The Massachusetts Workforce Association (MWA) is a statewide membership association that leads, advocates and convenes on behalf of the Massachusetts workforce development system.
OUR MISSION
We are the voice for the Commonwealth’s workforce development system, encompassing an array of partners and stakeholders, including the MassHire Career Centers and Workforce Boards. MWA provides a unified voice for the state’s regionally-led workforce development system to ensure it is responsive to the dynamic demands of businesses, job seekers, incumbent workers, and youth throughout the Commonwealth.
Diversity can show up in race, gender, sexual identity, nationality, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, veteran status, age, physical ability, regional diversity (rural, urban, surrounding communities), and many more expressions of identity. Many existing systems of power and privilege affect access to services unequally and that equity is crucial to the long-term viability of the organization. We seek board members that represent the constituents that we serve to give power to the many voices within workforce development.
DIVERSITY
STATEMENT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Massachusetts Workforce Association’s 15-member Board of Directors is composed of knowledgeable leaders from business, nonprofit, labor, and the workforce system. The Board is private sector-led and helps guide the strategic direction of the organization.
CHAIR
Valerie Sutton
Exponential Changemakers
MassHire Metro North Workforce Board
VICE CHAIR Bobby Tugbiyele The Leap Network
TREASURER
Charles Gagnon
Volunteers of America Massachusetts>
SECRETARY
Robert Bower
Mass AFL-CIO and Community Labor United
Greg Bunn MassHire Metro South/West Workforce Board
Robert Corley NeighborWorks Housing Solutions
David Gadaire MassHire Holyoke Career Center
Maura Geary MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center
Lisa Gurgone Mystic Valley Elder Services
Joe Lopes MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board
Emmanuel Owusu African Bridge Network
Karen Pelletier Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce MassHire Central Workforce Board
Erin Travassos Eversource
Stan Usovicz Verizon
MWA WELCOMES NOMINATIONS TO OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MWA welcomes nominations to our board of directors. To learn more and apply or nominate someone, click the link below.
STAFF
Raija Vaisanen
Executive Director
Raija Vaisanen is the Executive Director of MWA and has more than fifteen years of experience in workforce and economic development policy implementation and applied social science research. Before joining MWA as the Associate Director in 2019, Raija was Director of Research at Commonwealth Corporation; Massachusetts’ quasi-public workforce development agency. Raija also worked for the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development under the Patrick Administration as Project Manager for Manufacturing and Innovation. From 2007 to 2013, Raija was a researcher in the Economic and Public Policy Research unit at the UMass Donahue Institute. She is a graduate of UMass Amherst (B.A., M.P.P.A.).
Kelly Hanlon
Associate Director
Kelly Hanlon is the Associate Director of MWA and has more than twenty years of experience in organizational and employee development. Kelly served as an Event Manager for the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in the Office of External Relations and University Events. Kelly also worked for TJX Companies in operations management. She worked for Senator Ted Kennedy in his Office of Labor and Industry and in the Office of Communications. She is a graduate of George Washington University (BS).
