User:Jstillman1020/sandbox

Personal Life
Carmen Aurora Villanueva Garcia was born in in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico in 1939. In 1955, she immigrated to Bronx, New York then later to Oakland, California. In 1961, she marries Juan Pola and changes her last name to Pola. They eventually move to Mission Hill Boston, Massachusetts

Education
In 1954-55 Pola attended the University of Puerto Rico. She migrates to Oakland, California in 1955 where Pola attended Merritt College. Twenty years later she attends Tufts University Continuing Education Program. Then obtains her Masters in Urban and Environmental Policy at Tufts University.

http://www.merritt.edu/wp/

Political Career
Pola’s political career began in California After moving to Boston in 1972, she became involved in her neighborhood of Mission Hill. After volunteering in her neighborhood, Pola became the first latina woman to run for statewide office in Massachusetts. Although she was not elected, this opened the door for later political appointments.

Appointment to Constitutent Services Coordinator
In 1983, Boston Mayor-Elect Raymond L. Flynn appointed Pola to the post of Constitutent Services Coordinator. At the time, the position was newly created and was “designed to respond to the individual concerns of Boston residents. Flynn said the office will help people find the services they need either within city government or from various nonprofit agencies.” As a former neighborhood activist, Pola was able to translate her own experiences into an ability to help and support citizens with similar concerns or complaints.

After leaving Boston’s city government, Pola returned to community-based activism. She helped found Roxbury Unites for Families and Children, Inc., a local in 1994. She also was involved with various non–profit organizations, including the National Association for Families with Basic Needs, The Carter Center, United Nations, National Association for Bilingual Educators, Massachusetts Association of Bilingual Educators, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, and Project Life. Pola founded La Raza en Marcha, Boston and Hispanic Family Mental Health Program (Boston), and she was chair of the Harvard Community Health Plan, Mission Hill Representative for the Harvard Board of Directors, member of Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation, vice chair of the Mayor's Committee on Hispanic Affairs, founder of Spanish Cultural Program on Mental health, member (appointed by Judge Arthur Garrity) Citywide Coordinating Council on Education, member of the Manpower training Act Advisory Council (appointed by Mayor Kevin White), chair of the Ethnic Linguistic Minorities Committee, and member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of the Washington Business Group.

http://www.library.neu.edu/archives/collect/findaids/m159findbioghist.htm

“Carmen Pola, director of the mayor's office of constituent services, estimated that more than half of the city's Hispanic community is not registered to vote. Emphasis will be placed on contacting people door-to-door in the Uphams Corner, Allston and Brighton neighborhoods, she said.”

Present:

April 2013, Pola gave a Tedx talk by Fenway Alliance in collaboration with Northeastern University, The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Commonwealth Financial Group which was dedicated to the arts and culture of the Fenway neighborhood. The talk focused on the ecology of great cities and explores the cultural, technological forces and leaders that contribute to the neighborhood and city as a whole.

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/fenway-kenmore/2013/04/tedx_event_to_focus_on_the_fen.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TED_(conference)#TEDx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_Stewart_Gardner_Museum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeastern_University

http://commonwealthfinancialgroup.com/new/cfgcommonwealthfinancialgroup/

http://fenwayculture.org/