Press Release  Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll Name Quentin Palfrey as Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure

Boston — Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kimberley Driscoll today announced that they have named Quentin Palfrey as Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure. Palfrey is charged with working across all secretariats to drive the administration’s competitive efforts around federal funding for key infrastructure, climate and economic development projects. As part of this, Palfrey will form an interagency task force dedicated to pursuing these funding opportunities. 

“Massachusetts has a unique opportunity to aggressively compete for billions of federal dollars to support crucial infrastructure, climate and economic development projects in our state – from the Inflation Reduction Act to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the CHIPS and Science Act and beyond,” said Governor Healey. “Quentin Palfrey’s extensive federal and state government experience, combined with his passion for serving the people of Massachusetts, make him the perfect fit to take on this challenge and deliver results.” 

"There are currently billions of dollars in federal funding available to improve our roads, bridges and public transportation, move forward on our climate and clean energy goals, and support our efforts to break into the semiconductor manufacturing industry,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “We can’t let these opportunities pass us by – and we’re confident that Quentin Palfrey is the right person to drive our competitiveness and bring these dollars home to Massachusetts.” 

“I’m honored that Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll have placed their trust in me to take on this important position, which will have a direct role in driving Massachusetts’ economic competitiveness on the federal stage,” said Palfrey. “We have the finest talent, businesses, research and educational institutions in the world, but we need to secure federal funding to fully realize this potential and spur innovation and economic development across the state.” 

Palfrey served as a senior political appointee in the Administrations of President Obama and President Biden. Under President Obama, he was Senior Advisor for Jobs & Competitiveness in the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, as well as Deputy General Counsel for Strategic Initiatives in the US Department of Commerce. On Day One of the Biden Administration, Palfrey served as Acting General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Commerce, managing a team of several hundred lawyers in a department with over 50,000 employees. 

Palfrey also has extensive experience in Massachusetts state government. He was the first Chief of the Health Care Division in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office during the time when Massachusetts was implementing its landmark health reform law. Palfrey is an experienced lawyer who graduated from Harvard College in 1996 and from Harvard Law School in 2002. He lives in Weston with his wife Anna-Marie Tabor and their three children. 

The position of Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure will be housed in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance to work in coordination with Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew J. Gorzkowicz and the existing Federal Funds Office team. Palfrey will report directly to Governor Healey and lead an interagency Federal Funds Task Force made up of members of the Cabinet and other relevant agency heads to guide decision making on federal grant opportunities. His first day is Monday, March 20th. 

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