12.4.17 Worcester City Manager Ed Augustus will join us in studio

 

Ed Augustus speaks at the Nov. 20, Tatnuck Magnet School Branch Library opening.

Ed Augustus

Join us Monday the 4th at 3:00 PM as Worcester City Manager Ed Augustus joins us in studio on our 3rd Radio Pride.

Worcester recently passed a 11-0 a resolution supporting a statewide ban on the practice of conversion therapy .

Conversion therapy is the pseudo-scientific practice of trying to change an individual’s sexual orientation using psychological or spiritual interventions. There is virtually no reliable evidence that sexuality can be controlled or changed and medical bodies warn that conversion therapy practices are ineffective and potentially seriously harmful.

The city of Worcester has scored a perfect 100 on the national scorecard of LGBTQ-friendly cities by the Human Rights Campaign.  The sixth-annual edition of the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index evaluated 506 cities nationwide.  Worcester only scored 55 in 2013 but has now scored 100 for the past four years.

In a press release, City Manager Ed Augustus highlighted the a LGBTQ film festival held on conjunction with the Worcester Pride annual festivities recently.  The orginaizers chose Worcester as the first city to expand to.

“When I became city manager, I made improving the city’s record on LGBTQ rights a priority, and it has stayed a priority” Augustus said. “Worcester is a place where all are welcome to live, work and play and we are recognized by others who also see us as a welcoming place to visit, invest and do business.”

We looking forward to having Worcester Native Ed Augustus on New England’s only LBGTQ radio show.

 

Edward M. Augustus, Jr. has worked in public service for more than 20 years.

City Manager Augustus was appointed as the city manager of Worcester, Massachusetts in January 2014. As City Manager, he has focused on continuing Worcester’s economic development renaissance, supporting education and youth and making city government inclusive for all residents of New England’s second-largest city.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Augustus, a native of Worcester, served as Director of Government and Community Relations at the College of the Holy Cross.

Mr. Augustus’ political career began at a young age. At the age of 23 he was appointed to the City of Worcester’s Human Rights Commission. A few months later, he was elected to the Worcester School Committee, becoming the youngest person ever to hold elected office in Worcester. He served on the school committee for two terms – making it a point to visit each and every classroom in every school in the City every year of his tenure.

Continuing his interest in education, Mr. Augustus moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked in President Bill Clinton’s United States Department of Education from 1992 to 1998. While in Washington, one of City Manager Augustus’ major initiatives was working to close the educational achievement gaps in Latino communities.

In 1998, Mr. Augustus returned home to Worcester to run U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern’s first re-election campaign. After the Congressman’s successful campaign, Mr. Augustus served as McGovern’s Chief of Staff in Washington from 1998 to 2004. In this role, Mr. Augustus was involved in a host of important Worcester projects and initiatives, including the first discussions about building Worcester’s Hanover Theater, the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center, Gateway Park, CitySquare and many more.

Mr. Augustus’ next campaign was his own – a successful bid in 2004 to represent Worcester’s 2nd District in the Massachusetts State Senate. He served two terms in the Senate, helping to pass the landmark Massachusetts Act Providing Access to Affordable, Quality, Accountable Health Care. In 2009, Mr. Augustus left the Senate to become Executive Director of the Children’s Defense Fund of California, a national nonprofit children’s advocacy group.

In 2010, Mr. Augustus moved back to Worcester to once again run McGovern’s re-election campaign. At the same time, he was appointed as Director of Government and Community Relations at the College of the Holy Cross, a role he served in until 2014.

Mr. Augustus is a graduate of Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury, Suffolk University and Johns Hopkins University. He holds a master’s degree in government.

Mr. Augustus grew up Webster Square, where his mother lives to this day. He now lives in Worcester’s Main South neighborhood.

You may contact City Manager Augustus at City Hall by calling (508) 799-1175 or via email CityManager@worcesterma.gov.

 

City Hall Room 309
455 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608
Phone: (508) 799-1175, Fax: (508) 799-1208
Email: 
CityManager@worcesterma.gov
Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

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