The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) welcomed two new community leaders in October to its Board of Directors— Edna Monteiro Leith of Cambridge, and Maria da Silva Dickinson of Lowell.

Edna Leith is originally from Cabo Verde. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Tourism Management from the Universidade Federal do Para, in Brazil, as well as two master’s degrees from the UMass Boston: Human Services Management and Applied Linguistics. Edna is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Boston University. Her involvement with MAPS started in 2002 as a volunteer. Years later she became the Senior Manager of the Dorchester office and the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program Director. Edna now works for the Boston Public Schools as a District Multilingual and Multicultural Instructional Coach, supporting Cabo Verdean Creole-speaking children with language barriers. 

“It’s an honor to return to MAPS, an organization that gave me an opportunity when I first arrived in the United States,” said Edna Leith. “I’m looking forward to being back in the community, working hard, and giving back to them.”

Maria Dickinson is from Porto, Portugal, where she attended the University of Porto and received a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Geographic Information Systems. She moved to the Boston area in the late 90s and has been working for the past 20 years at the City of Lowell in the Department of Planning & Development, Economic Development Office. She currently works with local business communities to help them succeed, in particular with Portuguese-speaking immigrants.

“By joining MAPS, I can stay connected with my language and my culture and at the same time give back to the Portuguese-speaking community,” said Maria Dickinson. “I see immigrants coming to Lowell every day with hopes and dreams for a better life and brighter future and I want to be able to help them.”

“It’s a pleasure to welcome Edna and Maria to our board of directors,” said MAPS CEO Paulo Pinto, MPA. “Their unique and diverse experiences will provide us with important perspectives as we hold important conversations and make critical decisions about serving our communities in the years to come.”

MAPS has served the Portuguese-speaking communities of Massachusetts and others since 1970. The organization offers a wide range of free health and social services through its six offices in Cambridge, Somerville, Brighton, Dorchester, Framingham, and Lowell. To learn more about MAPS, visit maps-inc.org.