Rivera named as one of Business West’s 40 under 40, Class of 2023

Finally, we have Israel Rivera! He is the Interim Regional Manager for Families First and a Holyoke City Councilor. Israel is a current student at Westfield State University pursuing a master's degree in public administration. Early in his life, Rivera was incarcerated for five years for drug-related charges, but after his release he decided to make a difference. His first step to getting reconnected to his hometown of Holyoke, he found connections to the Holyoke Boys and Girls Club and the Holyoke Housing Authority. 

“I went back to my old roots with the intent on giving back to my community,” he explained. Rivera held positions in community engagement and workforce development, before Families First recruited him as interim regional manager. There, he oversees two programs that build stronger families by encouraging parents to connect and network with each other. “As parents grow their network, they gain confidence,” he said. “If one person is having a problem, another parent will share what has worked for them with a similar problem. It’s a beautiful thing.” 

In 2021, Rivera was elected to Holyoke’s City Council and now chairs its public safety committee. “When I took office, I did not think the other councilors would appreciate my background,” he said. “But many have been supportive and want to hear my perspective.” 

He hopes his life example will start to change societal attitudes about people who made mistakes in their youth but have matured into adults who are positive citizens. “If we allow formerly incarcerated people to be in society, we have to gradually allow them to fully take part in society.” 

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