Luzed Guzman Romano, a resident of Easthampton, was appointed as a commissioner for the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Romano was sworn into the new position last Friday.
Guzman Romano was excited to begin this new phase of her career. “I just want to use my voice to create opportunities for people like my mom,” she told the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Her mother was born in Puerto Rico and moved to New York at age fifteen. She became pregnant at nineteen with Guzman Romano, who has dedicated her career to empowering women in similar situations. Guzman Romano is currently co-president of the Board of Directors of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, where she leads various committees and has worked as a counselor for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, where she worked with teen mothers experiencing homelessness and immigrant mothers.
“I think that I’ve been granted a lot of opportunities in my life that have really allowed me to flourish,” said Guzman Romano. “I just think that it’s important if you’ve been allowed any opportunity in your life to use your voice for those who do not have the same opportunities that you have, and to create a better world.”
Guzman Romano gained influence from her family’s background to enter into politics. Her grandfather is former longtime New York State Representative Benjamin Swan Sr. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from American International College, and her prior political experience includes serving as the financial director for the committee to elect Jesse Lederman to City Council At-Large. She works full-time as a lead sales representative with Comparison Insurance Agency, a Liberty Mutual Group. Her expertise in women’s issues and political background make her a excellent fit for her new position as a Hampshire-Franklin County Regional Commissioner for the Status of Women and Girls.
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women and Girls is a regional commission that represents the interests of women and girls, recommending policies that support women, holding hearings and public forums as necessary. The commission was founded in 1998 by Massachusetts delegates who attended the United Nation’s Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. The 1995 conference inspired women such as former Massachusetts First Lady Susan Roosevelt Weld to start a women’s commission in Massachusetts. A distinctive model for the commission was established, with the appointment authority jointly held by both the executive and legislative branches of state government. Since its establishment, the commission has been run by nineteen volunteer commissioners who commit themselves to safeguarding and empowering women in the state.
As a commissioner, Guzman Romano will oversee legislation and advocate on behalf of women in Massachusetts.Several legislative initiatives are currently in progress, but Guzman Romano is particularly enthusiastic about one bill that would help support parents running for office. The bill would allow candidates to use campaign money for childcare, encouraging less privileged parents to run for office. Guzman Romano commented that this bill “would really put inclusion into practice and remove barriers in order to see increased representation of women in elected roles.”
