There was always an allure to City government and City Hall for Deanna Deveney growing up in neighboring Medford.
The oldest of five siblings, Deveney was unique in that she was always interested in what was happening in local government – even as a kid.
“I loved government growing up,” she said. “I was always wanting to see what (Medford) Mayor McGlynn was doing. I watched City Council meetings and the government access channel. One thing just spiraled into another.”
Deveney, 31, is the new deputy director of communications and Intergovernmental affairs for the City of Everett, and comes after working as an attorney and at Medford City Hall.
“The dynamic is similar in Everett, being next to Medford,” she said. “It’s a very similar city. The form is government is a little different as they don’t have ward representation in Medford. I have always been interested in making sure the correct message is conveyed. There are times when the message isn’t clear. When I worked in Medford, it was my goal to clearly communicate the goals and object of the administration. One thing is I wanted to get the message out to all age groups. The younger generation and the senior citizens – they used different platforms to communicate. That’s important to understand.”
Deveney graduated Matignon High School, and then graduated from Curry College. She first worked for the Middlesex Sheriff’s Department under Sheriff James DiPaola with an eye towards working in criminal justice. However, after his sudden death in 2010, she decided to change her focus, and that resulted in heading to law school.
Deveney attended Massachusetts School of Law, and passed the Bar Exam – working as a prosecutor in District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office. After changing course there, she took a job as communications director for Medford.
This month, she has accepted a role in the DeMaria Administration that is part communications and part liaison to the State House. That hybrid role is something she is looking forward to.
“Mayor DeMaria is ahead of the curve,” she said. “He’s innovative and he’s inclusive and he truly wants to make things easier for the residents of Everett. That’s been clear to me since the first time I met him…It’s all about streamlining City Hall. It’s a goal of the mayor to increase accessibility to City Hall. If we can increase access via communications, it would allow people not to have to come to the building. The more people know, the better for everyone.”