Special to the Independent
The Chambers of Commerce of Revere, Everett, Chelsea, Malden, Medford and Melrose hosted the Multi-Chamber Legislative Breakfast May 21 at Anthony’s, Malden.
Dennis Cataldo, president and CEO of Cataldo Ambulance, was the master of ceremonies.
Malden Mayor Gary Christenson brought the greetings of the city. Christenson thanked Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, the program’s guest speaker, for “the positive impact that she has had on our city.”
Christenson told the large gathering, “Thank you everyone for being here and being a part of what makes our cities and towns great places to live, work, and grow.”
Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria led a delegation of area city’s chief executives including Revere Mayor Parick Keefe, Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Kohen, and Melrose Mayor Jennifer Grigoraitis. Also recognized was Chelsea Councillor-at-Large Leo Robinson, the longest-serving councilor in that city.
Rep. Joseph McGonagle and Sen. Jason Lewis delivered remarks on behalf of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and State Senate respectively.
Rep. Monagle lauded the organizers of the breakfast. “What a great crowd here today,” said Monagle. “Thank you to the Chamber for another successful breakfast event.”
Monagle praised Lt. Gov. Driscoll, stating that “her presence here this morning reassures the Administration’s support of the businesses in the Commonwealth.”
Monagle said that “small businesses are the driving force of our economy.”
Sen. Lewis had the honor of introducing Lt. Gov. Driscoll, “the 73rd lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
Driscoll, who served commendably as the mayor of Salem for 17 years prior to being elected lieutenant governor, was credited by Lewis for “spearheading several of the Administration’s priorities and initiatives including being a key proponent for the economic development of Massachusetts cities and towns and helping to address our housing affordability crisis.”
Driscoll delivered an outstanding address highlighting the pro-business efforts by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and their ongoing quest to create more affordable housing options for residents of the Commonwealth.
“We passed the largest investment in housing in the state’s history, a $5.2 billion bond bill that also had 49 policy shifts with it,” said Driscoll. “All of this region, frankly, are really good examples of the positives that come from growth. When you develop housing, you actually have more vibrant downtowns supporting your local coffee shops and local businesses. Density can be your friend if it’s placed in the right way and done well.”
Driscoll said “the statewide housing plan that we worked on has demonstrated that we are 220,000 units short of the housing that we’re going to need through 2030.”
Following her remarks, Driscoll took questions from the audience. There’s no doubt that Driscoll was a big hit with the large audience and she certainly enhanced her reputation as a valuable teammate to Gov. Healey in the Administration (Interestingly, both Healey (Harvard) and Driscoll (Salem State) were college basketball stars, with Driscoll being a part of Salem State’s 1986 NCAA Division III national championship team that finished with a 29-1 record.
The popularity and success of the multi-chamber legislative breakfast has generated thoughts, notably by Revere’s esteemed Chamber Executive Director Erica Porzio, of building a regional Chamber of Commerce organization, similar to the Greater Lynn, Greater Beverly, and North Shore Chambers of Commerce that currently operate in the area. The North Shore Latino Business Association also has a strong regional presence.