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BOSTON – Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair
Steve Kerrigan today released the following statement on the appointment
of state Senator Anne Gobi as Director of Rural Affairs in the
Healey-Driscoll Administration.
“Senator Gobi has earned this
appointment through her demonstrated commitment to public service and her
dynamic approach to legislating. As a resident of a rural community
myself, I know those of us who live in these special places across our
Commonwealth will be well-served by Senator Gobi’s creativity and
leadership. Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Driscoll are sending a clear
message that the vibrancy of our Commonwealth depends on all our
residents being heard.” Healey-Driscoll
Administration Announces Massachusetts Senator Anne Gobi as Director
of Rural Affairs Gobi to
Serve as Advocate for Rural Communities & Support their Economic
Development and Growth BOSTON – Today,
Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim
Driscoll announced Massachusetts Senator Anne Gobi will join their
administration as the new Director of Rural Affairs in the Executive
Office of Economic Development. In this new role created by the Healey-Driscoll
Administration, Gobi will serve as a dedicated advocate and
ombudsman cultivating economic development within rural communities.
She will ensure that the needs of rural and regional economies are
incorporated into the economic development plan being
developed by the Executive Office of Economic Development and
will be responsible for coordinating with secretariats and state
agencies to ensure that state government is attuned to the unique needs
of these towns. “We are building an economy that
benefits all communities, businesses, and people in Massachusetts,
particular those that are too often overlooked and
underrepresented like rural and small towns,” said Governor Maura
Healey. “Senator Gobi’s fierce advocacy of rural equity,
agricultural and small businesses, and conservation
initiatives makes her the ideal candidate
to help our rural towns across the
state succeed.” “Senator Gobi brings to
this new role deep knowledge of the challenges that rural and
small-town economies face and decades of experience serving the people
of our state,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We
are excited to welcome her to our administration and look forward
to working with her to better reach rural communities and help
them grow.” Gobi was first elected to
the Legislature in 2001 as State Representative and
became State Senator in 2014 representing 22 communities in Worcester
and Hampshire counties, several of which are rural. She currently serves as the Senate Chair
of the Agriculture Committee, Vice Chair
of the Higher Education Committee, and Co-Chair of
the Commission on 21st Century Farming within
the Legislature. She also co-chairs
the Rural Caucus, Food Systems Caucus, Regional Transit Authority Caucus, Municipal Light Caucus
and Regional Schools Caucus, and serves on
the East-West Rail Commission.
“Massachusetts’ rural and
small towns have such an important role to play in our state’s
economy and I’m excited to have a true champion of these communities
join Team Massachusetts,” said Economic Development Secretary Yvonne
Hao. “Senator Gobi has the knowledge, experience, and
passion required to connect with the needs of rural
towns and plug these municipalities into our state’s many
economic development resources.” An avid outdoorsman, Gobi
co-founded the Sportsmen’s Caucus, which convenes supporters of
fishing, hunting and other outdoor activities. She also serves as a member of
the Veterans and Federal Affairs Committee. Prior to being
elected to the Legislature, she taught at Leicester High School, had her
own law office, and worked with victims of domestic violence at Central Mass
Legal Assistance. A lifelong Spencer resident, Gobi graduated
from Worcester State University and the Massachusetts School of Law. “Our office supports all of
Massachusetts’ 351 cities and towns, more than half of which are rural
communities,” said Undersecretary Ashley Stolba. “We’re excited
that Senator Gobi will join our office to provide these municipalities with
dedicated attention to help their economies succeed.” "I am thrilled to take on this
important role and grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for
elevating our rural communities,” said Senator Gobi. “While
I will miss the Legislature, I look forward to continuing to work for the
needs of small towns throughout the Commonwealth as their advocate in
state government."
Gobi will start in her new role
June 5 as a member of the Executive Office of Economic Development’s economic
foundations team led by Undersecretary Ashley Stolba. She will be
tasked with conducting a review of all state grant opportunities, including
the Community
One Stop for Growth, to ensure that barriers for rural and
small towns are mitigated and will host dedicated office hours for
rural towns to receive technical assistance to identify and explore grant
opportunities. She will also serve as a member of the Rural Policy Commission, which advocates
for the vitality of rural communities as well
as legislative and policy solutions that address rural needs.
On
March 1, Governor Healey filed Article 87 legislation to create a new Executive
Office of Housing and Livable Communities headed by a cabinet-level
secretary and to rename the Executive Office of Housing and
Economic Development as the Executive Office of Economic Development.
Economic Development Secretary Hao recently announced a restructuring
to better position her office to fulfill its mission of
promoting business growth, opportunity, and economic vitality for
Massachusetts’ communities and residents. This
realignment includes an intentional focus on supporting the
needs of rural and small towns through the office’s economic foundations
team. The Article 87 reorganization plan will take effect June
1.
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