Executive Office of Economic Development Announces Additions to Leadership Team as Agency Prepares for New Configuration

from Construction Outlook May 2023

EnvironmEntal issuEs

According to a press release issued by the agency, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED) Secretary Yvonne Hao announced the appointment of new undersecretaries and the realigning of the office under new pillars to better focus on key sectors of the economy and ensure continued economic support for all Massachusetts communities and residents. The move comes as the Governor’s Article 87, creating a separate Secretariat of Housing, becomes law. The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development will be renamed the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED).

Under the reconfiguration, EOED will now be structured under three pillars of economic development: “Economic Foundations,” focused on regional, rural, and small business growth, as well as infrastructure, seaport, and military installation support; “Economic Strategies,” focused on tourism and international trade, new federal opportunities in areas such as life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy, and the cross-secretariat Workforce Skills Cabinet; and “Con - sumer Affairs and Business Regulation,” which will be more fully integrated into the office’s overall economic development strategy.

Ms. Ashley Stolba, who has served as EOED Undersecretary of Community Development since 2021, will stay on in the office as Undersecretary of Economic Foundations. She will expand her portfolio to foster foundational economic opportunities for residents, communities, and businesses across Massachusetts. In her role, she will continue to lead the community development team by managing the Community One Stop for Growth, serving as vice-chair of the Seaport Economic Council, overseeing work to close the digital divide, and maintaining the state’s military installations. In addition to these duties, Ms. Stolba will also oversee other key areas such as regional businesses assisted by the Massachusetts Office of Business Development; small, micro, and immigrant-led businesses; and the new Director of Rural Affairs. She will also now serve as the secretariat’s climate officer focused on climate infra- continued on page 19

Legislative Update continued from page 17 structure needs. Prior to joining EOED, Ms. Stolba was Chief of Staff at the Harvard Allston Land Company and held roles as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel at the Massachusetts Port Authority, Associate Counsel at the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, and Policy Analyst in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. A native of Mashpee, she received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Miami and her juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School. continued on page 21

As per the same announcement, Ms. Sarah Stanton has also joined the office as Undersecretary of Economic Strategies and will oversee new growth initiatives that build upon the work of the Economic Development Foundations team. Ms. Stanton will be responsible for the state’s tourism and international trade sectors through the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism and the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment. She will also lead the office’s efforts on the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s cross-secretariat Workforce Skills Cabinet and help coordinate federal opportunities like CHIPS and Science Act funding, ARPA-H, and climate-tech investment. She will work closely with quasi-government partners Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, and MassVentures. Ms. Stanton most recently served as Town Manager in Bedford, Massachusetts, and previously held several key roles in local government, including serving as Budget Director for the City of Cambridge, Finance Director/City Auditor for the City of Salem, and other municipal leadership roles in the Town of Ipswich, City of Woburn, and City of Haverhill. Ms. Stanton holds an undergraduate degree in political science from Plymouth State University and a master’s degree in public administration from Northeastern University.

Further, Ms. Layla D’Emilia has been promoted to Undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCA). As Undersecretary, she will oversee five regulatory agencies: the Divisions of Banks, Insurance, Occupational Licensure, Telecommunications and Cable, and Standards. Undersecretary D’Emilia previously served as Commissioner of the Division of Occupational Licensure within EOED for the last three years, where she oversaw 265 full-time staff and a budget of $26 million. Prior to joining EOED, D’Emilia served as a senior member of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, where she coordinated and deployed operational responses and guidance around natural disasters, major weather and infrastructure events, and other significant public safety and homeland security issues. She is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College and Suffolk University Law School.

In addition to Undersecretaries Stolba, Stanton, and D’Emilia, Secretary Hao’s leadership team will consist of three additional functional leaders: Chief of Staff Emily MacCormack, General Counsel Jon Cosco, and Policy Director Rory O’Hanlon.

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Legislative Update continued from page 19

• New Leadership at Division of Occupational Licensure. OCA Undersecretary Layla D’Emilia announced the appointment of Ms. Sarah R. Wilkinson as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL). DOL is responsible for the oversight of 26 boards of professional registration and licensure, the Office of Public Safety and Inspections, and the Office of Private Occupational School Education. Collectively, DOL boards, commissions and programs license and regulate more than 500,000 individuals, businesses, and schools that engage in over 100 trades and professions in Massachusetts. Commissioner Wilkinson assumes the role after five years at the DOL serving in senior management positions within the agency, including as Assistant Chief of Investigations, Chief of Elevator Inspections and, for the past two years, the dual roles of Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety and Operations and Chief of Elevators. Commissioner Wilkinson is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School and Dartmouth College.

• Healey-Driscoll Administration Names Director of Federal Affairs. Mr. Will Rasky was named the Director of Federal Affairs for the Healey-Driscoll Administration at the end of April. As an Advisor for Governmental Affairs in the office of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Mr. Rasky served as the Deputy Intergovernmental Affairs Liaison to all state and local governments nationally. As Federal Affairs Director for the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Mr. Rasky will develop strategies for engaging on federal government matters that are relevant to Massachusetts, namely actions being taken by the Biden White House and cabinet agencies, as well as legislation being considered by Congress. Mr. Rasky is a graduate of Boston College.

• MassCOSH Releases Annual Workplace

Fatality Report. The Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) released “Dying for Work in Massachusetts: Loss of Life and Limb in Massachusetts Workplaces” in late April. Overall, 51 workers died as a result of workplace injury and illness in 2022. As in previous years, the majority of fatal injuries were concentrated in the construction industry, where nine workers died on the job, accounting for almost a quarter of the fatalities. Transportation and Warehousing, along with Professional and Business Services, were the second most dangerous sectors, each responsible for 18% of all fatal injuries. Wholesale and Retail Trades, Utilities, and Manufacturing all tied for the third most dangerous sector. Transportation incidents, which include motor vehicle crashes and workers struck by vehicles or equipment, remained the leading cause of death from injuries in Massachusetts in 2022. With 19 workers killed, these incidents contributed to 48% of all deaths from injuries. Workers also died from falls, slips, and trips (nine workers) and contact with objects or equipment (five workers). A copy of the report can be found at: https:// www.mediafire.com/file/obrm7ivkvx17bwh/ DFW_Apr2023_digital.pdf/file. n