Governor Healey Appoints Quentin Palfrey as Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure
Source: State House News Service and other sources.
Quentin Palfrey started working for the Healey/Driscoll administration on March 20, 2023 as the head of an interagency task force meant to deploy a new strategy for competing for federal money.
Quentin Palfrey was the Democrats' 2018 nominee for lieutenant governor and a candidate last year for attorney general in 2022.
Gov. Maura Healey announced that she and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll named Palfrey as their director of federal funds and infrastructure, and charged him with "working across all secretariats to drive the administration's competitive efforts around federal funding for key infrastructure, climate and economic development projects." Monday is his first day.
"Massachusetts has a unique opportunity to aggressively compete for billions of federal dollars to support crucial infrastructure, climate and economic development projects in our state -- from the Inflation Reduction Act to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the CHIPS and Science Act and beyond," Healey said. "Quentin Palfrey's extensive federal and state government experience, combined with his passion for serving the people of Massachusetts, make him the perfect fit to take on this challenge and deliver results."
Palfrey previously worked as health care division chief in the state attorney general's office, was senior advisor for jobs and competitiveness in the Obama White House's Office of Science & Technology Policy, and served as general counsel in the U.S. Commerce Department under President Joe Biden.
Palfrey won the Democrat Party's endorsement for attorney general at last June's convention, but trailed in polls and dropped out of the race a week before the primary election to instead back the eventual winner, Andrea Campbell, who was also Healey's choice in the primary.
The governor's office said Palfrey's job is meant to work with the Federal Funds Office in the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, and is separate from a Federal Funds and Infrastructure Development Office that Healey's budget proposes $2 million to stand up. Palfrey will report directly to Healey and be put in the lead of an interagency Federal Funds Task Force made up of members of the Cabinet and other relevant agency heads. Palfrey will be paid a salary of $160,000, the governor's office said.
"The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is well-positioned to compete and win federal resources for key priorities due to its highly educated workforce and robust innovation economy. These strengths must be complemented with a relentless, priority-driven pursuit of federal resources, proactive coordination and support, a streamlined and simplified approach to resources, and transparent data-driven management to bring more federal money to the Commonwealth," Assistant Secretary for Federal Funds Heath Fahle wrote in a budget brief. Fahle will lead the proposed Federal Funds and Infrastructure Development Office. - Colin A. Young/SHNS | 3/20/23 12:00 PM