Baker’s public safety secretary will stay on under Healey

The Healey administration will retain former Gov. Charlie Baker's secretary of public safety and security, Terrence Reidy, Gov. Maura Healey announced Friday afternoon, flanked by members of her partially-filled Cabinet after their first meeting and swearing-in.

"He was appointed to the position in October of 2021 and he has a proven record of keeping our communities safe," Healey said of Reidy.

The new governor also named Mike Doheny as acting labor and workforce development secretary Friday, saying he has worked in the executive office "for nearly a dozen years [and] most recently served as the general counsel and undersecretary of labor." As announced earlier this week, Mary Beckman will also serve in an acting role, as secretary of health and human services.

"These hiring processes are ongoing," Healey said Friday.

The latest to join Healey's Cabinet in a full-fledged capacity, Reidy was initially appointed to the post by Baker in the fall of 2021 after he did the job on an acting basis for the three months prior. A former assistant attorney general and former assistant district attorney in Suffolk and Worcester counties, Reidy served as undersecretary for law enforcement from 2019 until he stepped into the secretary's role.

He makes the eighth official appointment to the Cabinet, following Matthew Gorzkowicz to lead the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, Patrick Tutwiler as the education secretary, Gina Fiandaca as the state's transportation secretary, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper, Jason Snyder to lead the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security, and Yvonne Hao as economic development secretary — though Hao hasn't yet taken up the post. Healey also added a new Cabinet-level position, naming Melissa Hoffer as her climate chief.

Though named as housing and economic development secretary this week, Hao was missing from the press conference that followed the Cabinet's swearing-in Friday.

Healey press secretary Karissa Hand said Jennifer Maddox, undersecretary at the Department of Housing and Community Development, would serve as acting economic development and housing secretary until Hao is sworn in.

Hand did not immediately respond to inquiries as to why Hao was unable to assume the job this week with the other Cabinet members Healey has announced.

Healey plans to split the existing Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development into two distinct Cabinet posts, with Hao serving as the state's chief economic development secretary separate from a secretary of housing. Though Healey made housing a major platform of her campaign, she has not yet filled the housing position.

Maddox, and later Hao, will still technically serve as the housing and economic development secretary until the office is officially split, Hand said.

Healey also has not yet named a new veterans' services secretary, which will rise to a Cabinet-level position come March.

"Right now the current infrastructure is in place. Obviously that is importantly happening in March, and as with all these appointments, we are working as diligently and expeditiously as possible and then make announcements as soon as we're ready," Healey said.