Lactation Coach (CLC), DONA-trained Doula, and certified Childbirth Educator, and is enrolled in Frontier Nursing University’s Certified Nurse Midwifery Program. Jo Elle is currently sharing her talents, education, and earned wisdom with the WCM team in developing Worcester Community Birth Center.

Jo Elle is also a member of Worcester’s NAACP chapter, The Black Heritage Committee, and a member of the Quinsigamond and Hassanamisco Bands of the Nipmuc Nation. One of her passions is working with The College of Holy Cross to preserve and promote the education of local indigenous history.

Of all her titles, “Mom” is the one Jo Elle is most proud of. She currently resides in Auburn with her family. Jo Elle excitedly describes her days as filled with the “joyous chaos” of raising her three sons (ages 13, 7, and 3) and their pets (an Airedale Terrier, Ball Python, and Bearded Dragon).

Catch her if you can.

Lidy Chan is the Risk Financing Manager at Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). She is responsible for managing elements of the Department’s risk financing programs, including insurance programs and loss exposures, procurement and underwriting, cost of risk analysis and budgeting, and more.

She has been in this position as a Risk Financing Manager for over 15 years overseeing the Risk Management and Insurance Programs of MassDOT where she is responsible for a department budget of approximately $4M a year. Lidy’s responsibilities include but not limited to the following:

• Purchases of various insurance policies as needed to mitigate agencies risk on toll roadway system.
• Determine amount of insurance to purchase based on historically analysis of claims liability on the toll roadway system and maintains catastrophic insurance coverage to meet the financial needs of MassDOT.
• Coordination of claims and loss prevention activities.
• Budgeting, accounting and analysis of risk and insurance costs.
• Develop, implement and maintain insurance or self-insurance programs for property, liability, and certain other enterprise risks.
• Coordinate property loss control services provided by brokers, and insurers.
• For property losses covered by insurance, coordinate efforts to recover amounts due from the insurance company.
• Handle Excess WC claims (MTA only) reporting of excess claims as required by policy conditions to ensure recovery of amounts due from the insurer
• Assist and support safety and security with regard to minimizing loss exposures
• For third party claims, coordinate efforts that will lead to discharge by the insurance company of its obligation to pay or reimburse MassDOT for defense and claims costs.
• Handle insurance coverage disputes, working with Legal as appropriate.
• Support Legal, Purchasing, Contract Administration and Departments in the area of contractual risk transfer.
• Coordinate execution of the overall Risk Management process.

Prior to joining MassDOT, she worked for Bechtel/Parsons Brinkerhoff (B/PB, a joint venture)responsible for managing the Central Artery Project (aka as “The Big Dig Project”). At B/PB, Lidy was a Fiscal Project Manager for 14 years responsible for securing the $14.8B funding both federal and state. She joined B/PB as an intern working for estimating and scheduling department. Her tenacity, hard work, and dedication to the Project has led her to numerous positions such as Cost Engineer, Accounts Payable Manager where she became the youngest head of the department in the history of the Project.

She was the recipient of the “Financial Management Award” given by Mass Move 2000 and the City of Boston. She has also received numerous other awards, such as the “Special Achievement Award” and “Leadership Award” for her advocacy within the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

She is currently involved in MassDOT’s various programs just to name a few – serving as a mentor, committee member for the Partners in Transportation Diversity Planning Committee, chair of the AAPI Heritage month celebration, member for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Employee Advisory Council and most recently a member of the MassDOT/Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Employee Resource Group (ERG) Council.

Lidy is also very active in the community and beyond – a member of AAPI Action Group, and currently serves as a Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) Boston Chapter President as well as Council of Presidents representative/Board Member of COMTO National.

Sabina Matos is the 70th Lieutenant Governor of the State of Rhode Island, serving in the office since April 14, 2021. She was most recently elected in November 2022. She is the second woman to hold this post and the first woman of color. Additionally, she is the first Dominican American to hold the position of Lieutenant Governor in the United States.

As Lieutenant Governor, Sabina Matos chairs three statewide policy councils: the Emergency Management Advisory Council, the Long Term Care Coordinating Council, and the Small Business Advocacy Council; she also serves as a member of the state’s Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Treatment. She also carries on the office’s role of serving veterans through programs like the Rhode Island Military Family Relief Fund and Operation Holiday Cheer.

