Vera V. O'Connor

Vera retired after 29 years with Mass Mutual in Financial Services and resides in Springfield. She was educated in Jamaica, W.I. and took courses at Elms College, UMass and STCC. She is a mother of three, has nine grandchildren and one great grandchild. A member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, she is a delegate to the Springfield Council of Churches, a member of the Daughters of the King, a Springfield library commissioner and former chairperson for the Democratic Ward 5 Cmte., Dist. 53 Toastmasters - Int'l Governor 1998-99, a CASA volunteer and has received the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award for community service. Vera is one of the original organizers of the Springfield Carnival Festival which showcases Caribbean culture through costume and dance. She loves public speaking, reading, writing and travel.