Governor Healey Nominates Vincent DeMore to Parole Board and Thomas Trilla as Clerk Magistrate for Northeast Housing Court

Governor Healey Nominates Vincent DeMore to Parole Board and Thomas Trilla as Clerk Magistrate for Northeast Housing Court 

 

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey today nominated Vince DeMore to serve on the Massachusetts Parole Board. If confirmed by the Governor’s Council, DeMore will fill the vacancy created when Tonomey Coleman was confirmed as an Associate Justice on the District Court. Governor Healey also nominated Thomas Trilla to serve as Clerk Magistrate for the Northeast Housing Court. 

“My administration is committed to a parole system that prioritizes public safety and delivers fair and just decisions,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Vince brings a deep understanding of the justice system from multiple perspectives, including as a prosecutor, defense attorney and a Special Victim’s Counsel in the JAG Corps. He understands the responsibility of these decisions and will help ensure they are balanced, fair and grounded in evidence. I am also proud to nominate Thomas Trilla to serve as Clerk Magistrate of the Northeast Housing Court, where his experience and commitment to fairness will help ensure that residents and property owners alike have confidence in a just and accessible Housing Court.” 

“Vince and Tom’s backgrounds and commitment to justice will be an asset to the criminal justice system and to all those who appear in the Housing Court,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “I look forward to working with the Governor’s Council as they evaluate these highly qualified candidates.” 

The Massachusetts Parole Board promotes public safety through the supervised, conditional release of incarcerated individuals and supports successful reentry into the community.  Board members conduct parole release hearings, provide notice and assistance to victims, supervise individuals on parole, and coordinate reentry services to those leaving custody without post-release supervision.  

Governor Healey has previously nominated Angelo Gomez Jr., Rafael Ortiz, Edee Alexander, Sarah Coughlin, and Dr. Charlene Bonner to the Parole Board. 

The Housing Court Department handles all matters involving residential housing such as eviction cases, small claims cases, and civil actions involving personal injury, property damage, breach of contract, discrimination, as well as code enforcement actions and appeals of local zoning board decisions that affect residential housing. The Housing Court’s mission is to adjudicate all matters presented by litigants within its jurisdiction regarding housing in a fair, efficient and timely manner according to the rule of law and the facts presented. Led by Chief Justice Diana H. Horan, the Housing Court has 15 justices and they sit in six divisions: the Central, Eastern, Metro South, Northeastern, Southeastern, and Western divisions.  

 

For more information about the Housing Court, visit its homepage.  

 

Governor Healey has previously nominated Ann Dawley, Bill Larkin, Lori Leavitt Wheeler, Robert Palumbo, John P. Riordan, Dana Rutherford, Padraic Rafferty, Scott Rathbun and John Stocks to serve as Clerk Magistrates. 

 

About the Nominees: 

 

Vincent DeMore is a Principal and Founding Member of Henning Strategies LLC, where he provides legal counsel, crisis management, and strategic communications services. He has served as lead defense counsel in a wide range of criminal and civil matters in state and federal court and has conducted internal investigations for clients in multiple industry sectors including finance, healthcare, and education. He is also a Captain in the United States Army Reserve, where he currently serves as Special Victim’s Counsel to victims of crimes including sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence. 

 

From 2007 to 2019, Attorney DeMore served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, where he investigated and prosecuted cases in the District and Superior Courts, and handled appellate matters in the Appeals Court and the Supreme Judicial Court. From 2018 to 2019 he served as the Chief of District Courts and Community Prosecutions, where he supervised a team of 70 attorneys and 35 support staff across nine district courts in Suffolk County. He also led the Suffolk County District Office’s teams responsible for litigating issues associated with the Office of Alcohol Testing discovery violations and the Supreme Judicial Court’s working group tasked with identifying and notifying defendants whose cases were affected by a former state chemist’s misconduct. From 2012 to 2018 he held leadership positions in the Office, first as the Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Case Integrity Unit, and later as the Chief of the Chelsea District Court. 

 

He holds a Bachelor of Art from Dickinson College and a Juris Doctor from the Boston University School of Law.  

