Treasurer Makes Appoint to The Massachusetts Gaming Commission

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BOSTON — Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg announced that she will be appointing Nakisha Skinner to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) as of March 21. 
 
The Massachusetts State Treasurer has sole appointment for the one commission member with a background in corporate finance and securities, for a five year term.
 
"I am pleased to appoint Nakisha Skinner to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission," said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. "Her experience and expertise will positively benefit the Commission and ensure the continued integrity of the gaming industry in Massachusetts."
 
A graduate of Suffolk University Law School, Skinner most recently served as the Licensing Division Chief for the MGC, where she managed the planning and operations for the licensing and registration of casinos and gaming vendors and their employees, as well as alcohol beverage licensing, serving as primary point of contact for vendors and casinos' human resources, compliance, and procurement departments.
 
"I appreciate the trust Treasurer Goldberg has shown in me with this appointment and am thrilled to get to work as a commissioner," said Nakisha Skinner. "As Licensing Division Chief, I'm familiar with many of the pending issues and the players, both internal and external. I plan to get right down to the business of engaging, supporting, and protecting the gaming industry in this new capacity."
 
Prior to the working for the MGC, Skinner served as the General Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance. She also served as General Counsel to the Boston Public Health Commission.
 
"I am delighted to learn of the appointment of our respected colleague, Nakisha Skinner, as Commissioner of the MGC," said MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein. "Having worked with Nakisha as our chief of licensing I know the dedication, experience, and passion that she brings to her work. An appointment of a new commissioner so familiar with the issues facing the MGC will allow a seamless transition. I look forward to continuing to serve with Nakisha in her new role and am thankful to the Treasurer for making this appointment." 
 
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission was created after "An Act Establishing Expanded Gaming in the Commonwealth" was signed into law on November 22, 2011. The Commission is a five-member independent body that is responsible for developing and managing the process to select, license, oversee, and regulate all expanded gaming facilities in the Commonwealth. The costs associated with operating the state's gaming commission is paid for by the gaming industry and not by Massachusetts tax dollars. 

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BRPC Committee Mulls Input on State Housing Plan

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's Regional Issues Committee brainstormed representation for the county in upcoming housing listening sessions.

"The administration is coming up with what they like to tout is their first housing plan that's been done for Massachusetts, and this is one of a number of various initiatives that they've done over the last several months," Executive Director Thomas Matuszko said.

"But it seems like they are intent upon doing something and taking comments from the different regions across the state and then turning that into policy so here is our chance to really speak up on that."

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and members of the Housing Advisory Council will host multiple listening sessions around the Commonwealth to hear input on the Healey-Driscoll administration's five-year strategic statewide housing plan.

One will be held at Berkshire Community College on May 15 at 2 p.m.

One of Matuszko's biggest concerns is the overall age of the housing stock in Berkshire County.

"And that the various rehab programs that are out there are inadequate and they are too cumbersome to manipulate through," he explained.

"And so I think that there needs to be a greater emphasis not on new housing development only but housing retention and how we can do that in a meaningful way. It's going to be pretty important."

Non-commission member Andrew Groff, Williamstown's community developer director, added that the bureaucracies need to coordinate themselves and "stop creating well-intended policies like the new energy code that actually work against all of this other stuff."

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