356 Valley Road
New Bedford, MA 02745

Councilor David Alves was first elected to the City Council in November of 1989. Councilor Alves has served as a Councilor at Large for over 15 years. He served continuously for 8 years and then left the City Council to run for another elected position. After a two-year hiatus, he once again ran for the position and was re-elected to the Councilor at Large seat and is now serving his 16th year as Councilor at Large.

A life long resident of New Bedford, Councilor Alves was educated in the New Bedford School system and is a graduate of New Bedford High School.

He earned his under graduate degree and was in the first graduation class from Southeastern Massachusetts University, (now UMass Dartmouth) where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

After graduation from college he enlisted in the Armed Services. Councilor Alves is a Vietnam Era Army veteran serving 3 years in the Army on Active duty and is the only active duty veteran in the City Council. To this day, Councilor Alves remains active in veteran affairs. His involvement includes being a member of and active in numerous local veteran organizations, to include: Jr. Vice Commander of the American-Portuguese War Veterans-Post One, the American Legion-Post One, Cape Verdean Veterans Post and the Vietnam Veterans Chapter #499. He has served on the Board of the Grater New Bedford Veterans Council, which represents over 20 veteran organizations in the Greater New Bedford area, and has served as the Master of Ceremonies for the City’s Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day Ceremonies for the past 10 years.

After his years of service in the military he returned to the area an in 1972 and completed his Masters Degree in Business Administration a Suffolk University in Boston.

Councilor Alves believes there is nothing more valuable to a public official than to have an open line of communications with his constituents. To that end, Councilor Alves is known for grassroots involvement with the neighborhoods and has a demonstrated career of community involvement and participation in local Community Affairs.

Though born here in New Bedford, Dave has studied Portuguese to better address the needs of a majority of the City’s non-English residents. He is best known for involvement in the Portuguese community as one of the few elected City officials who has learned to and speaks Portuguese. He is regularly invited and attends many of the Portuguese festivals an events sponsored by local community organizations. Councilor Alves recognized early in his political career that many of those in the Portuguese community do not ask for assistance because of difficulties in communication with City government. The Councilor feels that by his frequent visits to an his being at many of the local Portuguese community events, the members of the Portuguese community will not only have access to an elected official that they are familiar with, and is accessible, and speaks their Portuguese language, they will fell comfortable to discuss their problems openly.

Councilor Alves is now attempting to learn to speak Spanish to be able to address the needs of the City’s fastest growing population, those of Hispanic heritage.

Councilor Alves has an outstanding record of involvement with numerous neighborhood groups and in many community organizations, he has demonstrated his commitment to community service having served on the boards of many local an state boards, to include the President of the MA Municipal Councilors Association, on the Board of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, New Bedford Chapter of the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, Salvation Army, University of Massachusetts @ Dartmouth Alumni association, President 1994 to 1997, Chairman of the Ward One City Democratic and Treasurer of the New Bedford City Democratic Committee, Moose Lodge, Senhor da Pedra Club, Clube Recordesous de Portugal, a Founder of the local anti-poverty agency - PACE and many more.

As a New Bedford City Councilor, Councilor Alves has become a leader on City’s key issues dealing with the concerns of Senior Citizens, Veterans & Labor issues and First time home ownership. This effort has earned him the Chairmanship of the Council’s prestigious committee on Veterans Affairs, Elderly, Health, Housing & Disability Issues.

As a leading voice on labor issues Dave sponsored the City’s Responsible Employer Ordinance which requires a minimum of 50% local employment on all construction bids from the city of New Bedford, which provides city residents opportunities for employment. The Ordinance, which has become a model for other communities in the Commonwealth, also requires the companies awarded contracts locally to maintain an apprenticeship program to insure continuous training opportunities are available to train our local work force for the jobs ahead.

Councilor Alves is a successful, professional Real Estate Broker, and has been licensed since 1969; he is currently the Owner of a local Real Estate firm, Realty Associates, with office in the North End of New Bedford. Councilor Alves is a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, the local Board of Realtors and the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council, he currently serves on the local Board “Government Affairs committee”. Councilor Alves has been an active and vocal advocate for the Real Estate Industry, fighting to insure first time home owners have the opportunity to realize the “American Dream of Home Ownership” and to insure that the City provides assistance thru first time homeowner programs though State and Federal funding sources.

Councilor Alves noted that involvement in real estate has allowed him the opportunity to adjust his work schedule to be available to his constituents when other Councilors with more traditional jobs may not be available. He has often been recognized and acknowledged as one of the most visible and accessible City Councilors in government today, recognition he is proud to have earned.

Councilor Alves served as Council President in 2006, and currently holds the title of First Vice-President of the New Bedford City Council.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS: Currently he serves on or is chairperson of the following City Council Committees for the year 2007; Chairman of the City Council – Special Committee on Gaming and Casinos, and the committee on Veterans Affairs, Elderly, Health, Housing & Disability Issues and Energy Resource Commission; and he serves as Vice-Chairperson of the committees for Audit and Environmental Affairs; and is a working member of the committees on Appointments and Briefings, finance, Internal affairs Ordinances and Public Safety and Neighborhoods.

Councilor Alves has two grown children, a son Scott and a daughter Jennifer and resides in New Bedford’s North End with his wife Vivian (Cassey ) Alves.

Councilor Alves encourages residents and interested constituents to send their suggestions, Comments, or Questions to his email at: Councilor@DaveAlves.com or that you call him at his direct line: (508)998-1688.