 

Thomas F. Trilla has worked for the Housing Court since 2014 and currently serves in the Northeast Housing Court’s Clerk’s Office as the Acting Clerk-Magistrate. In this role, he is responsible for managing the daily operations of the office, overseeing criminal and civil sessions, and helping ensure the efficient administration of court proceedings. Previously, Attorney Trilla served as First Assistant Clerk in the Northeast Housing Court, Assistant Clerk in the Northeast Housing Court, Assistant Clerk in the Eastern Housing Court, and as a Session Clerk in the Eastern Housing Court. In all of his Clerk’s Office roles, he has ran both civil and criminal sessions and assisted judges in conducting hearings and trials. Prior to joining the Clerk’s Office, he served an Associate at a private law firm in Boston where practiced landlord and tenant law in courts throughout the Commonwealth. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University and Juris Doctor from Suffolk Law School. 

 

西班牙第一副總理arlos Cuerpo拜會麻州長Healey 將設西班牙麻州貿易辦公室 成立2億元基金

麻州州長奚莉（Maura Healey）接待西班牙第一副總理庫埃爾波（Carlos Cuerpo）。
（周菊子攝）

            (Boston Orange周菊子波士頓綜合報導) 麻州州長奚莉（Maura Healey）今（15）日在州長辦公室歡迎西班牙第一副總理庫埃爾波（Carlos Cuerpo）到訪，慶祝西班牙政府14日宣佈，要在麻州設立貿易辦事處，將籌募2億美元，成立風險投資基金，扶持生物科技公司。

奚莉州長（中）和西班牙第一副總理庫埃爾波（Carlos Cuerpo，左）和
西班牙駐美大使Angeles Moreno （右）。（周菊子攝）

            西班牙政府的對外貿易發展局和駐美大使館商務處，以及里奇（Richi）基金會、Ｍ＆Ｔ銀行，波士頓市政府合作，針對生物科技和金融科技，4月14日和15日在波士頓市聯邦街（Federal）的Winthrop中心舉辦「美西商務峰會（Spain US Business Summit）」。

西班牙政府代表團和麻州州長Maura Healey合影。（周菊子攝）

            西班牙政府雖然從1995年起，就在美西兩國的不同城市間每年舉辦美西商業論壇，這次在波士頓舉辦的峰會，卻創下多個「第一次」紀錄，包括首度在波士頓設立正式的經貿辦公室，首次由西班牙政府動用約5700萬美元，作為種子資金，要成立一個總金額2億美元的風險投資基金，專注於協助西班牙的生命科學公司融入波士頓這世界生物科技樞紐，進而擴大規模，創造就業機會，並促進創新與長期的經濟發展。

波士頓市長吳弭（左一）在美西商業峰會中宣佈「波士頓無與倫比」招商計劃。
（波士頓市政府照片，Isabel Leon攝）

            目標2億美元的這基金，將由橫跨西班牙和波士頓的里奇基金會（Richi Foundation），以及專注於生命科學和生物技術領域的專業投資管理公司Dreavent 來共同負責管理。里奇基金會主席加西亞（Ricardo Garcia）和聖瑪麗信用合作社（St. Mary’s Credit Union）總裁暨執行長李（Grace Lee）在這基金的成立過程中發揮了關鍵作用。

            在14日的峰會中，波士頓市市長吳弭（Michelle Wu）還宣佈，M&T 銀行、M&T 慈善基金會、波士頓市府及波士頓基金會將攜手合作，啟動「波士頓無與倫比（You Can't Beat Boston）」計畫，致力吸引企業留在波士頓發展。

            麻州州長奚莉（Maura Healey）在14日的峰會中表示，政府的角色是為商業成功營造基礎環境，並透過持續打造公私合作關係，讓經濟得以蓬勃發展。15日再在州長辦公室親自接待了14日時以虛擬方式參加峰會的西班牙第一副總理庫埃爾波。

            隨同庫埃爾波到州長辦公室拜會的還有西班牙駐美大使Angeles Moreno，總領事Ana Durán de la Colina,，前任西班牙駐美大使Alan Solomont等人。

、            西班牙第一副總理庫埃爾波（Carlos Cuerpo）表示，這次的波士頓之行，對西班牙政府非常重要，要加強西班牙和美國，尤其是麻州之間的經貿與投資關係。儘管目前西班牙和麻州的雙邊年度貿易額約為8億美元，他們計劃以生物科技產業為目標，推動進一步的增長，將來更會把合作領域拓展至能源與金融科技(Fintech)。