Before becoming Lieutenant Governor, Sabina Matos served on the Providence City Council from January 2011 until April 2021. During that period, she was elected as the first Latina to hold the position of City Council President Pro Tempore in 2015, and in 2019 she was elected City Council President by her peers. She has the distinction of being the first Latina to hold both positions in the city’s history. As the Councilwoman for Ward 15, she represented the neighborhoods of Olneyville and parts of Silver Lake and Valley.

Lieutenant Governor Matos was born in the province of Barahona in the Dominican Republic. In April 1994, she emigrated to the United States. She graduated from Rhode Island College with BA in Communications and Public Relations in May of 2001 and is a proud RIC alumna and supporter. Prior to running for elected office, Sabina worked in the nonprofit sector in Providence, serving as a coordinator for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Making Connections Providence project and as Associate Director of New Roots Providence. Later, she joined state service as the Chief of Program Development at the Rhode Island Office of Diversity, Equity, and Opportunity (now the Division of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion).

Lieutenant Governor Matos is also a graduate of the Latina Leadership Institute and the Leadership for a Future and is a fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Rodel Fellowship Program and the Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows program.

The Lieutenant Governor has served as the past President of the Educational Center for the Arts and Sciences, the RI Latino Civic Fund, and the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee. She previously served as the Board Secretary of the Olneyville Housing Corporation and on the Community Advisory Board of the United Way of Rhode Island.

Lieutenant Governor Matos lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with her husband, Patrick Ward, and their two children, Diego and Annemarie.

Attorney Maria Rivera-Cotto was born in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico and raised in Massachusetts. After graduating from South High Community High School in Worcester, MA, she earned a BA degree in History/Pre-Law from Boston College and a Juris Doctorate degree from Suffolk University Law School. She is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, the Federal District Court and the United States Supreme Court.

Attorney Maria Rivera-Cotto is the founder and owner of the Law Office of Maria M. Rivera-Cotto in Worcester, MA where she litigates a variety of family law cases.

Attorney Maria Rivera-Cotto is a former licensed Social Worker with the Department of Children and Families. Attorney Maria Rivera-Cotto has been practicing law for over 24 years. She began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney with the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office. Since then, she has gained extensive business operations and litigation experience handling complex family and juvenile law matters while working with a local legal aid office, as the Managing Attorney of a mid-sized law firm and as a private practice business owner. Attorney Maria Rivera-Cotto also volunteers her time for the Worcester County Bar Association by serving as a volunteer Conciliator. Attorney Maria Rivera-Cotto is an attorney mentor with the Massachusetts Bar Association Tiered Community Mentoring Program. Attorney Maria Rivera-Cotto presently serves as General Counsel and Vice President of the Central Region on the board of directors of the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition, Inc.

Attorney Maria Rivera-Cotto also serves on the Board of Directors of CENTRO. Attorney Maria Rivera-Cotto was awarded the 2020 Community Service Award for Central Massachusetts by the Massachusetts Bar Association and Worcester County Bar Association. Attorney Maria Rivera-Cotto was recently named a Masslive Massachusetts leader in the Hispanic and Latino community.

Mayor Maria Rivera is the 33rd Mayor of Central Falls, making history as the city’s first female mayor and the first Latina mayor in the
state of Rhode Island.

Born in Camden, NJ, Mayor Rivera’s family moved to Chicago shortly after her birth. Raised with Puerto Rican roots, she took many ESL
classes to keep up with her academics, as her parents spoke only Spanish at home. Today, she is proud to be bilingual, a gift she shares with many Central Falls residents. In 1987, her family settled in Central Falls, where she has lived ever since, proudly raising her two children in the community she calls home.

Elected in November 2020 with 77% of the vote, Mayor Rivera took office on January 4, 2021, stepping up to lead Central Falls through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to becoming mayor, she was the top vote-getter in the 2018 Central Falls City Council election and became the first female and first Latina City Council President.

A proud 1995 graduate of Central Falls High School, Mayor Rivera earned her B.A. in Public Administration from Roger Williams University. As mayor, she has championed initiatives to expand affordable housing, with a commitment to building 200 new units, and has prioritized long-overdue community resources, including the construction of a new community support center. Under her leadership, Central Falls has seen historic reductions in violent crime, bolstered by nationally recognized community policing efforts.

