“As a father of three, honestly, Families First’s mission spoke to me. This position drew me in because I’ll be able to build and strengthen communities throughout Western Mass, and at the same time, build and strengthen my own knowledge as a parent and as a community organizer.”
Israel, also known as Izzy, is passionate about early childhood and youth development, developing community voice, and enhancing family and community engagement.
At Families First, Israel helps drive forward the organization’s strategic partnership development in Holyoke, Chicopee, and Springfield, and he led the launch of the first Power of Parenting and Parent Leadership programs in the region. He brings an immense amount of knowledge and experience to this role.
As Regional Director, he leads efforts around partnership-building, program oversight, and implementation for all programming in Western MA
Prior to joining Families First, Israel worked in the areas of community engagement, workforce development, and youth coaching, and held positions at Holyoke Public Schools, UMass Amherst, OneHolyoke Community Development Corporation, and MassHire Holyoke.
Israel is a graduate of Holyoke Community College (AA Liberal Arts 2016) and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (BS Sociology 2018) and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration at Westfield State University. He is a proud recipient of the Massachusetts Black & Latino Caucus – Black Excellence on Beacon Hill Award in 2018 and has an extensive track record around cultivating, building, and strengthening community at a grassroots level, especially within the city of Holyoke where he serves on the city council.
(413) 390-9930 ext. 25
