meet the
medford arts council
laura jasinski, Treasurer
Laura Jasinski is an urban planner with over ten years of experience in development and activation of urban open space and community engagement. In her current role as Executive Director of the Charles River Conservancy, she oversees all aspects of the organization, including fundraising, strategy and advocacy. Under her leadership, the CRC is continuing the legacy of protecting and improving with projects like the installation of a floating wetland to enable important research for climate adaptation.
Laura has also served as the Associate Director of the Boston Waterfront Initiative for The Trustees of Reservations, an effort to build world-class, resilient open space on the Boston Harbor, and as the Director of Programs and Planning for the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy where she managed several capital improvements, public art installations and more than 400 free public programs annually. Laura holds a BA in Architectural Studies and an MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University. Her graduate work focused on universal design and best practices in creating inclusive public space.
Laura lives in Medford with her husband, Jeremy, and their loveable lab, Rye.
leticia priebe rocha
Leticia Priebe Rocha (she/her) is a poet, visual artist, and editor. She is the author of In Lieu of Heartbreak, This is Like (Bottlecap Press, 2024). Leticia earned her bachelor’s from Tufts University, where she was awarded the 2020 Academy of American Poets University & College Poetry Prize. Her work has been published in Salamander, Rattle, Pigeon Pages, Protean Magazine, and elsewhere. She teaches poetry and creative workshops such as “Collage as a Door to the Poetic Surreal” and “The Modern Sonnet: 14 Lines to Your Bravest Voice.” She volunteers with MassPoetry, a nonprofit organization that fosters community through poetry across Massachusetts. Leticia is also a Reader for Yellow Arrow Journal and served as Guest Editor for their EMBLAZON issue.
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, she immigrated to Miami, FL at the age of 9 and moved to Medford when she was 18 to attend university. She has lovingly stuck around ever since! Outside of her involvement in the arts, Leticia is a researcher with an interdisciplinary background in psychology, education, and community health. She is an avid lover of the moon and fiercely holds that The Sopranos is the greatest television show of all time.
JACLYN TORRES, CO-SECRETARY
Jaclyn Torres is a creative nonfiction writer, emerging thespian, and sales professional. She understands the importance of critical conversations and creativity and enjoys finding ways to blend the two. She loves pursuing the arts, especially the written word, and believes the best connections are built through artistic expression and engaging content. Jaclyn graduated from Brown University in 2017 where she played Varsity Field Hockey and was the Arts & Culture Editor for the Brown Daily Herald, the university’s oldest campus newspaper. While the Arts & Culture Editor, Jaclyn managed a team of eight writers and wrote original content for the section. Upon graduating and moving to Boston, she co-hosted Grown Up Storytime, a monthly literary event based in the Somerville/Cambridge area, where local writers submitted short stories and local readers performed the pieces. Jaclyn’s literary work has been featured in Hobart, Drunken Monkeys, Anti-Heroin Chic, and The Lesbian Blog. She is currently working on a collection of short stories and personal essays, the title forthcoming. Jaclyn is also a part of the Queer Theatre Project, a group focused on creating safe, inclusive, and queer spaces for thesbians. She has lived in Medford since 2021 and resides in the Wellington Circle area with her wife, Hannah, and their tabby cat, Pecan.
KATE MOYNIHAN, CO-SECRETARY
Kate Moynihan joined “Medford Arts” (formerly known as MACI, the Medford Arts Center Inc.) within the first year of moving to Medford, where she served for several years. In this capacity, she helped to plan and manage numerous artists showcases throughout the area, including MACI’s Mystic Gallery storefront in Medford Square which was open for 3 years.
She worked for 7 years at the Radcliffe Alumni Office, planning and running reunions and other large events as Assistant Director for Radcliffe Classes and Reunions. More recently, Kate worked for 10 years at MIT’s Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program (UPOP) as Mentor Liaison and Events Coordinator.
In an earlier life, Kate’s professional acting experience included work at numerous small area theaters and roles with the Lyric Stage, Gloucester Stage Company and Theater of Newburyport as well as on-camera work in commercials and as an extra on several movies. She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
We welcome new members!
Want to join in on the fun? Come to one of our public meetings.
Or you can contact us at medfordartscouncil@gmail.com for more information.
Interested persons with the capacity to serve year-round should consider how their talents could advance our work.
We need your help, so please consider joining the team!