Personnel Files

Senate President Karen Spilka's spokesperson, GRAY MILKOWSKI, left her office this month after three and a half years in the Senate. Milkowski headed to New York City, where he began as an associate director of communications at consulting firm Manhattan Strategies. He started in the Senate in 2023, acting as Spilka's public voice and the press's main contact with her office. Prior to joining the Legislature, Milkowski was a communications officer for Harvard University and UMass Boston. He's a graduate of UMass Boston and Emerson College.

The nonpartisan National Academy for State Health Policy elected DAVID SELTZ, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, as chair of the academy. NASHP is an independent organization intended to help state policymakers develop healthcare policy. "Health policy challenges are complex and daunting, and the urgency to develop and implement solutions has never been greater. I look forward to working with the NASHP community and our colleagues across the U.S. in this new capacity, so we can continue to learn from each other, challenge each other, and inspire each other in the important work of improving the health and well-being of all people," Seltz said.

Sen. John Velis has a new communications director in NINA PRENOSIL. She most recently was the lead coordinator for the Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference and an events assistant at UMass Amherst. She's also the owner of Discover Westfield on Instagram and Substack, with the account highlighting the western Mass. community. Prenosil graduated from UMass Amherst in May 2025 with bachelor's degrees in psychology and journalism.

JVS Boston (Jewish Vocational Service) appointed longtime human services agency leader ERIC SILBERZWEIG as its new chief financial officer. Silberzweig has worked since 2023 as CFO of WORK Inc., based in Dorchester. He previously worked as CFO for Human Service Management Corp. of Milford and Lifestream Inc. of New Bedford, which works with adults with disabilities and children with autism. "Eric’s deep experience in the CFO role and tenacious approach to problem-solving and innovation, particularly at three organizations that serve and empower many of the same populations as JVS Boston does, made him an ideal choice for our team," JVS Boston CEO Kira Khazatsky said. JVS serves more than 14,500 individuals annually and is one of the largest community-based providers of adult education and workforce development services in New England.

Boston native ELSIE DIAS is the city's new Cape Verdean cultural advisor. Dias, whose grandparents immigrated to Boston from Cabo Verde in 1975, will be responsible for connecting Cape Verdean residents with city services, resources, programs and opportunities. She most recently worked at the city's Age Strong Commission, where she supported older residents. "Elsie brings a deep connection to Dorchester, Boston, and the Cape Verdean community, along with years of experience serving residents," Alexandra Valdez, director of the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, said. "Her knowledge, relationships, and commitment to community will help strengthen the connection between City Hall and Cape Verdean residents across Boston."

PATRICK MOORE, the former deputy counsel to Govs. Deval Patrick and Charlie Baker who was first assistant attorney general since the start of Attorney General Andrea Campbell's term nearly four years ago, left state government and is now working on commercial and government-facing litigation, crisis management, and regulatory matters at WilmerHale. Moore's previous experience includes stints as a partner at Hemenway & Barnes, as associate counsel and advisor for presidential personnel in the Obama White House and as deputy general counsel on Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. Early in his legal career, Moore practiced at Ropes & Gray where he participated in a fellowship in the government bureau of the Massachusetts attorney general's office. He served as a law clerk to Judge Maryanne Trump Barry of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and to former Judge Robert Cordy of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Succeeding Moore as first assistant attorney general is ABBY TAYLOR, who has been Campbell's chief deputy attorney general since the start of 2025. Taylor previously worked in the office as chief of the Civil Rights Division for nearly four years and as director of the Child and Youth Protection Unit. She also previously worked as a trial attorney in the criminal fraud division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where she prosecuted defendants involved in healthcare fraud schemes, the office said when she was promoted to director of the youth protection team.

DWIGHT ROBSON started work this month as chief business officer for the U.S. division of APM, a global health and human services organization. "What makes this opportunity especially meaningful is that it continues a thread that has run throughout much of my career: helping mission-driven organizations grow and extend their reach," Robson wrote on LinkedIn. "At both The MENTOR Network (now Sevita) and, most recently, Roca, I had the privilege of working alongside extraordinary colleagues committed to improving the lives of others." Robson was a top aide to former Treasurer Shannon O'Brien.

RICHARD WALSH was appointed to the board of addiction recovery nonprofit Power Forward, which was founded by former Pittsburgh Penguin and Stanley Cup champion Kevin Stevens. Walsh is president and CEO of construction management firm Walsh Brothers. Power Forward initiatives include scholarships for sober housing for those in recovery, a service dog ownership program, and a new app to track resources available to recovering substance abusers. After his own struggles with substance abuse, Stevens founded Power Forward with his sister, Kelli Wilson, who is the group's president and CEO. Power Forward recently raised more than $800,000 at its second annual gala.

