Berkshire County — On Tuesday, September 20, State Sen. Adam Hinds was announced as the new CEO and executive director for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.
According to the institute’s website, its purpose is to “bring Senator Kennedy’s vision for a dynamic hub of civic engagement to life” with its educational programs, public forums, and digital exhibits. The institute is also “dedicated to educating the public about the important role of the Senate in our government, encouraging participatory democracy and invigorating civil discourse.”
Hinds started his term in the State Senate in January 2017. He previously served with the United Nations for 10 years. During his time with the United Nations, he worked in Baghdad to resolve territorial disputes in Jerusalem and worked to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons program.
Hinds also served as an aide to United States Rep. John Olver and has served as the executive director of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, and as the founding director of Pittsfield Community Connection.
Hinds previously ran for Lieutenant Governor, but back in June, he did not receive enough delegate votes at a Democratic party convention.
He will be resigning as State Senator on Sunday, September 25, and he will begin his work with the institute the next day. “I had already announced that I wasn’t going to be back in the Senate after running for Lieutenant Governor, and when the legislative session ended on August 1, this position came to my attention,” Hinds said in an interview with The Berkshire Edge. “They’ve done a lot of great work related to promoting civil discourse. But what caught my attention is that, after what happened on January 6, 2021 [the attack on the United States Capitol], the institute has played more of a role in the national dialogue and the challenges we’re facing in our democracy. This felt like a true fit.”
Sen. Hinds said that, as part of working with the institute, he will be helping to continue its programs. “The institute has a program that promotes national debates that demonstrate the importance of continued dialogue,” he said. “We will grow that program and we plan to convene leaders to discuss what might be needed to avert a democratic crisis. We’ve seen the challenges when we have increasing claims of not accepting electoral results. This feels like this is a critical moment to be involved in the national conversation.”
Sen. Hinds said that he is looking forward to working with the institute. “Senator Edward Kennedy was the senator that represented me in Washington for the first 33 years of my life,” he said. “He set an example of how you stand strong for your principals. That doesn’t preclude being able to work with others to achieve them. It’s an important message right now in this country.”
As for his time in office, Sen. Hinds said that he was proud to serve the regions he represented. “It means a lot that I served the area that I grew up in,” he said. “There were some big issues that I dealt with in my time as State Senator, including transportation, infrastructure, and school funding. We were deliberate about coming up with strategies to address these issues.”
As for any advice he would give to the next person to serve his state senator seat, Sen. Hinds said, “I would emphasize the importance of ensuring that all western Massachusetts legislatures are speaking with one strong voice when needed. Without teamwork, it’s really hard to do work, especially because you are one of 200 legislators, and you are representing one of the districts furthest away from the State Capitol. It’s hard to be effective unless you have a real team.”
In an email to constituents, Sen. Hinds wrote that his staff would remain in place and would continue work for the district until 2023.
Bruce Percelay, board chairman of the institute, said that he is looking forward to working with Sen. Hinds.
“He impressed the board with his understanding of state politics, along with his understanding of politics in general,” Percelay said. “His service during his time in the United Nations is indicative of someone who knows how to get along with people and knows how to bring people together. It’s a rare combination to have. Our plan is to elevate the institute to a national level, and we already have started work on that.”
