Local leaders retain confidence in new Governor
By El Mundo Staff
As newly inaugurated Gov. Maura Healey continues to to fill senior executive branch positions in her new administration, a number of Latino organizations, leaders and voices from across the Commonwealth have been enthusiastically offering potential candidates for her consideration.
“It’s great to know that the Healey administration has been in contact with many different voices from our community, all championing the same thing – Latino representation at the highest levels of state government”, said Doug Chavez, a Bay State political consultant.
«We have been working in partnership with the Healey Administration as they look for guidance on Latino representation and we have full confidence that they will stay true to promises made on the campaign trail”, said in a written statement Eneida Roman, on behalf of Unidos in Power.
Unidos in Power is a statewide coalition of Latino leaders dedicated to creating a lasting and effective platform for advocating for the political and economic advancement of the Latino community in Massachusetts.
The statement, signed by respected leaders from the health care, business, community development and advocacy sectors, conveys belief in Healey’s commitment to making sure that her diversity and equity efforts don’t overlook the state’s 13% Latino population at the highest levels of state public service.
Another group galvanized and leveraged support from a variety of statewide serving organizations, including Latino media outlets and put together a list of over 180 names and resumes that were submitted to the Healey administration for consideration for not only employment but for boards and commissions.
Meanwhile, Lawrence State representative Frank Moran and Springfield State Rep Carlos Gonzalez made sure The Black and Latino Caucus sent a letter asking the administration to keep Latino candidates in mind for key positions in her administration.
“We as Latino members of the House of Representatives would love to work with you to assure that your Secretariats, Departments, Boards and Commissions, and quasi-governmental agencies have robust Latino participation. We are currently circulating the transition website and will keep track of those we are sending to that site”, said part of that letter.
And even a number of individuals have independently done their best to catch the ear of key Healey advisors, in nudging the idea of having a Latino appointment as a Secretary.
“In addition to these organized groups, there have been many who have lobbied individually for the appointment of a member of our community in her cabinet”, explained former State Rep and Chair of the Ways and Means Committee Jeffrey Sanchez.
In the previous administration, Governor Charlie Baker appointed Cuban-American Rosalin Acosta as his Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development. Acosta who is fully bilingual, played a major role during the pandemic, especially when it came to ensuring that those who didn’t speak English had access to information on how to apply and receive critical Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).
“Her lived experiences as a Latina here in Massachusetts was the very foundation of her ability to be one of the most impactful and important Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development we have ever had in our history. Her work on behalf of our community during the pandemic is proof of why we need representation at that level”, added Sánchez.
Yet, even with this unprecedented collaborative effort coming from different sectors, mostly every Latino leader we spoke to alluded to the absence of any Latinos thus far in the Healey cabinet under formation, but all expressed faith in her final hiring outcomes.
The former attorney general, who rolled up large margins among Latinos — the state’s largest minority group — in her election campaign last November, has named nine cabinet secretaries thus far, three of them people of color but none Latino.
Three cabinet openings remain.
One of them is the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, while two other secretariats are expected to be created early in the new year – one to oversee veterans affairs and the other to lead housing efforts in the state.
Of the secretaries named so far, three are white males, three are white females, one is a Black male, another is a an Asian woman, and the most recent is a Black woman.
The perpetual challenges of hiring top talent in the public sector has also made it difficult as well-qualified potential Latino cabinet secretaries have declined to pursue positions on Beacon Hill, as compensation in the public sector is limited.
While Gov. Healey’s spokeswoman declined to discuss the personnel process or specific prospects for cabinet posts, she strongly reiterated the administration’s commitment to diversity and its outreach to Latino leaders to ensure the broadest possible representation.
The administration “is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the communities we serve,” said Karissa Hand.
“We look forward to continued collaboration with Latino leaders.”
Hand also listed top members of the governor’s senior staff who identify as Latino or Hispanic, including:
- Marcony Almeida-Barros, deputy chief of staff or access and engagement
- Cecilia Ugarte-Baldwin, deputy chief of staff for policy and cabinet affairs
- Alicia Rebello-Pradas, deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs
- Juan Gallego, assistant deputy chief of staff to the lieutenant governor
- Yarlennys Villaman, director of community affairs
She added that the governor will soon be filling the newly created position of director of multicultural media in the press office, which will be someone who speaks Spanish and can provide comments, sound bites and interviews for Latino media outlets.
