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Shakeup continues at MassDevelopment: Two more top officials at the key economic development agency are out
Just call it a clean sweep. Two top aides to now former MassDevelopment CEO Dan Rivera have followed their old boss out the door.
Deputy Director Theresa Park and Tania Hartford, executive vice president of real estate, were both let go from MassDevelopment on Monday, sources say.
The departures come on the heels of the abrupt resignation last week of Rivera, who had served as CEO of the quasi-independent government authority since Gov. Charlie Baker appointed him to the job in 2020.
As Contrarian Boston first reported, Rivera, who earned $235,000 a year, submitted a letter of resignation last Friday.
Park and Hartford both worked closely with Rivera since joining the agency.
Park joined MassDevelopment in 2021 as second in command of the agency, which oversees operations and development at Devens, the sprawling old army base turned corporate park.
Park had previously served as planning chief in Lawrence under Rivera, who was mayor of the Merrimack Valley city from 2013 to 2020.
For her part, Hartford came on board in 2021 as chief of staff to Rivera before heading up real estate operations for MassDevelopment.
So what’s behind the dramatic shakeup at MassDevelopment?
Some state lawmakers were frustrated that Rivera did not put more effort into spurring development of badly needed housing at Devens, which has the capacity for hundreds if not thousands of additional apartments and homes.
There was also friction between Rivera and the MassDevelopment board, which includes a number of prominent developers, over the degree of autonomy the former Lawrence mayor should have.
Former mayors are known to like to run their own show.
Stirring the pot: State Auditor Diana DiZoglio launches probe of state’s troubled cannabis regulator
The big question at this point isn’t who is investigating the Cannabis Control Commission, but rather who isn’t.
The state auditor’s office has kicked off a review of the erstwhile pot watchdog, which has been embroiled in a series of controversies and rocked by a wave of departures by top officials, DiZoglio told Contrarian Boston in an interview Thursday.
The review, which is in its beginning stages, will be looking at allegations that commission staffers hit cannabis companies with excessive fines, among other issues, DiZoglio confirmed to Contrarian Boston.
“We are conducting another audit of the CCC to examine the concerns that have been raised to our office,” DiZoglio said.
But the state auditor does not appear to be the only regulator with investigative powers circling the CCC, sources say.
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