Michael Boland has announced his candidacy for the North Adams City Council and recently submitted his nomination papers in preparation for the November election.
Boland has been a resident of North Adams for the majority of his life. He was educated in the North Adams public school system from kindergarten through graduation from Drury High School in 1986.
He left North Adams to attend Franklin Pierce College, where he received a bachelor's degree in sociology in 1990. He returned to the area in 1992 and has spent the past 17 years in the field of human services for both non-profit agencies and state-operated programs.
He said in a news release that these positions have afforded him the opportunity to develop a broad understanding of the issues that effect people's lives and the efforts necessary to support a better quality of life for all citizens of North Adams.
As a city councilor, he said, he would bring the organizational skills needed to monitor and evaluate a variety of community-based initiatives and ideas proposed to meet the diverse needs of individuals, businesses and families in the city.
Boland received a master's degree in education, specializing in rehabilitation and disabilities, from Springfield College in 2003. As a graduate student, he received a scholarship from the Rehabilitation Services Administration and also received an award for excellence in the rehabilitation department. In 2004, Boland was certified as a
In addition to Boland's educational and professional experience, he has served on community-wide committees that address issues related to housing and homelessness, downtown revitalization, legislative advocacy and substance-abuse issues in the community.
Boland served as the vice president of the former Downtown Development Inc. for three years, where he also chaired the Friends of the Mohawk Theater Committee for five years. He was named one of Northern Berkshires 50 most influential people in the North Adams' Transcripts' profile of community members. He has been a member of the North Adams Human Service Commission for the past seven years.
Boland said his leadership approach emphasizes collaboration and teamwork among colleagues and administration. He values the principles of lifelong learning and, as a visiting instructor at MCLA and annual lecturer at Springfield College, he immensely enjoys the responsibility of teaching and instruction. Boland is also experienced in hiring, training and supporting qualified and dedicated personnel in positions ranging from entry level to administrative.
Boland is interested in a multitude of issues facing the city of North Adams. As a North Adams City Councilor, he said, he plans to demonstrate a commitment to improving the quality of outcome of City Council and committee measures through efficient oversight, personal accountability and effective communication. He said his experience in housing, employment and labor market information, youth programming, education and program budgets will serve the council well.
Boland said he is uniquely qualified for the North Adams City Council due to his broad range of professional experience in human service administration, his education and training.
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