STATE HOUSE – Sen. Melissa Murray, a Democrat representing District 24 in Woonsocket and North Smithfield, has been honored by the Rhode Island Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs with its Champion of Youth award “for leadership and steadfast commitment to Rhode Island’s young people.”
The award was presented on behalf of the alliance by Northern Rhode Island Youth of the Year Evangelia Pavlakos at a State House event earlier this month.
In accepting the award, Murray said children deserve leaders who see their potential. She said she is very grateful that the children of Woonsocket, a city with mostly older housing and schools, have an exciting, new and safe Boys & Girls Club that offers them programs they need to thrive, according to a release on the event.
The first openly LGBTQ+ elected official in Woonsocket, Murray served two terms on the Woonsocket City Council before being elected to the Rhode Island Senate in November 2018.
During her time in the General Assembly, Murray has been active on issues including healthcare, tax exemptions for small business, benefits for children and families and more.
Born in 1974 and raised in northern Rhode Island, Murray attended Woonsocket public schools. She has an A.A.S. in Criminal Justice with a focus in Forensic Science. A self-taught artist who travels locally, she also works at a family-owned business in Woonsocket.
Murray also serves as vice chairperson of the Woonsocket Democratic City Committee, according to her legislative profile.