            庫埃爾波（Carlos Cuerpo）在拜會麻州州長之後，隨即前往麻省理工學院，會見會見諾貝爾獎得主阿杰姆奧盧（Daron Acemoglu），之後的行程是要到華府參加國際貨幣基金組織（IMF）與世界銀行（World Bank）的春季會議。

波士頓醫療中心布萊頓分院今晨3級火警 25名病患已轉至其他醫院

           (Boston Orange編譯)波士頓醫療中心布萊頓分院（BMC-Brighton）今（15）日凌晨配電室起火，引發三級火警，院方將約25名病患轉移至總部及其他醫院。院方聲明確認人員安全。

院方表示，為確保醫療照護連續性，決定轉移包括加護病房（ICU）在內的部分病患。該院急診部已停止接收救護車病患，週三所有非緊急手術及門診預約均改期。

消防局行動總監艾利斯（Patrick Ellis）指出撤離過程順利。因部分區域斷電且煙霧瀰漫，消防人員使用籃式擔架經樓梯搬運病患。

無線電紀錄顯示，消防局於1時30分獲報地下室煙霧，隨後確認發電機起火，火勢於2時撲滅。凌晨3時45分，因加護病房區電力未恢復，8名病患撤離。

起火原因目前由消防局調查中。該院為波士頓大學教學醫院，設有291張床位。

新型氛圍編碼公司 Lovable 進駐波士頓華埠 麻州長Healey親自歡迎

麻州州長Maura Healey歡迎Anton Osika創辦的Lovable進駐波士頓。（周菊子攝）

         (Boston Orange周菊子波士頓報導)來自瑞典，強調氛圍編碼（vibe-coding）的科技新創公司Lovable，4月14日在麻州州長奚莉（Maura Healey） 親自出席的隆重中剪綵，在波士頓華埠旁的林肯街1號大廈25樓開張，正大舉招兵買馬。

Lovable 波士頓剪綵。（周菊子攝）

Lovable是瑞典創業家 Anton Osika 與 Fabian Hedin 三年前創立的科技公司，強調不具備編碼技能的任何人，使用該公司所提供 AI 輔助開發工具，輸入文字指令，就可以輕鬆構建應用程式（App）與網站。

Lovable共同創辦人，現年35歲的Anton Osika說，波士頓和斯德哥爾摩類似，是個卓越人才聚集的地方，也是Lovable邁向全球化的理想第二站。他強調，科技不應該是創業家的門檻，他要讓有想法的人，能直接將意圖化為產品。

Anton Osika。（周菊子攝）

Anton Osika還分享了一個案例，一位名叫Alan，非工程師的醫療保健背景創業者，使用Lovable的AI工具，在5個月內就建立了一家年營收達100萬美元的醫療人力平台ㄡ

麻州州長奚莉笑說，Lovable 波士頓辦公室和羅根機場距離不過10分鐘車程，麻州不但歡迎他們，還將繼續降低住房價格，改善大眾運輸及投資教育，打造全美最有活力的創新環境，支持Lovable這樣的國際公司。

麻州眾議會財政委員會主席麥家威（Aaron Michlewitz)和
Lovable共同創辦人Fabian Hedin（左）。（周菊子攝）

麻州經濟發展廳廳長Eric Parley，麻州眾議會財政委員會主席麥家威(Aaron Michlewitz)都對這家公司很感興趣，都專程出席了剪綵儀式。

根據Lovable 的公司數據，成長軌跡驚人，年度經常性收入（ARR）在今年二月據報導已突破 4 億美元，較 2025 年底的 2 億美元翻倍成長；公司在 2025 年底的估值為 66 億美元。

Lovable首席營收長暨波士頓負責人Ryan Meadows表示，正在積極招募更多人才。
（周菊子攝）

Lovable首席營收長（CRO）兼波士頓辦公室負責人 Ryan Meadows 表示，Lovable 的成長源於吸引了行銷、財務、銷售與人力資源等非傳統技術背景的人員，客戶已包括微軟（Microsoft Corp.）、Uber、Zendesk 以及波士頓當地的行銷技術龍頭 HubSpot。

