At Boston’s Future Chefs in the South End, Mayor Marty Walsh named John Barros as the city’s new Economic Development Chief. A former Boston mayoral contender himself, Barros in his new role will oversee the convoluted Boston Redevelopment Authority as per the mayor’s recent municipal cabinet shakeup.
It’s fitting that Mayor Walsh’s announcement came at Future Chefs as Barros, a staunch supporter of the Walsh campaign when his bid came to a sudden end, made his bones co-founding Restaurante Cesaria, a Cape Verdean restaurant in Dorchester.
“John shares my belief that we have to do more than better organize our efforts – we have to ensure those efforts lead to more opportunities for all of Boston’s residents and business owners,” said Mayor Walsh in a statement. “Boston’s economy is in a good position, but we can do better. With John, our job creators, and our communities all working together, we will create more economic opportunities throughout our city and take Boston to the next level.”
Though he founded a successful eatery, Barros is no stranger to community organizing, having been elected to Roxbury’s Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) Board of Directors at just 17-years old. Upon graduating from Dartmouth College, he took up leadership roles with the African American Society and the Casque and Gauntlet Senior Society.
According to the mayor’s press office, Barros’s will be charged with “marketing Boston on a national and international scale; ensuring access to employment, pathways to careers, and strong job growth; streamlining licensing and permitting processes; and supporting small businesses, particularly women- and minority-owned businesses.”
Aside from overseeing the Boston Redevelopment Authority and adding more transparency to its happenings, his office will supervise the offices of Consumer Affairs & Licensing, Tourism, Boston Employment Commission, Jobs & Community Service, and Special Events.
Barros is the second of the stalwart Marty Walsh support trifecta from back on the campaign trail, joining fellow supporter Felix Arroyo who was recently named as Chief of Health and Human Services. Together with Charlotte Golar Richie, the three barnstormed Boston and mobilized voters to help Mayor Walsh earn his City Hall seat over former City Councilor At-Large John Connolly, who, per many of the polls of the time, led for the majority of the race.
It is unclear if Golar Richie will serve a role in Mayor Walsh’s cabinet though she helped co-chair Mayor Walsh’s transition team and Issues Working Groups.
Mayor Walsh’s office referred to the appointment of Barros as “a significant step towards revitalizing the way Boston approaches economic development.”
