Lowellians to be honored for community advocacy, promoting change in city
By CAMERON MORSBERGER| Lowell Sun
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Aleksandra and Bobby Tugbiyele, a Lowell couple who promote and support diversity, equity and inclusion, and Bill Lipchitz, a devoted Lowellian involved with a number of organizations, will each be recognized for their individual work at Community Teamwork Inc. and in the city. Jim and Pam Houlares, residents of South Natick, are also recipients of the award.
The honorees will gather at Dracut’s Four Oaks Country Club from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, to be acknowledged for their achievements in community building.
Aleksandra Tugbiyele is a CTI board of trustees member and representative for Lowell City Councilor John Drinkwater, as well as an avid fundraiser for Jumpstart for Young Children, a nonprofit literacy program, and other charities.
As a member of the DEI Consortium-Lowell, Aleksandra Tugbiyele said that, in order to make change, one needs to foster relationships and connections in one’s neighborhood.
Coming from a family of blue-collar workers, she said she was taught to engage with her community and ensure that everyone’s voice is heard. Receiving this award, she said, came “completely by surprise,” but she is thankful for it.
“My parents were always really engaged in talking about the importance of being connected in the community and advocating especially as Black people and people of Native American heritage,” Aleksandra Tugbiyele said. “When we got the update from the team that they wanted to honor us … ‘I remember thinking, ‘Oh geez, we’re just doing what we’re supposed to do.’”
Bobby Tugbiyele, founder and CEO of health care recruiting firm The Leap Network, worked in CTI’s career services department, where he provided low-income, marginalized people with career advice and counseling.
He continues to work in spaces across Lowell, including at Lowell General Hospital and UMass Lowell, his and his wife’s alma mater, and placed fourth in the race for City Council at-large last year. To be honored with an award for his service to the community is surprising, Bobby Tugbiyele said, and he hopes his work speaks for itself.
“It’s hard to put into words how I personally felt when we were informed that we were going to be honored in this capacity, because you’re not doing this work, you’re not speaking up, you’re not advocating, you’re not trying to respectfully challenge mindsets, you’re not doing all of this for titles,” Tugbiyele said. “You’re doing this because it impacts the lives of those around you.”
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