MTRS thanks outgoing Chair, Dr. Ventura Rodriguez, and welcomes new Chair, Iraida J. Álvarez, Esq.
The MTRS would like to wish a fond farewell and extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Ventura Rodriguez for admirably serving as our Board Chair during unprecedented times. Dr. Rodriguez was appointed by Jeffrey Riley, former Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), in March 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and served as MTRS Chair through March 2024. MTRS Executive Director Erika Glaster noted, “We are most grateful to Ventura for his leadership and support throughout the many challenges of the pandemic, and for his steadfast commitment to serving the Commonwealth’s public educators.”
The MTRS is pleased to welcome our new Chair, Iraida J. Álvarez, Esq., the designee of Acting Commissioner of DESE Russell Johnston. Ms. Álvarez serves as the Acting Executive Director of Special Education at DESE, overseeing many offices that set policies and programs to support students with disabilities. She is a graduate of Boston College Law School and Princeton University. “As the first woman and attorney to chair the MTRS Board, Ms. Álvarez marks a milestone in MTRS history, and we look forward to her leadership,” noted Ms. Glaster.