Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Holds Regional Cabinet Meeting in Worcester

Worcester — Today, the Healey-Driscoll administration held their second regional cabinet meeting at the Worcester Historical Museum to discuss the administration’s priorities in Central Massachusetts. The meeting also included a Worcester history and Women’s History Month presentation. In an effort to promote statewide collaboration, the administration aims to hold a regional cabinet meeting in every region across the state. 

“Hosting regional cabinet meetings gives us an opportunity to be purposeful about getting around Massachusetts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Part of our strategy as an administration is to build policy that supports everyone from Boston to Worcester to Amherst. It is our responsibility to keep the interests of all our 351 cities and towns in mind as we work to make Massachusetts more affordable, competitive and equitable. We are excited to be in Worcester today to focus on the needs of Central Massachusetts – from housing to economic development to food insecurity and beyond – and look forward to our next regional cabinet meeting soon.”

“Not only do our regional cabinet meetings give us a chance to sit together to discuss important issues, but they also give the entire Cabinet an opportunity to visit and support our state’s local businesses and cultural centers together,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We are a state made up of 351 cities and towns with their own unique landmarks and history. As we travel across the state, we’re able to visit and engage with our local communities and celebrate the things that bring us together. We’re excited to be in Worcester this morning and are grateful to the Worcester Historical Museum for hosting us.”

While at the Worcester Historical Museum, Cabinet members received a presentation focused on the history of Worcester, particularly its ties to the women’s suffrage movement in recognition of Women’s History Month, and about the American revolution. They were also invited on a tour of the Museum’s current exhibit, “Denholms, The Name was Magic”, led by guest curator, community volunteer, and Denholms historian Christopher Sawyer and with support from Patricia Wolf.

At the conclusion of the meeting and tour, Cabinet members continued to different events across the region: Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus, and MassHousing CEO Chrystal Kornegay announced the administration’s newest housing grant program to convert vacant and underutilized offices spaces into housing. They made the announcement at 22 Elm Street in Worcester, an underutilized commercial property slated to be redeveloped into 198 new market-rate apartments by developer Synergy Investments.

Following the housing announcement, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary Augustus, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew Gorzkowicz toured and talked about future plans for the Worcester Memorial Auditorium with the Architectural Heritage Foundation (AHF), the non-profit historic preservation and real estate development company that is spearheading the redevelopment of the city-owned venue. The auditorium, which closed in the late 1990s, is a focal point of the city’s Lincoln Square and includes a massive World War I memorial. In 2021, the auditorium project was awarded $425,000 from MassDevelopment’s Underutilized Properties program to prepare it for redevelopment. 

Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler and Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper visited Shrewsbury High School to learn from participating students about MassWildlife’s popular environmental education curriculum – “Teaching with Trout.” There are currently 64 schools across Massachusetts participating in the program engaging over 5,100 students in elementary, middle, and high schools. MassWildlife provides brook trout eggs to participating schools, and students raise them over the winter before releasing in the spring. There is an associated curriculum where students learn about fish conservation, water quality, and habitat. Secretary Tutwiler and Secretary Tepper also spoke with students about Environmental and Life Sciences and Manufacturing Innovation Career Pathways, which are designed to give students hands-on coursework and work-based learning experiences in a specific high-demand industry. The Healey-Driscoll Administration awarded $25,000 in Innovation Career Pathways planning grants in Environmental and Life Sciences and Manufacturing. There are currently more than 6,500 students enrolled in one or more of the 183 pathways at 78 schools across Massachusetts. 

Secretary of Technology Services and Security Jason Snyder joined Rural Affairs Commissioner Anne Gobi in Oxford for a roundtable discussion with Town Manager Jen Callahan and other municipal officials, to discuss the local impact of statewide IT grant programs. The town recently received both the IT Community Compact and Municipal Fiber grants to improve connectivity and upgrade municipal records management systems, in addition to the Municipal Cybersecurity Training Grant for the Oxford Public Schools.

Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy met with Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier to discuss community initiatives and current public safety issues involving firearms in Worcester.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh hosted an event at Abby’s House shelter to announce that Massachusetts is the first state in the nation to receive federal authorization for use of SNAP benefits at participating food trucks. The initiative is part of the Restaurant Meals Program and is specifically intended to serve people experiencing homelessness, older adults, and people with disabilities. At the event, the Secretary presented a proclamation honoring Nutrition Month to the owner of Sabrosa Venezuela, the first SNAP-certified food truck in the nation. Undersecretary Layla D’Emilia of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR), in lieu of Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao, was in attendance with Secretary Walsh and Secretary Jones at Abby’s House to celebrate Sabrosa Venezuela’s proclamation. OCABR’s Division of Standards (DOS) oversees food truck licensing in Massachusetts.

Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones stopped by the MassHire Worcester Career Center’s career fair to meet with staff and attendees and discuss their efforts to connect businesses with jobseekers. Secretary Jones also attended HHS’s Restaurant Meals Program event and then met with Quinsigamond Community College President Luis Pedraja to tour the college’s Center for Workforce Development and Continuing Education and discuss their training programs that serve individuals and employers in the Central Massachusetts community. During Massachusetts Apprenticeship Week in November, Secretary Jones spoke at the Second QCC Apprenticeship Conference – Empower, Engage, Endure: Shaping your Workforce through Apprenticeships promoting Registered Apprenticeship in the state and region and the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s investments and efforts to expand Registered Apprenticeship into high growth industries like health care, education, life sciences, and finance.

Secretary of Veterans Services Jon Santiago met with city officials from Worcester’s Health and Human Services Commission and Director of Veterans Office (VSO) to discuss veteran services and housing in Worcester County, including the recent End Veteran Homelessness Campaign announced earlier this month by the Healey Driscoll Administration. 

Secretary of Transportation and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt met with legislators and toured the Highway D3 Offices emphasizing the daily operations of our district from planning and engineering to maintenance and snow removal.  

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