- Alumnus; Online
In November 2011, Boston voters reelected Felix G. Arroyo '08 to a second two-year term as an at-large city councilor.
A lifelong Boston resident who in 2008 earned a master's degree in community economic development from SNHU, Arroyo is using his education to make his hometown a better place.
A former community organizer who previously campaigned for universal health care and workers' rights, Arroyo believes all residents should have access to the American dream. His passion for social and economic justice led him to enroll in the community economic development program, which he says prepared him well for government.
"I'm able to talk about community reinvestment, interest rates and job creation," Arroyo says. "I'm able to work with small business owners to figure out how they can succeed. And I learned a lot of those skills at SNHU."
Arroyo's most rewarding accomplishments as a city councilor include helping to restore youth jobs slated for elimination and saving four public library branches from closure. He is also working to enact a responsible banking ordinance through which Boston would direct its $1 billion in deposits to banks that demonstrate the highest levels of local investment.
"At SNHU, I learned that the best way to produce community economic development is to make sure that dollars stay in the community," Arroyo says. "It's an awesome way of using a billion dollars in leverage to help turn the economy around."
