- Office of Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito
- State Ethics Commission
Media Contact for Governor Baker Appoints Wilbur P. Edwards, Jr. to the State Ethics Commission
Sarah Finlaw, Press Secretary, Governor's Office
BOSTON — Governor Charlie Baker recently appointed retired state Housing Court Associate Justice Wilbur P. Edwards, Jr. to the State Ethics Commission. The Commission works to foster integrity in public service in state, county and local government, and to promote the public's trust and confidence in that service and to prevent conflicts between private interests and public duties.
“Judge Edwards has a 34-year track record as both an attorney and Associate Justice in state court, which will serve him well on the State Ethics Commission,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are pleased to appoint Judge Edwards and look forward to his continued service to the Commonwealth.”
“Judge Edwards brings decades of experience on the bench and in private practice to the State Ethics Commission,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “I am confident that he will be an effective Commissioner.”
The State Ethics Commission is a non-partisan, independent agency, consisting of five members appointed to serve staggered, five-year terms with three appointments made by the Governor, one by the Attorney General and one by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The Commission administers and enforces the conflict of interest and financial disclosure laws and has jurisdiction over state, county and municipal employees. Judge Edwards replaced the Honorable David A. Mills (ret.) at the conclusion of his term. He will join Commission Chair Maria Krokidas, the Honorable R. Marc Kantrowitz (ret.), Josefina Martinez, and Thomas J. Sartory. The Commission functions in three separate divisions: Legal Division; Public Education and Communications Division; and Enforcement Division.
About Wilbur P. Edwards, Jr.:
The Honorable Wilbur P. Edwards, Jr. is a retired Associate Justice of the Southeast Division of the Massachusetts Housing Court, serving more than sixteen years following his appointment by Acting Governor Jane Swift in 2002. During his time as an Associate Justice, Judge Edwards also served on the Trial Court Interpreters Committee, the Supreme Judicial Court Media Committee and the Supreme Judicial Court Wellness Subcommittee. Prior to his appointment to the state Housing Court, Judge Edwards worked in private practice as an attorney for over seventeen years, first as an Associate for Roche, Carens & DeGiacamo in Boston and then as a Partner for McKenzie & Edwards, P.C. in both Boston and Cambridge. At both firms, Judge Edwards focused on litigation related to a wide range of issues pertaining to housing and real estate.
Before pursuing his legal career, Judge Edwards spent ten years as a Real Estate Manager for Purity Supreme Super Markets, Grand Union Markets, Southland Corporation and Toys “R” US, coordinating the acquisition and management of real estate in a variety of regions across the United States. He is a 1971 graduate of Harvard College and earned his Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School in 1984.
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