Lovable 目前在波士頓擁有 25 名員工，承租了以前WeWork使用的約 6,000 平方英尺辦公室空間。物業持有者 DivcoWest 總經理 Mark Roopenian 透露，雙方僅用約一週時間便達成租賃協議。

Meadows 預計，波士頓Lovable的市場開拓與工程部門今年將招募至少數十人。加入 Lovable 前，他曾在 HubSpot 任職八年，在軟體公司 Klaviyo 工作過六年。

Lovable 的辦公室文化，遵守瑞典根源，員工與訪客進入辦公室必須脫鞋。麻州州長奚莉這天出席時，也入鄉隨俗的脫了鞋子，穿上Lovable品牌襪子，再踏進會場。

Lovable的總部在瑞典斯德哥爾摩（Stockholm），另外日本東京，美國舊金山及波士頓設有辦公室。波士頓辦公室將是Lovable的市場開拓中心（US Go-go-Market Hub）。

麻州長Healey要在社交媒體上加強保護青少年 提案限制每日使用2小時

麻州州長Maura Healey提案，加強在社交媒體上對青少年的保護，
建議每日限制使用2小時。（周菊子攝）

        (Boston Orange綜合報導）麻州州長奚利（Maura Healey）4月14日提交追加2.273 億美元預算案，核心重點是建立全美最全面的青少年網路安全標準，強制社交媒體平台預設關閉「無限捲動」與「自動播放」等成癮性功能，並提撥經費因應今冬極端氣候的鏟雪開支，放寬狩獵限制等。

麻州州長Maura Healey率相關人員說明政策提案。（周菊子攝）

       奚莉州長表示，她在擔任麻州總檢察長期間，就曾領導過針對Meta （Instagram）和抖音（TikTok）等社交媒體的跨州調查，長期致力追究社交媒體傷害青少年的責任。如今有研究報告指出，青少年過度使用社交媒體，會出現身心不安，焦慮與抑鬱症狀，建議擬定法案，禁止社交媒體平台自動播放、無限捲動（Infinite Scroll），並以演算法向 18 歲以下青少年推送特定內容。

        奚莉州長草擬的“社交媒體限制令”法案，還包括限定青少年上網使用社交媒體的時間，每日2小時，禁止在深夜及上課時間使用，對15歲以下用戶預設安全限制，僅家長或監護人能夠更改。提供簡易的有害內容檢舉機制，允許家庭重置演算法驅動的內容。

            在這份追加預算案中，奚莉州長還提出從「公平分擔（Fair Share）」附加稅的超額收入中，撥款1.598 億美元，支持交通廳和保育及康樂局（DCR）為因應今冬極端氣候的鏟雪開支。其中有950 萬美元撥給麻州緊急事務管理局（MEMA），170 萬美元撥給麻州國民警衛隊。

這一追加預算案還允許市鎮分3年支付鏟雪開支。以更有彈性的處理市鎮財政，調高公共建築工程招標門檻，以協助多元化小企業更容易參與公共建設。

奚莉州長遞交的追加預算提案，還包括放寬狩獵限制，廢除週日禁獵令，縮減弓箭狩獵與鷹獵的法定緩衝距離。

其他細節還包括把緊急援助收容系統的收入門檻調高至聯邦貧窮線的 120%，居留期限從六個月延長至九個月，接受援助者需提交麻州居住證明與合法移民身分等，以及允許把公寓預售押金直接用於施工，以加速住房供應，修改抵稅優惠條款，以促進塞冷（Salem）港口離岸風電基地啟動第一期工程，移除出生與結婚證書上的「非婚生（out of wedlock）」字眼，以去除標籤化印象，還有擴大退伍軍人獎金的發放對象等。

波士頓滋根基金會第9屆慈善演唱會 5聲樂家伴龍俐麗、楊貴平傳播「春之愛」

波士頓滋根基金會和聲樂家們會末合影。（周菊子攝）

滋根基金會創辦人楊貴平（右）和波士頓滋根創辦人龍俐麗述說緣由。（周菊子攝）

            （Boston Orange 周菊子麻州報導）波士頓滋根基金會4月12日以「春之愛」為主題，邀得5名聲樂家在麻州衛斯頓鎮（Weston）瑞吉斯（Regis）學院舉辦了一場別開生面的慈善演唱會，匯聚300人助力滋根設立「永續基金」，辦理各項公益計劃。

