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| James E. Rooney, Executive Director |
Jim Rooney is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) which exists to generate significant economic activity by attracting conventions, tradeshows, and other events to its world-class facilities in Boston and Springfield, MA.
Rooney oversees the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC), the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston's Back Bay, the 1350-space Boston Common Parking Garage and the MassMutual Center in Springfield, which includes a 6,700-seat arena as well as convention and meetings space. As Executive Director, Rooney is responsible for a $52 million annual operating budget.
Rooney has renewed the vision and management of the MCCA, closing the operating gap at the Hynes to its lowest in its 20-year history while opening the BCEC to rave reviews from customers. Since Rooney took over the MCCA, bookings at the new BCEC have exceeded projections and conventions at Boston facilities now generate $435 million in economic impact for the Greater Boston area. In 2006, Rooney was named to Tradeshow Week's Power Pack as one of the top ten convention bureau or convention center leaders in North America.
Prior to being named Executive Director, Rooney was Director of Development and Construction for the MCCA and oversaw the construction of the $850 million BCEC and the renovation and expansion of the $71 million MassMutual Center. Under his leadership, the BCEC project was hailed as one of the best-run public works projects in the country and both the BCEC and MassMutual Center projects were completed on schedule and within budget.
Before moving to the MCCA, Rooney served for two years as Chief of Staff to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. In that role, he was responsible for the operations of the Mayor's Office, chaired the Mayor's Cabinet and had an advisory role over all operations of city government.
During the period of 1996-1999, Rooney served in the position of Secretary-Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Prior to that he served as Assistant Project Director at the Central Artery/Tunnel Project from 1994-96. This followed an 18-year career at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority starting as a track laborer and ending as Deputy General Manager.
He sits on several non-profit community boards in the Boston area, including Project Bread - the Walk for Hunger; The Children's Trust Fund; Friends of the Fort Point Channel; Save the Harbor, Save the Bay; South Boston Neighborhood House and Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses, Inc. Rooney attended the prestigious Boston Latin School and graduated as President of his class and winner of the National Honor Society Leadership Award. He has a BA in Economics from Harvard College and attended the Boston University School of Management. Jim and his wife Maryanne reside in Dorchester, MA and have three children.
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