LIZBETH HEYER has begun work as president and CEO OF 2Life Communities, which develops, manages and advocates for affordable housing and services that support aging in the community. Heyer has been with the organization since 2014. She replaces AMY SCHECTMAN, who retired after 16 years of leadership. 2Life Communities serves more than 2,100 residents at 12 properties located on seven campuses in Massachusetts. "As the number of older adults rapidly grows, Massachusetts has the highest rate of economic insecurity among older adults in the nation, primarily due to rising housing and healthcare costs," said Heyer. "Social isolation and loneliness can also pose significant risks to seniors' health and longevity. 2Life is addressing these challenges head on by building and operating high-quality supportive housing, and by advocating for the policy changes and public investment needed to make affordable senior housing easier to build and sustain." 2Life said work is underway on Solimine House in Lynn, which is expected to open in fall of 2027 and provide 150 new units of affordable housing for financially vulnerable adults. 2Life is also planning to convert the former Thurgood Marshall Middle School into 114 apartments for Lynn seniors as part of its 19 Porter Street redevelopment. Later this year, construction will begin on Brooke House at Olmsted Village on 10 acres of the former Boston State Hospital site in Mattapan. "Brooke House will include 127 affordable senior housing units, along with a community health center and child care center on the ground floor. Within the same complex, Treehouse at Olmsted Village will have 66 affordable intergenerational apartments. Both are expected to open by 2028," according to 2Life.2Life Co

The seven Supreme Judicial Court justices selected MICHAEL COELHO, a former legislative director to Gov. Mitt Romney and Executive Office of Public Safety official, to take over as administrator of the Trial Court starting Oct. 13. Coelho will succeed THOMAS AMBROSINO, who retired Sept. 18. Coelho currently works as deputy commissioner of programs in the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, a role in which he manages the Massachusetts Probation Service's involvement in the operation of specialty courts, the interstate compact unit, the substance use testing program, and reentry and sober housing placements. The Trial Court administrator works with the chief justice of the Trial Court to run the largest component of the state's judicial branch, with seven court departments, over 6,400 employees and 94 courthouses. Coelho worked three years as assistant secretary for policy and planning at EOPSS and, prior to that, was the secretariat's chief of staff. He had prior experience as legislative director for Romney.

SROCZYNSKI

MIKE SROCZYNSKI started work as interim president & CEO of the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association as outgoing MHA chief STEVE WALSH officially began work as president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. Sroczynski has been working as president of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island since September 2025, and before that was MHA’s executive vice president and general counsel. "Over the years, but especially over the past decade, many of the strategies, advocacy, outreach, and communications that MHA undertook were often preceded by a 'run it by Mike' review that allowed Sroczynski to shape or review the policy before it left the building. His ability to see the big picture implications of each individual action MHA undertook helped provide a unified stance for MHA and the healthcare community," the MHA wrote in its weekly newsletter. LAUREN PETERS, the former executive director of the Center for Health Information and Analysis, is also now working at the MHA as executive vice president. She'll oversee policy and advocacy, data and analytics, and clinical and "innovation initiatives." Peters quietly left CHIA in January as she helped launch the Massachusetts Payer-Provider Partnership, which brings together insurers and hospitals to focus on healthcare affordability issues. The partnership is affiliated with the MHA but operates as an "autonomous entity." Peters will continue to helm the partnership as she takes on her new MHA role. She previously was undersecretary for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and director of healthcare finance policy at the Executive Office for Administration and Finance. She earned her law degree from Suffolk University.

Mass Alliance for Early College recently announced two new hires: LIZ WALCZAK as director of external affairs and TOMAS MOLFINO as director of strategic initiatives. Walczak spent the past nine years as an independent philanthropy and nonprofit consultant, according to her LinkedIn. Before that, she was interim executive director for The Boston Opportunity Agenda from 2022 to 2023. Most recently, Molfino was program manager for WestEd, a nonprofit research, development and service agency, according to his LinkedIn. He was also a principal associate at Education Resource Strategies from 2021 to 2022.

