Monserrate Rodríguez Colón ’95

Monserrate Rodríguez Colón is an appointed commissioner to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), the commonwealth’s independent state agency that enforces the Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws by investigating complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and other aspects of everyday life.

Rodríguez Colón’s unwavering dedication to equal access and civil rights has been a defining thread throughout her remarkable career. Beginning as a public school educator in Framingham, she quickly emerged as a leader in advocating for fairness and inclusivity. This commitment continued as she transitioned into roles such as an employment and training social worker for the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and later as a probation officer with the Massachusetts Trial Court’s Worcester County Juvenile Probation system from the mid-1990s until 2000.

Building on these experiences, Rodríguez Colón embarked on a series of leadership roles, including tenures as special assistant to Governor Celucci providing technical assistance for strategic planning on state-wide initiatives, executive director of the Commonwealth Affirmative Market Program (now known as the State Supplier Diversity Program), and as director of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (MADOC) Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. At the MADOC, Rodríguez Colón promoted equal opportunity and a discriminatory-free work environment, strategically leading the design and implementation of the department’s first DEI model.

Rodríguez Colón is a first-generation college graduate who obtained her Bachelor of Science in Education with a concentration in Human Services from UMass Amherst and a Master of Science in Non-Profit Management from Worcester State University. She is a licensed social worker, a certified mediator, and an HRCI Licensed Human Resources Professional. Rodríguez Colón completed the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Certificate programs “Strategies for Leading and Building Diverse Organizations” and “Promoting Racial Equity in the Workplace,” which is part of the Public Leadership and Public Policy Executive Certificate series and she is co-chair of the UMass Amherst Women Into Leadership Program (UWil).

Rodríguez Colón has been appointed to the State Police Special Commission on the Hiring and Promotional Practices of the Mass State Police, the Special Commission to Study Civil Asset Forfeiture Policies & Practices in the Commonwealth, and also submitted and received the first in the state Federal Conciliation & Mediation Grant to fund a sustainable training program component for employees to be skilled on Alternative Dispute Resolution. She is part of the ALX100 Class of 2024 honorees from Amplify LatinX, which recognizes leaders who have demonstrated outstanding distinction and made significant contributions in their respective fields and community. She is a native of Puerto Rico and is bilingual in English and Spanish.