Education has been a cornerstone of her administration. Mayor Rivera spearheaded the creation of the Office of Education Strategy, securing nearly half a million dollars to launch a deep analysis of Central Falls schools and chart a path for improvement. This initiative has deeply engaged hundreds of students, teachers, and families to help shape the district’s future. Through her advocacy and leadership, Mayor Rivera played a key role in championing a historic new $108 million high school, a project that broke ground under her leadership and will serve generations of Central Falls students.

Mayor Rivera continues to work tirelessly to create a stronger, more vibrant Central Falls, ensuring that every resident—from the city’s youth to business owners and working families—have the opportunities and resources they need to succeed.

Brandy Fluker-Reid, Esq. is State Representative for the 12th Suffolk District serving parts of Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roslindale and Milton in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As a first-term legislator, Brandy is the Vice Chair of The Judiciary, and sits on the House Committee on Operations, Facilities and Security and the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy. She proudly serves on the Women’s Caucus executive board as a Representative for the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus.

Born and raised in Boston by a single mother from the segregated south, Brandy has a long-standing passion for social justice and organized her first protest in the third grade. Never one to accept the status quo, Brandy has dedicated her career to advocacy, education equity, and progressive causes.
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Upon graduating from Boston Latin School, she attended Syracuse University and graduated with bachelor’s degrees in both social work and public policy. Brandy, a member of the Baltimore Teachers Union, taught third grade earning her Master’s in Education at The Johns Hopkins University before attending law school at Emory University. She became a public defender with the Committee for Public Counsel Services in the Boston Municipal and Chelsea District Courts.

While zealously representing clients, Brandy witnessed firsthand systemic inequities and how those who are not served well by our public school system, are served very well by our criminal justice system. This observation launched her career into policy and political advocacy at the city and state level. She has professionally worked as an organizer, an executive director, and everything in between.
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Brandy’s work solidified her belief in the power of democracy and that communities are more than capable of identifying solutions to address their most pressing needs and challenges. Brandy formerly served as a member of the Mattahunt Community Center Advisory Board in partnership with Wheelock College and was active in Mattapan United.

Brandy is the founder and president of Delighting in God Ministries (D.I.G.), a faithful member of her church, member of the Dorchester YMCA, life member of the NAACP, a practicing attorney and member of both the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association & the Women’s Bar Association, and an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She is the only child of Rev. Brenda A. Fluker and fiercely protective of her mom.

Ruthzee Louijeune, serving her second term as City Councilor At-Large and unanimously elected as Boston City Council President, is a grounded, thoughtful, and inclusive leader. A dedicated public servant, Ruthzee is committed to fostering shared prosperity in Boston with a focus on justice and equity. Born and raised in Mattapan and Hyde Park to working-class Haitian immigrants, Ruthzee’s journey is deeply rooted in the fabric of Boston. Her first job was as a walking tour guide with the youth organization MYTOWN, where she offered a people-centered history of Boston’s neighborhoods. While a student activist, Ruthzee contributed to redesigning the student assignment process under Mayor Menino and served as a Ward Fellow for former State Representative Marie St. Fleur.

As a lawyer, Ruthzee fought for families facing eviction and foreclosure in Boston Housing Court. She defended voting rights in cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, helped elect progressive prosecutors nationwide, and served as the senior attorney on Senator Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign. A fierce housing advocate, she drafted agreements that secured millions of dollars for first-generation homeowners as a member of Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA).

In her first term as a City Councilor At-Large, Ruthzee chaired the Committee on Civil Rights and Immigrant Advancement, where she successfully advocated for the expansion of the Office of Returning Citizens, won financial support for immigrants and new arrivals, stood up for the rights of our LGBTQ+ siblings, and convened marginalized communities for a civil rights forum to tackle pressing issues together. After a federal court order returned the proposed district map to the council, Ruthzee successfully led the redistricting process to pass a new map.

Additionally, she served as Vice Chairs of the Committee on Government Operations and Housing and Community Development. In these roles, she advocated for affordable housing and accessible homeownership, resilient, energy-efficient school buildings, teacher diversity, and more supportive services for students—all in an effort to address racial justice and equity. Her advocacy resulted in budget wins for communities too often overlooked.

Ruthzee makes history as the first Haitian American elected to Boston municipal government, the U.S. city with the second largest Haitian population per capita, and the first Haitian American to serve as President of the council. An alumna of Boston Public Schools, Columbia University, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Ruthzee is trilingual, fluent in French and Haitian Creole, with conversational proficiency in Spanish. Her multifaceted background and unwavering dedication to serving her community make her a transformative leader shaping the future of Boston.

