BOSTON, MA -- The Boston Public Library announced today that José C. Massó, III and Simmons president Dr. Lynn Perry Wooten have been appointed by Mayor Michelle Wu to serve on the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees. Mayor Wu also reappointed Trustees Evelyn Arana-Ortiz and John Hailer to the Board for additional five-year terms.
The Trustees' mission is to preserve and provide access to historical records of our society, and to serve the cultural, educational, and informational needs of the city of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
"It is my pleasure to appoint José C. Massó, III and Dr. Lynn Perry Wooten to serve as Trustees of the Boston Public Library,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “They bring innovative vision, expansive knowledge, and a love for building community to the Board and to the residents of Boston and beyond. I’m so grateful for their service to this dynamic and historic institution in our city.”
“On behalf of my fellow trustees, we are delighted to welcome José and Lynn to the Board,” said Priscilla H. Douglas, Chair of the BPL Trustees. “Their unique talents, expertise, and community connections will ensure that the Boston Public Library continues to be a welcoming and equitable institution, even better positioned to offer enrichment and education -- free to all.”
Incorporated in 1878, the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees establishes policies and sets the strategic goals of the library, oversees the general operating and administrative policies, and acts as an agent of public trust governing the library. The BPL Board of Trustees works together with the library president to carry out responsibilities that involve governance and policy-making, financial and development oversight, and the work of strategic planning.
“I am so humbled to be joining such an august group of servant leaders and look forward to contributing in any way I can to advance the mission of the library,” said José C. Massó, III. “A profound thank you to Mayor Wu for appointing me.”
"The Boston Public Library has played a key role in this city for more than a hundred and fifty years, and it is an honor to serve on the Board of Trustees. Libraries have transformed my life by contributing to my quest for knowledge and learning, and allowing me to access people, events, and places I could not experience on my own. In addition, Simmons University is proud to offer one of the nation’s top library and information science programs, and I am excited to have the opportunity to advance the BPL’s critical mission, particularly as it relates to education.”
The Board also recognized outgoing Trustees Zamawa Arenas and Joyce Linehan for their service at this week’s annual meeting.
The Board of Trustees consists of 15 trustees, all residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and appointed by the Mayor of Boston. Trustees hold their office for a term of five years and until their successor is appointed.
ABOUT DR. LYNN PERRY WOOTEN
Dr. Lynn Perry Wooten, a seasoned academic and an expert on organizational development and transformation, is the ninth president of Simmons University and the first African American to lead the institution.
Specializing in crisis leadership, diversity and inclusion, and positive leadership, Dr. Wooten is an innovative leader and prolific author and presenter. She is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal best-selling book Arrive and Thrive: 7 Impactful Practices for Women Navigating Leadership, which was released in April 2022. In addition, she has authored two additional books, nearly 30 journal articles, and more than 15 book chapters.
Dr. Wooten came to Simmons from Cornell University, where she was the David J. Nolan Dean and Professor of Management and Organizations at the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. Prior to that, she served on the faculty of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business for nearly 20 years.
Dr. Wooten is actively involved in the Boston philanthropic and civic community. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the International Women’s Forum of Massachusetts, the Fenway Alliance, and MASCO. In addition, Dr. Wooten serves on the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Trustee Advisory Board, the JFK Library Foundation Board of Advisors, and the WBGH Board of Trustees. Dr. Wooten is also an active member of several national volunteer leadership organizations and university boards of trustees.
ABOUT JOSÉ C. MASSÓ, III
José is the host and producer of “¡Con Salsa!” a weekly bilingual program that airs on WBUR 90.9FM, National Public Radio in Boston.
José was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2010. He has the distinction of being the first Puerto Rican/Latino to join this group of radio and television broadcasters throughout the Commonwealth. He also received the prestigious Gold Medal for Service to National Public Radio in 2015.
He began as a bilingual teacher in the Boston Public Schools at Copley Square High School (now the Muriel Sutherland Snowden International School), later working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts under Governor Michael Dukakis, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration; retiring from Massport in 2021 José as Director of Policy.
José serves as principal of JCMIII Consulting LLC, providing professional consulting and change management to corporate, public, academic, and non-profit organizations in the areas of Policy, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Community Relations, and Government Affairs.
Then Mayor-elect Michelle Wu appointed José to her Transition Team as an advisor after the 2021 mayoral elections for his leadership and community service.
In 2022 Boston Magazine named José one of the 100 Most Influential Bostonians.
A native of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, he is fluent in Spanish and skilled in cross-cultural communications.
José and his wife Divina reside in their home in Hyde Park with Jett, their Yorkshire Terrier.
