BOSTON— Christie Getto Young—Chief of Staff to Massachusetts Senator Sal DiDomenico— is the 2019 recipient of the National Conference of State Legislature (NCSL) Legislative Staff Achievement Award. This national award is given annually by the NCSL Leadership Staff Professional Association and was created to recognize an individual who demonstrates excellence in support of the work of a state legislature and strengthening of legislative institutions. Getto Young was the first staff member from the Massachusetts Legislature to ever receive this award, and was honored at the 2019 National Conference of State Legislature Summit in Nashville last month.

“Christie truly deserves this award, and I am excited that others around the country got to see what we already know in our office and in the Senate. Christie is a leader who others look up and she is a huge asset for our Legislature.  Not only are we fortunate to have her as our Chief of Staff, but the residents of the Commonwealth are the beneficiaries of her passion and dedication to serve,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate.  “I am very proud of Christie. She has an impressive record of accomplishments throughout her career, and she has built strong relationships both inside and outside the State House.”

For nearly a decade, Ms. Getto Young has been a steadfast leader in the Massachusetts Senate and a key resource for legislative staff, non-profit organizations, and advocates working to pursue policies that support our Commonwealth’s children and families. Christie was nominated by her Massachusetts Senate colleagues in light of her many legislative accomplishments, including writing the 2013 Social Worker Safety Bill and spearheading a multi-year Senate initiative known as Kids First, which took a holistic look at the way in which our Commonwealth can support children and families.

 “Everyone, from constituents to her Senate colleagues to the children and families she has advocated for, has a reason to be grateful that Christie has chosen to dedicate her life to public service,” said Senate President Karen Spilka.  “Christie’s combination of professionalism and kindness make her a natural leader, and she has served as a role model for many staff members in the Senate. On behalf of the entire Massachusetts State Senate, I wish to congratulate Christie Getto Young for this very well deserved award.”

In her nomination letter, Christie’s Senate colleagues wrote, “While Christie’s list of legislative accomplishments are impressive her greatest career achievement is the long-lasting impact and influence that she had on young staffers, especially female staffers. Christie has not only inspired dozens of young people to pursue careers in public policy, she has become a mentor to many in the Massachusetts Legislature.”

Christie Getto Young has worked in the Massachusetts Legislature for a total of 11 years. Her career in public service began working as a Research Analyst for the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Human Services from 1993-1995. After pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector, serving as Senior Director of Public Policy at United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Christie returned to the Legislature in 2010 working for Massachusetts Sen. Sal DiDomenico, first as his Budget & Policy Director and eventually becoming his Chief of Staff in 2013.

Getto Young has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Kenyon College in Ohio, Masters in Social Work from Boston College, and a Juris Doctor degree from Northeastern University in Boston.

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Special to The Independent

Senate Assistant Majority Leader Sal DiDomenico and his team are proud to announce that Christie Getto Young, chief of staff to Sen. DiDomenico, is the 2019 recipient of the National Conference of State Legislature (NCSL) Legislative Staff Achievement Award. 

This national award is given annually by the NCSL Leadership Staff Professional Association and was created to recognize an individual who demonstrates excellence in support of the work of a state legislature and strengthening of legislative institutions.
Getto Young is the first staff member from the Massachusetts Legislature to ever receive this top national award, and she will be honored at the 2019 National Conference of State Legislature Summit in Nashville on August 4-5.

“Christie truly deserves this award, and I am excited that others around the country will see what we already know in our office and in the Senate – Christie is a leader who others look up and she is a huge asset for the Legislature.  Not only are we fortunate to have her as our Chief of Staff, but the residents of my district and the Commonwealth are the beneficiaries of her passion and dedication to serve,” said Sen. DiDomenico.  “We look forward to joining her in Nashville as she receives this well-deserved recognition for being the best in her field.  I am very proud of Christie, and she is a friend, advisor, trusted colleague and partner who I rely on and have had the honor of working with since our first days in the Senate.  Christie has an impressive record of accomplishments throughout her career, and she has built strong relationships inside and outside the State House.  I am thrilled that she will be given this national Legislative Staff Achievement Award because Christie is a kind and compassionate person who is a fierce advocate for those who need our help the most.  This is the Christie Getto Young we all know, and I am pleased that others on the national stage get to see this as well.”

For nearly a decade, Getto Young has been a steadfast leader in the Massachusetts Senate and a key resource for legislative staff, non-profit organizations, and advocates working to pursue policies that support our Commonwealth’s children and families. Christie was nominated by Sen. DiDomenico and her colleagues in light of her many accomplishments. From writing legislation to protect human service workers, promoting education equity, working to repeal devastating policy decisions made decades ago that hurt vulnerable families, and spearheading a multi-year Senate initiative known as Kids First to take a holistic approach to the way our Commonwealth supports children and families Christie has helped contribute to the well-being of hundreds of residents who will never know her face or name, but they can be sure that there was someone advocating for them and making lives a little better for themselves and their families.

“Everyone, from constituents to her Senate colleagues to the children and families she has advocated for, has a reason to be grateful that Christie has chosen to dedicate her life to public service,” said Senate President Karen Spilka.  “Christie’s combination of professionalism and kindness make her a natural leader, and she has served as a role model for many staff members in the Senate. On behalf of the entire Massachusetts State Senate, I wish to congratulate Christie Getto Young for this very well deserved award.”

In her nomination letter, Christie’s Senate colleagues wrote “while Christie’s list of legislative accomplishments are impressive her greatest career achievement is the long-lasting impact and influence that she had on young staffers, especially female staffers. Christie has not only inspired dozens of young people to pursue careers in public policy, she has become a mentor to many in the Massachusetts Legislature.”

