On February 27, 2012 as Acting Governor, Lt. Governor Tim Murray signed an Executive Order to create a Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force. The Task Force to be chaired by the Lt. Governor, formalizes the informal working group he has led over the last year, and calls for a long term initiative to support all military installations in Massachusetts in order to both collaborate with them and explore opportunities to bring in new missions.
This Task Force will coordinate among state and quasi-public agencies and complement the work of the federal delegation. The Task Force will engage with industry, nonprofit, municipal officials, elected officials, and community members surrounding each installation in order to enhance, expand, add or otherwise improve missions, programs, facilities, and operations on or affecting the military installations in the Commonwealth. These partners include but are not restricted to: chambers of commerce, business associations, education officials, workforce development officials, municipal officials, elected officials, and veteran and military family support agencies.
By partnering with all of these key partners the Task Force will:
- Develop, coordinate, and implement actions in the areas of workforce training, infrastructure improvements, environmental and utility savings, housing, and transportation to support the missions at military installations in the Commonwealth
- Identify steps the Commonwealth can take to remedy problem areas before preliminary recommendations from the federal government are adopted and missions are implemented
- Advise the Governor and Executive and Legislative Branch officials regarding the ongoing efforts by the U.S. Department of Defense to close, realign, restructure, streamline, or otherwise take actions that would impact military installations located within the Commonwealth.
Over the course of the next year the Task Force has analyzed our military installations to determine where there are opportunities to fill vacant spaces, upgrade aging infrastructure, become more energy efficient, identify new missions, and build partnerships to bring more jobs and economic development at and around each site.
Members include: The Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security; the Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard; the Commander of the Massachusetts Air National Guard; the Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development; the Secretary of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development; the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs; the Secretary of the Executive Office of Education; the Secretary of Administration and Finance; the Secretary of the Department of Transportation; the Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Port Authority; the Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Services; the President and Chief Executive Officer of MassDevelopment; One (1) member from the Massachusetts State Senate, recommended by the Senate President; and One (1) member from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, recommended by the Speaker of the House.