Greater Lawrence Family Health Center (GLFHC) Senior Vice President, External Relations and Chief Marketing and Development Officer Rich Napolitano was recognized with the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers’ Community Health Center Advocacy Award on Thursday, May 2. Napolitano received the award during a noon ceremony as part of the League’s annual State House Day event on the Massachusetts State House’s Grand Staircase.

According to the League, the Advocacy Award is given to a community health center advocate, usually a leader, board member or staff, who has responded to the organization’s requests to make phone calls, emails, write letters, attend meetings and post on social media in support of community health center legislative, regulatory or policy priorities.

“As the key member of our staff working on legislative affairs, Rich has met all the criteria for this award and more,” said GLFHC President and CEO John M. Silva. “To call this award a surprise would be to disregard the years and years of hard work he has put into making sure we have great relationships with our local, state and federal delegation.”

In the letter announcing Napolitano’s receipt of the award, League President and CEO James W. Hunt, Jr., wrote to him, “You have always made yourself available and been a valuable resource for the Mass League.”

Bringing 25 years of experience in the role with him, Napolitano joined GLFHC in January 2014 to lead the organization’s External Relations department, which carries out all legislative, fundraising, development, marketing and communications functions of the organization.

In addition to his work at the health center, he also serves on the  Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers’ Governmental Affairs Committee and the National Association of Community Health Centers’ Healthcare for the Homeless Committee, Health Policy Committee and Advocacy Task Force.

He holds a certificate for the Geiger Gibson Fellowship in Community Health Policy and Leadership from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, and a certificate in Leading Product Development from Harvard University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Science in Administration from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont.