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BOSTON (State House News Service) — Former Sen. Joe Boncore is stepping down as CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council by the end of the year and his second-in-command, Kendalle Burlin O’Connell, will take over atop the influential organization.
MassBIO announced the leadership change Friday and said that Boncore plans to "open a consulting practice and will remain an advisor to MassBio on state and federal issues." Burlin O’Connell is currently the industry group’s president and COO.
A Winthrop Democrat, Boncore has only been leading MassBIO for about a year. He resigned from the Senate in September 2021 after he emerged from a field of 150 candidates MassBIO identified through a nationwide search.
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Boncore continued a string of lawmakers who helmed the influential industry group. He succeeded former Rep. Robert Coughlin, who himself followed former House Speaker Thomas Finneran in the role.
MassBIO's spokesperson, Ryan Boehm, did not respond Thursday to a News Service inquiry about Boncore’s rumored departure.
"I appreciate my time as the chief executive of MassBio and I look forward to working with Kendalle and continuing our shared focus on the critical policy issues that the biotech industry faces here in the Commonwealth," Boncore said in a statement Friday.
Written By: Colin A. Young
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