Read about the election here
GENE COLLINS
Hello,
I am Gene Collins; I have been working with tenants to address tenant issues for the last eight years. I have a degree in Business Administration and 20+ years of experience as a manager and team member. I am a past city planning board member and served as a member of the city Board of Health prior. I have served on many boards before and hope to be an effective team member.
I would like to be a director to help the union grow membership, work with tenants from across the state to improve quality of life and be effective change agents.
KATHLEEN HUNT
I moved to Little Brook Village over 17 years ago. For residents of senior housing, life was simpler back then and there was little need for organizing and meeting about management, priorities for repair, or resident requests for some general services we would like to have. In 2010, we formed a Tenants Association, but had to re-form in 2014, recertified in 2019 and we recently recertified with our Board of Commissioners and Executive Management in 2024.
Our second attempt to form a tenant association involved a lot of paperwork, some resistance from our Board of Commissioners, and final acceptance from our residents. This was a way to make sure Little Brook tenants had a unified voice that could be heard. No one wanted to step up to ensure that residents had input on any changes in our community, any say on maintenance priorities or even the treatment of residents in a respectful manner. Kathleen Hunt assumed responsibility for re-forming a tenant association, submitting all the necessary paperwork and convincing the Housing Authority Commissioners that creation of the association could be a win-win situation. It is because of her that I became an Officer of the Tenant Association and am serving in my second term as the Treasurer.
Kathleen has been instrumental in changing the culture and environment here at Little Brook Village, which has gone from contentious and condescending to one of respect and concern. Our Tenant Association is very active and as a small public housing complex, it is important for us to work together for change. Kathleen’s leadership has provided us comfort, her knowledge of state public housing regulations and her rapport with our Board of Commissioners reaffirm to me that she will provide the same leadership and follow through on behalf of Mass Union. I would like to nominate her to be on the Mass Union Board of Directors and believe her contributions will enable you to provide the same level of assistance and direction to your constituents as we receive at Little Brook.
On behalf of the residents of Little Brook Village and the Officers of the LBV Tenant Association, we would love to see her continue on the Mass Union Board of Directors and appreciate your acceptance of this letter.
Most Respectfully,
Jeannette Harding
Treasurer, LBV Tenant Association
FLORINA KEITHER LENNARDS
I am writing to express my interest in running for the position of director of Massunion.org and I humbly ask for your support.
A little about my background:
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- I moved into Caffrey Towers in 2015.
- I am the current president of Caffrey towers tenants’ association.
- I started volunteering at the Brigham and Women’s hospital from 2004 to 2020.
- I have also served as a Hospice volunteer at the South Shore hospital.
- I am originally from Barbados.
While in Barbados I have had the good fortune of serving as head of various organizations including Special Olympics soroptimist international of Great Britain and Ireland as well as Junior Chamber International also known as (J.C.I.) among others.
At present I attend a program at Codman Square library every second Wednesday of the month through the office of mayor of Boston memory café. Professionally, I am a British trained paper conservator. I have worked in the Public Library system in Barbados for 30 years. With regards to relevance, I have been attending the meetings of the residents Advisory Board, the board meeting of the Brockton Housing Authority (BHA) along with Massachusetts Union of Public Housing tenants since October 2021.
If given the opportunity to serve as your director, and with consideration of my vast experience I have gained through my several endeavors professionally and voluntarily, I believe I am in position to offer a valuable contribution to the organization. With your help together we can make our lives and our community more meaningful.
Yours Sincerely,
Florina K. Lennards
ROSA MARCHESE
My name is Rosa Marchese,
I was born in Corato Bari, Italy, where I lived with my family until the age of six. We moved to Venezuela, South America. I married and had three sons.
In 1983 we moved to the United States and a few years later we opened our Italian Bakery and my three children became US citizens.
In 2008 my husband passed away and I had to close our bakery and go to work for other people.
In 2019 I moved into Belchertown Housing and became a United States citizen. I was also elected Secretary of our newly formed LTO.
I am an empath that speaks English, Italian and Spanish. I have had three years of working with residents in public housing and trying to educate our Board of Commissioners and Executive Director about our LTO.
I feel my skills would be an asset to the Mass Union Board.
BRET PERKINS
We would like to nominate Bret Perkins to the Board of Directors of Mass Union. Bret has been on the Board for the past 2 years. He is the Chairman of the Membership Committee.
He has been on the Board of Tobin Tower. He has served as Vice President for 3 years and now he is the President of Tobin Towers, and has been for 4 years. We feel he will do a great job on the Board!
Sincerely,
Tobin Towers Tenant Association
Patricia Cavallaro – Vice President
Stanley Kavanaugh – Treasurer
Eleanor Philbrick – Secretary
JO ELLA “JADA” TARBUTTON-SPRINGFIELD
I am Jo Ella “Jada” Tarbutton-Springfield, Resident Board Commissioner for the Northampton Housing Authority and an organizer with the Walter Salvo Local Tenants Organization (WSLTO). I am running for the MUPHT Board to strengthen resident power and ensure accountable, ethical governance across Massachusetts.
At Walter Salvo House, I have helped rebuild and energize tenant leadership by launching resident-led groups such as “Sew What, Salvo” and “Clean Up, Salvo,” and by enjoying making inclusive flyers and other outreach materials that bring residents together. Beyond housing, I currently serve as President of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association, am a Board Member of the Northampton Survival Center where I serve on the Governance, Program, and Client Advocacy Committees, and am actively involved in the Northampton Neighbors Inclusion Committee. I was also selected as a Hub Helper for an organic farm-fresh produce distribution program, and participate in environmental justice through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) 2.0 program. In April 2025, I was honored to be chosen as a Community Organizer participant and presenter at the American Water Resources Association conference in Anchorage, Alaska.
My priorities for MUPHT include:
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- Resident Voice & Transparency – protecting public comment, due process, and open meetings.
- Capacity Building – expanding trainings, toolkits, and mentorship for LTOs statewide.
- Health & Safety – advancing fair, compassionate policies on maintenance, cleanliness, and smoke-free housing.
- Accountability – ensuring consistent adherence to state policies and ethical standards.
I bring proven community organizing experience, collaborative leadership, and a record of service. I would be honored to represent residents on the MUPHT Board.
— Jo Ella “Jada” Tarbutton-Springfield
KARLA WERT
I am writing to express my interest in joining the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants.
I currently serve as the President of the Board of Directors for the Charlestown Resident Alliance (CRA), where I have been an active and committed member since 2017. In this role, I have worked to ensure that resident voices are heard and respected throughout the ongoing redevelopment of the Bunker Hill public housing community. I also serve on the Boston Housing Authority’s Resident Advisory Board (RAB), where I contribute to policy discussions and advocate for the needs and rights of public housing residents across the city.
My experience has taught me the importance of strong, resident-led advocacy at both the local and state levels. I am passionate about ensuring that residents are not only informed but empowered to shape the decisions that affect their homes and communities. I believe that serving on the Mass Union Board would allow me to expand this work, collaborate with other resident leaders across the Commonwealth, and help strengthen the collective voice of public housing tenants statewide.
Thank you for considering my application. I would be honored to contribute my experience, leadership, and dedication to the mission of Mass. Union
Sincerely,
Karla Wert
