Boston, Jan. 6, 2013, — Before a crowd of thousands, including residents, supporters, political leaders, faith leaders and dignitaries, Mayor Martin J. Walsh this morning took the oath of office and was sworn in as the 54th Mayor of the City of Boston. In a ceremony that also included the swearing-in of the Boston City Council, Mayor Walsh delivered his inaugural address, committing to moving a united Boston forward, a City that provides community, opportunity, and equality to all its citizens. [Remarks as prepared for delivery attached.
Marty Walsh sitting at his desk for the first time (photo credit: Nicole O’Neil Photography).
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“We will expand opportunity so it reaches every person in every corner of our city. We cannot tolerate a city divided by privilege and poverty,” Mayor Walsh said in his address. “We will protect and grow our sense of community. For it is Boston’s greatest source of strength. And we will ensure equality for all: No matter your age, race, religion, sexual orientation. No matter what.”
In his address, Mayor Walsh outlined major priorities as he begins his term, including: Strengthening Boston’s economy and creating jobs; Improving public safety and bringing an end to senseless gun violence; Ensuring Boston’s schools help every child succeed; and Increasing trust and transparency in City government.
Mayor Walsh said he will begin the work of addressing the senseless violence that takes place in Boston’s neighborhoods this afternoon, when he will convene a diverse group of public safety advocates to move the City forward in redoubling crime prevention efforts and recommitting the City to the safety of every citizen. Mayor Walsh spoke of the particular importance of improved trauma response, family support and substance abuse programming.
Mayor Walsh said he will also immediately begin a search for a proven urban education leader to serve as the next Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools. The Mayor’s commitment to moving Boston Public Schools forward will focus on eliminating the achievement gap, universal early education, high school reform, inclusion and dual language programs, and high quality career and technical training. Mayor Walsh emphasized the need to ensure every dollar spent on education is put to the best and most effective use, and committed to a Performance Audit of Boston Public Schools to ensure money is being spent effectively and efficiently.
“Every kid in Boston deserves a great education that will give them opportunity to get ahead. Every kid in every neighborhood deserves the chance for a pathway to higher education or a good career,” Mayor Walsh said.
Other priorities Mayor Walsh outlined in his address include gaining a better understanding of the needs of Boston’s seniors; strengthening City ethics requirements; revitalizing support to neighborhood businesses; and restructuring the Boston Redevelopment Authority to make Boston a leader in streamlined, transparent, and effective job and business growth.
“Faith and trust are earned,” Mayor Walsh said. “We must do what it takes to earn both, from the people we serve.”
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley delivered the ceremony’s opening prayer, and remarks by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and Governor Deval Patrick preceded the inaugural address.
Massachusetts Supreme Court Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland administered the Oath of Office to the Mayor.
“I am inspired every day by the people of our city – by your hopes, by your dreams, by your determination. I am listening. I will keep on listening,” Mayor Walsh said. “We will move Boston forward together.”
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Mayor Walsh Announces Several Key Staff Appointments
Mayor Martin J. Walsh today appointed several key staff members as the Administration begins work on the priorities outlined by Mayor Walsh in his inaugural address. Joyce Linehan will serve as Chief of Policy, Joseph Rull will serve as Chief of Operations, and Eugene O’Flaherty will serve as the City’s Corporation Counsel. Mayor Walsh has also appointed Trinh Nguyen Interim Director of Jobs and Community Service; Alejandra St. Guillen Interim Director of the Office of New Bostonians; and Keith Williams Interim Director of the Office for Small & Local Business Enterprise.
“This is a team of talented, dedicated people who are committed to public service and to Boston,” said Mayor Walsh. “Each individual brings practical experience and fresh, innovative ideas to this Administration, and I know we are all eager to get started.”
Joyce Linehan, Chief of Policy
Joyce Linehan served as Policy Director on Mayor Walsh’s mayoral campaign and as a co-chair on his Transition Team. Linehan is Chair of the Boston Ward 17 Democratic Committee, and has held leadership roles in the grassroots campaigns of Senator Elizabeth Warren, Governor Deval Patrick and Congressman Mike Capuano, as well as the campaign for Equal Marriage in the Commonwealth. Linehan is also the director of Ashmont Media, a public relations company that serves Boston arts organizations, including ArtsEmerson, Boston Book Festival, the Institute of Contemporary Art and others. She is the founder of the Dorchester Arts Collaborative and serves on the board of Interim House, a residential substance abuse treatment center.
