As Pierce retires, Bird becomes MMA’s membership director

Jackie Lavender Bird became the MMA’s new senior executive and director of membership on April 22, following the April 18 retirement of Candace Pierce, who led the membership team for the past seven years.

Bird brings two decades of nonprofit and government experience, including advocating for the needs of cities and towns in the MMA’s Legislative Division over the past four years.

MMA Executive Director Adam Chapdelaine said Bird’s knowledge of the MMA’s work, along with her experience in local government in Melrose, will help her lead member services from both an organizational and member perspective.

“I am extremely confident that Jackie will bring all of her talent and experience to her new role, and that the MMA as an organization and our membership will benefit greatly from her leadership,” Chapdelaine said.

Bird joined the MMA in January 2021 as a legislative analyst. Within nine months, she was promoted to the position of senior legislative analyst, and in June 2023, she was named deputy legislative director. In that role, she helped lead advocacy efforts on state and federal budget policy and tax policy on behalf of the state’s cities and towns. She also facilitated the monthly meetings of the MMA Fiscal Policy Committee, and oversaw the development of workshops for the MMA’s annual conference in January.

Bird served for four years on the Melrose City Council (2011-15), and later served as chief of staff to then-Mayor Gail Infurna.

She previously worked as director of marketing and communications for Mystic Valley Elder Services, and as a program coordinator and development and fundraising specialist for the Melrose Alliance Against Violence. She also served as director of constituent services for then-U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, currently a U.S. senator, and as a deputy campaign manager for now-U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark when she was running for the state Senate in 2010. Bird has a bachelor’s degree in American studies and political science from Washington College.

Bird will be leading a five-person Membership Division that has evolved in recent years to meet the needs of MMA members.

Under Pierce’s leadership, the Membership Division added an education and training position and expanded its programming to include frequent webinars on topics ranging from human resources to community engagement. On April 15, she launched the MMA’s partnership with ArxEd in the development of a salary benchmarking data project for members.

Each year, Pierce brought high-profile keynote speakers to the MMA’s annual conference, such as Suneel Gupta, Eddie Glaude Jr. and Matt Lehrman.

Pierce was also deeply involved with the MMA’s diversity, equity and inclusion work, which involved working with the MMA’s DEI Advisory Committee and hiring the organization’s first chief equity officer, Jill Harvey, last year. In retirement, she said she plans to move to her new home in Plymouth, travel, volunteer and take on periodic work projects.

Chapdelaine praised Pierce for her role in transforming the organization’s approach to membership services.

“From our ever-growing webinar offerings, to our organizational DEI work and our successful member association meetings, Candace has done so much to move us ahead in the 21st century,” Chapdelaine said, “and she certainly is leaving us with a wonderful foundation that we can continue to build upon.”