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Housing and Economic Development

Contact:

KOFI JONES
Director of Communications & External Affairs
(617) 788-3652 (voice)
(617) 721-2231 (cell)
Kofi.jones@state.ma.us


DARRELL LeMAR
Deputy Director of Communications
(617) 788-3655 (voice)
(617) 686-6908 (cell)
Darrell.LeMar@state.ma.us

DEVAL L. PATRICK

Governor

TIMOTHY P. MURRAY

Lieutenant Governor

GREGORY BIALECKI

Secretary

July 10, 2009 - For immediate release:

PATRICK ADMINISTRATION APPOINTS NEW UNDERSECRETARY OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Michael Hunter to serve as Commonwealth’s chief advisor for business growth and development

BOSTON – July 10, 2009 – Today, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Gregory Bialecki announced the appointment of Michael Hunter as Undersecretary of Business Development.  Hunter will succeed Bialecki who was named Secretary of Housing and Economic Development by Governor Deval Patrick earlier this year.  The appointment comes at a critical time when the Patrick Administration is working closely with federal, state, and private partners to position the Commonwealth for an economic recovery built on strategic investments and favorable conditions for business growth and long term job creation. Hunter will oversee the Massachusetts Office of Business Development; MA Office of Travel and Tourism; MA Office of International Trade and Investment; MA Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance. 

“Michael Hunter is eminently qualified as the right person to lead the state’s business development activities at this time,” said Secretary Bialecki.  “His years of experience and leadership in planning and economic development are exactly what we need to move our strategies for business growth to the next level and he has my full support.”

Most recently Hunter was the Director of the Business Resource Team at the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.  He was formerly an Assistant Vice President at DMJM/Harris (a firm specializing in Transportation and Infrastructure) managing mixed use real estate projects. He has also held a number of management and business development positions over the last several years in the public and private sector including Real Estate Manager for supermarket retailer Supervalu, Deputy Director for Institutional Real Estate for the Boston Redevelopment Authority and a Public Finance specialist at the former Bank of Boston.

“I thank the Governor and Secretary Bialecki for their confidence in me,” Hunter said. “I look forward to continuing the important work of pursuing an agenda of creating a strong environment for job growth and business development. ”

Hunter began his career in Boston as a Strategic Planner for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development in the administration of former Governor Michael Dukakis.  He earned a B.A in Political Science from Holy Cross and Master’s in Management from the Heller School at Brandeis University.

 

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The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development is one of eight Secretariats that make up the Governor’s Cabinet. Under the leadership of Secretary Gregory Bialecki, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development oversees the following undersecretariats:  the Departments of Business Development, Housing and Community Development, and Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.