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Date: 9/13/2021
HOLYOKE - On Nov. 2, residents in the city of Holyoke will head to the polls to determine the outcome of several municipal elections including City Council, School Committee and who their next mayor will be.
In the race for City Council At Large positions, four councilors are seeking to be re-elected, while two seats are vacant. Seeking re-election to the position are Councilors Howard Greaney Jr., James Leahy, Joseph McGiverin and Peter Tallman.
In an effort for residents to better know the candidates who will be on the ballot and their position on city-specific issues, Reminder Publishing reached out to each candidate running for City Council At Large. Each candidate was asked to submit a short biography along with answers to several issue-specific questions.
Responses printed by Reminder Publishing on behalf of the candidates represent the candidates own thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Reminder Publishing does not endorse any candidate nor their beliefs.
Candidates for City Council At Large include Kevin Jourdain, Mark Chatel, Israel Rivera, Jose Maldonado Velez, Tallman, Greaney Jr., Leahy, Jennifer Keitt, Tessa Murphy-Romboletti, Paola Ferrario and McGiverin.
Their biographies, listed in alphabetical order, are as follows. Readers will be able to get to know the candidates platforms in upcoming editions of the Holyoke Reminder, as their question responses will be printed.
Biographies
Chatel: I am a lifelong Holyoke resident. [I] will bring an independent, fresh voice to city government. I attended Holyoke Public Schools and a proud graduate of Holyoke High School. Proud supporter of Holyoke Youth sports leagues. If elected I would like to hold ward meetings with ward residents and ward councilor.
Ferrario: I first came to the Valley in 2006 for a teaching job at Smith College. In 2007 I purchased a home in Holyoke, and promptly fell in love with my new city. There's no place else in Western Massachusetts where I'd want to live.
Professionally, I wear a lot of hats. I'm an investor in Holyoke real estate, and an agent with the Murphy realtors in Northampton. I'm also an internationally recognized artist and Guggenheim fellow with a 25-year teaching career. Colleges and universities, like cities, have to be governed, and during my time as a college professor I've served on many committees and boards for two universities. I've learned administrative and leadership skills in the process and put those to work as a volunteer.
My public service includes:
I'm running for city council because I love Holyoke, I see a great future for it, and as a private citizen I can't do enough to help us get there. I was encouraged to run by people who share that vision, and who believe that I have the skills to guide Holyoke into the 21st century as a model green city where people of all races and social backgrounds aspire to live.
Greaney Jr.: Dear Holyoke Voter, as a lifelong resident and homeowner of Holyoke, I would greatly appreciate your support in the Nov. 2 Municipal Election.
I believe that trust, honesty and loyalty, along with “reason and common sense” are mandatory requirements of all elected and appointed public officials.
I will continue to file and support legislation that promotes the safety and security of our citizens, and support all necessary services to ensure our residents receive maximum benefits for their tax dollars. I will work to regain local control of our public school system. I will always seek joint input from our residents and address their concerns in a timely fashion.
I have no personal or private agenda and I will never dodge any issue that comes before the council, no matter how controversial it is. Please consider my experience, community service and my record of fiscal responsibility when you vote in the November election. Thank you, Howie.
Experience: 35 year educator in the Holyoke Public Schools, 8 years as a small business owner and officer in two closely corporations, bachelor and master's degree from AIC and 21 credits in advanced graduate study, six years as an at-large member of the Holyoke School Committee serving on the finance subcommittee, six years serving as a City Councilor at Large on Public Safety and Charter and Rules, six years in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, American Legion 325 *Ancient Order of the Hibernians, Holyoke Lodge of Elks.
Jourdain: Former Advisory Board member, Pioneer Valley Transit Authority. Former supervisor, Board of Supervisors of Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Shelter.
Professional History: Full-time healthcare executive and healthcare attorney for large national health system, part-time law practice in Holyoke, former board member, Massachusetts Division of Insurance Board of Appeals, former tax examiner, Massachusetts Department of Revenue, former caseworker, Massachusetts Department of Youth Services.
Education: Bachelor of Arts, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, economics and political science. Master of Business Administration, Anna Maria College. Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude, Massachusetts School of Law - Andover.
Lifelong Holyoker. Devoted husband and father.
I am running for Councilor at Large because Holyoke is presented with so many challenges and opportunities that my 27 years of experience in state and municipal government is need now more than ever. Our Holyoke can be a stronger and better place but a lot of work lies ahead if we are going to make that potential a reality. Please join our campaign to ensure we have competent proven leadership rooted in common sense at City Hall. No one will work harder and more effectively for you. I would be honored to have one of your six votes for Councilor at Large. For more information, please visit my website at www.kevinjourdain.com. Thank you.
