Ryan S. McCollum, the assistant project manager in the City’s Economic Development Department, has resigned to become the Legislative Director for Secretary Daniel O’Connell in Governor Patrick’s Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.
In his new capacity, McCollum will be responsible for responding to and following up on all legislator requests for information; developing and maintaining relationships with state and federal legislators; tracking legislation of interest to secretariat; helping to develop strategy for passage of legislation of interest to the secretariat; attending Gov IGR meetings and interfacing with Gov IGR staff and coordinating and assisting in the supervision of legislative liaisons in the under-secretariats.
Ryan, who joined the City in November 2006, said “This is the perfect position to couple my background in the legislature with the experience I had here learning first-hand about revitalizing a struggling city. I will be banging the ‘Springfield Drum’ so to say and will be very involved in what the Governor, the Secretary and the Control Board have planned for the City where I was born and raised. I am both excited and saddened to leave the City; I loved my job but it is time to move on.”
Key projects that McCollum helped spearhead include: the implementation of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) report, the ULI TAP reports in the South End and in the Downtown, assistance in project management of York Street Jail, 13-31 Elm Street, Union Station, Main Street and State Street improvements, the Mason Square Library Search Committee among other economic development projects. He is also co-founder of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield.
His last day will be Friday Sept. 14, friends and co-workers are invited to join Ryan at a send-off at JT’s on Main Street at 5pm on that Friday September 14th.
