Dr. Mark Melnik appointed by Gov. Healey to Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has appointed Dr. Mark Melnik to the Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council. The council is charged with exploring policies that support artists, cultural workers, and arts organizations while promoting cultural equity in the arts; examining ways to create economic opportunities in the arts and culture sector; and recommending to the Governor a cultural development and jobs plan for Massachusetts.
Dr. Melnik is the director of the Economic & Public Policy Research group at the UMass Donahue Institute. He has served as the principal-in-charge on projects with such clients as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the Boston Foundation, the City of Boston, the City of Cambridge, MassDOT, MassDevelopment, the Executive Offices of Housing and Livable Communities, Economic Development, and Labor and Workforce Development, the North Central Chamber of Commerce, the South Shore Chamber of Commerce, the JP Morgan Chase Foundation, and many others. In addition, Dr. Melnik serves as the senior managing editor of MassBenchmarks, the journal of the Massachusetts economy published by the institute in cooperation with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
As a leading expert in demographic and socioeconomic issues in the Commonwealth, Dr. Melnik is a widely sought-after public speaker typically delivering a dozen or more keynote speeches and panel discussions a year. Dr. Melnik is also quoted extensively in local and national media on issues related to economics, demographics, and labor market issues.
In 2018, Dr. Melnik served on Governor Charlie Baker’s Future of Transportation Commission. In 2023 he was invited by the Commonwealth to support the state’s Economic Development Plan. In 2023-2024 he served on Chancellor Javier Reyes’ Economic Development Task Force. Dr. Melnik is the 2nd vice president for the Massachusetts Economic Development Council, serves on the advisory board for the MetroWest Economic Research Center at Framingham State University, and the Research Advisory Council for the Educational to Career (E2C) Data Hub for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He holds a doctorate in sociology, a master’s of arts in sociology from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s of arts in sociology from Youngstown State University.
January 17, 2025
