The secretary of administration and finance of Massachusetts is the head of the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, and serves as an advisor to the governor of Massachusetts. Its current secretary is Matthew Gorzkowicz, who has been serving since January 5, 2023.
History In 1922, the Massachusetts General Court passed legislation creating the department of administration and finance. The department replaced the office of supervisor of administration and assumed many of the duties of the superintendent of buildings, secretary of the Commonwealth, state treasurer, and state auditor. On December 13, 1922, Governor Channing H. Cox nominated four men to the newly created commission of administration and finance. They were: Homer Loring, chairman and budget commissioner Thomas W. White, commissioner of personnel and standardization James C. McCormick, controller Robert L. Whipple, purchasing agent
In 1928, due to the commission's increased workload, Governor Alvan T. Fuller chose to separate the positions of chairman and budget commissioner.
The department was reorganized in 1948 and the four-person commission was replaced by a single commissioner. Thomas H. Buckley, the final chairman of the commission, was the state's first commissioner of administration and finance.
In 1969, the state legislature passed a bill introduced by Governor John A. Volpe and backed by his successor, Francis Sargent, that reorganized the state government under a cabinet-style system. The bill, which went into effect in 1971, reorganized the state government into 10 executive offices led by secretaries who served at the pleasure of the governor. The Executive Office of Administration and Finance combined the existing administration and finance operation with the department of corporations and taxation. It was described by David Nyhan as "the most powerful of the cabinet appointments" due to its "powerful budgetary control over other secretariats". Sargent appointed sitting commissioner of administration and finance Charles E. Shepard to be the first secretary of administration and finance.
Duties The secretary is in charge of formulating the governor’s budget plan, providing guidance on the economy, and implementing the state government’s revenue and budgets. The secretary also manages numerous state administrative agencies.
Managing agencies Department of Revenue Human Resources Division Group Insurance Commission Operational Services Division Department of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance Civil Service Commission Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission Teacher's Retirement Board Health Policy Commission Developmental Disabilities Council Division of Capital Asset Management
Leadership Commission of Administration and Finance members
Chairman Homer Loring (1922–1924) Thomas W. White (1924–1925) Charles P. Howard (1925–1937) Patrick J. Moynihan (1937–1941) Angier Goodwin (1941–1942) Paul W. Foster (1942–1945) Thomas H. Buckley (1945–1948)
Budget commissioner Homer Loring (1922–1924) Thomas W. White (1924–1925) Charles P. Howard (1925–1928) Carl A. Raymond (1928–1940) Charles W. Greenough (1940–1947) William H. Bixby (1947–1948)
Controller James C. McCormick (1922–1928) Walter S. Morgan (1928–1932) George E. Murphy (1932–1940) Walter S. Morgan (1940–1945) Francis X. Lang (1945–1948)
Commissioner of Personnel and standardization Thomas W. White (1922–1924) Frank H. Putnam (1924–1934) William H. Doyle (1934–1945)
Purchasing agent Robert L. Whipple (1922–1925) George J. Cronin (1925–1948)
Commissioners of administration and finance Secretary Term GovernorThomas H. Buckley1948–1953Robert F. BradfordPaul A. DeverCarl A. Sheridan1953–1956Christian HerterFrancis X. Lang1957–1958Foster FurcoloCharles F. Mahoney1958–1960Charles Gibbons1961–1963John A. VolpeWilliam Waldron1963–1965Endicott PeabodyJohn J. McCarthy1965–1967John A. VolpeAnthony P. DeFalco1967–1969Donald Dwight1969–1970Francis SargentCharles E. Shepard1970–1971
Secretaries of administration and finance Picture Secretary Term GovernorCharles E. ShepardJune 22, 1971–September 27, 1971Francis Sargent Robert YasiSeptember 27, 1971–November 14, 1972William I. CowinNovember 14, 1972–May 9, 1974 David M. MarchandMay 9, 1974–January 2, 1975John R. BuckleyJanuary 2, 1975–January 4, 1979Michael DukakisEdward HanleyJanuary 4, 1979–January 27, 1982Edward J. KingDavid M. BartleyJanuary 27, 1982–January 6, 1983Frank T. KeefeJanuary 6, 1983–December 30, 1988Michael DukakisL. Edward LashmanDecember 30, 1988–January 3, 1991Peter NessenJanuary 3, 1991–March 1, 1993Bill WeldMark E. RobinsonMarch 1, 1993–November 1994Charlie BakerNovember 1994–September 1, 1998Bill WeldPaul CellucciFrederick LaskeySeptember 1, 1998–March 1, 1999Paul CellucciAndrew NatsiosMarch 1, 1999–April 2000Stephen P. CrosbyMay 2000–January 2002Paul CellucciJane SwiftKevin J. SullivanFebruary 2002–January 2, 2003Jane SwiftEric KrissJanuary 2, 2003–September 30, 2005Mitt RomneyThomas TrimarcoOctober 1, 2005–January 4, 2007Leslie KirwanJanuary 4, 2007–October 12, 2009Deval PatrickJay GonzalezOctober 12, 2009–January 7, 2013Glen ShorJanuary 7, 2013–January 8, 2015Kristen LeporeJanuary 8, 2015–July 19, 2017Charlie BakerMichael J. HeffernanJuly 19, 2017–January 5, 2023Matthew GorzkowiczJanuary 5, 2023–presentMaura Healey
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