Holyoke Joint Session Appoints Leticia Molina to Ward 7 School Committee

HOLYOKE — June 17, 2026 — Holyoke joint session fills Ward 7 School Committee vacancy, electing Leticia Molina on the first ballot. The special joint meeting of the Holyoke City Council and Holyoke School Committee, co-facilitated by City Council President Mimi Panitch and School Committee Chair Dr. Jadalette Rivera, interviewed five candidates before voting to fill the seat previously held by Eleanor Wilson, with the appointee to serve through January 2028. Molina, a 16-year registered nurse and lifelong Holyoke resident who described living in every ward of the city as a child during periods of family homelessness, surpassed the required 12-vote threshold on the first roll-call ballot, drawing votes from at least 15 of the 20 participating members of the joint body; Joe Crescene received four votes and Eric Zivkak received one. "I don't have all the answers but I come with transparency and ready to learn," Molina said during her interview. She was sworn in by the city clerk immediately after the vote.