Brain Sokol (2) — File 24-1698

Latoya Saulters Commissions Coordinator Department of Racial and Social Justice City of Somerville Re: Letter of Interest in the Human Rights Commission Dear Ms. Saulters: I am writing to express interest in one of the open positions in the Somerville Human Rights Commission. I have lived in Somerville since 2007. My wife and I live on Prospect St. (Ward 2) with three children ages 18, 15, and 11. My oldest daughter graduated from Somerville High in 2023. The other children are currently in a parochial school, but attended the pre-K program and may come back to public school in the future. For the two years prior to January 2024 my elderly mother lived in the downstairs unit, which gave me a lot of exposure to the needs of elderly citizens and the local services available and service gaps. I have a deep commitment to human rights and equity issues in Somerville and beyond. As an example, in 2020 when someone graffiti'ed my house with racist slurs because I displayed a Black Lives Matter sign, I organized the entire block and we painted a 50 foot "Black Lives Matter" sign on Oak Street. I have been active in the local Jewish community for the last 24 years, which insights into the concerns of minority religious group in the city and knowledge of how to mobilize this community to support relevant citywide efforts. I can help the commission's to fight antisemitism and build bridges to the Jewish community in times of conflict. I hold a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from the University of Massachusetts Boston, which provided me with a background in a wide range of issues facing city, state, and local administrators. Professionally, I am a Vice President at Abt Global. Abt provides research, technical assistance, and international development services for government clients, including Federal agencies and State and Local governments. Throughout my career I have helped governments study and implement numerous programs focusing on vulnerable populations. I have policy expertise in homelessness and housing, Social Security Disability Insurance, workforce development, and pandemic response. I also work every day with a rich network of experts across a wide range of other policy issues including criminal justice, environment, income supports, behavioral health, and education. I could easily envision bringing my knowledge and connections to bear in support of Somerville's Human Rights Commission issues. My professional specialty is in deploying technology and data systems in support of policy research and technical assistance work. I understand technology and digital divide questions and have recently been thinking deeply about ensuring equity in digital solutions and ethical use of algorithms in AI and data science. I would be very happy to partner in the city's efforts to collect, analyze and present data about the state of human rights in our community. For all these reasons, I believe I have a lot to offer the Somerville Human Rights Commission, and I am eager to contribute. Please let me know if you have questions or if you wish to discuss this further. Best Regards, Brian Sokol