Tapestry Alliance
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The Tapestry Alliance will serve as the leading voice identifying, recommending, and promoting pluralism, equity, and inclusion initiatives (synonymous for people and culture) for the strategic growth and development of the institution and people in general. Each member of the Tapestry Alliance will be empowered as an “Equity Champion” and will assist in the efforts of enhancing the “respect/relate/cooperate” ethos and building democracy together, which is a founding value of the United States.
VISION
People, Culture, and Equity initiatives at Holyoke Community College will be supported by the creation of the Tapestry Alliance, the official equity body of the College, which will serve as an advisory association to the Vice President of People, Culture, and Equity and the Chief Impact Officer, as well as the College President and Cabinet. The Tapestry Alliance is so named to show our commitment to weaving together diverse threads and perspectives into a strong fabric and community. The Tapestry Alliance aims to create a vibrant and welcoming environment dedicated to promoting pluralism, equity, and inclusion within our institution. The Tapestry Alliance will align its work to the College’s Strategic and Equity Plans with a particular emphasis on Strategic Framework #2: Equity and Student Success. This strategic framework states that Holyoke Community College will “collaborate with the communities we serve to increase equity.”
VALUES
Kindness, inclusion, and trust are the foundations of the work that we do together. Innovation and collaboration enable us to explore and implement the ideas that will shape our future. Innovation: We empower each other to explore, share, and actualize our ideas to continuously improve the HCC experience for all in an equitable way. Collaboration: We work as a community to develop and achieve common goals through an open exchange of ideas.
Kindness: We approach all interactions with empathy and in consideration of one another's needs.
Inclusion: We provide a fair and welcoming environment where all voices are heard and meaningful included to contribute to the growth and success of HCC.
Trust: We assume the best in others, prioritize transparency, and communicate with honesty, clarity, and consistency.
The Tapestry Alliance seeks to promote a campus that understands and supports all identities including but not limited to race, gender, class, ethnicity, linguistics, and sexual and gender identity.
Updated January 2026
The Tapestry Alliance will consist of twenty-one (21) voting members representing constituents throughout HCC. Membership on the Tapestry Alliance will include faculty representatives from each of the College’s three (3) academic divisions, current students (both credit and noncredit) and two members from each division represented on the President’s Cabinet. Each member of the Tapestry Alliance will serve as an “Equity Champion” responsible for identifying initiatives and practices that will promote and advance pluralism, equity, and inclusion. Tapestry Alliance membership is by presidential appointment. Members will serve two-year terms (for a maximum of two terms); be nominated by the Vice President of People, Culture, and Equity; and be appointed by the President.
The President; the Vice President of People, Culture, and Equity; and the Chief Impact Officer shall serve as non-voting and ex officio members.
The Tapestry Alliance will meet as a full body four (4) times per academic year: October, December, February. and April.
The Tapestry Alliance is divided into the following four (4) subcommittees: Student Success, Inclusive Talent Management. Restorative Practices and Community Partnerships. The subcommittees meet monthly.
There will be subcommittee co-chairs whose primary responsibilities are to carry out committee meetings and achieve goals as stated by the committee. Responsibilities include:
- Setting the schedule for subcommittee meetings, agenda, and action items
- Identifying and recommending action items that are germane to their respective group work, identified in the College’s Strategic and Equity Plans, and prioritized by the Tapestry Alliance
- Continually using data to evaluate the efficacy of the Tapestry Alliance and sub-committee actions, and to recommend efforts and strategies accordingly
- Providing advice and counsel to the Vice President of People, Culture, and Equity
- Celebrating accomplishments and milestones
Crysta Ascolillo, Academic Coordinator, TCC Derek Estrella Padilla, Program Coordinator, TRIO Jane Lerner, Director, Learning Collaborative Elizabeth Jansen Hayward, Professor, Foundations of Health Claire Sanders, Professor, Deaf Studies Andrea Hojnacki, Director, OSDDS Carlos Malave, Academic Counselor, AESL Mari Cintron, Executive Assistant, VP Institutional Advancement Amreen Shaikh, Program coordinator, Jumpstart Denise Roy, Learning Specialist, OSDDS Saul Caban, Director, ALANA Men in Motion Julie Phillips, Director of Development Tracy Carter, Faculty Chair, Culinary Dept HCC, MGM CAI Jusleine Saintilus, Student, Non-credit Kermit Dunkelberg, AVP Business and Community Service Eirinn-Jingifer “EJ” Neel, Adjunct Faculty, Anthropology and Sociology Mandy Emery, Student, For Credit Sara Avery, College Store Manager Jessica Hill, Director, People Development Jacqueline Robles, Chief of Police/Executive Director of Community Safety Linda Chavers, Director of Restorative Practice Brittany Walas, Staff Assistant, PCE Eithan Ortiz-Viera, Student Emmy Phelps, Career Pathways Coach, Early Childhood Sheila Gould, Coach, Early Childhood Merril Miceli, Asst Training Coordinator, Early Childhood Liz Charland Tait, Coaching Manager, Early Childhood Shereen Robinson, Student, Credit Alan Bloomgarden, Director, Foundation and Government Grants Marilyn Glazer, Program Coordinator, ESL Olivia Kynard, Chief Impact Officer, ex officio
