Government Affairs Forum: Boston City Councilors

October 18, 2022 9:45 am – 11:00 am Revere Hotel

Event Details

Thank you for joining us. Hope you had a chance to hear from the members of the Boston City Council as they addressed the Greater Boston business community.

Tickets

Individual Member & Government: $75
Member or Government Table of 10: $750
Individual Non-member: $120
Non-member Table of 10: $1,200

Guest List

Government Affairs Forum

For this Government Affairs Forum, the Chamber featured the most recently elected City Councilors: Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, Councilor Gabriela Coletta, Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune, Councilor Erin Murphy, and Councilor Brian Worrell. The Chamber’s President & CEO, James E. Rooney, moderated this discussion focused on policy priorities and the future of commerce in Boston.

The City Council, the legislative body of the City of Boston, serves as a link between residents and municipal government. The City Councilors continue to serve as advocates for important issues, including transportation, equity, and downtown revitalization. Thank you for joining us. Hope you had a chance to hear from the newly elected City Councilors as they shared their vision and actions to retain a talented workforce, support local businesses, and bolster Boston’s competitiveness.

Questions?

Danielle Dorey

Vice President, Programs

Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

Email Danielle

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Speakers

Ruthzee Louijeune

City Councilor, At-Large, City of Boston

A grounded, thoughtful, and inclusive leader, Ruthzee is working to bring our neighborhoods together where shared prosperity is the foundation of a just and equitable…Read more

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Erin Murphy

City Councilor, At-Large, City of Boston

Erin’s story sets her apart. Everyone’s story is different, but we all know what it’s like to struggle with unexpected hurdles, battle through adversity, and…Read more

Erin’s story sets her apart. Everyone’s story is different, but we all know what it’s like to struggle with unexpected hurdles, battle through adversity, and with a little luck and a lot of determination, conquer our fears and doubts.

Erin comes from hardy Dorchester stock with a strong tradition of activism. Her grandfather Richard Murphy organized the various neighborhood groups under one umbrella, the Dorchester United Neighborhood Association, to turn a former landfill into a park and community buildings — today, the Richard J. Murphy School and adjacent sports fields and playgrounds. Her Auntie Kay and mom started the first Teen Center in the City of Boston right there in the gym.

After high school, she enrolled at UMass-Boston first in business management. When she was 19, she had her first son, Brian. She picked up more waitressing shifts and dropped her course load to juggle her new responsibilities. As a teenage mother she was scared and knew that she needed to stay in school to make a good life for her small family. By the time she graduated in 1999, eleven years after starting, her daughter Maisie was one, she was pregnant with Michael, her youngest, and had buried her son Colin. Her twenties were a struggle to say the least but she persevered and did what was necessary to become a Boston Public School teacher.

A lot of folks would have thrown in the towel on higher education at that point, but Erin was determined to push forward. She never gave up and she earned her degree in Business, History and Elementary Education. Later, she earned her M.A.Ed. from Fitchburg State University. Erin just finished paying off her student loans a few months ago, at the age 51 years old, so she knows a thing or two about how the system needs to change.

As a teacher in the Boston Public Schools for 22 years, she became even more familiar with the things families have to deal with: educational challenges, economic setbacks, substance use disorder and recovery. At the age of 45 she started running marathons to raise awareness and sorely needed funding for substance use disorder and mental health recovery services in Boston. To date, she has raised more than $50,000 for the Gavin Foundation. And gone through a lot of sneakers.

Erin will be your city councilor — a city councilor for every neighborhood — she will understand your issues, already be familiar with your struggles. she’ll know how to make city government work to solve them for you and your families. In every neighborhood across this great city.

Erin will be your go-to call at City Hall not just because of the life I’ve lived, but because chances are pretty good that it’s not all that much different than the life you’ve lived.

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Tania Fernandes Anderson

City Councilor, District 7, City of Boston

Tania Fernandes Anderson was born in Cape Verde. At the age of 10, she immigrated from Cape Verde to Roxbury, two places that she says formed the foundation of her…Read more

Tania Fernandes Anderson was born in Cape Verde. At the age of 10, she immigrated from Cape Verde to Roxbury, two places that she says formed the foundation of her unwavering commitment to the community. Councilor Anderson was elected to the Boston City Council on November 2, 2021, becoming the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the Boston City Council. She proudly represents District 7, consisting of Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway, and part of the South End.

Before serving as Councilor, Tania was the Executive Director of Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets, a parent advocate with the Boston Public Schools, program manager for a homeless women’s shelter, a business owner, and a child social worker. She has also been a foster mom to 17 kids while raising two biological children.

The equitable distribution of mental health services has always been near to the Councilor’s heart, which is why she founded Noah’s Advocate. Noah’s Advocate is a trauma-informed mental health nonprofit that serves underrepresented communities. Tania is also the founder of a non-profit that supports at-risk youth through theatre, fashion, and art. The nonprofit’s shows and performances routinely sell out the historic Strand Theatre in Dorchester.

Councilor Anderson is passionate about economic opportunity and mobility, particularly for those who have been disenfranchised and left seeking opportunities and support from the margins. She will work to help create good jobs and stronger support systems for small business entrepreneurs because she believes that fostering and cultivating economic development and growth in Boston’s small business districts is one of the paths to addressing the racial wealth gap.

As Councilor, Tania will work to ensure that Municipal Government is actively working for the people of Boston. Councilor Anderson is committed to enhancing constituent services for District 7 residents, prioritizing affordable homeownership, monitoring development, so residents are not displaced, centering District 7’s Age Strong population through aging with dignity support programs and initiatives, and multigenerational recreation. She will also work to improve the quality of life for residents by making sure that the City’s Covid-19 recovery efforts are equitable, collaborating with public health officials for a comprehensive approach to addressing mental health, violence, and substance abuse issues, decriminalizing our youth and helping to create jobs for their future.

