Excellence in Leadership Award Recipient Governor Charlie Baker
Full Legislative Reception 2019 Video
Photos from the Event
JCRC and the Massachusetts Association of Jewish Federations (MAJF)’s annual Legislative Reception is the premier opportunity for leadership of the Jewish community to engage with state public officials, including members of the administration and the legislature.
Online registration for the JCRC Legislative Reception is now closed. If you would like to attend tonight’s event; onsite registration will be available.
During the evening, we will honor key public officials for their dedication and showcase our community’s ongoing work to:
- Ensure funds in the State Budget are allocated to support our social service agenda in partnership with Jewish social service agencies.
- Advocate in support of our public policy agenda, including promoting civil rights, protecting democracy, and strengthening the social safety net.
For questions, contact Solon Arguello at or 617-457-8639.
Click here to view photos, video clips, and other quotes from last year’s event.
The Legislative Reception is Generously Sponsored by:
The New England Patriots Foundation
Award Recipient Biographies:
Governor Charlie Baker was sworn in for a second term as the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on January 3, 2019, after a first term focused on moving Massachusetts forward through bipartisan, results-driven leadership. Ensuring Massachusetts continues to be a national leader in education, Governor Baker has made historic investments in K-12 education, increased support for vocational and technical schools, and expanded early college opportunities for high school students. Governor Baker has put Massachusetts at the forefront of fighting the opioid and heroin epidemic, doubling spending on prevention, education, treatment, and recovery and signing two major bills that have served as models for other states. Confronted with the challenges of rising energy costs and a changing climate, Governor Baker has taken nation-leading steps to diversify the Commonwealth’s energy portfolio, safeguard residents, municipalities and businesses from the impacts of climate change, and secure progress toward greenhouse gas reduction targets. Governor Baker has spearheaded long overdue reforms at the MBTA that have led to significant improvements to operations and finances, and put the T on track to spend more than $8 billion on infrastructure over the next five years to improve riders’ experience.
Senator Joan Lovely Senator Joan Lovely is in her fourth term in the Massachusetts State Senate representing the Second Essex District communities of Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, Salem, and Topsfield. Senator Lovely serves in Leadership as an Assistant Majority Leader and Chair of the Joint and Senate Committees on Rules. Additionally she serves as the Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Education and Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Personnel and Administration. Senator Lovely also sits on the Senate and Joint Committees on Ways and Means; Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, and Senate Committee on Steering and Policy. In addition to her committee work, Senator Lovely is the Senate Chair of the Ellen Story Commission on Postpartum Depression, Vice Chair of the Public Records Commission, and chaired the Special Senate Committee to Review Sexual Harassment Policies and Procedures. Senator Lovely became personally engaged with government when she collaborated with neighbors and volunteers to rebuild a playground in Salem, where she subsequently served on the City Council from 1997-2012.
Representative Ron Mariano has been a driving force behind financial services matters and health care reform efforts throughout his career. From 2001 to 2009 Mariano served as the House Chairman of the Joint Committee on Financial Services (previously the Joint Committee on Insurance), where he was a key architect of the Commonwealth’s landmark health care reform of 2006 and principal proponent of transitioning the state’s auto insurance market to managed competition in 2008. As chair, Mariano oversaw all legislative matters pertaining to banking and insurance. In February 2009, Mariano was promoted to Assistant Majority Leader and led the House negotiations on education reform and health care cost containment legislation. Mariano was appointed Majority Leader in 2011 by Speaker Robert A. DeLeo.
Mariano served as a member of the Quincy School Committee for eighteen years. He is a former member of the Norfolk County Advisory Board, Chairman of the Ward 2 Democratic Committee, Co-Chair of the Baird and McGuire Taskforce, and formerly served on the Quincy College Board of Governors. He currently chairs the MWRA Legislative Caucus. Mariano is a lifelong resident of Quincy, Massachusetts.
Councilor Justin J. Hurst was born and raised in the city of Springfield. Justin immediately began his service in the Springfield Public School district as a secondary English teacher. He taught English for six years, and then assumed the role of Coordinator of Implementation for the Striving Readers Adolescent Literacy Initiative. Later, Justin was appointed the Director of Implementation for the Striving Readers Adolescent Literacy Initiative. Justin has his Juris Doctor degree from Western New England College School of Law and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar Association in 2005. He is also an adjunct professor at both Springfield College and Cambridge College. In 2013, Justin campaigned for a seat on the Springfield City Council and is now serving his third term. In 2019, he was unanimously voted by his colleagues to serve as President of the City Council. He is currently a small business owner who is committed to the betterment of Springfield by focusing on increasing the quality of life for all of Springfield’s citizens.
