Senior Leaders Announced at the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism
Boston – March 29, 2019 – Today, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy announced three new members of his senior leadership team in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED) and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT).
Mark D. Fuller has been named Undersecretary for Business Growth, Helena Fruscio Altsman has been promoted to Assistant Secretary for Program and Performance Management, and Keiko Matsudo Orrall has joined the Baker-Polito Administration as MOTT’s Executive Director.
“I am excited to round out my senior leadership team to help advance our work around business growth, program and performance management, and travel and tourism,” said Secretary Kennealy. “Mark, Helena, and Keiko bring invaluable experience and perspective to their new roles, and I look forward to working closely with each of them to grow the Commonwealth’s economy, spur the creation of jobs for residents, and highlight Massachusetts’ unique cultural and historic assets.”
EOHED works to advance the economic opportunity for residents, partner with local leaders to pursue economic priorities, and engage with businesses to support job creation. EOHED is comprised of several agencies, including Housing and Community Development and the Office of Consumer Affairs, and has a $1.4 billion budget and approximately 1,000 employees.
Mark Fuller will be joining EOHED as Undersecretary for Business Growth and will play an integral role in advancing the administration’s strategy for job creation and business development across the entire Commonwealth. He will coordinate state-funded incentive, capital, and operating budget driven programs and departments that offer support and resources for business of all sizes, and foster relationships with the state’s diverse business owners. Fuller most recently served as the Chief of Staff at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), and previously worked in the Office of the Governor of Massachusetts as Director of Performance Management.
In her role as Assistant Secretary of Program and Performance Management, Fruscio Altsman will ensure program effectiveness on behalf of EOHED, tying its financial and programmatic support to economic outcomes on behalf of the Commonwealth. Through secretariat partnerships, Fruscio Altsman will coordinate the implementation of programs for EOHED. Fruscio Altsman has served as a policy advisor to the state for the past seven years, serving most recently as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology and the Director of the Office of Performance Management Oversight.
As MOTT’s new executive director, Orrall will build on the Baker-Polito Administration’s first term accomplishments, which include expanding MOTT’s international presence and increasing visitation from 27.5 million to nearly 29 million visitors. Prior to joining the administration, Orrall served in the Legislature for four terms as a Representative for the 12th Bristol district.
About Mark D. Fuller
Mark D. Fuller has served the past three years as the Chief of Staff at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). While at the MBTA, Fuller assisted in accelerating an $8 billion capital investment program in the core system – including new cars, signal upgrades, and infrastructure enhancements – to improve reliability for customers. Fuller also helped put the MBTA on a path to fiscal stability, closing a $400 million operating budget deficit, and adopting technology to improve customer experience. Before joining the MBTA, Fuller served as the Director of Performance Management for the Office of the Governor of Massachusetts. Fuller began his career as an investment banking analyst supporting investments across sectors including industrial, transportation and logistics, and consumer retail. Fuller holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University.
About Helena Fruscio Altsman
Helena Fruscio Altsman has been a policy advisor for the state for over seven years, with past positions as the Director of the Office of Performance Management Oversight, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology, and the Creative Economy Industry Director. Her work for the state has been informed by her experience as the director of Berkshire Creative Economy Council, which was a key organization in the creation of the economic development organization 1Berkshire in western Massachusetts. A graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and an undergraduate degree from Rochester Institute of Technology, Fruscio Altsman has a track record of developing, advising, and deploying programs that truly impact the communities in which they are implemented.
About Keiko Matsudo Orrall
Keiko Matsudo Orrall served four terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, the first Asian American woman to be elected to the chamber, where she worked to build bipartisan relationships and solve problems for her constituents. As a State Representative, she most recently served on the Joint Committees on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, Labor and Workforce Development, and Export Development, sponsoring legislation which highlighted the potential for the tourism industry, and engaging with various trade organizations and stakeholders. Orrall has been involved in a wide range of tourism issues, including advocating for the state’s cranberry growers and agricultural sector, participating in the planning for the Plymouth 400 commemoration, and engaging with the Consul Generals of Boston. A graduate of Smith College, she was a member of the Pay Equity Commission, was active on the Massachusetts Caucus for Women Legislators, and currently serves on the UMass Center for Women and Public Policy Advisory Board.
About Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism
MOTT’s mission is to promote Massachusetts as both a leisure and business travel destination across domestic and international markets, and to contribute to the growth of the Commonwealth’s economy. In 2017, 28.3 million visitors came to Massachusetts, spending $22.9 billion, generating $1.5 billion in state and local taxes and supporting 149,400 in-state jobs. MOTT works closely with 16 regional tourism councils across the state, and with larger tourism alliances such as Discover New England and BrandUSA, to promote Massachusetts.
For more information, visit massvacation.com