In her role as Policy Development and Political Director of Neighbor of Neighbor Massachusetts (N2N-MA), Wilnelia Rivera, guides and manages the strategic vision of its statewide coalition and alliance development, legislative and executive advocacy, and electoral program. Wilnelia was born in Puerto Rico to Dominican and Puerto Rican parents. She grew up in Lawrence, Massachusetts and is motivated by an innate responsibility to give back to the community the tools that were given to her. She learned the nuts and bolts of organizing from AFSCME Council 31 in Chicago, and joined N2N-MA in 2006. During her time at the organization, she has become an accomplished and expert senior staffer focused on leadership development, participatory policy development, strategic communications, and electoral capacity building.

Last year, she successfully led the Commonwealth CORI Coalition and other allies to victory with the adoption of one of the most progressive criminal justice reform packages in the country. In addition, she managed and implemented the statewide Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) High Priority Precincts (people of color, low-income, foreign born) program for the re-election of Governor Patrick alongside labor unions, community based organizations, environmentalists, people of color organizations, and every day citizen activists.

Wilnelia Rivera holds a B.A. in International Relations and Women's Studies from Tufts University and is currently a Master's of Arts candidate in Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning there. She has also been a member of a prominent national Latina organization, Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Senoritas Latinas Unidas that helps mentor, support, and develop Latina leaders at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.