DAVID FERRERA, a partner at Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, was elected president of the Boston Bar Foundation – the charity arm of the Boston Bar Association. Ferrera has been with Nutter since 1995 and is the firm's chair of the product liability practice group, according to his LinkedIn. Ferrera has been on the Boston Bar Association's public service oversight committee, investment committee and the pro bono committee of the association's litigation section. He is also a member of the Boston Bar Foundation's grants committee and was chair from 2019-2023, according to a press release. "David’s commitment to the legal field, track record of leadership within the BBA and BBF, and deep passion for supporting Boston’s underserved communities makes him the perfect fit to guide the growth of our organization," Rich Page Jr., president of the Boston Bar Association, said in a statement.

MICHAEL McCARTHY, Northern Essex Community College's executive vice president and CFO, was appointed to the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center's new statewide Advisory Council. The group brings together business, government, economic development and community leaders to shape the future of small business support. Members will discuss emerging issues affecting small businesses, opportunities for statewide collaboration and initiatives to bolster the state's entrepreneurial ecosystem. "Having Mike seated at this table will provide important perspectives on how local community colleges offer training to both employers and employees, build connections, offer professional certifications, and provide development guidance that leads to positive business growth," NECC President Lane Glenn said.

The New England Council's Board has a new slate of members after a recent election. They include MATTHEW BEATON of Haugland Group in Shrewsbury; BRYAN GUBBINS of Bond Brothers, Inc. in Medford; JASON JAKUBOWSKI of Connecticut Foodshare in Wallingford, Conn.; ROBERT McCARRON of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts; JACK MURPHY of BankNewport in Newport, Rhode Island; and HEATHER SCHUCHARDT of Ocean Spray in Lakeville. "As we continue our work to advocate for New England's economic well being, I trust that their diverse experience and expertise across a range of industries will be an asset to our board," council CEO Jim Brett said.

The New England Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors has announced five new board members: TRACY ATKINSON, HEATHER CAMPION, MICHAEL CURRY, JACK EGAN and DAMIAN WILMOT. Atkinson is a board member for both Citizens Financial Group and RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies. Atkinson was also previously a director of Affiliated Managers Group and U.S. Steel and was executive vice president and chief administrative officer at State Street Corp. Campion is managing director DSG Global, where she founded the firm's strategic consulting practice. Before that, she was a principal at Mount Vernon Strategies and was CEO of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation from 2014 to 2015, according to her LinkedIn. Curry is CEO and president of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and has been an elected member of the National NAACP's Board of Directors going on 12 years. Egan has served on boards for technology companies like EMC Corp. and VMware where he helped with transactions, including Dell's purchase of EMC for $67 billion, according to a press release. Wilmot is a board member for PBF Energy Inc. and Fidelity Charitable. "These five new Directors bring to NACDNE a profound wealth of experience, background, diverse perspectives, and deep connections throughout New England. On behalf of the Chapter, I want to express our deep thanks to Damian, Heather, Jack, Michael, and Tracy for their willingness to offer their time, talent, and leadership to NACDNE," NACD New England Board Chair Cathy Minehan said in a statement.

ERICH YAEGER is the Boston Green Ribbon Commission's first director of decarbonization and energy transition. Before taking on his new role, Yaeger was sustainable operations manager at Harvard University from 2025 to August. He worked for Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc. from 2021 to 2025 as a senior corporate responsibility project manager and then environmental impact manager. His work at Keurig Dr. Pepper helped lead to the company's first production plant fully transitioning from natural gas to electricity. "His combination of technical expertise, firsthand understanding of the challenges facing our member institutions, and his love for Boston made him the perfect fit for the role. Bringing our first Director of Decarbonization and Energy Transition onto the leadership team marks an exciting milestone as the GRC deepens its focus on implementation," Boston Green Ribbon Commission Executive Director Lindsey Butler said in a statement.

SAM COOPER is the new president of the Fall River Industrial Park Association, taking over for H&S Tool owner KARL HETZLER after 13 years. Cooper is co-owner and senior VP of business development at Klear Vu, a textile manufacturer that his family has operated for roughly six decades in Fall River. Before Cooper joined the family business, he worked in a variety of government roles including for U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and in the New York City mayor's office. He recently worked in government partnerships at the scooter company Bird, where his territory included New England. "Sam Cooper will continue the strong support and advocacy of the over 100 businesses and 8000 employees in the Fall River Industrial Park," Fall River Rep. Carole Fiola, House chair of the Economic Development Committee, said. "It is an incredible economic engine for my district and the Commonwealth and I look forward to continuing working with Sam and the FRIPA to help grow the businesses and ultimately help the working families of this region.