James Arena-DeRosa

James Arena-DeRosa (né James DeRosa) was born in Boston, Massachusetts on July 3, 1956 to Nicholas and Vera DeRosa and raised in Walpole, Massachusetts. James was the third of four siblings with his three sisters. He is a second generation American with all four of his grandparents immigrating from Italy to Boston. His dad, Nicholas, ran a gas station, drove a truck, and was self-taught in lithography. His mom, Vera, was a nurse who worked with the mentally disabled and in prison health.
James attended Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, MA and graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Anthropology . Shortly after graduating college, he became actively involved in local Democratic politics and was trained by the United Farmworkers in community and campaign organizing. James also served for a few years as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
In 1986, he married Lina Arena from Concord, MA, choosing to each take each other’s last name as both a cultural tradition and a sign of gender equity.
From 1987 to 1998 James served as the Director of Public Advocacy at Oxfam America. During his time at Oxfam America, James conceptualized and led a program to place community partner’s issues before policymakers. James developed Oxfam’s strategy to influence U.S. public policy and international financial institutions. He worked with community leaders, community based organizations, government officials, and international non-governmental organizations from more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin American and the Caribbean.
Oxfam exposed James to a diverse array of public policy issues related to development, emergency relief, conflict, human rights, status of women, child labor, environment, health, hunger and nutrition, education, and small scale private enterprise.
Early in his Oxfam career, James served as an SEIU Union Leader and was an active partner in creating a fair workplace .
From 1999 to 2008, James served as the New England Director of the Peace Corps for the Clinton Administration. He was responsible for regional volunteer recruitment, candidate nomination, community and media relations, financial management, and human resources. James was the lead agency spokesperson in the region, represented Peace Corps at events, built relationships with elected officials and community leaders, and served as vital link to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. In this role, James sent thousands of volunteers to over 80 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.
In 2010, James was appointed by the Obama Administration to be the Northeast Regional Administrator for the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. He oversaw 15 federal food and nutrition programs and was responsible for a $12 billion annual budget . Programs included National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, (SNAP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), the Summer Food Service Program, The Women Infant and Children (WIC) program, Farmers Markets, Food Banks, as well as emergency and disaster assistance programs. During the great recession, 1 in 4 residents of Massachusetts were in need of food assistance administered by the USDA. James worked with farmers, educators, health providers, businesses, and local, state, and federal government leaders throughout New England.
At USDA he negotiated with Governors and Cabinet Secretaries, testified before state legislators, and worked with mayors and municipal leader throughout the region.
James is currently a candidate for Lieutenant Governor in Massachusetts.
James and Lina live in Holliston with their two sons, Anthony and Alessandro. Lina directs the Holliston Senior Center and works with senior organizations throughout Massachusetts. James has been an active member of the community - as a member of the Finance Committee, Little League Coach, and photographs for the Holliston High School Theater. Additionally, James has served on charitable boards, the Sons of Italy Scholarship Commission, and the Dante Alighieri Society’s Board of Governors.

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