Profile

“I must admit, I do love helping people.” 

Jessica Quinonez was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, but spent her late teens and early twenties in Puerto Rico with her family. After spending seven years in Puerto Rico, she returned to Springfield for the cooler weather and to be closer to her childhood friends. 

Jessica was inspired to do community building work by her mother, a nurse who was heavily involved in fighting the HIV/AIDS crisis at a time when many healthcare workers did not want to operate in those stigmatized spaces. Consequently, Jessica and her brother were always involved in local activism and community service from a young age. She remembers how she “always volunteered, even as a kid, reading the [memorial quilts] that families would make for their [lost loved ones]. I'm a go getter. In the sense that I love to participate and feel that I'm giving back.” 

Jessica’s passion for community development was established at a young age, but she became involved in affordable housing for a different reason.  

"I ended up in housing because I was diagnosed with MS at 23. When I was diagnosed, I still lived in Puerto Rico. I finally [decided] to come back to Springfield since the heat was too much for me. So, I [found] housing, and because I was already technically disabled, I didn't want to stay home and [do nothing], that's just not my personality. And feeling sorry for myself, that was never a thing either. When I started to volunteer, being able to accomplish things [in my community] made me feel stronger."

After more than a decade in the affordable housing field, Jessica currently works as: a Commissioner for the Springfield Housing Authority, a Mass Union of Public Housing Tenants Board Member and the Chair of their Personnel Committee, and the president of her local tenant organization. On top of all of this, she is also an election worker and works at her local polling place during voting season. 

Jessica discovered the Mel King Institute through Mass Union and started attending our trainings soon after. Eventually, we asked her to do a monthly Resident Board Member Roundtable and she has been a Facilitator ever since. She recalls how intentionality has always been an integral part of these events: “when we started doing [the Roundtable], whether it's one or ten people that show up, we always make it a point to make sure [participants are] heard. If there's any questions that need to be answered, I just give my professional opinion, because I've been [doing this work] since 2013.” 

Although she is heavily involved with housing, Jessica looks forward to discovering and picking up new opportunities in her work that come her way. Whatever the future holds, her main sentiment is: “as long as I'm able to, I [will] do as much as I can, when I can. Then when I can't do it, I'll be okay with that, because I did as much as I could.” 

When she’s not at work, Jessica loves spending time with her family and friends and catching up on the latest movies and shows with her dog, Chico.