            滋根基金會是楊貴平和一群來自中國留美學生，於1988年在美國紐約成立的非營利組織，從募款支持貴州偏鄉女孩上學開始，服務內容一路發展、擴大。

            楊貴平指出，基金會取名滋根，意在滋潤根本，到中國是回到她的根，而中國的根，就在農村。

「春之愛」演唱會表演人員合影。（周菊子攝）

            她說，很多人問過她，既來自台灣，為何會到中國農村去做公益活動。但是要解釋，故事很長，如果簡單的說，那是她小時候讀詩詞，看著黃河，長江，以及滔滔金沙江，「風吹草低見牛羊」這些形容，對中國有著極其美好，浪漫的想像。儘管當年礙於兩岸關係，她們不能去大陸，但是心中常懷詩詞裡的中國，接受的教育又鼓勵人要「尊老愛幼」，促進世界大同，要有「天下興亡，匹夫有責」理想，讓她覺得自己得做些有意義的事，這才走進貴州省黔東南苗族侗族自治州「雷山縣」，當年中國最貧困地區之一，開始了7美元就能資助一名女孩上學的公益活動。

波士頓滋根基金會核心團隊，前左向右，龍俐麗，朱曉峰，王藐若，廉艷。
（波士頓滋根基金會提供，陳建中攝）

            波士頓滋根基金會創始人龍俐麗透露，朋友去紐約玩，回波士頓後告訴她，有個公益活動，交250元就能支持25個女孩上學。她一聽就覺得效益這麼高，太直得做了，於是毫不猶豫地就加入支持行列，如今竟不知不覺已38年。她很佩服楊貴平能堅持下來。

「春之愛」慈善演唱會工作人員合影。（波士頓滋根基金會提供，陳建中攝）

            過去20多年來，波士頓滋根基金會舉辦過8次慈善演唱會，籌款支持滋根義舉。今年第 9 屆，由核心團隊的龍俐麗、朱曉峰、王藐若，廉艷和李娜，國風，陳建中，張文心等人一起籌辦，請來曾在上海和北京推出大型景觀歌劇「阿依達（Aida）」，締造了3項世界紀錄的旅歐男中音劉克清出任藝術總監，和首都師範大學音樂學院聲樂系副教授的女高音王韻晶，男高音張維麟，花腔女高音廉艷，曾獲聘為L’opera Network Firenze歌劇中心聲樂表演副教授的男高音苑劍光，以及新月春之聲合唱團，在張海棋全場鋼琴伴奏中，演唱了羅西尼歌劇「賽維利亞理髮師」中的「快給大忙人讓路(Lago al factotum della citta)」，「長江之歌」，「茶花女」，「我的太陽（O solo mio）」，「我愛你，中國」等18首曲目。

龍俐麗送上感謝狀給聲樂家們。（周菊子攝）

            劉克清在每段歌劇曲目演唱前的扼要解說，教現場聽眾在歐洲聽歌劇要因應歌手男女性別，單獨一人或多人的高喊「Bravo, Brava, Bravie」，以表讚賞，在歌手謝幕後，要鼓掌拍到歌手走進帷幕之後等禮節，都讓現場觀眾樂不可支。

            龍俐麗在演唱會謝幕時表示，這場活動得以順利舉辦，全靠熱心人士支持。節目冊上也印出了銘謝名單。

左起，劉克清，張維麟，廉艷，王韻晶，苑劍光等聲樂歌唱家合唱。（周菊子攝）

            波士頓滋根基金會這次的慈善演唱會，在一名曾經住在波士頓的熱心人士贊助下，設有最高10萬元美金的等額加倍捐款，目前已有龍俐麗夫婦，李夏賓各捐款2萬元。

            在這次演唱會之後，波士頓滋根基金會還調整人事，推薦朱曉峰為副主任。

左起，劉克清，張海棋，張維麟，廉艷，王韻晶，苑劍光謝幕。（周菊子攝）

劉克清演唱茶花女。（周菊子攝）

花腔女高音廉艷演唱。（周菊子攝）

教授級聲樂家王韻晶演唱。（周菊子攝）

張維麟演唱。（周菊子攝）

男高音苑劍光演唱。（周菊子攝）

新月春之聲合唱團。（周菊子攝）

新月春之聲合唱團。（周菊子攝）

Governor Healey Provides Guidance to Schools to Investigate Deepfake Images and Videos to Protect Students

