Gladys Vega, Executive Director

Gladys joined the Collaborative just two years after the organization's inception. Gladys took on increasing responsibility with each passing year until she became the Executive Director in 2006. Gladys is the architect of most of the Collaborative's community coalitions and is the most successful community organizer in the City of Chelsea. She is one of Chelsea's most prominent and important community leaders with citywide, statewide and national accolades for her leadership. In addition, she is an accomplished speaker with experiences at college graduations, conferences, university and national conventions. Gladys is a Chelsea resident and mother of two.
gladysv@chelseacollab.org
(617) 889-6080, Ext. 101

Roseann Bongiovanni, Associate Executive Director

Roseann joined the Collaborative as the Green Space Coordinator in 1995 and is the chief architect of its incredible growth. She has a Bachelor's degree from Boston University and a Masters in Public Health from the Boston University's School of Public Health. Roseann was named Adult Resident of the Year by the All Chelsea Award Committee in 2007. In addition to her Collaborative work, Roseann serves on the Chelsea City Council and served as that elected body's President in 2007. Roseann is a lifelong Chelsea resident.
roseannb@chelseacollab.org
(617) 889-6080, Ext. 111

Rita Falzarano, Development and Fundraising Coordinator

Rita joined the Collaborative in January of 2009. She has vast experience in adult education, particularly in teaching English as a second language. Rita worked at Centro Latino de Chelsea in Adult Basic Education where she helped Chelsea residents to choose appropriate language courses and GED courses. She now is the fundraising director of the Collaborative. She is bilingual and originally from Chelsea.
ritaf@chelseacollab.org
(617)889-6080 Ext. 109

Yessenia Alfaro, Director of Organizing

Yessenia Alfaro joined the Chelsea Collaborative a few years ago. In her time at the Collaborative, she has expanded the reach of the Chelsea Latino Immigrant Committee (CLIC) to be one of the strongest worker rights groups in all of Massachusetts. Through her leadership, CLIC has established a strong worker rights center where workers, especially immigrant workers, can come to learn and understand their rights and become empowered to demand workplace justice. With Yessenia's help, many victims of workplace abuse and fraud have won back wages owed to them. Yessenia works closely with the Greater Boston Legal Services and the Office of the Attorney General. Currently, Yessenia is working towards her Bachelors Degree. She is an active member of Santa Rosa de Lima Church, a wife and mother of four. She and her husband are raising their family in Chelsea.
yesseniaa@chelseacollab.org
(617) 889-6080, Ext. 108

Damaris Gonzalez, Lead Outreach Organizer

Damaris is a long-time community activist who joined the Collaborative staff in 2002 as a part-time "doorknocker" with the Chelsea Voter Initiative. Damaris is now a full-time staff member with responsibility for organizing the Chelsea Voter Initiative and the Chelsea United in Defense of Education committee. She is personally responsible for registering hundreds of Chelsea voters. Damaris also works with the Summer Youth Employment Initiative.
damarisg@chelseacollab.org
(617) 889-6080, Ext. 106

Ivette Ithier, Director of Administration

Ivette served on the Collaborative Board before joining the staff in 1998. In addition to her lead responsibilities for the Latino Coalition she worked on the Voter Initiative, CUDE and the Summer Youth Employment Initiative. Ivette is responsible for all administration policies and practices at the Collaborative.
ivettei@chelseacollab.org
(617) 889-6080, Ext. 110

Idaliz Bigio, Administrative Assistant

Idaliz joined the Collaborative in 2005, as the administrative assistant of the organization. She is a database expert, information technology, and office management. Idaliz works in the Civic Participation Initiative, where she supervises and operates the voter database. She also works in the Summer Youth Employment program and other programs as needed.
IdalizB@chelseacollab.org
(617) 889-6080, Ext. 103

Dora Santaniello, Financial Director

Dora joined the Collaborative staff in 2003 after serving on the Collaborative Board. Previously, she was the Senior Supervisor, Sales and Revenue Accounting at the New England Aquarium. She has a Bachelor's degree in accounting from Boston College. Dora served two terms on the Chelsea City Council, including tenure as Vice-President, before stepping down in 2007.
doras@chelseacollab.org
(617) 889-6080, Ext. 105

Kathleen Bray, Summer Youth Employement Program Organizer

Kathleen is a recent graduate of the Boston University School of Education and Social Work. She has two masters degrees in Education and Macro Social Work. After working as an intern at the Collaborative from 2007-2008 and having worked in the Social Capital campaign, she joined the staff to run the Summer Youth Employment Program, the year-round youth employment program, and the tutoring program. Kathleen is bilingual and has vast experience in youth work.
KathleenB@chelseacollab.org
(617) 889-6080

Jovanna Garcia Soto, Green Space Organizer

Jovanna joined the Collaborative in the fall of 2008. She has a masters degree in Environmental Management and has extensive experience working with youth and in the development of environmental curriculum for formal education and for community environmental educators. Jovanna also has experience working with the state diesel campaign and community work in environmental justice populations. She is trilingual (Spanish, Portuguese, and English).
jovannaGS@chelseacollab.org
(617) 889-6080, Ext. 104

Rachel English, Jewish Organizing Initiative Fellow & Coordinator of the Chelsea Tenants Association

Rachel is a recent graduate from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. While at school she spent her evenings organizing around responsible investing and sustainable food systems. She spent her summers door-knocking and phone banking with non-profits such as GRO: GrassRoots Organizing of Columbia, MO and The Bus Project of Portland, OR, where she completed an intensive 10-week training program in political organizing. She cannot whistle while humming, hum while whistling, do a one-handed handstand (or even a two-handed handstand), wiggle her ears, or wiggle her nose, but she can wiggle her toes! She is super-excited to be working on housing with the Citywide Tenants Association.
rachele@chelseacollab.org
(617) 889-6080, Ext. 112

Aweis Hussein, Shanbaro Community Association Community Organizer

Aweis joined the Collaborative en January 2009 as the first community organizer for the Somali Bantu population in Chelsea and in Boston. The Somali Bantu community created a new committee called the Shanbaro Community Association (SCA). SCA works to empower the Somali Bantu refugees and to guarantee equal access to health care, education, and dignified housing. Aweis is multilingual.
AweisH@chelseacollab.org
(617) 889-6080, Ext.114

Yaritza González, Diesel Organizer

Yaritza began working at the Collaborative as part of the youth group when she was 14 years old. She later graduated from Chelsea High School and worked a year as an intern for Chelsea Green Space, where she had more responsibilities and took on a greater number of projects. After her internship, she began working full time as the organizer of the RIOT Squad and coordinator of special events. Yaritza is studying to become a nurse and is bilingual.
YariG@chelseacollab.org
(617)889-6080 Ext.107