Councilor Anderson is committed to creating a “District 7 Action Plan” that will begin by conducting research on the District’s strengths and weaknesses. Data generated from the research will then be used to drive meaningful, effective, and efficient responses to district challenges and community concerns.

Councilor Anderson is a graduate of the John D. O’Bryant High School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury and Springfield College. She is the proud mother of a US Marine and a young emerging Artist. In her spare time, Tania enjoys sewing gowns and playwriting.

Gabriela Coletta

City Councilor, District 1, City of Boston

Fighting on behalf of her community is the only thing Gabriela “Gigi” Coletta has ever known. Raised by community advocates in East Boston, Gabriela grew up…Read more

Fighting on behalf of her community is the only thing Gabriela “Gigi” Coletta has ever known. Raised by community advocates in East Boston, Gabriela grew up attending civic association meetings, neighborhood events, and even multiple protests against airport runway expansion with her mom, Nina. Gabriela has dedicated her entire life to working in service to others and giving back to the beautiful, diverse neighborhood that has given her so much.

Gabriela brought her passion for public service in her role as Chief of Staff to Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards. She centered and amplified the lived experiences of those systemically overlooked in every policy discussion, constituent case, and civic engagement initiative. She spent the entirety of her tenure in the neighborhoods of Charlestown, East Boston, and the North End understanding constituents’ concerns to build bridges between differing populations.

Most recently, Gabriela has been leading the New England Aquarium’s efforts around achieving a resilient, accessible, and inclusive downtown waterfront for all as their External Relations Manager. She’s worked diligently to ensure the waterfront remains welcoming for all Bostonians by expanding access to the Aquarium and its home on Central Wharf for BIPOC and non-English speaking individuals and families.

Gabriela has worked to advance and empower women by building pipelines to leadership across the Commonwealth. As Associate Director of the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus (MWPC), she furthered MWPC’s mission to recruit, elect, and train women to run for office across Massachusetts while creating strategies to elect endorsed candidates for its Political Action Committee. Gabriela is also a frequent guest trainer for Emerge Massachusetts, where she advises women seeking to run for office or manage campaigns for female candidates.

As Campaign Manager for Councilor Edwards successful 2017 campaign, Gabriela activated and mobilized a grassroots campaign consisting of a broad coalition of residents, unions, volunteers, and advocacy groups numbering over 500 people – all of whom felt disenfranchised by the political establishment – to elect the first African-American woman to represent us on the Boston City Council. Gabriela was State Representative Adrian Madaro’s (D-East Boston) Community Liaison where she sat shoulder-to-shoulder with community members for years listening and learning about their priorities. Prior to that, she was his field director during his successful and contentious 2015 special election campaign. She was elected as the Democratic State Committeewoman for the 1st Suffolk and Middlesex district in 2016 and to the Ward 1 Democratic Committee in 2020.

Gabriela is a proud product of four Boston Public Schools and graduated from Boston Latin Academy. She received a degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts at Boston as well as a minor in Human Rights. She currently lives in East Boston with her partner, Sebastian Zapata. In her spare time, she loves to cook dishes that honor her Italian and Mexican heritage.

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Brian Worrell

City Councilor, District 4, City of Boston

Brian Worrell is the Boston City Councilor for District 4, which includes Mattapan, Dorchester, and parts of Jamaica Plain and Roslindale. A native Bostonian, Brian…Read more

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AGENDA

9:45 – 10:00 a.m. Networking & Registration

Guests arrive, sign in at registration, and network with fellow attendees.

10:00 – 10:45 a.m. Program

Members of the Boston City Council to address to the business community.

10:45 – 11:00 a.m. Audience Q&A

A chance to ask questions to the Council members.

FAQs

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN MY REGISTRATION?

Access to a welcoming community of professionals over a great conversation and morning refreshments!

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

An interest in connecting and networking with other professionals. Oh, and don’t forget business cards.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?

Please come dressed for your day!

WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE?

Registration begins a 9:45am, with program starting promptly at 10am

DO I NEED TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE?

We have a limited number of tickets available for this event due to capacity limits. Government Affair Forum events are some of the Chamber’s most popular and we recommend registering in advance to secure your spot!

COVID-19 POLICY

-You are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as defined by the CDC.
-You have not had a fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell that cannot be attributed to another health condition.
-You have not had contact with a person known to be infected, potentially infected, or exposed to someone infected with COVID-19 within the previous 14 days. (Prior to the event date)

Series Sponsor

Revere Hotel

200 Stuart St, Boston, MA 02116

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All cancellations must be received at least three (3) business days prior to the event to avoid being charged or to receive a refund.

The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce encourages persons with disabilities to participate, and engage fully, in its programs and events.

If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation, including but not limited to, listening devices, closed captioning, large print, wheelchair access, allergies and environmental sensitivities, or if you have any questions about the venue, event format, or virtual platform, please contact us at [email protected].

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Become a Member

About Us

Get to Know the Chamber

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Membership Directory

Not sure if you’re a member?

Events & Networking

WHAT’S NEXT

Upcoming Events

Engage & Learn

FEATURED EVENT

Series

2026 Government Affairs Forum | Governor Maura Healey

EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMMING:

Member Engagement

Maximize Your Membership

Register Now

Membership Directory

Discover fellow Chamber members.

Upcoming Events

Stay Involved

Talent & Workforce

City Awake

Boston’s Future Leaders

Massachusetts Apprentice Network

Women’s Leadership Program

Partnership with Boston Public Schools

Strategic Communication for Better Collaboration

Policy & Impact

GET INVOLVED IN OUR POLICY FOCUS AREAS

Business Climate

Climate & Energy

Health Care

Housing & Development

Talent