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2023-2024 SPARK Boston Council Announced

Today, Mayor Michelle Wu announced the newly-selected 2023-2024 SPARK Boston Council.

The 43-member group will spend the next year working to connect young adults to leaders in local government, City services, and one another. The SPARK Boston Council will advise Mayor Wu on City policies and programs affecting 20- to 35-year-olds in the City of Boston.

“We’re excited to welcome our newly expanded SPARK Boston Council to address the issues and interests of Boston’s young adults,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This rising generation of leaders reflects our city’s talent, diversity, and experience, and I look forward to collaborating with them.”

This year’s Council members come from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds including public service, higher education, and scientific research. Sixteen SPARK Boston council members are multilingual and the Council represents almost all of Boston’s neighborhoods.

SPARK Boston’s new Director, Anthony Nguyen, is a former council member. He plans to use his experience to create space and empower more council members to become advocates in their neighborhoods, especially those that have been historically underrepresented and overlooked.

“I look forward to working with such a passionate and skilled group of young professionals this year in SPARK Boston. Young people in Boston are driven. They are our City’s future leaders, first responders, organizers, business owners, homeowners, teachers, parents and more,” said SPARK Boston Director Anthony Nguyen. “This year’s council will create programming that addresses the needs of millennials and gen-z young adults. This opportunity also greatly connects members to ways that influence the City of Boston, so that it is a place where Boston-born residents and those who are new to the city want to continue to live, socialize, and work.” 

“I believe that by serving on the council, I can work alongside other decision-makers who share my passion for driving positive change in Boston,” said SPARK Boston Council member and Dorchester resident Keenan Ottley. “My motivation to join the council stems from a deep sense of civic responsibility and a desire to give back to the community. I see it as an opportunity to use my skills, knowledge, and expertise to help address the challenges facing the city and to help create a more vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable future for all Bostonians.”

Last year, SPARK Boston Council members spent time leading projects that included creating a holiday giving guide, filling community fridges in the winter, partnering with the Mayor’s Office of Civic Organizing during their Love Your Block neighborhood cleanup in Mattapan, connecting with City leaders through SPARK’s Chief Chats, participating in voter registration events, learning about the Boston development process through their Pint with a Planner, and creating a Boston You’re My Home community mapping project and more. 

“The future of SPARK Boston is bright! The individuals that are serving on this year’s council will continue the legacy of past members who lead with intention to put community first in all that they do inside and outside of the City,” said Chief of Community Engagement Brianna Millor. “I look forward to partnering with SPARK Boston in meaningful ways this year.” 

SPARK Boston is housed in the Mayor’s Community Engagement Cabinet. This office is responsible for advising Mayor Wu on issues affecting millennial and gen-z populations and working with City departments and community stakeholders to create innovative solutions. The Council meets monthly with City Hall leaders and creates free programming for their peers including voter resources, events highlighting the City’s on-going initiatives, and professional and social networking opportunities across Boston’s many neighborhoods. 

The 2023-2024 Council includes:

Allston

  • Fred Lu
  • Abigail Chan

Back Bay

  • Begum Agca Okutgen
  • Robert Harrington

Beacon Hill

  • Sarah Sharpe

Brighton

  • Devin MacGoy
  • Coleman Nee
  • Nadaje Hendrix
  • Ashley Slay
  • Jeffery Sierra

Chinatown/Downtown

  • Emma Noble Smith
  • Ben Swisher

Dorchester

  • Fiex Thevenin
  • Keenan Ottley
  • Reginald Fils
  • Farhana karmali
  • Aisha Donna
  • Alex Burdulis 

East Boston

  • Amanda Miner
  • Kacthary Sanclemente
  • Katie McCoid

Fenway

  • Anh Nguyen
  • Liz Cormack 
  • John Kaywood

Hyde Park 

  • Johanne Antonie

Jamaica Plain

  • Leila Dixon
  • Thienan Dang

Mattapan

  • Rosalyna Felix
  • Edosa Osemwegie
  • Genelle Faulkner

Roxbury

  • Olivia Grant
  • Tanesha Beckford
  • Anuradha Sahu

Roslindale

  • James Glenister
  • Long Tong
  • Evan Zinner

Seaport 

  • Brianne Gump

South Boston

  • Soo Ji Jung
  • Adna Mohammad
  • Collin Kelly

South End

  • Nina Kalluri
  • Denzel Samuel
  • Greg Kinlan

For more information on SPARK Boston programming and initiatives, please visit boston.gov/sparkboston.

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