On the eve of the To start with Spherical of the NCAA Tournament, a previous aide of ex-Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker verbally acknowledged an present Wednesday to grow to be the up coming govt director of the Massachusetts Gaming Fee.
Dean Serpa verbally accepted the offer, an MGC spokesman advised Sports activities Take care of, two days following he interviewed just before a 4-person panel of commissioners. Serpa, who entered the community sector in the 1990s under then-governor William Weld, is the previous deputy chief of employees for functions and administration for Baker.
The news arrived amid outgoing MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein’s impending departure. A longtime state governing administration attorney, Judd-Stein is retiring Thursday on the completion of her five-12 months phrase.
Subsequent an exhaustive look for procedure, the commissioners voted 4- to appoint Serpa as government director. Judd-Stein recused herself from the approach.
“I want to thank the commissioners for entrusting me with this significant purpose, and I look forward to joining the fully commited staff at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission,” Serpa said in a statement.
Serpa’s practical experience on gaming plan
Serpa commenced his point out authorities occupation beneath Weld in 1991, where he served in a lot of roles, most notably as deputy main secretary to the governor. Soon after expending quite a few a long time in the Massachusetts Govt Workplace of Economic Advancement, he worked on the gubernatorial campaign of Mitt Romney in 2002. Commencing in 2015, Serpa worked in Baker’s office environment, where he served as a deputy main of staff members for the final five a long time of the governor’s tenure.
Just before leaving workplace last January, Baker appointed Serpa as chair of the state’s Gaming Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC), a team that would make non-binding suggestions to the Gaming Fee. Serpa was a single of two finalists to job interview for the posture at an MGC general public listening to on Monday. In full, the MGC been given 74 candidates for the position ahead of truncating the industry to the two finalists.
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“I am passionate about moving jobs from inception to competition and working with groups to get points performed — I am thrilled to create on my practical experience with GPAC as I get began as government director of the Commission,” Serpa said.
The MGC also interviewed Clinton Dick, standard counsel at the Workplace of Buyer Affairs and Small business Regulation. MGC Commissioner Jordan Maynard noted all through the hearing that he prepared to file a disclosure for cautionary purposes mainly because he earlier labored with both finalists.
Search procedure for Judd-Stein’s successor
Judd-Stein, who served less than 5 successive Massachusetts gubernatorial administrations, worked under Baker as deputy standard counsel of the office environment. The business office of Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey issued a statement last month when Judd-Stein announced her retirement.
“Cathy Judd-Stein led the Massachusetts Gaming Fee through a vital time for the market, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the launch of sporting activities wagering. We are grateful for her numerous yrs of service to the people today of Massachusetts and would like her the very best in her retirement,” Healey mentioned in a statement.
Judd-Stein also guided the MGC as a result of a difficult interval when the condition developed a thorough established of polices for governing the start of mobile sporting activities wagering. In the course of Judd-Stein’s tenure, Massachusetts was commonly viewed as a person of the leaders nationwide in crafting sturdy standards for sporting activities betting advertising and marketing.
“During my tenure at the Gaming Commission, I have been grateful for the partnership with my fellow Commissioners and the outstanding achievements of our committed crew,” Judd-Stein stated in a assertion past month.
“Together, we have led the Fee as a result of elaborate issues throughout transformative instances, prioritizing integrity and the health and fitness and effectively-currently being of gaming personnel and patrons, performing constantly to advance the ideal interests of the Commonwealth,” she extra.
On Tuesday, U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko (D – New York) unveiled the outline of a proposed federal framework that would make minimum federal requirements on promoting for sports wagering.
Here’s the complete report on the Tonko press meeting from @jeffedelstein … https://t.co/SVwAohpWF8 https://t.co/hNat5txSOl
— Sporting activities Manage (@sporting activities_take care of) March 19, 2024
A successor for Judd-Stein has but to be introduced. A spokesperson for Healey did not right away react to an inquiry from Sporting activities Deal with on Wednesday.
Last March, Baker succeeded outgoing NCAA President Mark Emmert upon his retirement. From a sports betting perspective, a single of Baker’s most important policy initiatives has centered all over shielding athletes from harassment by disgruntled bettors. In accordance to resources, Baker worked intently with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on an initiative aimed at limiting gamblers from wagering on higher education player props. Even though Ohio and Maryland banned the props this 12 months, Massachusetts currently had laws that created this sort of bets unlawful.
Subsequent 7 days, the NCAA will keep the East Regional of the Division I men’s basketball tournament in Boston. It is unclear if Baker will go to the party at TD Yard, the home of the NBA’s Boston Celtics.