Linehan holds a B.A. and an M.A. in American Studies from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Linehan is a lifelong resident of Dorchester.
Joseph Rull, Chief of Operations
In his role as Chief of Operations, Joseph Rull will work closely with Mayor Walsh in overseeing personnel and labor functions, intergovernmental relations, and neighborhood services.
Rull worked as a senior advisor on Mayor Walsh’s election campaign and in his transition. Prior to joining Mayor Walsh’s team, Rull served the Commonwealth in the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and in the Executive Office of Labor and Workplace Development. From 2008-2010, Rull was a special adviser in the office of Mayor Thomas M. Menino. He served as a community representative for Massport from 2006 to 2008 and from 2002-2006 served as a neighborhood liaison to South Boston in the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services.
Eugene L. O’Flaherty, Corporation Counsel
State Representative Eugene L. O’Flaherty, Democrat of Chelsea, represents the Second Suffolk Representative District of Massachusetts, consisting of Charlestown and most of the City of Chelsea. Currently in his ninth term in the House of Representatives, Representative O’Flaherty serves as the House Chairman of the Joint Committee on The Judiciary. He has held this Chairmanship under three different Speakers of the House and has been a staunch advocate for the legal community since he was first appointed in 2002.
Representative O’Flaherty received a Bachelor of Science degree from Suffolk University. He was awarded a Juris Doctorate from the Massachusetts School of Law and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar and the Federal bar in 1994. In addition to his legislative duties, Representative O’Flaherty is a practicing lawyer and is a Partner in the law firm of O’Donovan, Dwyer & O’Flaherty, P.C.
Trinh T. Nguyen, Interim Director, Office of Jobs and Community Service
The Office of Jobs and Community Service works to promote economic self-sufficiency to ensure the full participation of all Boston residents in the city’s economic vitality and future. In her role as interim director, Trin Nguyen will oversee the office’s work to advocate for lifelong learning, job training and placement, and support services to empower Bostonians to fulfill their educational and employment aspirations.
Nguyen most recently served as Chief of Staff at the Boston Housing Authority, where she is responsible for overseeing an annual $350 million budget structure and developing operational programs to achieve the BHA’s philosophy, mission, and annual strategic goals and objectives towards its housing programs. From 2007-2010, Nguyen previously served as Vice President of Development for the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts. Previous roles also include Director of Development & Public Relations at the Boston Women’s Fund and Resource Development Manager in the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians.
Keith Williams, Interim Director, Office of Small & Local Business Enterprise
In his role as Interim Director of the Office of Small & Local Business Enterprise, Keith Williams will be responsible for promoting small and local participation in the City of Boston, connecting small and local business owners to City resources, and fulfilling the Boston Residents Jobs Policy.
Williams currently serves as Associate Director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, where he is responsible for supervising a staff of 20 neighborhood coordinators, and oversees the office’s participation in all regulatory meetings and hearings. He is well versed in a variety of complex, neighborhood-specific issues, City emergency response. Prior to joining the Mayor’s office in 2001, Williams spent two years in the Office of Neighborhood Development and three years in the Boston City Council. Williams was born and raised in Boston’s Dorchester/Roxbury communities.
Alejandra St.Guillen, Interim Director, Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians
The Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians seeks to strengthen the ability of diverse cultural and linguistic communities to play an active role in the economic, civic, social and cultural life in the City of Boston. As interim director, Alejandra St. Guillen will oversee the office’s work to provide opportunity, access and equality for immigrants, and highlight the contributions and essential role immigrants have played and continue to play in making Boston the world class city that it is.
Alejandra St. Guillen currently serves as the Executive Director of Oiste, the Latino civic and political organization. As Executive Director, St. Guillen has collaborated with elected officials in the development and promotion of public policy initiatives that have directly impacted the Latino community in Massachusetts, including education reform, economic justice policy, and electoral reform. St. Guillen has been honored by a number of organizations for her work in the Latino community, including El Planeta, Somos Latinos, and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. St. Guillen holds a B.A. in Economics and African-American Studies from Wesleyan University and a M.Ed. from the City College of New York.