massachusetts
COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY
When José Araché moved from the
Dominican Republic to Lawrence, Mass., his
future looked bleak. He lived in a
low-income neighborhood with his parents and spoke
no English. Today, the 20-year-old holds a 3. 79 GPA
at college and is on his way to a promising career in
computer science. The key to his turnaround: a public/
private mentoring program in Massachusetts—called
Stand and Deliver—that”s dedicated to helping at-risk
students improve their academic achievements. “[The
program] has helped me with everything from getting
through high school to getting in-state college tuition,”
says Araché. “Without it, I don”t think I”d be where I
am today.”
It”s not just students who benefit from community
programs in Massachusetts, where three-quarters of
the state”s youth who seek mentors are from tradition-
ally underrepresented groups. “Our corporate partners
are developing a pipeline of educated workers, too,”
explains the program”s founder, Ed Warnshius. “This is
a win for everyone.”
Throughout the Commonwealth, community
partnerships, cutting-edge legislation and business-
development programs are helping to strengthen the
economy and lure talent to the state. Gov. Deval
Patrick, a one-time civil-rights lawyer and the state”s
first Black governor, has been at the forefront of
such change. During his first year in office, he built an
administration that more accurately reflects the state”s
shifting demographics: 27 percent of new hires are
Black, Latino or Asian American and 52 percent are
women. Gov. Patrick is also committed to job creation,
having added 22,000 new jobs in 2007 alone. That”s
why Massachusetts jumped from the 48th state in job
creation when Gov. Patrick took office to 15th last
year. “Massachusetts,” said the governor in his State of
the Commonwealth Address, “is on the move.”
EMPOWERINGBUSINESS, CREATING JOBS
“We”re making investments in industries that will cre-
ate a positive ripple effect across the entire business
spectrum,” says Daniel O”Connell, the state”s secretary
of housing and economic development. Major indus-
tries in the Bay State include:
Arts and Entertainment: Through its Creative
Economy Initiative, Massachusetts offers film and digital
