Alderman Rafael Feliciano-Roman
"El Gallo" "The Conductor" "The Rebel"
Rafael Feliciano-Roman (Born: Nelson Rafael Feliciano-Roman) is an elected Alderman representing Waterbury’s 5th District and a nationally recognized Queer Afro-Taíno artist, cultural organizer, and community advocate. His district encompasses diverse neighborhoods across Waterbury, where he represents more than 23,000 residents and works to strengthen city services, improve neighborhood quality of life, and ensure accountable, transparent local government.
As a member of the Waterbury Board of Aldermen, Alderman Feliciano-Roman legislates under the City’s Mayor–Council form of government, serving as a check and balance to the executive
branch while elevating the voices and priorities of working-class communities. He is the Founder and Chair of the People’s Caucus, a progressive, people-centered caucus within the Board dedicated to equity, transparency, and community-first governance. He also founded the Waterbury Democratic Progressive Movement, a grassroots effort focused on expanding civic participation and advancing policies that reflect the lived realities of residents.
Previously, Feliciano-Roman served two terms as a City Councilor in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where he chaired the Joint Committee on Education and the Charter and Rules Committee and served on the Development and Government Relations Committee. Across his legislative career, his areas of focus include education, housing stability, youth development, arts and culture, LGBTQIA+ equity, and community-based economic development.
Beyond elected office, Rafael Feliciano-Roman is a founding leader of multiple arts and cultural institutions, including the Afro-Caribbean Cultural Center in Waterbury, Pa’lante Theater Company, the Greater Waterbury Puerto Rican Day Parade & Festival, the Greater Waterbury LGBTQIA+ PRIDE Week Committee, the Center for Ancestral Circling in Chicago, and Connecticut Taíno Learning Community & Remembrance Day. His artistic and cultural work centers on Afro-Caribbean traditions and Puerto Rican Bomba, and his organizing has ensured that arts and cultural programming remains accessible at little to no cost to the community.
Feliciano-Roman’s personal journey informs his public service. Twice formerly homeless, he is a trained circle keeper and a spiritual practitioner with more than fifteen years of experience in ancestral healing traditions. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including the CT Office of the Arts Greater Waterbury Arts Hero, 2025 Connecticut Top 50 Latinos de Oro, the José Julio Sarria Civil Rights Award, the Audre Lorde Founder’s Award, BusinessWest 40 Under 40, El Mundo Boston Latino 30 Under 30, and the Hispanic Coalition Coquí Award.
A proud resident of Waterbury, Connecticut, Rafael Feliciano-Roman always considers Borinquen his spiritual homeland. His service is guided by a commitment to justice, cultural preservation, inclusive representation, and building systems where every resident can thrive.