Deputy Secretary of Housing and Economic Development is the guest speaker at the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce March Business Breakfast. Join us Tuesday March 10th, 8:00 AM at the Winthrop Lodge of Elks, 191 Washington Avenue, Winthrop. Plenty of parking.
Carolyn A. Kirk, Deputy Secretary, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Carolyn A. Kirk joined the Administration of Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito in January of 2015 and serves as the Deputy Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. In this position, Kirk leads operational management and shares policy responsibility for the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Mass. Office of Business Development and its ancillary agencies of Mass. Travel and Tourism, the Mass. Marketing Partnership, and the Mass. Office of International Trade and Investment.
In addition, Kirk is responsible for economic planning and growth in the Maritime economic sector, oversees the MassWorks grant program, and provides direct support to the Lieutenant Governor’s office in the implementation of the Community Compact initiative. This initiative represents a new compact between the state and communities to create more effective, efficient and accountable governments with the belief that cities and towns have the right to hold the Commonwealth accountable, the Commonwealth has the right to hold cities and towns accountable, and the citizens have the right to hold all levels of government accountable.
Prior to her appointment with the Baker/Polito administration, in 2007 Kirk was the first woman popularly elected as Mayor of the City of Gloucester. Kirk went on to win three subsequent general municipal elections and never lost a ward or a precinct in any of her contests and served as Mayor for seven years. Despite coming into office during turbulent times in the city, Kirk was successful in implementing professional management reforms, regaining fiscal control, and led a period of visionary economic development and growth in the city.
As the City’s finances stabilized under Kirk’s watch, Kirk’s administration invested over $100 million in infrastructure thus laying the groundwork for future economic growth that relies on stable and reliable infrastructure. The first-ever business class hotel is under construction in the city in a long sought after waterfront location adjacent to downtown. A new $40 million elementary school, the first one to be built since World War II and which Kirk led the effort on for seven years, is also under construction in the city.
Mayor Kirk’s professional career spans over 20 years. She is a long-time management consultant, specializing in the field of customer relationship management (CRM), with industry expertise in financial services. Career highlights include employment by Fleet Financial Group in the early 90’s and by IBM Global Services as an Executive Consultant in the late 90’s. Mayor Kirk’s clients have included many of the Top 20 banks in the US, along with Fortune 500 companies.
Mayor Kirk also started her own successful consulting practice which afforded her the flexibility to spend more time with her family when her children were young, and launch her political career. She and her husband Bill Kirk have two children, Sam, 17 and Baylee, 14. Both are enrolled in Gloucester Public Schools.
A graduate of the Boston College class of 1984, Mayor Kirk was born and raised in Clinton, NY and moved to Massachusetts to attend college. She moved to Gloucester in 1988 where she still resides, and was drawn to the diversity and beauty of the city.
Breakfast begins at 7:30 AM with the program beginning at 8:00 AM. Cost is $10.00 for members, $15.00 for non members.
