Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Retirement of Supplier Diversity Office Executive Director Bill McAvoy

Boston — Today, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that Bill McAvoy will retire this Fall, following nine years of leading the state’s Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) and 36 years of public service.

Under McAvoy’s leadership, the Massachusetts SDO, which has been regarded as the most inclusive state supplier diversity office in the nation, has increased opportunities for countless small and diverse Massachusetts businesses through robust outreach and programmatic initiatives. The Healey-Driscoll administration is initiating a search for the next SDO Executive Director.

“The success of our diverse and small businesses translates to success for the entire state,” said Governor Maura Healey. "We are proud of the opportunities that the Supplier Diversity Office—with Bill McAvoy at the helm—has opened up for small and diverse businesses, and we remain energized to continue the SDO’s good work under a new Executive Director.”

“Thank you to Bill McAvoy for his strong leadership of the Supplier Diversity Office,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “The SDO plays a critical role in our administration’s efforts to advance equity in the Massachusetts business ecosystem, and we are grateful that Bill and the SDO team have built a strong foundation for ongoing progress in these efforts.”

“I commend Bill McAvoy on his accomplished career and stellar leadership of the Supplier Diversity Office,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew J. Gorzkowicz. “We look forward to finding a successor who matches Bill’s drive and talent as we continue working to level the playing field for diverse and small Massachusetts businesses.”

“I am proud of the many accomplishments and commitment to diverse and small businesses by the amazing team of professionals that I have had the honor to work with in the SDO,” said SDO Executive Director Bill McAvoy. “As I retire from public service, I would also like to thank Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for the opportunity to lead the SDO and for their unparalleled support of the SDO’s mission to uplift and remove barriers for diverse and small Massachusetts businesses.”

"Under Bill's leadership, the Supplier Diversity Office evolved from a small department to its own state agency with the staff, resources and budget needed to drive equitable procurement for the Commonwealth's diverse and small businesses,” said Nicole Obi, President and CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) and Chairperson of the SDO Diverse and Small Business Advisory Board. “During his tenure, Bill has worked diligently towards achieving greater inclusive procurement practices and outcomes. While there is certainly more work ahead to meet our diversity goals, we're grateful to Bill for his leadership, partnership, and committed service to the Commonwealth."

The SDO certifies diverse (minority, women, veteran, service-disabled veteran, disability, and LGBT-owned) and small businesses, which helps to increase their marketability in the state’s bidding process. The SDO also connects these companies with business opportunities and resources, and collaborates with Executive Agencies and public organizations to identify and remove barriers for diverse and small businesses.

Bill McAvoy, who worked under six Governors and three Attorneys General over his public service career, became Executive Director of SDO in 2015 after serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary and Chief Legal Counsel in the Operational Services Division (OSD), and as Assistant Attorney General/Environmental Advocate, Legal Counsel for Operations, Budget Director and Senior Counsel to the Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General. He also authored the legislation that made the SDO a standalone agency in 2021 after previously being in the central procurement office and increased SDO staff from 13 to 35, which include new compliance, IT, training, communication, and engagement teams.

The number of diverse and small businesses and state spending with these businesses has increased dramatically because of the efforts of the Supplier Diversity Office under Bill McAvoy. Certified businesses more than doubled from 2,794 in FY2015 to 5,669 in FY2023, an increase of 103%. Spending from SDO programs rose from $959 million in FY2015 to $2.147 billion in FY2023, an increase of 124%. In June 2024, the SDO released its FY2023 Annual Report, which showed a 7.56% increase in state spending with diverse and small businesses compared to FY2022.   

Among the SDO's additional accomplishments during Bill McAvoy’s tenure:

• Adding certification categories and spending benchmarks for businesses owned by veterans, those with a disability, and members of the LGBT community, making Massachusetts the first state in the nation to include disability and LGBT categories in our Supplier Diversity Program.
• Launching the Supplier Diversity Hub, which provided new engagement, compliance, and reporting tools for stakeholders, and the SDO Municipal Supplier Diversity Playbook, which gives resources for municipalities interested in developing their own supplier diversity programs.
• Creating the Certified Diverse Business Dashboard, an online interactive map that helps agencies and prime vendors find local diverse businesses.
• Automating and streamlining the certification application process, and working with third-party certification organizations to make cross-certification—and by extension participation in state contracts—easier for diverse and small businesses. Partnerships include:
  • City of Boston and City of Springfield (minority-owned and women-owned)
  • Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (minority-owned)
  • Center for Women & Enterprise (women-owned)
  • NaVOBA and the US Small Business Administration (veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned)
  • National LGBTBE Chamber of Commerce (LGBT-owned)
  • Disability:IN (disability-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned)
• Developing and implementing “SDO Means Business,” an intentional approach to promote bids to and remove barriers for diverse and small businesses.
• Appointing members to the SDO Diverse and Small Business Advisory Board, created by Executive Order 599, which was authored by McAvoy, for the purpose of providing guidance and advice to the SDO in fulfilling its mission to promote equity and fairness in state contracting. The Advisory Board includes diverse and small businesses and SDO partner organizations that advocate on behalf of these businesses.
• Working with numerous diverse and small businesses during the COVID epidemic, including one minority-owned business that supplied much-needed PPE throughout the Commonwealth.
• Working with Governor Healey’s Office, the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, the Operational Services Division, and the SDO Advisory Board to reopen certain statewide contracts to bring in more diverse and small businesses.

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