Mass. Governor Chooses Justice Burnes as Commissioner

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has named Superior Court Justice Nonnie Burnes to be commissioner of the state’s Division of Insurance. 
 
Burnes has been a Superior Court justice since 1996, and was a member of the law firm Hill and Barlow prior to her appointment to the bench. Burnes also served as the vice chair of the State Ethics Commission. 

Burnes will resign her position as Superior Court justice prior to assuming her new position on Feb. 26. 

She will replace Joseph Murphy, first deputy commissioner, who has been serving as acting commissioner since Julianne Bowler stepped down in late December to make way for new Gov. Patrick to name her successor.

“Judge Burnes is the right choice at this critical time for the Commonwealth, and will insure that Massachusetts maintains its economic competitive edge by ensuring that insurance products are both affordable and fair for consumers,” Housing and Economic Development Secretary Dan O’Connell said. 
 
Burnes has a background as a legal advocate and has received numerous awards for her work in the legal field.  

Burnes is a member of the visiting committee for Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, the Center for Ethics and the Professions.  Burnes received a B.A. from Wellesley College and a J.D. from Northeastern University Law School. She is a resident of Boston.
 
“Residents of Massachusetts can feel confident that the insurance industry will continue to promote a healthy and responsive marketplace for all consumers who purchase its products,” Consumer Affairs Director Daniel Crane said.
 

Source: Mass. Governor’s Office

Latest Comments

• February 13, 2007 at 1:22 am

  Out of the loop says:

  I haven\'t been paying attention to the news in Massachusetts lately...does this mean that there will be changes to the current system? Will the big competitors like Progress... read more