A day before she was sworn in, Governor-elect Maura Healey continued to form her cabinet, naming Yvonne Hao as her economic development minister and Jason Snyder as her technology services and security minister.
Hao was a co-founder and held senior positions at investment firm Cove Hill Partners and was an operating partner at Pillar Ventures, according to Healey’s announcement. She also served as COO and CFO of PillPack, an online pharmacy acquired by Amazon in 2018, and previously worked at Bain Capital.
“Massachusetts is a national leader in the innovation economy, and the next Secretary of Economic Development has the opportunity not only to maintain that leadership, but to improve our economic competitiveness,” Hao said.
Healy, who plans to split the executive office of housing and economic development into two separate cabinet positions, said on Wednesday that Hao would become the first woman and person of color to lead the state’s chief economic development agency. Healy has made housing her main platform in the campaign, but has yet to name her housing secretary.
Snyder spent about 10 years at Harvard and is currently the school’s chief technology officer, but he’s familiar with state government — he served as Massachusetts’ chief technology officer during the gubernatorial election. The Healy team said Deval Patrick’s government.
Governor Charlie Baker created the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (and corresponding Cabinet Secretary position) in 2017 based on the former Massachusetts Office of Information Technology.
“Massachusetts provides critical services to residents day in and day out, but we need to make sure everyone has access to those services,” Snyder said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve in the Healey-Driscoll Administration and look forward to the work ahead to ensure our technology is resilient, secure and available to all.”
Healy has yet to fill out her entire cabinet, with major positions remaining vacant, including those overseeing health and human services, public safety and security, housing, and labor and workforce development.
– Colin A. Young / SHNS