Charlie Baker, Governor of Massachusetts
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Life In Brief Advisor, Board of Advisors, The Wallace E. Carroll School of Management, Boston College Current Title: Governor Honorary Trustee, Board of Trustees, McLean Hospital Political Party: Republican Party Born: November 13, 1956 Quick Summary Birthplace: Elmira, NY Former health insurance CEO with deep roots in Massachusetts public life; pro-business Religion: Congregationalist Republican whose close work with Democrats has earned him bipartisan credibility Ethnicity: White/Caucasian Tenure as America’s highest rated governor has Marital Status: Married been marked by a focus on public health and progressive positions on LGBTQ rights, Education Summary: marijuana, minimum wage, and paid leave Harvard College (MA), BA, 1979 Shaped by an active family of well-connected conservatives and a liberal Democrat mother Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University (IL), MBA, 1986 Ran a state policy think tank with his father, whose health care analyses caught the eye of Family: future Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld Appointed to state government positions, where 3 children he pushed cuts to social services and major Work History: infrastructure investments Significant private sector health care experience Communications Director, Massachusetts High as CEO of Harvard Pilgrim, where he drove Technology Council efficiency through increased premiums, Co-Director, Pioneer Institute for Public Policy outsourcing, contract restructuring, and Research, 1988-1991 workforce reduction Secretary of Administration and Finance, Office Won governorship in 2014, combining of Governor's Weld and Cellucci, 1994-1999 Republican pro-business policies with left-of- Chief Executive Officer, Harvard Vanguard center stances on social issues Medical Associates, 1998-1999 President and Chief Executive Officer, Harvard Approach and Motivations Pilgrim Health Care, 1999-2009 Entrepreneur in Residence, General Catalyst Measured consensus-builder who adheres to a Partners, 2011-2014 pragmatic bipartisan approach Advisor, Public Advisory Board, New Rejects partisan rhetoric, preferring a wonky Hampshire Institute of Politics, Saint Anselm style that sticks to the task at hand; sends letters College deliberating policy measures rather than taking to media 1 Seeks common ground with Democrats; chose Created an oversight board that fixed an eclectic cabinet that included Democrats management problems in Massachusetts Bay who disagreed with his policy positions on the Transportation Authority campaign trail Devoted to using or selling underutilized state Anti-ideologue who sharpened his love for data- land in a public housing program in 2015; driven public policy and team-building approach started a $100M fund for workforce housing while earning his MBA Signed $1.8B bill to partner with MassHousing Selective in his opposition to President Trump; to create affordable housing projects through avoids direct confrontation but rather voices state partnership, tax credits and subsidies disagreement with policies like the travel ban Staunch proponent of his “Housing Choices” and attempts to repeal the ACA bill, which would give flexibility in loans and zoning requirements to local municipalities Policy Position and Areas of Economics: Pro-growth Republican straining to Focus balance budgets with state-funded programs Pushed earned-income tax credits, tax amnesty Focused on building a safe, productive state programs, and a $610M economic development Public Health: Works toward bipartisan reforms bill to leverage the 2017 federal tax cuts that address immediate health issues Despite anti-tax pledges, raised a payroll tax and cautiously supports a surtax on millionaires Privatized services and renegotiated physician contracts at state hospitals while at Mass. HHS Created grants and incentive programs to bring General Electric’s HQ to Boston; made a Spearheaded the National Governor’s similarly strong bid for Amazon’s second HQ Association’s compact on opioids and served on the President’s Commission on Opioids Instituted seven-day-supply limits, pushed Core Communities opioid education and prescription oversight Prominent in the New England public sphere his Instituted sick leave banks for federal workers entire life Promotes access to health care through stable insurance markets and augmenting Medicaid Massachusetts Politicians: Worked closely with important lawmakers Infrastructure: Focused on better, cheaper transportation and housing for constituents Mentored by Bill Weld, former Gov. of Massachusetts; Weld called him the “heart and Financial architect of the Big Dig, a behemoth soul” of his administration state program to build highways, tunnels, and First boss in in Weld’s administration was David bridges; criticized for delay and overbudgeting Forsberg, now a family friend who chaired Pushed a major $18B bond bill to improve Baker’s campaign and is active in public policy commuter rail and bridges and a $3.9B bill to Strong relationship with former Gov. Paul repair and improve public buildings Celluci, who wanted Baker as his running mate Often rallied with former Sen. Scott Brown 2 Campaign donated $141K to help elect friend Secretary of Administration and Finance, Office Kevin Murphy, now Lowell City Manager of MA Governor, 1994-1998 Member, Board of Selectmen of Swampscott, Massachusetts Political Community: Unending MA, 2004-2007 ties to key figures in civic life in his state Member of the Budget and Finance Working Recommended to Weld by Pete Peters, wealthy Group, MA Governor-Elect Deval Patrick's oilman who founded the Pioneer Institute Transition Team, 2006-2006 Close friends with state Republican operatives Candidate, Governor of Massachusetts, 2010- Rob Gray, Tim O’Leary, and Greg Lisciotti 2010 Mindy d'Arbeloff, former PR professional and Health and Human Services Committee Chair, now Baker staffer, is reportedly his oldest friend National Governors Association, 2015-2016 Appears often with prominent donor Chris Egan, Health and Human Services Committee Vice former ambassador to the OECD Chair, National Governors Association, 2016- Close with Dick Egan, an important political 2017 figure who served as ambassador to Ireland Member, President's Commission on Howard Foley, longtime president of the Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Massachusetts High Technology Council Crisis, Office of National Drug Control Policy, (MHTC), was an important mentor Executive Office of the President, Donald J. Worked at MHTC with current president Chris Trump Administration, 2017 Anderson, whom he engages on tech issues Executive Committee Member, Executive Committee, Republican Governors Association, Major Health Arena Players: Friendly with industry 2015-2017 from his time as Harvard Pilgrim CEO Sat on the board of numerous health orgs, like Relevant Financial Information Athena Health; attended summits with top industry leaders throughout the 2000s Major donations from industries where Baker has Prominent health care businessman Paul Levy spent career helped appoint Baker to a hospital board Biggest Industry Donors (Career) Bruce Bullen took over at Pilgrim from Baker and is now COO of Blue Cross Mass. Lawyers & Lobbyists, $2.6 million Tied to Robert Coughlin, chief executive of Real Estate, $1.6 million Massachusetts Biotechnology Council Securities & Investment, $1.2 million Insurance, $926,000 Political History Health Professionals, $709,000 Under Secretary of Health and Human Services, Office of MA Governor William Weld, Biggest Corporate Donors (Career) 1991-1992 Jamestown Associates, $33,000 Secretary of Health and Human Services, Office SSG Media, $20,000 of MA Governor William Weld, 1992-1994 3 TD Bank, $15,000 Media: Prefers his own press conferences and Pinpoint Media, $15,000 newspaper interviews over television appearances New Car Dealers Association, $6,900 Preferred Outlets: National cable news like CNN Biggest Individual Donors (Career) and PBS; regional media outlets like New England Cable News; local media like Channel James Crowley, Luxury Real Estate Agent, 5 Boston $13,250 Favorite Subjects: infrastructure, politics, health Gregg Lisciotti, President of Lisciotti care, minimum wage, paid family leave, budget, Development Corp $12,050 opioids, immigration, refugees Grace Fey, Professor at Harvard Business Social Media Habits: Regularly posts on School, $12,000 Facebook and Twitter John Stowe, CEO of Lutco Inc.,$11,700 Speaking: Frequently attended healthcare and Michael Cimini, Investor, $11,650 other policy conferences and panels before Political Donations: Numerous $500+ donations becoming Governor; often engages with to mostly Republican candidates in MA employees of the state Scott Brown, 2008-2012, $7,700 Favorite Subjects: economic development, taxes, housing, healthcare, LGBTQ rights, Richard Tisei, 2008-2012, $5,400 education, common core Mitt Romney, 2002-2012, $3,500 Preferred Audience: state workers at factories; Thomas Finneran, 2002-2004, $2,000 state policy forums like the Massachusetts High Murphy Healey, 2006, $1,000 Technology Council; universities like Hamilton College; business groups like the Boston Gina Raimondo, 2014, $1,000 Chamber of Commerce . Congressional Testimony: Highlights state policies on major issues in Washington Publications, Media and Speaking Testified before House Natural Resources Committee about Massachusetts’ approach to Deliberate and well-spoken communicator addressing climate change, February 2019 Testified