Tainairi Garcia, Kelly Garcia, Melinda Vega, and Norieliz DeJesus are running as a slate
They are already a force in city government. Tanairi Garcia, Melinda Vega, and Norieliz DeJesus are current city councilors. Kelly Garcia, 30, serves on the Chelsea School Committee.
Bright, articulate, personable, and hard-working city officials, each lady brings a unique set of leadership skills to their positions in government. Together they are known as The Pulse (El Pulso) and they are running as a slate in the upcoming municipal election.
The four women have immersed themselves in all aspects of the community, from community service projects, to fundraising campaigns, to social events. Just recently Tanairi Garcia, 37, helped masterfully organize her 20th Chelsea High School class reunion. It was heartwarming to see classmates express their gratitude to Tanairi and congratulate her on her contributions to the city as the District 7 councilor. A business owner, Tanairi opened Aloe Natural, a coffee shop located at 61 Everett Ave., last July.
Her younger sister, Kelly, 30, has been so impressive in her eight-year tenure on the School Committee and her positive energy so contagious, that her colleagues elected her as their chairperson four times, one of the youngest in city history to hold that position. Kelly has decided to leave the School Committee and run for a councilor-at-large seat.
Melinda Vega’s contributions as a councilor and a lifelong resident of this city are source of pride to her constituents in District 2 and to her public service-minded family.
Her mother is the incomparable executive director of La Colaborativa, Gladys Vega, whose work during the COVID-19 pandemic was nationally and regionally recognized, earning the Boston Globe’s “Bostonian of the Year” honor. Melinda, 34, has been able to bring the family’s incredible work ethic to the Council in her first term.
Norieliz DeJesus has been an integral part of La Colaborativa’s emergence as the “go-to” agency for crises such as the pandemic and for valuable, every-day assistance to Chelsea residents of all ages. DeJesus, 32, is the Director of Policy and Organizing at La Colaborativa where she has collaborated so extraordinarily with Gladys Vega. The agency holds a special place in the hearts of local residents.
DeJesus’s list of accomplishments on the La Colaborativa website is a record to admire. The residents of District 3 are clearly standing behind her with their ardent support of her work on the City Council: DeJesus is currently unopposed in her bid for re-election.
The members of the Pulse gathered for a Meet-and-Greet reception Saturday. The event was hosted by Juan Gallego at his home, and that alone says a lot about the esteem in which the Garcia sisters, Vega, and DeJesus are held across the city.
Gallego is an inspiring community leader himself whose philanthropic efforts on behalf of the Rotary Club of Chelsea have extended beyond international borders. Gallego is certainly a great supporter to have if you’re running for office in Chelsea.
The Record had an opportunity to speak with the four members of The Pulse at their campaign reception Saturday. Following are some of their thoughts about Chelsea and running as a slate of candidates:
Norieliz DeJesus
“We are Chelsea natives. We are girls that have worked in the community for many, many years, whether it’s within the schools or the non-profits, with the youths, the adults, our long-time residents, or our new residents. We are constantly in the community, and we really do complement each other with our very individual and unique skills.
When I think about my sisters, I think about Kelly, with her experience, being the person that I can go to whenever I need advice regarding the school system. With my other two sisters whom I’ve had the pleasure of spending two years on the Council, we’re organizers. And when it comes to local business owners, our youth, and tenants in our community, we know what it’s like. We know the realities, so we feel we are the best candidates to be able to represent them at the Council level.”
Kelly Garcia
“I’m really excited for this transition to running for City Council. I would be excited to join my sisters in service. I’ve committed eight years to the School Committee, and I’m excited about the potential opportunity to bring all my skills to the Council. I also want to build a bridge between the Council and the School Committee, which I feel has been missing for so long. It really takes a collective effort to improve our schools and we need the Council just as much as we need the School Committee to do that.”
Tanairi Garcia
“My two years on the Council have been quite a ride. Learning the trade of it has been a little technical for me, just because we are organizers, and we are used to being outside screaming in for change.
But the political world is a little slower, just because we all have to be in agreement, and a lot of people in the community don’t understand that part, because we’re always fighting. We need unity and we need to be there for our residents. And I think The Pulse is exactly that – we are the pulse of the community. We feel for them, we are them. We have struggled just like them. Our parents raised us in this city with many struggles, with many jobs. We wanted more after-school programs and they weren’t available to us. Our resources were limited. We need to do better, and I think we are the right team to make that happen.”
Melinda Vega
“It’s truly an honor being a member of El Pulso. We bring individual skills and talents, and we balance each other out. In respect to the longevity of us living here, we are Chelsea. We were raised here. One of the reasons why it’s so important for me to be involved in Chelsea, I think of my freshman year at Chelsea High and one of my teachers speaking about Chelsea in unflattering terms. At that point, I decided not to leave Chelsea because I felt I could be a part of the betterment of this community. And collectively I feel we (The Pulse) can create positive change in Chelsea. We have worked on environmental justice issues and my sisters were part of making improvements to Chelsea.
As a mother, it’s truly an honor being able to serve on the Council and creating a legacy for our children. Our investment, our commitment, and our dedication are what drives us. We’re here to stay and work as a united front together.”