Governor Healey Provides Guidance to Schools to Investigate Deepfake Images and Videos to Protect Students 

New guidance reinforces state law, outlines responsibilities for schools to respond to AI-generated harm 

 

BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced new statewide guidance reminding schools that creating a “deepfake” AI-generated nude image of a minor is a criminal offense that must be promptly investigated. Deepfakes are an increasing problem in schools and causing serious harm to students across the state and the country. The guidance, issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), provides clear direction to school leaders on how to respond to incidents, support students, and uphold state law. 

 

“It’s both terrible and totally unacceptable that young people today are living with the fear that their classmates might create and distribute AI-generated nude images of them. They and their parents deserve to know that, if that happens, their school and community officials will take it seriously and that it would be investigated with perpetrators held accountable, just like any other crime,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We are making sure that schools know they have an obligation to do that. It’s also a call for parents and young people to have conversations about this so the clear message is sent about why this is wrong, illegal and harmful. This is about keeping our students safe and protecting their mental health and wellbeing.” 

 

Under legislation signed by Governor Healey in 2024, it a crime to create, possess or share these materials involving individuals under 18, regardless of whether the image is real or AI-generated. 

 

The guidance outlines a whole-community approach, emphasizing the role of students, educators, families, and community members in preventing harm and promoting digital literacy.  It also reinforces that schools must act promptly when they become aware of incidents involving deepfake content. School and district leaders are expected to investigate reports consistent with their obligations under state anti-bullying and anti-discrimination laws, as well as federal Title IX requirements. It also encourages districts to work closely with legal counsel and community partners to ensure that responses reflect both school policies and potential legal implications. 

 

“School communities have an obligation to create and promote safe and supportive learning environments that are free of bullying and harassment. Today’s guidance reiterates that deepfake incidents must be taken seriously – schools are required to take steps to stop the conduct, protect affected students and staff, and educate students on the harm and impact this abuse of technology can have,” said Secretary of Education Steve Zrike. 

 "This collection of resources is designed to help schools address and prevent the use of deepfakes, particularly when they target students," said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. "Law enforcement, school leaders, teachers, and students all have important pieces of this work." 

 

The guidance includes resources on: 

• Cyberbullying and harassment prevention 
• Legal consequences of sharing explicit images, including AI-generated content 
• Digital literacy and responsible technology use 
• School obligations to investigate and respond to incidents 
• Mandated reporting requirements in cases involving abuse or exploitation. 

 

The state is also encouraging schools to use existing health education and digital literacy frameworks to teach students about consent, online behavior, and the risks associated with sharing images.  

 

This effort builds on Governor Healey’s broader commitment to protect young people online and ensure technology is used safely and responsibly. Earlier this week, Governor Healey filed legislation to strengthen protections for minors on social media platforms, including measures to reduce harmful content, increase transparency, and give families more tools to safeguard their children’s online experiences. Together, these efforts reflect a comprehensive approach to keeping students safe both in and out of the classroom while preparing them to succeed in a rapidly evolving digital world. 

Secretary of Education Stephen Zrike Highlights Universal Pre-k, Evidence-Based Early Literacy Instruction in Pittsfield During 413 Day

Secretary of Education Stephen Zrike Highlights Universal Pre-k, Evidence-Based Early Literacy Instruction in Pittsfield During 413 Day 

PITTSFIELD — As part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s celebration of 413 Day, Secretary of Education Stephen Zrike, Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw and Elementary and Secondary Education Deputy Commissioner Lauren Woo visited the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires in Pittsfield yesterday to highlight how Governor Maura Healey’s Gateway to Pre-k agenda and Literacy Launch initiative are expanding access to affordable high-quality preschool and evidence based early literacy instruction in local communities. 

