Leadership
Contribution-First Leadership
Our founding team leads with institutional mission and community impact. The personal story is context. The institutional work is the story.
TOP Priority MA was born from the conviction that people affected by systems should not merely be subjects of policy — they should have a meaningful role in understanding and improving them. Our leadership carries direct experience with the systems the organization seeks to improve. But the organization’s narrative does not begin with personal history. It begins with institutional mission and community impact.
Board of Directors
Founding Leadership Team
Justin Rodriguez
President & Director
Justin Rodriguez brings direct experience with the systems TOP Priority MA seeks to improve. As EDC Coordinator, he has built extensive organizing experience — from legislative advocacy to coalition building — and serves as both founding vision and executive leadership for the organization. His leadership philosophy centers on freedom beyond physical release, civic participation as belonging, personal accountability coexisting with systemic reform, and education as agency.
- EDC Coordinator for voting rights restoration
- Referenced in U.S. House / Rep. Ayanna Pressley July 2026 voting-rights release
- Extensive legislative advocacy and testimony experience
- Coalition builder across community organizations and institutions
Jason Manchester
Treasurer & Director
Jason Manchester provides critical financial oversight and strategic development capacity for TOP Priority MA. As Treasurer and Director, he brings significant resources and organizational acumen to establish the institution on strong financial footing. His responsibilities encompass budgeting, financial controls, fiduciary governance, and strategic partnership development.
- Financial oversight and budgeting authority
- Fiduciary governance and organizational controls
- Strategic development and resource mobilization
- Key decision-maker on operating budget and funding
Joshua Oppenheimer
Clerk & Director
Joshua Oppenheimer serves as Clerk and Director, managing corporate governance, records, and institutional administration. His role ensures that TOP Priority MA maintains the rigorous standards of corporate compliance and transparency essential for a credible civic institution.
- Corporate governance and records management
- Institutional compliance and administration
- Board documentation and meeting coordination
- Organizational transparency and accountability
“A person’s worst moment should not be treated as the total measure of their civic capacity.”