Alexandra Oliver-Davila appointed to Boston School Committee

Today Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the appointment of Alexandra Oliver-Dávila to the Boston School Committee, the governing body of the Boston Public Schools. Oliver-Dávila is currently the Executive Director of Sociedad Latina, Inc., working to increase opportunities in education, workforce development, civic engagement and arts and culture for Boston's Latino youth and families. The swearing-in ceremony will take place this afternoon at 5:00 p.m. at the Bolling Building.

"Oliver-Dávila is a great addition to the Boston School Committee," said Mayor Walsh. "Her experience focusing on building strong partnerships and creating opportunities for young people in the City of Boston will add to a cadre of leaders serving in this capacity."

The seven-member Boston School Committee is responsible for defining the vision, mission and goals of the Boston Public Schools; establishing and monitoring the annual operating budget; hiring, managing and evaluating the Superintendent; and setting and reviewing district policies and practices to support student achievement.

"Oliver-Dávila's longtime advocacy for youth is well known and will inform her work on the Committee," said Michael O'Neill, Chair of the Boston School Committee. "She has worked closely with many members of the Committee, myself included, whether through her co-founding role of the Boston Youth Service Network (BYSN), her involvement in helping to publicly interview the Superintendent finalists, her role on Dr. Chang's transition team or her current involvement in the School Committee's Opportunity and Achievement Gaps Task Force. I have no doubt these will all allow her to quickly hit the ground running as an active and involved School Committee member."

"I am incredibly honored to be named to the Boston School Committee and I thank Mayor Walsh for the opportunity to serve in this role," said Oliver-Dávila. "I look forward to contributing further to the work of the committee, supporting student achievement and building pathways to successful careers for Boston's youth."

In her current role, Oliver-Dávila is charged with innovating new programs to help provide support and guidance to young people in education, workforce development, civic engagement, arts and culture. During her time at Sociedad Latina, Oliver-Dávila helped create partnerships between the organization and the Colleges of the Fenway, Museum of Fine Arts and Longwood medical area hospitals. She has also provided collaborative leadership in other organizations such as the Greater Boston Latino Network, Boston Youth Service Providers Network and Mission Hill Youth Collaborative. Other organizations she is involved with include: Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and East Boston Ecumenical Community Council.

Oliver-Dávila currently resides in Roslindale. She is a graduate of Emmanuel College, where she earned a B.A. in Political Science and Tufts University, where she earned a Master of Public Policy. 

The seven members of the School Committee are Boston residents appointed by the Mayor of Boston to serve four-year staggered terms. Mayor Walsh made this appointment based on a list of candidates recommended by a 13-member Citizens Nominating Panel composed of parents, teachers, principals, and representatives of business and higher education. Under the legislation that established the appointed School Committee, "the Mayor shall strive to appoint individuals who reflect the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the city."

Dr. Miren Uriarte has been re-appointed to a full term. She was initially appointed in February 2015 to serve out the unfinished term of a previous member.