Meet Enrique
Enrique Pepén was born and raised in Boston by Dominican immigrant parents. His mother and father arrived in Boston with nothing but hopes and dreams for their family.
Today, he lives in Roslindale with his wife and two young children, Enrique Jr. and Penelope.
Growing up in a Boston Housing Authority development, Enrique Pepén remembers the strong community support shown by neighbors living in his apartment building.
“We’d have cookouts and everyone was invited. Neighbors would literally knock on the door asking for sugar. We didn’t have the most resources, but we took care of each other,” he said.
After a major shooting at Charlestown High School and a promise by former Mayor Thomas Menino to open a police station nearby, Pepén knew he wanted to be “a part of the solution.” So, at a young age, Pepén set his sights on a career in public service.
In high school, he got involved in Model United Nations and found himself excited to learn about politics, history and government. The first in his family to attend college — and to experience the college application process — Pepén was awarded a full scholarship to Suffolk University.
And from there, he would not stop. From freshman to junior year, Pepén worked for former City Councilor Tito Jackson as a constituent service representative, helping the residents of Roxbury navigate through city resources. He then went on to serve as district coordinator for former U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, helping constituents with government-related casework and teaming up with Senator Elizabeth Warren’s office to assist Puerto Rican refugees in Fall River after Hurricane Maria.
In his senior year of college, Pepén accepted a position working for then-Mayor Marty Walsh as the Jamaica Plain liaison for the City of Boston, serving as the community contact for residents and making sure they received high quality government services.
After undergrad, Pepén became involved with non-profit organization, Transportation for Massachusetts, where he served as community engagement coordinator. In that role, he became part of Transit is Essential, a coalition formed during the pandemic to prevent service cuts from taking place in the MBTA. He was the co-chair of the Regional Transit Authority Advocates Coalition (RTAAC) where he advocated for funding and policies that aim to strengthen regional transit services to better meet the needs of communities statewide.
Most recently, Enrique served as the Executive Director at the Boston Office of Neighborhood Services, where he makes sure all neighbors across the city have their essential municipal needs met. This includes attending civic meetings, hosting workshops, intake of constituent services, and ensuring that all departments across the city are responsive to resident concerns.
Enrique is ready to serve the residents of Roslindale, Hyde Park, and Mattapan. He will fight for policies that bring more resources to the district. He believes that by dedicating and focusing time and effort on the priorities of the residents, District 5 will be a model to follow for the entire city. District 5 residents deserve a leader who will prioritize their needs.
