The Gazette offered all of the candidates for the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council the opportunity to submit biographical statements for publication on our Web site.
The election will take place on July 12 at Jamaica Plain Orange line stops, as well Hi-Lo Foods in Jackson Square, J.P. Licks, and in the parking lot next to Star Fish in Egleston Square. Polls will be open between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and again between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Mark Pedulla is interested in being a member of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council because he believes that the people who build our neighborhood and make it what it is should not be forced to move due to housing costs; he believes that people who work and live in Jamaica Plain and throughout the City should make a living wage and have access to good benefits; Mark believes that we should be true stewards of our natural environment and ensure that public transit functions well and is available to all; he believes that development should function to enhance our community and not lead to displacement; and he believes that our youth are one of the most important parts of our neighborhood and their education and input is vital to our future. Through the work of the JP Neighborhood Council Mark hopes to be able to implement these values and help strengthen our neighborhood.
Mark worked in Jamaica Plain for five years around issues of affordable housing, displacement and voter mobilization with the community organization City Life/Vida Urbana. He then went on to be the campaign manager for Gibran Rivera, who ran for the Boston City Council seat to represent Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury in the 2005 election. Mark currently works as a union organizer for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 615, where he organizes and represents janitors in their struggle for a living wage, good benefits and dignity on the job.
Mark graduated from Boston College in 2001 with a degree in English. He has also has worked with and studied social movements in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador. He has worked as a Spanish interpreter in psychological settings, as a carpenter and a teacher. Mark currently resides on Lakeville Rd.