Lezlie Braxton Campbell
Deputy Director, Neighbor to Neighbor: Age 32
Lezlie Braxton Campbell is a big believer in the agency known as Neighbor to Neighbor.
Indeed, he first got involved as a board member and then as board chair before joining the staff of the organization two years ago.
He now serves as deputy director, a role that comes with a broad job description that essentially boils down to carrying out the agency’s broad mission — making democracy work for everyone.
“It’s an organization for community and political organizing,” he said of the agency now celebrating its 30th year, adding that Neighbor to Neighbor gets involved at the grassroots level on issues ranging from housing to criminal justice reform to climate and environmental work.
It’s currently involved in a letter-writing campaign to urge passage of the Clean Slate Act, which would automatically seal old criminal records, removing barriers to jobs, housing, and stability for thousands of state residents.
“I enjoy my work because we’re a multi-issue organization,” he told BusinessWest. “I can be talking about voter engagement, then get deep into other issues … and then, there could be a bill we’re pushing. So it does put you out in many different directions.”
A graduate of Westfield State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management, Campbell is currently working toward a master’s degree in politics & education at Columbia University. He brings a diverse résumé to his current role, including a 5-year stint in education (humanities and social studies) that included teaching at both the Springfield Public Schools and Springfield Technical Community College. He’s also been involved in a number of local, regional, and statewide political campaigns, and ran for City Council in Springfield himself.
He said his current job description includes a mix of administrative duties, work on specific issues, such as the Clean Slate bill, and getting to know the people and issues facing them in communities served by the chapter, including Springfield, Holyoke, Worcester, and Lynn.
Active in the community, Campbell is a part of the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network in the Bay State, executive vice president of Young Democrats of America, and a former mentor with the Academic Leadership Assoc. Last year, he received the Black Excellence on the Hill Award and the Ronn D. Johnson Servant of All Award.
And now, he has another plaque for his desk, one that identifies him as a member of 40 Under Forty.
—George O’Brien
