WESTFIELD – City resident Richard K. Sullivan, Jr. is returning to full-time employment in western Massachusetts after the new year, and he is thrilled.
The governor’s chief of staff said he looks forward to a shorter commute when he begins his new position as president and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council (WMEDC) in January.
The former Westfield mayor and executive secretary of the Massachusetts Office of Environmental and Energy Affairs said he will tap into his previous careers for the new job.
“There are initiatives started in the governor’s office that will come into play and there are new, innovative ideas in the field of clean energy and water in western Mass. that could create jobs,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the University of Massachusetts Amherst is one of two national sites for water monitoring and there are local companies springing up in that field.
“There’s a lot of growth potential in water and clean energy and the environment here,” Sullivan said, adding that he hopes to work closely with the area’s public higher education institutes.
Sullivan touted western Massachusetts as a region on the rise and said the WMEDC is positioned to be a “one stop shop” to boost the local economy.
Right now, Sullivan is concentrating on helping create a smooth transition from Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration to governor-elect Baker’s administration. So far, he said, it’s going well, and he should be out of the State House in January. He plans to have some down time before taking the helm at WMEDC. His initial priorities on the job include setting up meetings with area mayors and other officials to “re-establish relationships” in order to work together to grow the job market.
In addition to environmental and energy initiatives, Sullivan said the rail car industry offers enormous growth in the greater Springfield area.
Sullivan will succeed Allan W. Blair, president and CEO of the Economic Development Council since it was created in 1996. Blair will retire on Dec. 31 after 44 years in the field of business and economic development in western Massachusetts.
