Dean Serpa has accepted the Massachusetts Gaming Commission executive director position after the Commission announced on Monday that it had offered the job to him.
“I want to thank the commissioners for entrusting me with this important role, and I look forward to joining the committed team at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission,” said Serpa, who was one of two finalists to interview for the role from 74 applicants.
Serpa joined the Massachusetts government in 1991 during ex-Gov. William Weld’s tenure. From 2015 onwards, he worked for ex-Gov. Charlie Baker and was the deputy chief of staff for the last five years of Baker’s tenure. Prior to leaving office last January, Baker appointed Serpa as chair of the Gaming Policy Advisory Committee.
“I am passionate about moving projects from inception to competition and working with teams to get things done — I am excited to build on my experience with GPAC as I get started as executive director of the Commission,” Serpa said.
—
ORIGINAL ARTICLE 3/19: Dean Serpa, who previously served as deputy chief of staff for Gov. Charlie Baker, has been offered the Massachusetts Gaming Commission executive director job.
Commissioner Eileen O’Brien said Serpa caught her attention because of his “unparalleled operations experience,” and Commissioner Brad Hill expressed his reasons – he wants “a manager in that position.”
Serpa started working for the Massachusetts state government during the 1990s when Gov. William Weld was in office. He has held various positions, including chief of staff at the Executive Office of Economic Development and Director of the Massachusetts Office of Business Development.
“I consider myself a manager of people and projects more than anything else… and that’s what I like to do. I like to move projects from A to Z, and I like to lead teams that are moving projects from A to Z, and I think I’m very good at it. I think there’s a lot of people who would agree that I’m very good at it,” Serpa said.
The other finalist who underwent a public interview was Clinton Dick, the general counsel at the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.
Commission Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein exempted herself from the interview and deliberation process since her final day on the commission is this Thursday.
“I want to thank all of those who submitted applications for the role of executive director and wish the person selected the very best of luck,” Judd-Stein said. “The selected candidate will inherit a committed and talented team as they begin their new position.”
If Serpa accepts the job, he will take over at the MGC, an agency that has seen its mission expand over the past 18 months with the addition of legal sports betting online and at retail locations. Other gambling activities the commission oversees include land-based casinos and horse racing.
The MGC has several issues on its plate, such as the recurring problem of sportsbooks accepting illegal bets on college sports, sports betting advertisement issues and the low adoption of responsible gambling tools.
General Counsel Todd Grossman has temporarily filled the executive director role since Karen Wells left her position in mid-July. Wells was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Edward Bedrosian, who resigned at the beginning of 2020. The commission’s first executive director was Rick Day.
