Press Release  Sarah Peterson Appointed Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services

BOSTON — Today, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh announced that Sarah Peterson has been appointed Commissioner of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), effective immediately. Peterson has served as Acting Commissioner since the end of August 2024, following two years as General Counsel for DDS.

“Sarah has spent her entire career advocating so that people can access the supports and services they need to thrive in their communities,” said Secretary Walsh. “We have every confidence in her ability to lead this critically important agency as it deepens its commitment and further develops programs and services so DDS clients – who are our family members, neighbors and friends – can continue to thrive. Sarah will be a strong and close collaborator with the people we serve and their families so that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our state can live their best lives.”

“DDS is a tremendous agency and I am honored to have been selected to serve as its Commissioner. The past seven months as Acting Commissioner have given me insights into both the successes and challenges in the work that we do,” said Commissioner Peterson. “I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead DDS into its next chapter with an eye toward greater transparency, equity, and consistency in our delivery of services and with increased communication and engagement from our stakeholders." 

Peterson joined DDS as a Deputy General Counsel in 2017, managing a large team of attorneys and paralegals across the Commonwealth, and serving as key legal advisor on issues ranging from investigations to risk management to human rights. As General Counsel starting in 2022, she reorganized the DDS legal team to improve compliance, transparency and collaboration, including with its workforce and collective bargaining units and with the Office of the Attorney General. 

Peterson got her professional start as a staff lawyer for a nonprofit legal aid provider in Maine, where she helped individuals obtain public benefits and long-term care, as well as provide protection from financial exploitation and abuse. From there, she returned to Massachusetts and worked for two boutique law firms with a focus on elder and disability law and representing inpatient and outpatient mental health providers. 

Peterson graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2002, and the University of Maine School of Law in 2006. A native of Foxboro, she lives in Southeastern Massachusetts with her family. 

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