Student Government Association

What Does the Student Government Association do?

• The NECC SGA meets on the first and third Thursday of each month while classes are in session during the fall and spring semester at 4:00PM. Student Government Association meetings will take place on Zoom until further notice. To obtain the Zoom ID and Password email SGA. Meetings are open to the campus community and all NECC students are encouraged to attend.
• Listen to, raise and discuss student concerns and relay to the appropriate senior administrators as necessary.
• The Student Government Association reviews the budget requests annually received from on campus clubs and organizations and makes recommendations to the Office of Student Life and Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs regarding the requests. 
• Oversee fundraising activities to support the class gift that SGA presents at Commencement every year.
• Host events on campus around a variety of topics to help engage and educate their peers.
• Serve as ambassadors of Northern Essex Community College at College functions such as Open Houses, U-Knighted Fairs, and special events.
• Develop self-confidence, independence and additional leadership skills of all its members.
• Attends All College Assembly meetings and presents on SGA. 
• Executive board members are involved in many of the NECC standing committees that make up the All College Assembly.

SGA Constitution 

Ratified: December 7, 1984

Amended:

• February 24, 1993
• July 5, 1995
• April 14, 2004
• February 26, 2014
• November 6, 2017
• October 5, 2022

Meet the 2022 – 2023 Student Government Association Executive Board

President, Franziska Hoene (she/her)

My name is Franziska Hoene, my preferred  name is Franzi. I am from Woburn, MA. I am a Civil/Environmental Engineering major at NECC. I joined SGA because I want to be able to support students and clubs. It’s important that the students have a voice. My hobbies include playing soccer and futsal, refereeing soccer and futsal, reading, creating art, and annoying my cats. If anyone needs to contact me, please feel welcome to send me an email. 

Vice President of the Lawrence Campus, Elijah Antunes (he/him)

Hello! I’m Elijah , your Vice President of the Lawrence Campus. I am excited to serve you all and created an exciting future, one where students have opportunities like never before. My goal is to solve any problems you may have or even suggestions that come up, so I encourage you to reach out whenever you’d like! I was Vice President of my senior class in high school, and also have real political experience! I’ve campaigned for State Senators, and even president candidate Tulsi Gabbard. Naturally, I am a business major who will transfer to Umass Lowell for economics. It is my hope that as VP, I bring the determination needed to truly make a difference on this great and diverse campus! If anyone has any questions or want to say hello please don’t hesitate to contact me. 

Vice President of the Haverhill Campus, Patrick Sainato (he/him)

My name is Patrick Sainato and I am a Member at Large. This Fall 2022 semester will be my second year at NECC and I look forward to being more involved as an active member of the community. I am a Biology major and I’m looking to transfer to UMASS Dartmouth for Fall 2023! I was Class President at Haverhill High School for three years and that experience is one of the driving factors why I want to be involved in Northern Essex’s SGA. I hope to get to know you better throughout the school year and see you at our events! Please feel welcome to contact me for anything by sending me an email.  

Treasurer, Vacant 

The SGA Treasurer position is currently vacant.

Secretary, Vacant

The SGA Secretary position is currently vacant.

Marketing & Communications Chair, Vacant

The SGA Marketing & Communications Chair position is currently vacant.

Parliamentarian

The SGA Parliamentarian position is currently vacant.

Programming Chair of the Haverhill Campus

The SGA Programming Chair of the Haverhill Campus position is currently vacant.

Programming Chair of the Lawrence Campus, Yomerly Rodriguez (she/her)

My name is Yomerly Rodriguez. I am from Lawrence, MA. I am majoring in General Studies: Art & Design. I joined SGA in the Spring of 2022 and I will be in SGA for the 2022-2023 school year as the Programming Chair for the Lawrence Campus. I wish to make things easier for the college to have fun and meaningful events and plan to bring some great opportunities to our students on behalf of the Student Government Association. I strive to make a meaningful impact on the students, faculty, staff, and the NECC community by being a part of SGA. My favorite hobbies include drawing, painting, playing casual games, watching YouTube videos about funny animals, and taking long walks. If anyone needs to reach out to me, feel free to contact me.

Member At Large, Luca Miller (he/him)

Please feel welcome to contact me for anything by sending me an email.  

Member At Large, Edward Hoene (he/him)

 My name is Edward Hoene and I am a Member at Large. I’m majoring in Civil-Engineering, and I plan on getting a Masters degree in Civil-Structural Engineering. In my free time I like to go on bike rides and build things on SOLIDWORKS. Please feel welcome to contact me for anything by sending me an email.  