Christie Getto Young has worked in the Massachusetts Legislature for a total of 11 years. Her career in public service began working as a Research Analyst for the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Human Services from 1993-1995. After pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector, serving as Senior Director of Public Policy at United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Christie returned to the Legislature in 2010 working for Massachusetts Sen. Sal DiDomenico, first as his Budget & Policy Director and eventually becoming his Chief of Staff in 2013.

Getto Young has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Kenyon College in Ohio, Masters in Social Work from Boston College, and a Juris Doctor degree from Northeastern University in Boston.

Sen. Sal DiDomenico and his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate recently passed a $42.8 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2020, after three days of deliberations. 

The budget recommends targeted investments to provide access to opportunity and economic vitality across the Commonwealth. As Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate, Sen. DiDomenico was able to secure a number of amendments providing additional funding for his local communities, bringing home resources for the city of Everett.

“After careful deliberation, the Senate has passed a thoughtful budget that both reflects the shared priorities of our chamber and addresses the pressing needs of our communities,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “This budget includes key investments in many of my top priority items that will have a positive and direct impact on Everett, and I am happy to report that many of my amendments providing additional resources for our community were also adopted to the final Senate budget. I would like to thank Senate Ways & Means Chair Michael Rodrigues and Senate President Karen Spilka for all of their great work to craft a budget that will undoubtedly help to move our entire Commonwealth forward.”

Funds secured by Senator DiDomenico for the city of Everett include:

•$500,000 for the hazardous materials response team in the cities of Cambridge, Everett and Boston

•$75,000 for the Cambridge Health Alliance for increased access to office-based opioid treatment services in the city of Everett

•$75,000 for music programming for public schools in the city of Everett

•$50,000 for access to technology for students at the public schools in the city of Everett

•$100,000 for a grant program for the Museum of Science to operate an engineering curriculum in elementary schools in the cities of Everett and Cambridge

•$75,000 for the Everett middle school after-school robotics program

•$6 million increase in Chapter 70 education funding

Other budget amendments filed by Senator DiDomenico include:

•$1 million in new funding to create a pilot program that seeks to close the SNAP Gap in Massachusetts

•new language to ensure high-needs schools continue using a breakfast after the bell model to boost school breakfast participation rates

•$2 million to establish a grant program for statewide census outreach to support trusted community organizations and grassroots leaders to help reach historically hard-to-count communities

•$300,000 to Nurtury to help expand their network of family child care providers

•$250,000 for Operation ABLE, the only agency in Massachusetts committed solely to the employment needs of mature workers (those 45 years and older)

•$200,000 for the 1199 SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund to help increase the quality of consumer, patient and resident care.

The Senate’s budget also strengthens Massachusetts’ commitment to being a national leader in ensuring children of all backgrounds have access to greater educational opportunities.  Consistent with the Senate’s long-standing commitment to supporting increased investments in education, this budget makes a significant down payment on the work of the Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC), and funds Chapter 70 at its highest level ever: $5.176B, an increase of $268.4M over FY 2019.  

The city of Everett will receive over $75 million in Chapter 70 education funding, a $6 million increase over the previous fiscal year.

“With this budget, we are making it clear that we are serious about securing more funding for our K-12 public schools and reforming our state’s outdated education funding formula,” said DiDomenico. “This has been- and continues to be- my top education priority, and I am proud that my district will receive the additional funds that they deserve in the Senate budget.”

Other top priority items for Senator DiDomenico that were included in the Fiscal Year 2019 Senate Budget and will benefit Everett residents are:

•$4.8 million for the state’s pediatric palliative care network- a $1M increase over FY19- to ensure there is no wait list for these critical services so children and their families have the extra care and support that they need;

•$350 per child clothing allowance to help low-income families meet their basic needs

•$12 million for grants to the Head Start program to maintain access to early education services for low-income families

•$6.5 million for Youth-At-Risk Matching grants, including support for YWCAs, YMCAs and Boys & Girls Clubs

The Senate’s budget also invests in programs and policies to educate, train, and prepare Massachusetts workers in order to provide them with opportunities to grow and succeed.  Opportunity investments include:

•$38.5 million for adult basic education services to improve access to skills and tools necessary to join the workforce

•$15.6 million for summer jobs and work-readiness training for at-risk youth, after adding $1.2M on the floor

•$7 million for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund to connect unemployed and under-employed workers with higher paying jobs

The Senate’s budget maintains the Senate’s commitment to increasing access to quality, affordable housing, investing in low-income housing and homelessness services and supports. Housing investments include:

•$178.7 million for Emergency Assistance Family Shelters

•$110 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP)

•$48.3 million for assistance for homeless individuals

•$30.8 million for the HomeBASE diversion and rapid re-housing programs

•$21 million for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT), including $3M to continue expanding eligibility for individuals in need, including persons with disabilities, seniors, unaccompanied youth

•$5 million for housing and supportive services for unaccompanied homeless youth

The FY 2020 budget furthers regional equity and supports cities and towns by directing significant resources to local and regional aid.  Local investments include:

•$1.129 billion for unrestricted general government aid to support community investments in education, health care, public safety and roads and bridges

•$18 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Council to support local arts, culture and creative economy initiatives

•$18.1 million for local Councils on Aging to strengthen programs and services in senior centers in communities across the state

•$11 million for Shannon Grants, which are distributed to municipalities for youth gang violence prevention

A Conference Committee will now convene to reconcile the differences between the Senate budget and the version passed by the House of Representatives in April. Fiscal Year 2020 begins on July 1, 2019.