HCC Police Chief Honored at 100 Women of Color Gala

Jacqueline Robles

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) Police Chief Jacqueline Robles was honored on Oct. 10 as one of ‘100 Women of Color’ during a celebration at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, Conn.

The 100 Women of Color gala and awards ceremony, sponsored by the June Archer Foundation, recognizes the contributions of women of color in leadership, business, education, government, entertainment, healthcare, and public and community service, and the impact they have made on the lives of people in Connecticut and Western Mass.

Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Springfield, Robles is a graduate of Holyoke High School and has been a member of the HCC Police Department for 22 years. With her swearing-in in May, she became the first Latina to serve as HCC Police chief.

Since then, Robles has received a slew of honors. She was named a Commonwealth Heroine by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, recognized with proclamations at the State House from both the House of Representatives and Senate, and selected as the civil service ambassador for the Springfield Puerto Rican Day Parade.

A portion of the proceeds from the 100 Women of Color event supports programs and scholarships for young women of color.

“I’m honored to be recognized for so many things that I was not expecting when I applied for this job,” Robles said.

While the awards are exciting, as a big fan of Wonder Woman, Robles says she takes seriously the superhero credo, “with great power comes great responsibility,” and knows there are a lot of people looking to her for leadership.

“I’m very humbled,” she said. “I don’t want to let anybody down, especially all the girls from my family. I’m happy and I’m proud, and I’m here at HCC, trying to make some positive moves.”