BOSTON – Gregory T. Torres has been named the next President & CEO of the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC). MassINC co-chairs Gloria Larson and Peter Meade announced the appointment this morning.

With more than three decades of work in government and social services, Torres brings extensive public policy expertise to the leadership role of MassINC. He is currently chairman of The MENTOR Network, a Boston-based company that provides an array of community-based human services through programs across the United States. He had previously served as that organization’s CEO and, before that, as chief of staff for the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

“Greg Torres has the policy, government, and executive expertise that we need at the helm of MassINC,” said Larson. “His uncommon depth of experience in those areas makes him singularly qualified to lead such a unique organization. Moreover, he has a keen appreciation of the MassINC mission and how it fits within the public policy process.”

As President & CEO of MassINC, Torres will oversee all operations and strategic planning for the organization’s work in research, journalism, and civic programs. In addition, he will serve as publisher of CommonWealth magazine, the independent MassINC journal of politics, ideas, and civic life in Massachusetts. He will start at MassINC in late June.

“MassINC has become a remarkably effective institution,” Torres said. “Watching the organization mature over the past ten years, I’ve been impressed by the quality and depth of its work and its unique ability to enlist all sides in addressing the problems we face. I’m excited about the opportunity to help move MassINC forward as it takes on new and even bigger challenges.”

In addition to his work with The MENTOR Network and the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Torres has held a range of government posts including: assistant secretary for criminal justice and criminal justice policy analyst in the state Executive Office of Human Services, staff director for the Special Senate Committee to Investigate the Department of Mental Health, and juvenile justice specialist with the Massachusetts Committee on Criminal Justice. He began his career counseling youth with nonprofit social service agencies in Boston and Cambridge.

“Greg is an exceptional match for the job,” said Meade. “His proven grasp of the issues in context with the larger picture, along with his seasoned management style and commitment to public service, make him the right person to lead MassINC into its second decade. The board is delighted that he is taking on this responsibility with characteristic enthusiasm.”

In addition to his professional responsibilities, Torres is currently board president of ROCA, Inc. and chairman of The MENTOR Network Charitable Foundation. He holds an MPA (Master’s in Public Administration) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a BA from St. Vincent’s College.

Torres succeeds Ian Bowles, who left MassINC in January to become state secretary of energy and environmental affairs.

About MassINC

MassINC (The Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth) is a nonpartisan, evidence-based organization. Its mission is to develop a public agenda for Massachusetts that promotes the growth and vitality of the middle class. Its governing philosophy is rooted in the ideals embodied in the American Dream: equality of opportunity, personal responsibility, and a strong commonwealth.