Jay Ash
| Jay Ash | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development | |
|
Assumed office January 8, 2015 |
|
| Governor | Charlie Baker |
| Preceded by | Greg Bialecki |
| City Manager of Chelsea, Massachusetts | |
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In office September 7, 2000 – December 19, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Guy A. Santagate |
| Succeeded by | Thomas G. Ambrosino |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1959 (age 57–58) Chelsea, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Carney Ash |
| Children | 2 sons |
| Residence | Danvers, Massachusetts |
| Occupation | City Manager State cabinet secretary |
Robert "Jay" Ash, Jr. (born 1959) is an American political figure who serves as Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development. He previously served as City Manager of Chelsea, Massachusetts.
Ash was born and raised in Chelsea, Massachusetts. His father was a truck driver, and his mother was a homemaker. His parents divorced when he was ten and Ash lived with his mother. Growing up, his family received welfare for a time and lived in subsidized housing. He graduated from Chelsea High School in 1979, where he was captain of the school's basketball team and a member of its track and cross-country teams. He then attended Clark University where he was also captain of the basketball team. He graduated from Clark in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in government.
Ash began his career in government in 1984 as an aide to state representative Richard A. Voke. From 1991 to 1996 Ash served as Voke's staff director, who was then the House Majority Leader. In 1996, Voke was defeated in his effort to become Speaker of the House and decided not to run for reelection. Ash then accepted an offer to become Chelsea's Executive Director of Planning and Development. During Ash's tenure as head of Planning and Development, Chelsea attracted sixteen new economic development projects, including the construction of a $17 million, 180-room luxury hotel by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and built seven new public schools and several new parks.
Following the resignation of Guy A. Santagate, Ash applied for the position of Chelsea City Manager. When it came time to appoint a new City Manager, the Chelsea City Council became deadlocked. Six councilors supported Ash and five supported former Mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts Robert Markel (the city charter required seven votes to appoint a city manager). As a result Chelsea Finance Director Andrew Maylor was named interim city manager after Santagate's contract expired on June 30, 2000. Ash's opponents cited his relationship with Voke, who had been investigated by the United States Attorney's office for corruption, his reluctance to commit to reside in the city (he lived in Saugus, Massachusetts at the time), and his lack of a master's degree in administration or planning as reasons for the opposition. His supporters, however, noted the progress the city had made during his time as Executive Director of Planning and Development. On August 16, 2000, after three weeks of debate and thirteen rounds of voting, Ash was appointed City Manager by a 7 to 4 vote after councilor Calvin T. Brown changed his vote in order to end the standoff.
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