Maria Belen Power, who was appointed by President Joseph Biden to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, will be bringing her impressive national credentials into the 2021 city election.
Power has announced her intention to run for the District 8 seat on the Chelsea City Council.
“I am very excited for the possibility of representing the residents of District 8 on the City Council,” said Power. “I have been working in Chelsea for 10 years, a community where we have chosen to raise our two daughters. I care deeply about the issues facing my neighbors and I hope to be a voice for them on the City Council.”
Power has been a highly regarded leader in the community through her important work at the Chelsea Collaborative and in her current position as associate executive director at GreenRoots, a Chelsea-based organization that works to improve the urban environment and public health in Chelsea and surrounding communities.
Interestingly, Power’s colleague, Roseann Bongiovanni, executive director of GreenRoots, previously served commendably as a Chelsea councillor-at-large.
Power pulled her nomination papers Tuesday from the City Clerk’s office at City Hall. Power said she intends to run a vigorous, highly visible campaign that will include door-to-door visits to homes to discuss local issues. That face-to-face aspect of meeting the voters had been pretty much curtailed during the pandemic, but is expected to make its return for the 2021 campaign season.
Power is a graduate of Augsburg University and holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Tufts University.