Keitt: Jennifer M. (Chartier) Keitt: Born and raised in Holyoke, attended Holyoke Public Schools. I went on to earn an associate's degree from Holyoke Community College and a bachelor's degree in political science from Westfield State. I work as a paralegal with over 20 years of experience in the legal field.
I am a married mom of three children, all of whom attended Holyoke Public Schools. My family owns a home in the Ingleside neighborhood of Ward 2. I have lived in 6 of the 7 Wards in the city of Holyoke. I'm as comfortable above Northampton Street as I am below Northampton Street. My mother is a Lincoln Street Paige and my father proudly served the Holyoke Police Department for over 30 years.
My city involvement began with the schools. I served on the Local Stakeholders Group (assisting in the creation of the HPS turnaround plan); I was thrice elected president of D.P.C.O. (Dolphin Pride Community Organization - Donahue School PTO); and I served on the Holyoke Public School Special Education Task Force. I am also a recipient of a Volunteer Recognition Award from the Holyoke Youth Commission Task Force. I continue to be involved in our community and am now looking to be elected City Councilor At Large to bring my education, experience and community commitment to the city of Holyoke on a larger scale. I'm ready to work.
Maldonado Velez: I was born in Providence Hospital and raised in the Flats with a strong connection to my Puerto Rican roots. The food, the TV programming, and the music and dance groups my family put together were all part of my cultural experience growing up. As a teen, I was involved in the community through organizations like the Holyoke Youth Commission that showed me the importance of civic engagement and how impactful local politics truly are. I attended Holyoke public schools, graduating in 2007 and moving on to Bryant University, where I received my degree in sociology.
What followed was a decade of a career in many different areas, from retail management and being a director at a boarding school, to cleaning houses and bartending in NYC. All my experiences have led me to the reason why I am running - no matter which space I was in, everyone was simply trying to make the best of our time on this Earth.
In order for this to happen, we must live in a society that works for all members of it, and that is not the case in our city. We have systems that are not accessible because of either language barriers or a lack of efficient processes. We have a crumbling infrastructure in the physical sense with buildings collapsing and in a virtual sense with a website with dead links all over. And as all these problems happen, we have leaders that would rather continue dividing the city rather than uniting all of us to make it better. We cannot fix the problems of today with the solutions from yesterday; it's time to bring Holyoke to the next century.
Murphy-Romboletti: Hello! I am excited to be running for City Council At Large this fall to further contribute to making my hometown a better place. Currently I'm the executive director of a nonprofit here in Holyoke that helps underrepresented individuals start and grow their business.
Prior to that, I worked for the city of Holyoke for over five years in a variety of capacities. This included helping business owners, securing grants that improved sidewalks and potholes to homelessness and public education. I'm a proud graduate of the Holyoke Public Schools, and I obtained a Bachelor of Arts in history and sociology from the University of Delaware. During college, I interned for former Mayor Michael J. Sullivan, where I cultivated my love for public service.
I serve as the vice chair for the Board of Directors for both MassHire and the Holyoke Economic Development Industrial Corporation (HEDIC) and I've been a member of the St. Patrick's Parade Committee since 2012.
All these experiences have inspired me to run for City Councilor At-Large, because I believe we need a more equitable and efficient government that actually creates change for our residents - one that encourages growth and represents the best interests of everyone in our community.
I am one of the few candidates that has ever actually worked full-time as a non-elected servant within City Hall and I believe I have a unique perspective of what works and what doesn't work in city government. I've seen the impact that a dysfunctional City Council has on city services, and am ready to bring professionalism and decorum back to the City Council Chambers.
I'm running because I think it's time for new voices at the table, with new ideas and perspectives. Thank you for reading!
Tallman: Peter Tallman, 64, is a candidate for re-election for city councilor at large. I am married to Nereida (Garcia) Tallman. We have two daughters, Rosa Cassidy and Jessica Bernard, and five grandchildren. I am a 1975 graduate of Holyoke Catholic High School and received an associate's degree from Holyoke Community College 1987. I am a US Army Veteran (1975 to 1978) and a retired member of the Air National Guard, serving at Barnes Air Base from 1990 to 2013. I was a letter carrier with the United State Postal Service from 1981 to 2018. I served on the Board of Aldermen from January 1992 to January 1994 and was appointed to the City Council in February 2001, where I have continued to be a member until present. I am also a member of the Holyoke Elks, American Legion Post 325, National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 46, and a regular platelet donor with the American Red Cross. I am seeking re-election to the City Council to play a vital role in making decisions that will shape our community in the future.