Lori A. Ehrlich (born June 9, 1963) is the State Representative for the

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

8th

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

District. Ehrlich won her seat on a March 4, 2008 special election after her predecessor, Doug Petersen, resigned. Peterson was appointed Commissioner of Agriculture by 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 ...

. After completing Petersen's term, Ehrlich went on to win re-election in November 2008. She is Chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Export Development.

Early life and education

The Ehrlich family has lived in the 8th Essex District for three generations. Lori (Litman) Ehrlich was born in

Lynn Lynn may refer to: People and fictional characters * Lynn (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Lynn (surname) * The Lynns, a 1990s American country music duo consisting of twin sisters Peggy and Patsy Lynn * Lynn ( ...

, raised in Marblehead, and schooled in Swampscott. After graduating from Lehigh University in 1985 with a B.S. in accounting, Ehrlich moved back to the 8th Essex District with her husband Bruce and her two daughters, currently 25 and 28. In 2005 she earned a master's degree in Public Administration from

Harvard Kennedy School The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...

. While at Harvard, Ehrlich served as president of the Kennedy School's Energy Caucus. She managed her own CPA practice for over 20 years.

Career

Lori Ehrlich worked for Stavisky, Shapiro and White, an accounting firm in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, from 1985 to 1988 as a staff accountant and tax specialist. From 1988-2008, Ehrlich was self-employed as a certified public accountant, focusing on business consulting and tax planning and preparation. From 2005-2009, she served as President of The Environmental Integrity Project, a

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

-based project of Rockefeller Family Fund. Ehrlich also co-founded two non-profit environmental and energy organizations, Healthlink, Inc. and Wenham Lake Watershed Association. Until her election in 2008, Ehrlich served as HealthLink president, media liaison, political strategist, and spokesperson. As a co-founder of Wenham Lake Watershed Association, she brokered the successful corporate cleanup of a major drinking water source for 80,000 residents on the North Shore of Boston. Beginning January 31, 2022, she became the

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

's Region 1 Director. Ehrlich will oversee emergency management operations for

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

, and

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

Politics

In 2006, Ehrlich became involved in the Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign. She served on the Patrick/Murray Finance Committee as a fund raiser and on the policy team as an energy policy adviser. Ehrlich also served as a delegate for Patrick and Murray at the 2006 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention. Ehrlich has been a vocal opponent of a new power plant being constructed in Sale

after decades of successful advocacy for closure of the old coal plant.

Election

In February 2008, Ehrlich competed for the seat vacated by Doug Petersen. Ehrlich beat Cesar Achilla of Swampscott in the Democratic Primary by 6214 votes to 2899. Ehrlich went on to compete in the March 4 Special Election against Republican John Blaisdell and Independent Mark Barry, both from Marblehead. Ehrlich won the Special Election with 56% of the vote, winning all precincts but one. Blaisdell finished second with 35% of the vote, and Barry in third with 9%. Ehrlich was re-elected in November 2008 with 56.6% of the vote. Republican John Blaisdell came in 2nd with 34.6% and Independent Mark Barry finished 3rd with 8% of the vote. Ehrlich triumphed in all but one of the district's 15 precincts, the exception being Marblehead's 7th precinct where Blaisdell won by 5 votes. For her third term, Ehrlich faced off with a Republican opponent Katherine Kozitza on November 2, 2010. Ehrlich won every precinct in the district to an overall 65% return. She was sworn in on January 5, 2011 to begin her third term and is now serving her sixth term in the Massachusetts legislature.

References

External links