MassEquality today welcomes Tanya Neslusan, “an experienced political and social justice leader and life-long resident of Central Massachusetts,” as the new executive director for the Bay State grassroots LGBTQ advocacy organization.
“Tanya has an impressive set of organizing skills that will bring the work of MassEquality alive in local communities,” said Board President Michael Pizziferri in a January 14 MassEquality press release.
“There is positive alignment between our strategic direction and Tanya’s desire to inspire social change through community organizing, developing accessible tools for people to put to work to bring change at the local level, where people meet regular resistance,” said Pizziferri.
Says MassEquality:
Having left the corporate tech world to turn her full attention to her activist roots, Tanya joins MassEquality at a critical juncture. MassEquality is redirecting its focus from a primary emphasis on policy work on Beacon Hill to direct organizing in geographic communities from Springfield to Pittsfield and Quincy to the Cape. Our goal is to make lived equality a reality throughout the state.
[Tanya] completed EmergeMA Candidate Training and threw her hat in the ring to unseat a seven-term and largely-uncontested State Representative. Though the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, Tanya cemented many relationships throughout the Commonwealth. Tanya has also served as Secretary of the Sturbridge Town Democratic Committee, Planning Committee Member of Showing up for Racial Justice Worcester, and Board Member of the Bay State Stonewall Democrats. Tanya is a founding member of the leadership team of Grassroots Central Massachusetts and is a member of both the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition and Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop
Tanya resides in Sturbridge with her wife, Rebecca, her teenage son, Nick, a dog, two cats, and a bearded dragon. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts and has spent the majority of her career working in health insurance information technology. …
“Local organizing is critical to true social change and I am excited to be a part of MassEquality as we redirect our primary focus to diverse grassroots organizing in local communities,” says Neslusan.
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