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Date: 10/11/2022
CHICOPEE – Mayor John Vieau has appointed Chloe Soto to work as the community and constituent liaison for his staff. Soto will be the first person to work in this newly-adopted position.
Vieau originally introduced the job as a part of his mayor’s orders during the Feb. 1 City Council Meeting. He described the necessity of the position as his office is “inundated” with calls from the community.
“We wanted to try and find a way that would be the most cost effective to help … My staff really did not take much for vacations [during the pandemic] and they’ve incurred a lot of time,” said Vieau.
The part-time position highlighted a preference for a bilingual candidate who can address a variety of constituent concerns with strong customer service skills.
Originally, the mayor said he considered adding a diversity and inclusion officer to his office, but ultimately opted to incorporate that position as a part of the city’s Human Resource’s office.
Human Resources Director Paul Winspeare explained that the decision will allow the new officer to be “proactive” in training and the educating staff across all departments.
Ward 1 City Councilor Joel McAuliffe, who formerly worked under the administration of former mayor Richard Kos, described the position as a valuable inclusion due to increased calls throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The council ultimately approved the mayor’s request for funding for the position in a unanimous vote.
In an interview with Reminder Publishing, Soto said her initial experiences connecting with constituents has allowed her to provide a helping hand to residents.
“In the spirit of this office, there is always help. We’ll do research for people who direct them to the right department,” said Soto.
Soto also stressed the importance of ensuring accessibility for Chicopee residents in her role. As a bilingual Latina, Soto shared that she is making sure that every constituent can have a voice.
“The number of Latinos not only in this community, but in surrounding areas, has increased. For Mayor Vieau to recognize that there is a need and create a position is not just responsible, it’s smart government … we want to make sure everyone is included in the conversation,” said Soto.
Vieau shared that Soto has been an “incredible” addition to his staff.
“Really what we do is help people. We take pride in that here, and Chloe fits right in the team. Our goal is to make sure that we’re meeting the needs of the constituents and the people that live here,” said Vieau.
Soto can be reached by constituents at csoto@chicopeema.gov or 594-1571 during her office hours.