Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday that he is forming a 17-member Reopening Advisory Board as part of his announcement to extend the state's non-essential business closures and stay-at-home advisory until May 18.
He said the panel will be led by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy and will include public health officials and members of the business community and municipal government.
The group is charged with advising Baker's administration on strategies to reopen the economy in phases based on certain health and safety metrics. It will meet with key stakeholders and solicit input from a variety of constituencies over the coming weeks.
But who exactly are the other members of the advisory board who will be helping to determine how and when the state will reopen and which types of businesses will reopen first?
The panel is a mix of CEOs, hospital officials and even mayors and other government officials.
Municipal leaders serving on the panel include:
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• Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera, who helped his city recover after the Merrimack Valley gas explosions
• Kathryn Burton, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh's chief of staff
• Nicole LaChapelle, mayor of Easthampton
Public health officials on the board include:
• Massachusetts General Hospital's Dr. Rochelle Welensky, an infectious disease specialist who also teaches at Harvard University
• Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel
There are also 11 representatives from the business community, including:
• Aron Ain, CEO of Kronos Inc. & Ultimate Software
• Corey Thomas, CEO of Rapid 7
• Girish Navani, CEO and co-founder of eClinicalWorks
• Joe Bahena, senior vice president of Joseph Abboud Manufacturing
• Linda Markham, president of Cape Air
• Pamela Everhart, head of regional public affairs for Fidelity Investments
• Steve DeFillippo, CEO of Davios Restaurants
• Carlo Zaffanella, vice president and general manager of Maritime & Strategic Systems for General Dynamics
• MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack
• Wendy Hudson, owner of Nantucket Book Partners
The advisory board is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Tuesday and will be meeting on a regular basis leading up to May 18. It is charged with developing a report that will include Department of Public Health approved workplace safety standards, industry frameworks and customer protocols and guidelines, including enforcement mechanisms.
