Governor Appoints Veteran Advocate
BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey, Attorney General Andrea Campbell anda Auditor Diana DiZoglio announced the appointment of Colonel Robert "Bob" Notch to lead the Massachusetts Office of the Veteran Advocate.
In this role, Notch will oversee the newly established independent state agency whose focus is to ensure that veterans in Massachusetts receive humane, safe and dignified treatment and effective services in a timely manner and compliance with existing laws and regulations.
"As a retired Army Colonel, Colonel Notch has the life experience and career skills to lead our new Office of the Veteran Advocate," said Governor Healey. "This office was created to ensure that veterans across Massachusetts have another voice in state government, and I know that they will be able to rely on Colonel Notch to connect them to the right resources. We're grateful to the Legislature for recognizing the value of a position like this and grateful to Attorney General Campbell and Auditor DiZoglio for their partnership in this exceptional appointment."
The Office of Veteran Advocate was established by An Act relative to the governance, structure and care of veterans at the Commonwealth's veterans' homes, which also created the Executive Office of Veterans' Services. In March, Governor Healey appointed Dr. Jon Santiago as the state's first ever Veterans' Services Secretary.
"I am honored to serve in this new role on behalf of veterans across Massachusetts," said Colonel Notch. "I know first-hand what it means to serve your country, as well as the unique needs of the veteran community. I am eager to work with veterans across the state to help them get the services and treatment they deserve. I am grateful for the confidence that Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Attorney General Campbell and State Auditor DiZoglio have placed in me, and I look forward to getting started."
Colonel Notch served for nearly 27 years as a commissioned officer in both the Army and Army Reserve. He retired in 2016 as a Colonel. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in Army Aviation upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in May of 1989. He served in multiple tactical leadership assignments as a UH-60 Blackhawk pilot, operations officer, human resources manager, and force development officer, serving in Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1990 and in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. His senior assignments include operational and strategic level positions on the Army Staff, Joint Staff and Office of the Chief of Army Reserve in the Pentagon.
Colonel Notch is involved in multiple organizations supporting service members, veterans and their families, including families of the fallen. He is currently the President of the Greater Boston Veterans Collaborative; Co-chair of Our Community Salutes of Massachusetts; President of the South Shore Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America; participant in the Governor's Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families; Senior Military Consultant to the University of Alabama national study on needs of women who served in the US Military; and an active participant in multiple national Veteran Communities of Practice.
His formal education includes a Master of Public Administration (Suffolk University, 2023), Senior Service College Fellow (Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, 2011), Master of Science in Operations Research (Kansas State University, 1999), and Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering (US Military Academy, 1989). His highest awards are the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit and Bronze Star Medal.
