New Patrick Appointees Add Racial Diversity to State Commissions

Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts (Photo: mass.gov)

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has appointed new members to the state's Convention Authority, Transportation Authority, and State Lottery Commission.

The appointees reflect Gov. Patrick's commitment to bringing racial diversity to the ranks of state government.

The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority is responsible for the operations of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, the MassMutual Center in Springfield, and the Boston Common Garage.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority operates the subway, commuter train, bus and other public transit systems that run in Greater Boston and outlying suburbs.

The State Lottery Commission, was established in 1971 as a five-member commission, of whom two are gubernatorial appointees, to oversee lottery games and the games' consumer prices, prize structure, methods of prize payment, and the licensing of agents.

The appointees, announced in a press release from the governor's office on Feb. 22, 2008, are:

Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA)

Mo Cowan brings to the MCCA years of experience in civil and criminal litigation in federal and state courts. He was a special assistant district attorney in the Middlesex District Attorney's office in 2001. He is a past president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and the Northeastern University School of Law Alumni Association.

Cowan has served as a director/and or trustee of several non-profit organizations, including the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, Project STEP, the Boston Bar Association, the Boston Bar Foundation, the Boston Lawyers Croup, the Volunteer Lawyers Project, and the New England Minority Purchasing Council, Inc.

Barbara Capuano is a certified public accountant at Raphael and Raphael, LLP. She is a member of the Somerville Chamber of Commerce, the Somerville High School Scholarship Fund, the board of directors of the Boston Harbor Alliance, and the Children's Hospital Community Health Board.

Darryl Settles brings a long record of active community service in Boston to the MCCA. A former owner of Bob the Chef's Restaurant, he capitalized on the restaurant's success to give back to the community. In 2001, he started a neighborhood block party that has grown into what is now called the BeanTown Jazz Festival.

In addition to his charitable work, Settles served with the Metropolitan District Commission as an associate commissioner for eight years. He has worked with a number of civic community organizations in Mass.

MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (MBTA)

Frank Chin, a former aide to Boston Mayor Kevin White, has been active in the Boston Chinatown community for decades, supporting City Hall, new housing, and the promotion of Asians in the police force, as well as helping Chinese immigrants in Boston.

Grace Shepard, a former Sherborn selectman, has been integral to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) executive committee for 13 years. She has been actively involved with the Museum of Fine Arts education department and serves as a gallery instructor associate.

Willie Davis is an attorney at Davis, Robinson, and White, LLP, with experience in state and federal law. He is a former U.S. magistrate judge in Mass. and a former assistant US attorney and assistant attorney general. He chairs the board of trustees of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, and the board of directors for the Committee for Public Counsel Services for Massachusetts.

Darnell Williams is president and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts as well as a former manager of recruitment and development at Massachusetts General Hospital. He has served as a diversity consultant for Health Services for the Homeless in Springfield, Mass.

STATE LOTTERY COMMISSION

Derek Davis is a business attorney with Greenberg Trauring, LLP, with experience in corporate transactions such as venture capital financings, private placements of securities, mergers and acquisitions and public project finance.

He is a member of the Boston Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the boards of trustees of Cambridge College, the USS Constitution Museum and the Massachusetts chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, among other organizations.

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