The SUn: Bobby Tugbiyele announces candidacy

By AARON CURTIS | acurtis@lowellsun.com | Lowell Sun

LOWELL — Bobby Tugbiyele, a former Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce Professional of the Year and first-generation U.S. citizen, announced his candidacy for an at-large seat of the Lowell City Council on Wednesday.

Tugbiyele — a married father of two boys, 6 and 8 — has been an active resident of the city since he transferred from Tufts University to UMass Lowell roughly two decades ago.

“Since my graduation from UMass Lowell, I have married an amazing woman and partner in life, been blessed with two sons who are miracles, worked for leading area companies and organizations, started my own business, and immersed myself in the life of this community,” Tugbiyele stated in a press release announcing his candidacy.

“History has taught me that this country was founded by leaders who strongly believed that the common good was more important than personal gain,” he continued. “I am very excited about the prospect of working with and for my fellow Lowellians in a more formal way. Ours will be a very positive, forward-looking, multicultural, and multigenerational campaign. I am confident that this campaign will be a bridge forward in the city and it is my sincere hope and wish that you will join me on this bridge.”

Tugbiyele lists six priorities at the heart of his campaign: increased community engagement; small business and economic recovery; downtown and neighborhood revitalization; arts, culture and entertainment; diversity, equity and inclusion; and public safety.

Tugbiyele said he developed his platform following months of conversations with city residents, who detailed to him their fears, hopes and ideas for the city.

“All the conversations I’ve had have confirmed that the community is really looking for positivity,” Tugbiyele said. “They’re looking for better representation in a lot of ways, not just in terms of cultural diversity, but representation in terms of experiences — both professional and personal experiences.”

After considering a career in medicine, Tugbiyele graduated from UMass Lowell with a bachelor’s in political science and history. The now 39-year-old Tugbiyele went on to create his own business — a health care recruiting firm — in Lowell. He also co-founded and organized The Foundation Mixer business and social networking series, serves on the Board of Corporators for Lowell General Hospital, is a former Merrimack Repertory Theatre trustee, and is a member of the Middlesex 3 Coalition, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consortium-Lowell.

Tugbiyele previously served on the Greater Lowell Workforce Investment Board and was president of the Center City Committee. His productivity and contributions to the community led the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce crowning him the 2018 Young Professional of the Year.

“The issues that we’re going to face this year will be centered around representation, the health and wellness of the community and also having the right City Council team in place to be proactive and innovative in solving problems of today and tomorrow,” Tugbiyele said.

“The team part is very important because it’s all about people,” he added. “It’s all about relationships and it’s all about how we move local government closer to the people. It’s all about ensuring every citizen is provided core services that meet their needs. And those needs are different for everybody.”

Tugbiyele’s parents lived in Nigeria before moving to the U.S. in the 1970s. Tugbiyele and his two siblings were born in New York City. He lived “off and on” in Nigeria for a total of approximately five years before settling in Lowell, Tugbiyele said.

The municipal election will be held on Nov. 2.