Annissa Essaibi George was appointed President & CEO of Big Sister Boston in November 2022. Born and raised in Boston, the daughter of immigrants, Annissa has been a part of the fabric of the Boston community all her life and brings a broad range of lived experience to her role as the steward of Big Sister.
She spent 13 years as a teacher at East Boston High School before becoming the first Boston Public School teacher elected to the Boston City Council. As an At Large Councilor, Annissa was distinguished by her efforts to empower the voices of stakeholders directly impacted by public policy and her solutions-oriented approach to government. When taking office in 2016, Annissa served as the founding member and Chair of Committee on Homelessness, Mental Health, and Recovery. Building from her education work, Annissa successfully increased funding in the City’s budget to support the almost 5,000 students in BPS experiencing homelessness and helped launch a Family Led Stability Pilot to house those students close to their schools, winning her the 2018 Navigator Award for her innovative approach to government. To best inform policy, Annissa hosted a monthly roundtable series that alternated between family shelter providers and mental health providers to connect with policymakers in government. Her efforts led to the expansion of access to treatment including filing an Ordinance Establishing A Mental Health Commission and an Ordinance Requiring Pharmacy Take Back for Sharps. In 2019, Annissa passed a City Ordinance forming a Special Commission to End Family Homelessness in Boston. Annissa ran for Mayor of Boston in 2021.
Annissa is also the owner of the Stitch House. Annissa and her husband Doug live in the same Dorchester neighborhood they grew up in and are the proud parents of four boys.