Member At Large, Juan Hidalgo (he/him)

Hello! My name is Juan Hidalgo. I am a Business Management Major and a Member At Large of the NECC Student Government. I want to work towards the development of our faculty and the students’ different needs. Contact me if you want to be involved in Student Life or SGA at the college or have any ideas for events or ways to strengthen our campus. Please feel welcome to contact me for anything by sending me an email.  

Student Trustee & Member at Large, Sarah Pachano (she/her)

My name is Sarah Pachano I am the NECC’s 2022-2023 Student Trustee on the Board of Trustees. I joined SGA during the spring semester of 2022. My main goal is to focus on improving the overall student life experience for all NECC students and to create a more welcome and comfortable environment for those in our campus community. I am majoring in Philosophy. I love reading books, mainly philosophy books. I think Angela Davis Women, Culture and Politics is a book that everyone should read. Please feel welcome to contact me for anything by sending me an email to my student account or to the student trustee account.  

Advisor, Suzanne Reyes (she/her)

My name is Suzanne Reyes. I started working in the Office of Student Life at NECC in April of 2022 and this is my first year advising our Student Government. I studied at the University of Massachusetts Boston and earned my Bachelor’s in Gender and Sexualities Studies and Early Childhood Education. I have previously worked as a mental health counselor and an elementary educator. In my off time, I like to spend time with my family, crafting, shopping, trying new restaurants in the area, and eating ice cream. I am so excited to work with SGA this year and be more engaged with student life on campus. Please feel free to reach out to me via email.

How Can You Run for Student Government or Student Trustee?

Students who want to join SGA NOW can contact the President & Vice President to discuss your interest. You can ask to get on the agenda for the next SGA meeting. You will be asked to share a bit about you at this meeting and why you want to join the team. The current members and vote to add you as a Member At Large. Due to many vacant positions the SGA President may be appointing interim roles for the remainder of the spring 2023 positions to ensure we are able to function as a team and serve the NECC student body. 

Eligibility Requirements

1. The ability to attend SGA meetings on the first and third Thursday of every month during the fall and spring semester from 4:00PM – 5:30PM
2. Obtain a GPA of 2.3 or higher
3. Be registered for at least six credits for the semesters you are running for
4. Be in good academic and conduct standing with the college
5. Complete the form to run in the Elections. 

If you are interested in running for the Student Trustee role please review this FAQ Document for more information. 

Fall 2023 – Spring 2024 SGA & Student Trustee Special Elections 

The Student Government Association will hold Elections to fill all vacant SGA positions for the Fall 2023 – Spring 2024 school year at the beginning of the Fall 2023 semester. 

Are you interested in becoming a student leader within Student Government Association (SGA) at Northern Essex Community College?

• Do you enjoy being a part of your community?
• Do you want to make a difference, share your opinions, and interact with others?
• Maybe you’re looking for a place to learn leadership skills, enhance your resume, or meet new people. 
• Do you have interest in sitting in a voting role on the colleges Board Of Trustees? 

If you answered yes, then SGA is the place for you!

Fill out the Interest Form and a member of SGA will be in touch soon about the next steps and up-to-date elections timeline. 

Election Timeline

1. Complete the interest form by the 3/31/23 deadline
2. Wait for an email from the SGA Advisor or SGA Elections Chair to let you know if you are approved to run in the election.  When you are approved you can use the bulletin boards on the Lawrence and Haverhill campuses to promote yourself, if desire. You can also be creative in other ways to campaign for votes, please run all creative plans by the Advisor, Stephanie Haskell for approval.  
3. Emil a photo of yourself to studentgovernment@student.necc.edu that can be used on the ballot if you were not able to upload one on the form.  
4. An official online ballot will be available for students to vote from 4/5/2023 – 4/14/2023. The voting link will be posted on the SGA Blackboard Community and shared via an announcement to all students to your college email.  Each enrolled NECC student can submit 1 ballot to cast their vote. You can access the ballot HERE. 
5. The ballots will be counted, and results will be made public once students accept their position by 4/19/2023. Those running in elections can expect a email in their college email of the results by 4/17/2023 and winning student leaders must accept their position via email no later than 5:00pm on 4/19/2023 and will be asked to attend the last spring 2023 SGA meeting on 4/20/23 at 4pm. 

SGA Suggestion Box

Please share with us your suggestions, complaints, and ideas regarding your Northern Essex Community College (NECC) experience.

Every change big or small requires two things, an idea, and people. Simply sharing an idea or even a concern is the first step in creating change on our campus. Change cannot happen with a single person. With your help and your ideas, we can all make NECC into not just a College but our home where everyone in our community is welcome and included.

