Tapestry Health Welcomes Brad Riley as Chairperson of Board of Directors

SPRINGFIELD — Tapestry Health announced the appointment of Brad Riley as chairperson of its board of directors. A seasoned public servant and passionate advocate for equity and social justice, Riley brings more than two decades of diverse experience across nonprofit and government sectors, spanning federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels.

Riley succeeds Jeremy Melton as chair. Melton served on Tapestry’s board of directors for more than a decade in various leadership roles, and the board thanks him for his years of service and commitment to underserved communities throughout Western Mass.

Riley’s leadership journey is deeply rooted in advancing public health, housing justice, and good governance. He serves as a city councilor at-large for Easthampton, where he represents 16,000 constituents and chaired the appointments committee, overseeing more than 200 citizen public administrators. He also held key roles on the ordinance and public safety committees and represented Western Mass. on the Massachusetts Municipal Assoc. board of directors and as a local government advisory commissioner to the governor.

Presently, he is an independent researcher at the University of Kansas’s Center for Democratic Governance. From 2022 to 2025, he served as a senior research associate at the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington, D.C.. He also held advocacy and leadership positions at organizations such as HOPE Works and STEPS to End Domestic Violence in Vermont.

Riley holds a master’s degree in public policy and administration from UMass Amherst, a master’s degree in education policy and organizational leadership from the University of Illinois, and a bachelor’s degree in workplace diversity and equity from UMass Amherst. He is certified in tribal governance, applied positive psychology, and diversity strategy from institutions such as Cornell University and the University of Arizona.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Brad as chair of Tapestry’s board,” CEO Mavis Nimoh said. “Brad’s deep experience in public policy, community advocacy, and intergovernmental affairs, along with his lived commitment to equity, aligns powerfully with Tapestry’s mission. Brad brings a thoughtful, strategic lens to our work as we continue to advance vital, inclusive health services across Western Massachusetts.”

Riley is a published researcher with a growing body of work exploring the intersections of public health, pre-emption, race, and narrative policy frameworks.

In addition to chairing Tapestry’s board, he co-chairs the governance committee and serves on the clinical programs committee. He is an active member of national working groups focused on tribal relations and local government within the American Society of Public Administrators and the National Academy of Public Administration.

“I’m honored to serve Tapestry in this capacity,” Riley said. “This organization’s commitment to reproductive justice, harm reduction, and health equity is critical in this moment. I look forward to supporting our leadership and community partners as we build a future where health is a human right, free from systemic inequities.”