The new director of rural affairs appointed by Governor Maura Healey begins her post next Monday, June 5. State Sen. Anne Gobi will helm the newly created role in the recently renamed Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED). (As part of Healey’s executive branch reorganization plan, the old Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development has been renamed the Executive Office of Economic Development. In addition, a new Cabinet-level Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities oversees the creation and implementation of housing policy.)
Congratulations to my friend @AnneGobi on being named the states 1st Rural Director in the Gov @maura_healey @KimDriscollMA Administration. When we co-chaired the ENRA committee she was a great mentor to me & will be a great advocate for rural communities pic.twitter.com/jDKZDNKrN9
— Smitty Pignatelli (@repsmitty34) May 22, 2023
Entering politics in 1998 as a member of the Spencer Democratic Town Committee, Gobi was subsequently elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 2001. She later became state senator in 2014. Her central Massachusetts district consists of 21 cities and towns in Worcester County, as well as the town of Ware in Hampshire County. I know what you’re thinking: Where the heck is Ware?
Hold that thought. Ask yourself: What do I want the director of rural affairs to know? Mainly, I want Spencer-resident and Rural Affairs Director Gobi to embrace rural Massachusetts fully wherever it is and support it vigorously however it’s defined. I also want her to debunk some of the myths about rural life.
The Rural Policy Commission plays a key role
In contrast to a major metropolis, the key feature of a rural area is low population density. In fact, when the Massachusetts legislature created the Rural Policy Advisory Commission (RPAC) in 2015, it included this definition: “Rural is defined as municipalities with a population density of less than 500 people per square mile.”
RPAC’s mission is “to enhance the economic vitality of rural communities.” Crafted during the Baker-Polito administration, the Commission produced a rural policy plan in October 2019 just as relevant now as it was then. In fact, this blueprint is the logical launch pad from which state Sen. Gobi will likely organize her priorities. Indeed, she will serve as a member of the Commission from the outset.
Of course, the Commission produced two economic reports that I’m sure state Gobi has also read. One pertains to public infrastructure in western Massachusetts, while the other examines the future of work across the state. Both were published in mid-2021 at the height of the pandemic and are equally, if not more, salient today than two years ago. Significantly, each contains a set of challenges and recommendations just waiting for the kind of leadership a new director of rural affairs can bring to bear.
No doubt Gobi will go about her new position with the utmost due diligence and wide-eyed attention to detail. A first order of business will include reviewing all state grant opportunities, while also hosting office hours for small towns to explore new funding sources.
What do rural communities want?
I believe Gobi’s tenure as our first director of rural affairs will eventually encompass rural health, too. How could it not? Just last week, UMass Memorial Health system informed the state Department of Public Health of its plan to close the labor and delivery unit at Leominster Hospital this fall. Of course, maternity ward closures represent unique chicken or egg causality dilemmas.
For many rural residents across the Bay State, other dilemmas include broadband, child care, housing, jobs, and transit. Think about it: In places known for workforce shortages, aging infrastructure, and remote locations, rural Massachusetts residents deserve more from state government. This means everyone in the Berkshires. Fortunately, we are a technologically innovative bunch, as this glowing community portrait demonstrates.
And thanks to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, we’re able to take a thoughtful approach to environmental planning, public health, and land use as well. Having a rural affairs director will only improve our statewide standing when it comes to advocating for rural equity on Beacon Hill.
Rurality is a mindset
After leaving greater Boston in early 2017, I felt enormous relief. While it took some time to align home and work in the same general vicinity, the pandemic definitely boosted my appreciation for the Berkshires. Likewise, and decades before, months of housesitting in the hidden hill towns helped me understand the importance of things like snowmobile trail grooming in the dead of winter. And after reading this harrowing long read over the weekend, I pray everyone will always be on the right side of the tracks, unobstructed in a crisis.
Rurality is a mindset, one that paradoxically seems to foster community and neighborliness. It’s so much more than geography. When I reflect on my time in the Pioneer Valley, for instance, fond memories of discovering its agricultural history, artistic culture, and progressive politics flood my brain. Coming to the Berkshires only extended my love for rural clusters and small towns. And now that I’m 30 miles at sea on Nantucket, I’ll be curious to see how Gobi juggles the two rural sides of the state with similar but unique concerns. In addition, it will be interesting to see how local leaders respond to this new office.
In closing, I wish Director of Rural Affairs Anne Gobi nothing but the best. She’s an inspired choice to fill the role, and there is so much work to do. While she’s one state employee we might expect to work “remotely,” I sincerely hope Gobi hits the road early and often to help rural Massachusetts succeed.
