What Charlie Baker's Cabinet Selections Mean

Gov.-elect Charlie Baker has been busy staffing up his incoming administration. Monday, he filled another cabinet position: Kristen Lepore will be the next secretary of administration and finance.

Lepore is currently the vice president of government affairs for Associated Industries of Massachusetts. She was also Gov. Paul Cellucci's deputy chief of staff. With her appointment, Baker has filled five of the 10 cabinet slots with a diverse group of men and women, and at least one Democrat — Jay Ash, who will be Baker's housing and economic development chief.

"One of the advantages of getting elected governor when you're 58 instead of 38 is that you have some milage on you," Baker said in an interview Monday with WBUR's Bob Oakes. "Part of that means some history and some relationships with people who've spent a fair amount of their career in the public and in the private sector. Somebody like Jay Ash, who was one of our early appointments — I've known Jay Ash forever. And I've always considered him to be a spectacular manager, leader, adminstrator and public servant. And the fact that he's a Democrat is almost beside the point."

You can hear the rest of that interview Tuesday on Morning Edition.

David Scharfenberg, reporter for The Boston Globe. He tweets @dscharfglobe.

The Boston Globe: Charlie Baker Taps Kristen Lepore For Budget Chief