The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) has named Carole Brennan to the executive management team as the Director of Communications and Public Affairs where she will oversee the authority's advertising, marketing and media operations as well as community and government relations. The selection ends an almost five-month process during which Massport processed 546 resumes and held extensive interviews with the top 15 candidates.
"With a strong management background as a publisher and editor and her real world experience as a reporter, Carole brings the skills and knowledge necessary to coordinate Massport's vital responsibilities to the public, policy makers, members of the media and our local neighbors," said Massport CEO Craig P. Coy. "As someone who has worked in Boston, Washington D.C. and around the world, her perspective on how we can meet the information needs of our stakeholders will be essential to our continued success."
Brennan has spent the last three years managing the Mayor of the City of Boston's press office. Brennan works closely with the Mayor on all media matters and advises his Cabinet and department heads on media strategy and related policy. She interacts regularly with national and local media, and manages the mayor's press conferences and media events.
"Carole has given 100 percent to my administration since day one," said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "Her roller-coaster schedule rivaled my own, and her energy marveled many both inside and outside of City Hall. Her departure comes at a pivotal time for Boston and beyond, and I'm confident that Carole possesses both the talent and the dedication to help lead Massport through the challenges ahead. I'm grateful to Carole for her many contributions to city government and I wish her all the best in her new adventure."
Prior to joining city government, Brennan spent a career in journalism and journalism management. As an executive publisher for the Community Newspaper Company, she managed a dozen of the company's papers, and was accountable for the newspapers' profitability. From 1995 to 1997, Brennan worked on various international media development programs, traveling extensively throughout Latin American and Eastern Europe. She lived for a time in the emerging democracy of Moldova, where she helped found a media center for local journalists.
Brennan also spent 10 years working for The Chronicle Publishing Company in various capacities including Director of Business Development for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, publisher and editor of the Idyllwild Town Crier in California and as an editor, zone chief and reporter in the Worcester area. As a reporter for the Associated Press and the Gannett Company, Inc., Brennan has had the opportunity to cover events in Boston, throughout New England and the Caribbean.
Brennan said, "I am very excited about working with the dedicated and talented folks at Massport who are challenged every day to meet the needs of their diverse customer bases as well as their neighbors. It is an exciting opportunity and I am grateful for the trust that Massport has placed in me.
She added, "It's been a privilege to serve on Mayor Menino's team for the past three years. Being able to work with a Mayor so committed to making a difference made my experience especially rewarding. And I am personally grateful to Mayor Menino for his support as I transition to a new area of public service. I'm leaving City Hall with a newfound respect for Boston, it's residents, and the people who make it work."
Brennan resides in Boston and holds a B.A. in journalism and English from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.