 

During the visit, administration officials joined classroom activities, interacted with young learners, and spoke with Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti, Pittsfield Interim Superintendent Dr. Latifah Phillips and community-based preschool programs about the successes and challenges of expanding access to high-quality preschool opportunities, including early literacy curriculum.   

 

“It was wonderful to be at the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires to see how the administration’s investments are expanding access to high-quality pre-k, including access to evidence-based early literacy instruction. The Pittsfield community is a model of how school districts and community-based preschools can work together to level the playing field for kindergarten readiness,” said Education Secretary Stephen Zrike. 

 

“Yesterday we were able to visit one of our communities early education centers, highlighting the importance of education programming for some of our youngest learners,” said Mayor Peter Marchetti. “Every child deserves to have the same foundation either the necessary skills to succeed. I am grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their support for early childhood education.” 

 

"I always like to welcome cabinet members to meet with people doing the work on the ground,” said State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier. "That Secretary Zrike made Pittsfield one of the very first communities he visited says a great deal of his intention to serve the entire commonwealth. He and Commissioner Kershaw desire to understand the needs of a Gateway City in a rural county far from Boston will make a difference for our students." 

 

The Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires is part of Pittsfield’s Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI). CPPI, a key component of Gateway to Pre-K, supports partnerships between public school districts and community-based early education providers to create more inclusive, coordinated preschool systems. Through these collaborations, CPPI aims to strengthen school readiness, close opportunity gaps, and ensure that every child in Massachusetts has the foundation needed for future success. 

 

Pittsfield’s CPPI partnership includes the Pittsfield Public Schools, Berkshire County Head Start, 18 Degrees, the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires, Kid Zone, the Gladys Allen Brigham Center, Morningside Community School, and Williams Elementary School. Together, nine classrooms are serving 131 children in their first year of the grant, marking an exciting launch into early implementation and collaborative planning that strengthens early learning opportunities across the community. 

 

“During our visit to Pittsfield, it was clear how strong collaboration across agencies and community partners is driving real progress for families,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw. “The CPPI model is a powerful example of how strategic partnerships can expand access to high-quality preschool while meeting the unique needs of local families, and Pittsfield’s commitment to this work shows what’s possible when communities come together with a shared vision.” 

 

“The partnership with the Pittsfield Public Schools, through the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI), has been a game changer for children 3 & 4 years old,” said Joe McGovern, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires. “It has increased equitable availability, provided new curriculum, purchased much needed supplies and offered staff trainings all to improve the quality of education for our children.” 

 

In addition to CPPI, Pittsfield is a recipient of the administration’s Partnership for Reading Success - Massachusetts (PRISM) II grant, funded through Literacy Launch. This grant supports school districts, in partnership with CPPI participating community-based preschools, with implementing newly selected English language arts materials or engaging in a structured curriculum evaluation and selection process. These efforts strengthen early literacy instruction, helping equip students with the reading and writing skills necessary for academic success and lifelong learning. The Pittsfield School District and several CPPI partners are rolling out new early literacy instruction this week, including at the Boys & Girls Club. 

 

“I'm grateful for the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s commitment to high-quality early literacy instruction starting in preschool,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “We stand ready to continue supporting districts and partnerships by providing professional development, ongoing technical assistance, and grants through the Literacy Launch initiative.” 

 

“It was a privilege to host Secretary Zrike, Commissioner Kershaw and Deputy Commissioner Woo in Pittsfield for a CPPI visit as part of 413 Day. Their time here reinforced the critical role that early childhood partnerships play in setting students up for long-term success. Through community collaboration, we are working to define and support kindergarten readiness across a mixed-delivery system so that all children, regardless of where they receive early education, arrive ready to learn and thrive. We are grateful for the recognition of the impactful work happening in our community and the ways our educators and community partners across early learning settings are working together to support children and families, ensuring strong early learning foundations for our children,” said Pittsfield Interim Superintendent Dr. Latifah Phillips. 

 

Governor Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget includes $32 million for CPPI to meet the Governor’s goal of delivering universal, high-quality preschool funding for four-year-olds in all Gateway Cities by the end of 2026. That is an $11.5 million increase over current program funding. Her budget also includes $25 million for the third year of Literacy Launch.