Born and raised in the Dudley Triangle to Cabo Verdean parents, Massachusetts State Senator Liz Miranda is in her first term representing the 2nd Suffolk District, the seat of Black political power in Boston, representing neighborhoods in Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, South End, and the Fenway.

Senator Miranda is a Wellesley College alumna and proud graduate of Boston Public Schools, graduating from the John D O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Boston Alumnae Chapter and the Wellesley Club of Boston. In 2017, Senator Miranda lost her 28-year-old brother, Michael Miranda, to gun violence. After her decades long advocacy for gun violence prevention, losing her brother was a catalyst in her entrance to electoral politics. Embracing her lived experience as a survivor of homicide, Senator Miranda has been a champion for violence prevention funding, which has tripled since her first term.

During her first term Senator Mranda has spearheaded solutions to issues revolving maternal health, criminal justice, racial equity, and other pertenant systemic inequities. She is able to do so by serving as a Chair of the Racial Equity, Civil Rights and Inclusion Committee, Vice Chair of the Economic Development Committee, and member of Ways & Means, Census, Juvenile and Emerging Adult Justice, Community Development and Small Businesses, Elder Affairs, State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committees.

Prior to serving in the Massachusetts Senate, Senator Miranda served two terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In her first term in the House, she was a lead author in the police reform omnibus bill that passed in 2021. She has passed legislation to provide enforceable tools to protect the life and health of environmental justice communities, improve maternal health outcomes of Black women and birthing people, extend postpartum health insurance coverage, end solitary confinement in state prisons, and ensure vaccine equity in the communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously Senator Miranda was a non-profit executive, entrepreneur, and community organizer, which began as a youth organizer in the Dudley Triangle, fighting to rebuild her community and protect land. Her professional roles have included serving as the Executive Director for the Hawthorne Youth and Community Center and Director of Youth Opportunity Development at Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI).

Sharon Scott-Chandler has been President and CEO of ABCD since July 2022 and has over three decades of experience, committed to under-resourced communities and promoting programs and policies that promote opportunity for all. ABCD is one of the largest Community Action Agencies in the country, with an annual operating budget exceeding $325 million and serving more than 100,000 people in Greater Boston and the Mystic Valley each year. Under her leadership, ABCD was named for the second time one of the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts by The Women’s Edge, together with its partner The Boston Globe.

In addition to her position at ABCD, Sharon holds several state-appointed leadership roles, including gubernatorial appointments to the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), the Special Commission on Poverty, and, most recently, to the Massachusetts Energy Transformation Advisory Board.

Sharon became a vital member of the ABCD leadership staff in 1999 after leaving the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office to pursue her commitment to directly impacting the communities in which she was raised. She served as Executive Vice President/COO for 13 years, a period of significant growth during which she was instrumental in the expansion of the Head Start and Early Head Start programs, supporting some 2,400 young children and their families in early care and education centers, and the introduction of innovative youth development programs, including WorkSMART and Youth Engaged in Action! (YEA!).

Prior to that, she was Vice President of ABCD Head Start and Children’s Services and Director of ABCD’s Child Care Choices of Boston (CCCB), the designated Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (CCRRA) for several Greater Boston communities. While with CCCB, she managed a $50 million program that brought additional resources and recognition to a program that supports more than 11,000 children, their families, and licensed early childhood education providers accessing financial assistance, training, and information.

An expert in human service management and policy, Sharon holds statewide leadership positions in various areas. She currently serves as a gubernatorial appointee to the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), the Special Commission on Poverty, and, most recently, to the Massachusetts Energy Transformation Advisory Board. Sharon also serves on the Board for the Children’s Investment Fund (CIF), the Massachusetts Association of Daycare Agencies (MADCA), the Massachusetts Association of Community Action (MASSCAP), the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC), as well as a trustee of the Urban College of Boston (UCB), which was established as an ABCD program and evolved into a fully accredited college. She previously served for 10 years as a member of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education & Care, serving four years as Chair and as an appointee to the Governor’s Black Advisory Commission. On a national level, she serves on the National Community Action Foundation Board (NCAF), and is an active member of the National Head Start Association (MHSA).

Born and raised in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood, Sharon began her career as a legislative aide to U.S. Congressman Sidney Yates and as an associate at a large Boston law firm. She went on to serve as an assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Sharon holds a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and a Bachelor’s degree from Tufts University.