Date and Time

Wednesday, September 23, 9:25 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.
Commonwealth Room, 50 Washington Street, Westborough

Session Description

We begin with the Massachusetts Public Records Law; what qualifies as a record across devices and platforms, and common exemptions. We then cover retention schedules, record-management responsibilities, consistent disposal practices, and litigation holds. We then review email security, where your mailbox is both a records repository and a target. We’ll examine why attackers target email, the risks of digital hoarding, and four habits that can reduce risk. In closing we review helpful reminders about social media, posts and media inquiries. 
 

Speaker Bios

Sophia Apostola

Sophia Apostola serves as an Associate Counsel for the UMass President’s Office. She has worked for the University since December 2025. Her prior positions include:

  • Deputy General Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
  • Senior Legal Counsel for the Division of Local Mandates within the Office of the Massachusetts State Auditor

Sophia holds a bachelor’s degree in Politics from Mount Holyoke College and a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law.

Sophia is a trained mediator and is also the author of “Unfunded Mandates and the Local Mandate Law” in the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education’s Massachusetts Municipal Law Guide.

Tim Rucki

Tim Rucki is Associate Counsel for the University of Massachusetts. He has primarily advised the UMass Amherst campus since joining the Office of the General Counsel in 2019.

Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in legal studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and received his Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law.

Erin Walker

Erin Walker has served as the Associate Counsel for Data Privacy at the UMass President’s Office since August 2025.

Prior to joining UMass, she spent over 15 years as the Supervisor in the Compliance & Enforcement Division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.

Erin holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Suffolk University and a law degree from New England Law | Boston.

Colleen Quinn

Colleen Quinn serves as communications director and spokesperson for the UMass President’s Office. She has worked for the University since April 2024. Previously, she was a marketing and communications director at Beth Israel Lahey Health working with several community hospitals in the healthcare system. Her prior positions include:

  • Director of Communications for the Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Education
  • Director of Communications for the Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
  • Political reporter for the State House News Service

Colleen holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northeastern University.

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