Page 8 - BusinessWest June 12, 2023

“I love my
job as a state representative, but I feel there is a need in the city, and I feel that I am the right person for the job.”
several months. We’ll get back to that in a minute. First, there’s Ramos’s ongoing fight for the city and
how it has evolved over the past several years, a progres- sion, and an escalation, if one chooses to call it that, which impressed the panel of judges weighing nomina- tions for the Alumni Achievement Award and made him a finalist for that coveted award.
His story of service to the community starts more than 15 years ago, when Ramos, who began his professional career as a carpenter and later was appointed union stew- ard of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 108, was offered an internship in the governor’s Western Mass. office, whetting his appetite for public service.
He was later offered a full-time position as Welch’s district director, and successfully ran for City Council in 2013.
Ramos said he chose to take his work to fight for Springfield to the State House to essentially broaden his impact.
“I saw an opportunity to bring more resources back
to the community,” he told BusinessWest, adding that he was first elected during the COVID pandemic, a time that “highlighted so many inequalities and so many needs in Springfield.”
He added that “we needed a leader with experience to navigate the Legislature, and that’s why I decided to run.”
He said his freshman term was a productive one,
with three bills that he authored passing the House. Elaborating, he said the sports-betting bill that eventu-
ally passed was the version that included diversity, equity, and inclusion language that he wrote. Another bill he steered through concerned biomass plants and essentially removed state subsidies for such facilities, a measure he believes was the “final dagger” for a controversial bio- mass plant proposed for Springfield.
The third bill concerned regulation of facial-surveil- lance technology. It passed both the House and Senate,
but was vetoed by then-Gov. Charlie Baker. He is hopeful that it will pass this year.
As for his decision to run for mayor, Ramos said he believes it’s time for a change in Springfield, and a time to seize more opportunities, especially within the broad realm of economic development.
“I see that there is a need in the city for a new vision,” he told BusinessWest. “I love my job as a state represen- tative, but I feel there is a need in the city, and I feel that I am the right person for the job. We’ve had a lot of missed opportunities, and I feel that people are ready for a new mayor.”
He said he was the first person on the ballot and has hit the ground running when it comes to his campaign. “I’ve been knocking on doors ever since. And I’m going to continue knocking on doors until election day.”
Areliz Barboza, coordinator of the nonprofit agency known as Listening with Love, who nominated Ramos for the AAA honor, summed up Ramos’s work, and his pas- sion for Springfield and its residents, this way:
“I believe he is an ambassador for our community. He is not only an elected official, but he is also a mentor to our young people,” she wrote. “He has the heart to serve our seniors. He has devoted himself to be the change within his family and in our community. Even with his busy schedule, he still manages to always make time to go above and beyond for our community. I believe his integ- rity and passion to serve our community speaks volumes and brings inspiration that creates the change we need in Springfield.”
Those sentiments explain why he has been elected city councilor and state representative, why he became a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2014, and now, why is a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award. BW
—George O’Brien
8 JUNE 12, 2023
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