February 12th, 2021

In the news: Ernani DeAraujo

Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the appointment of Ernani DeAraujo, Esq. to the Boston School Committee, the governing body of the Boston Public Schools. DeAraujo is the vice president of Regulatory Affairs and general counsel at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, where he serves as chief legal counsel to the community health center.

“I am pleased to welcome Ernani DeAraujo to this pivotal role on the Boston School Committee at a time when our work on behalf of the students of Boston has never been more important,” Walsh said.

The seven-member Boston School Committee is responsible for defining the vision, mission, and goals of the Boston Public Schools; establishing and monitoring the annual operating budget; hiring, managing, and evaluating the Superintendent; and setting and reviewing district policies and practices to support student achievement.

“I’m grateful to Mayor Walsh for entrusting me with this opportunity to give back to the Boston Public Schools that have so positively impacted my life,” said DeAraujo.

DeAraujo is a lifelong resident of East Boston, where he currently resides with his family, and where he is involved in the community through his work at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, and as a former neighborhood liaison for East Boston during the administration of former Mayor Thomas Menino. He is the former president of NOAH Community Development Corporation, where he oversaw the East Boston-based community development corporation and worked to create affordable housing and community building, especially through youth development and environmental justice.

DeAraujo attended Boston Public Schools, including Bradley Elementary, Umana Academy, and Boston Latin School, and went on to receive a B.A. from Harvard College and a J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, VA. In addition, DeAraujo is a Trustee of the BLS Association, Board Secretary for the Center for Community Health Education Research and Service, Inc, and is Vice Chairman of the John William Ward Fellowship, where he helps coordinate public service programs for BLS students.

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