BOSTON– The Boston Green Ribbon Commission (GRC) announced that Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer and Secretary Rebecca Tepper, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, have officially joined as Members of the GRC. Their collective leadership and presence on the GRC will further strengthen the private-public partnership and help advance climate policy priorities for the City of Boston and the Commonwealth.
“We are honored to have Chief Hoffer and Secretary Tepper on board as Members of the Green Ribbon Commission,” said Amy Longsworth, Executive Director of the Boston Green Ribbon Commission. “We look forward to organizing Boston’s private sector to work with the Healey Administration on the many climate challenges shared by the Commonwealth and the City of Boston. With the unprecedented assemblage of leadership and talent now at both levels of government, we feel well positioned to make meaningful progress. We recognize that partnership with the Commonwealth is very important as the City works to implement carbon neutrality by 2050 and focuses on climate justice for at-risk neighborhoods.”
Chief Melissa Hoffer is the state’s first-ever Climate Chief – a new cabinet-level position created by Gov. Maura Healey when she established the Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience within the Governor’s office. Hoffer most recently served in the Biden Administration as Principal Deputy General Counsel at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A longtime leader on climate and environment, she joined the Office of the Attorney General (AG) in 2012 as the Chief of the Environmental Protection Division and was the Chief of the Energy and Environment Bureau – an office also created by Healey when she was AG in 2015.
“The climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges we face, but it also presents unprecedented opportunity for us to build a better, healthier and more equitable future,” said Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer. “To meet this moment, we need to coordinate across all levels of government and with the private sector to leverage all of the incredible talent, knowledge, and resources available to us. I’m honored to represent the Healey-Driscoll Administration along with Secretary Tepper on the Green Ribbon Commission.”
Secretary Rebecca Tepper oversees the Commonwealth’s six environmental, natural resource, and energy regulatory agencies. Prior to her appointment to Secretary, she served as Chief of the Energy & Environment Bureau at the Attorney General’s Office. During her time at the AG’s Office, she advised on energy policy and served as the state’s ratepayer advocate before regulators and courts. Tepper also served as General Counsel to the Department of Public Utilities and Director of the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board and represented the state on the Eastern Interconnection States’ Planning Council. She is a graduate of Boston University School of Law and the University of Wisconsin.
“Mitigating the impacts of climate change is a shared responsibility, and we in the Healey-Driscoll Administration are eager to work with the City of Boston’s business and civic leaders to reach our climate goals,” said Massachusetts EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “This private-public partnership will advance our collaborative efforts in building a cleaner, healthier, and more affordable Commonwealth that residents can enjoy for decades.”
