Meet Members of Mayor Marty Walsh’s Administration

Photo via MartyWalsh.org

Today, Marty Walsh takes the reins as leader of Boston from longstanding Mayor Tom Menino, signifying the first changeover of the city’s top elected official in the last two decades.

And with a change in office comes other sweeping reforms to the city—specifically, a switch up in the administration that will oversee day-to-day operations, and help bring Boston into the next phase of development over the next four years under Walsh’s watch.

Over the weekend, Walsh announced several new faces he hand-picked to join him as he begins his new role in office. While not all of the vacant administrative roles have been filled—a new police commissioner still needs to be selected, as does a new point person to handle snow emergencies—here’s a round-up of the fresh meat that will be mulling around at City Hall Plaza, and following behind Walsh in the new year.

Photo via @dank on Twitter

Daniel Arrigg Koh
Chief of Staff

On Twitter, he goes by the name @dank, and he fluidly interacts with his more than 1,800 followers. It may be that ability to connect with the online community, matched with his understanding of business administration, that led Walsh to go outside of his inner circle of campaign workers to select Koh as his Chief of Staff.

“I’m excited to have Daniel joining our Administration and bring a fresh, new energy to the Mayor’s Office,” said Walsh in a statement. “He has broad experience about City Hall and a deep understanding of managing a large, fast-paced organization.”

Before accepting a job with Walsh, Koh, named one of Forbes‘ “30 Under 30” in Media, was the General Manager of Huffington Post’s online news network, HuffPost Live.

He also has prior experience operating as the right-hand man to a person in a position of power: Arianna Huffington, creator of the online news site.

As Walsh mentioned, Koh, an Andover native who has a degree in Government from Harvard and a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School, is also no stranger to the inner workings of Boston’s City Hall. For a year, in 2011 through 2012, Koh served as an adviser to Menino as part of his Harvard Business School Leadership Fellow program.

Fun facts: He met President Barack Obama, and worked out with Richard Simmons.

Photo via MartyWalsh.org

Felix Arroyo
Chief of Health and Human Services

Although he didn’t win a bid for mayor himself, Arroyo, a former City Councilor, will find himself working alongside Walsh in an administrative role.

“[I’m] excited to join Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as Chief of Health and Human Services. We are committed to making a great city even better,” Arroyo said on Twitter over the weekend.

Arroyo, co-chairman of Walsh’s transition committee to help appoint new members to his staff once Menino leaves office, endorsed Walsh in the final days before voters were forced to choose between Walsh and his opponent, City Councilor John Connolly.

According to a statement from Walsh, Arroyo, who was raised in Hyde Park, served as a Boston City Councilor At-Large since January 2010.

Arroyo now lives in Jamaica Plain with his wife, a Boston Public Schools teacher. Prior to his election to City Council, Arroyo served as an organizer and political director at the Service Employees International Union Local 615, and the New England Field Director for Healthcare for America Now.

Arroyo’s Boston roots also pre-date his own political drive. Arroyo’s father, Felix D. Arroyo, was also a City Councilor, and his mother, Elsa, is a retired Boston Public Schools teacher.

Photo via @MLLoconto on Twitter

Michael Loconto
School Committee Member

A self-described “labor law-talking guy” and “slow runner,” Loconto, a fresh face on the School Committee, is a practicing attorney with more than a decade of experience in labor relations.

Loconto boasts a resume that includes membership with the Labor and Employment Relations Association and the Boston Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section.

The West Roxbury native, who has a kid in the Boston school system, also has experience in City Hall and is a serving member on the advisory council for ONEin3, Menino’s advocacy group that connects young city workers with necessary resources.

Loconto isn’t only active in his community, where he is involved in the ongoing organizational aspects of the West Roxbury Main Streets group, however. He also has a big social media presence, where he spent this past weekend on Twitter fielding questions following the announcement of his appointment, and thanking constituents for their support.

“Thanks Mayor-Elect Marty Walsh, for my appointment to the Boston School Committee. Honored and eager to get to work for all Boston families,” Loconto tweeted on Sunday, before fielding a barrage of congratulatory tweets.

Hardin L.K. Coleman, Ph.D.
School Committee Member

With a background in researching strategies adolescents use to cope with cultural diversity, and working with adolescents and their families, Coleman, a graduate of Williams College and Dean and Professor at the Boston University School of Education, was picked as the newest member of the city’s School Committee, immediately following Walsh’s inauguration.

Coleman has been at the helm of classroom settings across the gamut, including elementary, middle, and high school, and was a school counselor at the middle and high school levels during his 40-year career in education.

Already, Coleman is also familiar with the inner workings of the city’s committee. In June, he was appointed to the committee to fill a vacant seat. “Hardin has a broad understanding of education at all levels and of the barriers to academic success, such as poverty and cultural differences,” said Walsh. “He has dedicated his career to finding pathways to improving academic performance for culturally diverse students. His experience and knowledge base will be a huge asset to the Boston Public Schools.”