President Bush Taps Dorchester Man for Committee Appointment.Business/News Editors & Health/Medical Writers WASHINGTON, D.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 2002 President George W. Bush today named James T. Brett, President and CEO, The New England Council, to the President's Committee on Mental Retardation. The Committee acts in an advisory capacity to the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services Noun 1. Secretary of Health and Human Services - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Health and Human Services; "the first Secretary of Health and Human Services was Patricia Roberts Harris who was appointed by Carter" on matters relating to programs and services for people with mental retardation. "I am sincerely honored by this appointment. The issues which impact people with mental retardation are extremely important to me. These are issues that are very close to my heart and I have dedicated much of my public and personal life to advocate for people with mental retardation and focus on programs and legislation to improve their quality of life," said James Brett. "I am delighted to be able to serve the Administration in this advisory capacity. Since its inception, this Committee has provided several U.S. Presidents with outstanding leadership on a variety of public policies and programs to assist people with mental retardation. For me, this appointment takes my work to a new level. I am thrilled to be part of exploring a national agenda on these issues." Brett has served for more than five years as the President of The New England Council - the nation's oldest regional business organization. He is also a former Massachusetts State Representative. The New England Council is an alliance of large and small companies, educational institutions, nonprofit and other agencies working together to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the New England region. The Council supports federal policies of importance to New England, and advocates for its membership regionally and nationally. Before joining the Council, Brett served for more than 15 years as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from an equal number of single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. . He held a succession of important leadership positions, including the chairmanship of two of the most significant committees: the Joint Committee on Taxation and the Joint Committee on Banks and Banking Authorized financial institutions and the business in which they engage, which encompasses the receipt of money for deposit, to be payable according to the terms of the account; collection of checks presented for payment; issuance of loans to individuals who meet certain requirements; . Brett is currently the chairman of the Massachusetts Governor's Commission on Mental Retardation. He is also a director of the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health. While a state legislator, Brett was honored on several occasions by labor, human service, and law enforcement organizations for outstanding public service. Many other groups honored him as "Legislator of the Year," and organizations such as, Friends of the John F. Kennedy Library The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of the 35th President of the United States John F. Kennedy. It is located on Dorchester's Columbia Point in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and was designed by the architect I.M. Pei. , Central Remedial Clinic The Central Remedial Clinic is based in Clontarf, Dublin. It is a clinic for people with physical limitations. There is a school later. in Ireland, and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers have publicly honored him for his service. He has continued to be a tireless advocate for the physically and mentally challenged, and has been recognized for his humanitarian work by Action for Boston Community Development (Lifetime Public Service Award) and Hospice of Boston (Humanitarian of the Year). In 1996, Bay Cove Human Services of Boston named a new community home for disabled adults "Brett House" in his honor. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and a director of the Robert F. Kennedy Action Corp., the Notre Dame Education Center, Marian Manor Nursing Home, Paraclete Center, Simon of Cyrene Simon of Cyrene (sīrē`nē), in the New Testament, bystander made to carry Jesus' cross. He was probably an African Jew, and is identified as the father of Alexander and Rufus. Society, and The Daniel Marr Boys and Girls boys and girls mercurialisannua. Club. Brett serves on the Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is responsible for the First District of the Federal Reserve, which covers Connecticut (excluding Fairfield County), Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. It is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. , and on the Board of Advisors of the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government The John F. Kennedy School of Government, colloquially known as the Kennedy School of Government (KSG) or simply the Kennedy School, is a public policy school and one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. . He is a trustee of Catholic Charities of Boston, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, known locally as Mass. Eye & Ear, is a specialty hospital providing patient care for disorders of the eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck. , Carney Hospital, and Franklin Pierce College. He is also a member of the Knights of Malta and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a Roman Catholic chivalric order of Knighthood that traces its roots to Godfrey of Bouillon, principal leader of the First Crusade. of Jerusalem. In addition to a Bachelor's degree from American University, Brett holds master's degrees in Public Administration from both Suffolk University and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In 2001, Brett received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Massachusetts. He and his wife Patricia reside in Dorchester, Massachusetts. |
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