Nicole Coakley recently announced that she had been encouraged by community members, many of whom are long-time organizers who feel Coakley could serve as a very viable and effective Springfield City Councilor.
Coakley says she was born here in Springfield but raised in Charleston. She stated that upon her graduation in 1999, she promised her mother that she would move back to Massachusetts, and she says she did just that.
Coakley attended Springfield Technical Community College and earned an associate degree in Law Enforcement. She then went on to receive a Medical Assistants certificate. She received her bachelor’s degree in Human Services and her Master’s in Education with an emphasis on Child Psychology at Cambridge College. Coakley is completing her doctorate at North Central University and currently doing business administration with a concentration in organizational leadership.
Coakley says upon the resignation of Marcus Williams; the phone calls began coming in. Although she has established a sound body of work volunteering and organizing in Springfield’s Wards 4 and 5, she had never thought seriously about running for political office.
Coakley says people involved in my life are part of a lot of the work I’m already putting in, gave me that extra push, and said you’re already doing it. She states, I talked to my children about it, and they’re like do it; tell us what you have to do. They’re very supportive. My children helped knock on doors to secure the necessary signatures to get on the ballot.
Coakley says I’m not where I am today because somebody put in a good word for me, and a lot of the work that I’ve done within my communities is because I care, and it’s work that needs to be done, and I just. But, she says, I look at the task and tell myself, If I don’t do it, who’s going to pick it up and get it done? Because our kids got to walk these streets. Families have to live here, so I am passionate.
Coakley has served as the Administrative Clerk for the Mason Square C3 for about a year and a half. But, she says, when I hit the ground, I hit the ground running, and I’m putting in the work that’s needed, and I’m not somebody that you have to tell me what needs to be done constantly. I got it, I’ll make sure it’s done, or I’m going to bring in the team and make sure it’s done because that’s what we’re supposed to do.
Coakley says there’s been a lot of events that are taking place, and I’m the behind-the-scenes person because I never look for any accolades. I never looked for any awards. I don’t need anybody congratulating me because I’m doing it. After all, I care.
She stated that being a part of Mason Square C3 showed her that there are a lot of organizations out there. There are a lot of good people doing extraordinary things.
Aside from the Mason Square, Coakley is an active member of the Board of Directors for West Western Mass Easter seals, a member of Neighbor to Neighbor, a Commissioner on the Hampton County Commission of the Status of Women, and Cofounding organizer of Unity in the Community, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and co-founder of Massachusetts All Sides Youth Sports organization.
Coakley is a member of the Leadership Pioneer Valley class of 2022. Springfield College, assistant director. Volunteers as an American Red Cross child care services educational training coordinator and is a part-time crisis clinician.
Coakley continued, I feel like all my educational and personal experience makes me viable; I will bring a lot to the table and the City Council. I’m just passionate about it.
Coakley plans to address issues of equity, property taxes, and other challenges within the City Hall.
