Healey picks former AG colleague Kwon for public safety post

Gov. Maura Healey appointed longtime ally Gina Kwon, who worked alongside the governor for years in public safety and law enforcement, to lead the state public safety secretariat, succeeding a Gov. Charlie Baker administration holdover who retired in September.

Healey’s office announced Kwon’s appointment Wednesday afternoon, describing her as a "veteran prosecutor and law enforcement leader with extensive experience in public safety."

Healey and Kwon’s professional relationship dates back to Healey’s early days as attorney general, when Kwon joined her office shortly after Healey’s 2014 election. She went on to lead the criminal bureau in that office for over three years.

When Healey became governor in 2023, Kwon followed her to the executive branch, first serving as undersecretary for law enforcement at Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

Kwon’s elevation to secretary comes amid significant turnover in the governor’s Cabinet. Former Public Safety Secretary Terrence Reidy’s retirement was one of a series of high-level departures, including Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao, Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh, and Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago, who says he plans to step down this fall. Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca was the first to leave the administration in September 2023.

Kwon said in a statement that she is looking forward to continuing strengthening relationships between law enforcement agencies and communities.

"I’m grateful to Governor Healey for putting her confidence in me to serve the people of Massachusetts in this critical role," Kwon said. "I look forward to working across the administration and across the state to support public safety and emergency response personnel and improve community safety."

The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security is the state’s second-largest secretariat, overseeing a wide network of agencies responsible for law enforcement, emergency management and corrections. The secretariat includes the Massachusetts State Police, Department of Correction, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, and the Sex Offender Registry Board, among others. It is charged with coordinating policy, budgeting and operational support for statewide criminal justice and homeland security initiatives.

As undersecretary, Kwon oversaw the State Police, the Municipal Police Training Committee, and the Office of Grants and Research. She helped guide a "transformative period" at the State Police, says a press release from Healey's office, including the appointment of Colonel Geoffrey Noble and reforms to recruitment and accountability practices.

Before joining EOPSS, Kwon spent nearly a decade in the Attorney General’s Office, where she led major criminal investigations and prosecutions involving narcotics, firearms and cybercrime. She also served as a prosecutor in both the Suffolk and Middlesex district attorney’s offices, handling gang-related and narcotics cases early in her career.

Kwon is a member of the Massachusetts Hate Crimes Task Force and previously served on the Forensic Science Oversight Board. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Boston College and her law degree from New England Law School.

Interim Secretary Susan Terrey, who has served as deputy secretary and undersecretary for homeland security, will return to those roles following Kwon’s appointment.