Governor Names Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure

Print Story | Email Story
BOSTON — Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kimberley Driscoll announced that they have named Quentin Palfrey as Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure. 
 
Palfrey is charged with working across all secretariats to drive the administration's competitive efforts around federal funding for key infrastructure, climate and economic development projects. As part of this, Palfrey will form an interagency task force dedicated to pursuing these funding opportunities. 
 
"Massachusetts has a unique opportunity to aggressively compete for billions of federal dollars to support crucial infrastructure, climate and economic development projects in our state – from the Inflation Reduction Act to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the CHIPS and Science Act and beyond," said Governor Healey. "Quentin Palfrey's extensive federal and state government experience, combined with his passion for serving the people of Massachusetts, make him the perfect fit to take on this challenge and deliver results." 
 
Palfrey served as a senior political appointee in the Administrations of President Obama and President Biden. Under President Obama, he was Senior Advisor for Jobs & Competitiveness in the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, as well as Deputy General Counsel for Strategic Initiatives in the US Department of Commerce. On Day One of the Biden Administration, Palfrey served as Acting General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Commerce, managing a team of several hundred lawyers in a department with over 50,000 employees. 
 
"I'm honored that Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll have placed their trust in me to take on this important position, which will have a direct role in driving Massachusetts' economic competitiveness on the federal stage," said Palfrey. "We have the finest talent, businesses, research and educational institutions in the world, but we need to secure federal funding to fully realize this potential and spur innovation and economic development across the state." 
 
Palfrey also has extensive experience in Massachusetts state government. He was the first Chief of the Health Care Division in the Massachusetts Attorney General's office during the time when Massachusetts was implementing its landmark health reform law. Palfrey is an experienced lawyer who graduated from Harvard College in 1996 and from Harvard Law School in 2002. He lives in Weston with his wife Anna-Marie Tabor and their three children. 
 
The position of Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure will be housed in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance to work in coordination with Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew J. Gorzkowicz and the existing Federal Funds Office team. Palfrey will report directly to Governor Healey and lead an interagency Federal Funds Task Force made up of members of the Cabinet and other relevant agency heads to guide decision making on federal grant opportunities. His first day is Monday, March 20. 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories