PBHA Cabinet Elects Group’s Next President

The cabinet of the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA), Harvard’s umbrella organization for public service, elected Alicia Rodriguez ’07 as its next president at a meeting last night in the PBHA Parlor Room.

Rodriguez, who is currently PBHA secretary, ran on a platform of developing student leadership, increasing recruitment, improving access to Harvard resources, and tightening focus within PBHA’s 77 community service programs.

“It’s important to make sure we don’t let in so many programs that the programs we do have cannot make the best of the resources we have,” Rodriguez told the cabinet in response to a question.

After an hour of discussion moderated by outgoing President Shaw Natsui ’05-’06, Rodriguez was chosen by secret ballot over Chimaobi O. Amutah ’07, who was director of the 2005 Mission Hill Summer Program.

The hour of deliberation was filled with several parliamentary components, including roll call, candidate statements, individual questioning, group questioning, and the actual balloting.

Rodriguez, who was born in the Dominican Republic, said she moved to South Boston seven years ago, where she has done much of her PBHA community service work. Her candidate statement listed her as director of the South Boston Outreach Big Sibling and Summer Programs and as a former mentor and caucus leader of the Strong Women, Strong Girls program.

“I’m really excited and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next,” said Rodriguez of her new post.

The PBHA cabinet also elected Kristie-Anne Padron ’07 as its next vice-president. Padron ran uncontested after having declined a nomination in the presidential race.

David L. Dance ’74, PBHA director of programs, explained that it is common for candidates to decline nomination to one position so as to run for another post.

“It’s almost a House tradition to have people dropping down to other positions,” Dance said.