Brendan Moss, Press Secretary, Governor's Office
Phone
Call Brendan Moss, Press Secretary, Governor's Office at (617) 725-4025
Online
Email Brendan Moss, Press Secretary, Governor's Office at gov.press@state.ma.us
BOSTON — Neldy Jean-Francois has been named a Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) effective May 24, 2019. The three-member Commission serves as the state’s chief civil rights agency charged with the authority to investigate, prosecute, adjudicate and resolve cases of discrimination.
The MCAD is an independent agency of the Commonwealth, funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with additional support provided through federal contract payments from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The MCAD protects individuals in numerous protected categories including race, color, creed, national origin, age, disability, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation by enforcing the Commonwealth’s anti-discrimination laws in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit and education.
“I am pleased to appoint Neldy Jean-Francois as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Neldy is an experienced public servant who will serve the Commission effectively, and we look forward to her continued leadership.”
“Neldy Jean-Francois’ decades of tireless commitment to Massachusetts and its residents makes her a valuable asset to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “A highly respected and esteemed public servant, we are pleased to appoint her to this important Commission.”
“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve in my new role as a Commissioner of the MCAD,” said Neldy Jean-Francois. “When I walked through the doors of MCAD in 1998 as a UMass Amherst investigative intern, I never imagined that I would be coming back 21 years later as one of the Commissioners and I am honored and deeply humbled for the opportunity the Baker-Polito administration has offered me and look forward to championing the MCAD’s mission of eradicating discrimination and serving the citizens of the Commonwealth in this new role.”
The three Commissioners of MCAD are appointed by the Governor, serve terms of three years and are each delegated regional responsibilities in the Springfield, New Bedford and Boston regions. For more about the MCAD, visit: http://www.mass.gov/mcad/.
About Neldy Jean-Francois
Neldy Jean-Francois has most recently served as the First Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff of the Department of Professional Licensure (DPL), and had previously served as Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI), providing oversight to DPL’s operations, policies and licensing functions. Jean-Francois joined DPL in 2007 as Board Counsel to several boards of registration, and from 2011 to 2015, she served as Executive Director of the Allied Health and Certified Public Accountants units. Prior to joining DPL, Jean-Francois served as a Massachusetts Commission on Discrimination compliance officer and as an attorney with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s Child Support Enforcement Division, where she litigated cases involving paternity matters, child support enforcement and health insurance orders. A resident of Milton, Jean-Francois earned her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and her J.D. from Suffolk University.
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