Northern Essex Community College students may use this anonymous form to submit suggestions, complaints, and ideas to the NECC Student Government Association (SGA) for change we can advocate for on campus.

While the form can be submitted anonymously, you can also provide your name and contact information (below) if you’d like a direct response regarding your suggestion. If you would like it to be anonymous please disregard the fields below that would identify you.

Don’t forget any NECC student can bring their ideas/ questions/concerns to our SGA meetings which are open to our entire campus community. SGA meets on the 1st & 3rd Thursday of every month while classes are in session in the fall and spring semester at 4:00PM.

Please contact SGA at studentgovernment@student.necc.edu for more information about where SGA meetings are held and/or how to obtain the Zoom info to join us virtually.

Class of 2023 Gift

Every year the NECC Student Government Association (SGA) gives a gift on behalf of the graduating class to either the Haverhill or Lawrence Campus. This year the gift is for the Lawrence Campus. The selection of the gift is voted on by the NECC student body. Submit suggestions for this years gift by filling out the suggestion form. The winning gift will be announced at the Commencement Ceremony. 

Class of 2019 gift was a foosball table and board games for the Lawrence Campus.

The class of 2020 was outside seating for studying on the Haverhill Campus. 

The class of 2021 gift was a water bottle fill station/ water fountain for the Dimitry building on the Lawrence Campus. 

The class of 2022 gift was a Sensory Space located in cube 3 in the Behrakis Student Center on the 2nd floor in the Knights Nook on the Haverhill Campus. 

Golden Lamp Award 

The Student Government Association is seeking students to nominate outstanding faculty or staff members for recognition!

Is there a faculty or staff member that you know who:

• has helped you excel in a specific class or on a specific assignment?
• has gone above and beyond the call of duty for you or another student?
• has generally made your life better while at NECC?

If so, please nominate them for SGA’s Golden Lamp Award using this form.

***Students may nominate one faculty or staff member per a semester, and may not repeat their nomination***

All nominated faculty and staff will receive a copy of their nomination letter(s) and a certificate. Three faculty or staff member per a semester will be selected to receive a gift from SGA*.

This submission form will close at 5:00 pm on Friday, 4/7/2023 for the Spring 2023 Semester award. 

Please reach out to the Student Government Association at studentgovernment@student.necc.edu with any questions.

*Individuals may be nominated more than once but may not be selected as a winner more than once per Academic Year.

Fall 2022 Golden Lamp Award Winners 

Elizabeth Burrows

Michael Rideout

Meredith Gunning

Spring 2022 Golden Lamp Award Winners 

Stephanie Haskell

Kathy Hudson

Patricia Shade

Meeting Minutes Archive 

• Meeting Minuets December 1, 2022
• Meeting Minuets November 17, 2022
• Meeting Minuets October 20, 2022
• Meeting Minuets October 6, 2022
• Meeting Minuets for September 15, 2022
• Meeting Minuets April 21, 2022
• Meeting Minuets April 7, 2022
• Meeting Minuets March 3, 2022
• Meeting Minuets February 3, 2022
• Meeting Minuets December 2, 2021
• Meeting Minutes November 4, 2021
• Meeting Minutes October 7, 2021
• Meeting Minutes September 16, 2021
• Meeting Minutes August 30, 2021
• Meeting Minutes April 15, 2021
• Meeting Minutes April 1, 2021
• Meeting Minutes March 4, 2021
• Meeting Minutes February 18, 2021
• Meeting Minutes February 4, 2021 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes January 21, 2021 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes December 3, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes November 5, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes October 15, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes September 17, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes September 14, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes May 14, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes May 7, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes April 30, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes April 16, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes April 2, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes March 5, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes February 27, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes February 6, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes January 30, 2020 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes December 5, 2019 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes November 25, 2019 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes November 21, 2019 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes November 14, 2019 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes October 25, 2019 (PDF)
• Meeting Minutes October 17, 2019 (PDF)

Meeting Minutes April 25, 2019 - October 10, 2019

Student Government Association Contact Information

Email: studentgovernment@student.necc.edu

Blackboard Community: All enrolled NECC students can view the SGA Community by logging into their student account. 

Haverhill Office: Knights Nook, Cube 1 & 2  (In the Behrakis Student Center (SC) on the second floor)

Lawrence Office: Dimitry (L) Building, room 146

Currently, there will be no open office hours at either SGA office location at this time, please email SGA to set up an appointment time. 

Social Media

Instagram: @NECCSGA
Twitter: @NECCSGA
Facebook: /NECCSGA