The Town of Acton Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission (DEIC, the Commission) is pleased to announce that Melissa Kaplan Morse and Suravi Bhatia will serve as co-chairs of the Commission. Both are dedicated volunteers who bring valuable and thoughtful experience, passion, and leadership to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Acton community.
Melissa Kaplan Morse, a long-time Acton resident, joined the DEIC in 2022 and has served as co-chair since December of that year. She led the working group that hosted Acton’s successful Juneteenth celebration and has played an active role in advancing the Commission’s initiatives. Prior to joining the DEIC, Melissa served on the DEI Family Advisory for the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (ABRSD) from 2019 to 2022.
Melissa has also been an active member of Na’aseh, the social justice group at Congregation Beth Elohim, since 2017. Her involvement has included serving as a newsletter editor, site coordinator for Family Table, and a volunteer at numerous community events. In all of these roles, Melissa strives to promote DEI principles throughout the community.
Suravi Bhatia, a lifelong Acton resident, joined the DEIC in 2022 as its first student commissioner. Since then, she has been highly engaged and is now serving as co-chair. Suravi has helped plan Acton’s Juneteenth and Pride events and serves as a liaison to the ABRSD Leadership Coalition to End Hate and Biased Speech. She was featured in the Acton Exchange last year for creating an environmental/climate history walk across the street from Town Hall.
At Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, Suravi is the president of the Desi Equity Student Alliance and an avid competitor in AB Speech and Debate club. She is excited to take on this leadership role and believes strongly in the power of local government and community engagement to create meaningful change.
The DEIC also extends its sincere gratitude to Diane Randolph Jones, who began her service as a founding member and Vice-Chair in 2020, and later became co-chair in 2022. Her leadership, dedication, and valuable contributions have been instrumental in shaping the Commission’s work. Diane will continue to serve on the Commission, and her ongoing involvement is greatly appreciated.
