(NOTE: State Rep. Ken Gordon represents Precinct 3 in Wilmington, as well as all of Burlington and Bedford.)
BOSTON, MA — Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) and the Massachusetts House of Representatives have tabbed Ken Gordon (D-Bedford) as its new Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.
Rep. Gordon will also join the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government and the House Committee on Personnel and Administration.
“I am thrilled with these new assignments, especially the Vice-Chairmanship,” said Rep. Gordon. “I am looking forward to ways to expand our support of the life sciences, high tech, and manufacturing businesses that lead our economy in the Bedford, Burlington and Wilmington corridor, as well as the businesses that are necessary for our economy to thrive.”
“Vice Chair Gordon is thoughtful and highly-skilled legislator with a background as an attorney, and we are fortunate that he will bring his experience to issues relating to the economic development of our Commonwealth,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. “I’m looking forward to a productive legislative session with the House team of dedicated and hard-working members.”
Gordon is fresh off the announcement of the Lowell-to-Burlington employee shuttle, a program that will bring trained but unemployed or underemployed workers from the Lowell area to fill hundreds of current job openings in the restaurant and retail industry in Burlington.
“I’m not surprised that after Ken’s success in working with our businesses and residents, the House appointed him as Vice-Chair of Economic Development,” said Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce President Rick Parker. “Ken quickly sized up the greatest challenge to our area’s economic development, contributed to a plan to address this challenge, and did not stop working until we found success. It’s a pattern I expect he’ll continue.”
The Economic Development Committee will be tasked to examine sports betting in Massachusetts in response to last year’s Supreme Court’s ruling essentially allowing states to regulate the industry. Gordon is not only an employment lawyer, but he is a former sportswriter – largely affiliated with the Boston Globe and the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post — sports attorney and has experience in sports management.
“My background will serve me well as I assist Chair Ann-Margaret Ferrante and the rest of the committee, as we look at the issues involving this new sports industry,” said Gordon. “I have seen this industry from the point of view not only as a journalist but from the players and management. Sports is a business, like many others, and we will find the most efficient way to introduce this new business in a way that protects our residents.”
Gordon is beginning his fourth term in the legislature. He is a former House Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Elections. He filed the House version of the Paid Family & Medical Leave program that was used as a model that was passed into law last summer. He has successfully filed and advocated for programs that created equity in parental leave policies, uniform wage compliance and provided necessary revisions to the unemployment insurance program.
(NOTE: The above press release is from State Rep. Ken Gordon’s Office.)
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