Joseph Charles "Joe" Avellone III, M.D. (born September 29, 1948) is an American medical doctor, businessman, and politician from
Massachusetts. He was a surgeon at
Concord Hospital for four years, selectman for the town of
Wellesley, Massachusetts for six years, and was executive vice president for clinical research services at
PAREXEL International. He unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for the
2014 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
The 2014 Massachusetts gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor of Massachusetts, concurrently with the election of Massachusetts' Class II U.S. Senate seat, and other elections to the United States Senate i ...
. (He declared his candidacy for
Governor of Massachusetts in January, 2013.
)
After completing medical school at
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, Avellone joined the
United States Navy Reserve, earning the rank of lieutenant commander. He later served as health care advisor to
Senator Paul Tsongas
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the eld ...
during the senator's
1992 Presidential Campaign and on the finance committee for then-
Senator John Kerry's 2004 Presidential Campaign. Avellone has also worked as a health care executive since 1991, serving in senior roles in several corporations.
Early life and education
Avellone was born in
Fremont, Ohio, to Joseph C. Avellone II, a surgeon at
Lutheran Hospital in
Cleveland, and Patricia Fox Avellone. He has five siblings.
Avellone moved to
New Hampshire to pursue a bachelor's degree from
Dartmouth College, where he played rugby and was a member of
Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. After completing his undergraduate education in 1970, he attended
Dartmouth Medical School for two years. He enrolled in
Harvard Medical School for his final two years, and went on to earn a master's degree in public administration from the
John F. Kennedy School of Government at
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
.
In 1979, he was named number 3 in
''Time'' magazine's ''50 Faces for the Future'', along with
Bill Clinton,
Paul Tsongas
Paul Efthemios Tsongas (; February 14, 1941 – January 18, 1997) was an American politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate from 1979 until 1985 and in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 until 197 ...
, and
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senator ...
.
Surgical career and military service
After graduation from Harvard Medical School, Avellone did his residency at
Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, now known as Brigham and Women's Hospital. He went on to work as a surgeon at Concord Hospital in
New Hampshire for four years. In 1979, Avellone joined the Navy Reserve as a member of the
Medical Corps.
Avellone is
board certified
Board certification is the process by which a physician or other professional demonstrates a mastery of advanced knowledge and skills through written, practical, or simulator-based testing.
Certification bodies
There are more than 25 boards that ...
in general surgery and is a fellow of the
American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913.American College of Surgeons Online "What is the American College of Surgeons?"/ref>
See also
*American College of Physicians
The American College o ...
.
Health industry career
Following his surgical career, Dr. Avellone has worked as a healthcare executive in the Boston Area. He served as
chief operating officer of
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for seven years. While at Blue Cross, Avellone headed HMO Blue, a
health maintenance organization focused on lowering healthcare costs by limiting fees and coordinating care.
He then worked as
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of biomedical company Veritas Medicine. In 2007 he began working for PAREXEL International, becoming senior vice president for clinical research in 2010, holding that position until October 1, 2013.
He held a small advisory position at PAREXEL.
Political career
Early years
In 1990, Avellone ran successfully for the board of selectmen in the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts. He was sworn in the following year and won reelection five times. During his third term, he served as chairman of the board of selectmen.
Two years after his election, Avellone joined
Senator Paul Tsongas' Presidential Campaign as a Healthcare Advisor. He has worked on the Presidential Campaigns of
John Kerry,
Gary Hart
Gary Warren Hart (''né'' Hartpence; born November 28, 1936) is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was the front-runner for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination until he dropped out amid revelations of extramarital affairs. ...
, and
Edward Kennedy.
2014 Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign
On January 8, 2013, Avellone announced his campaign for
Governor of Massachusetts in 2014 when incumbent governor
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick (born July 31, 1956) is an American politician, civil rights lawyer, author, and businessman who served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He was first elected in 2006, succeeding Mitt Romney, who ...
retires.
At the state party convention on June 14, 2014, Avellone failed to receive the 15% of delegate votes required to make the primary ballot.
Personal life
Avellone married Sandy Nabhan in 1975. Joe and Sandy currently live in Wellesley, Massachusetts. They have three children.
References
External links
*
* https://web.archive.org/web/20130809144626/http://www.avelloneforgovernor.com/ – Campaign website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Avellone, Joseph
1948 births
Living people
21st-century American politicians
American health care chief executives
American surgeons
Businesspeople from Massachusetts
Businesspeople from Ohio
Candidates in the 2014 United States elections
Harvard Kennedy School alumni
Harvard Medical School alumni
Massachusetts Democrats
Massachusetts local politicians
People from Fremont, Ohio
Dartmouth College alumni missing graduation year