The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority board on Friday voted unanimously to hire former top City Hall aide John Barros to run the quasi-public agency as its interim executive director and bring some stability after two leadership shakeups there.
Starting on Jan. 14, Barros will lead a 400-person organization that operates three convention centers in Boston and Springfield as well as the Boston Common parking garage. He served as chief of economic development for then-mayor Marty Walsh from 2014 through 2021, before launching an unsuccessful bid for mayor, and has been working in commercial real estate since leaving City Hall. (Barros also ran for mayor in 2013, and led the nonprofit Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative before that.)
“A lot of our economic ecosystem of the state depends on tourism, and the MCCA is a big part of the infrastructure for that part of the economy,” Barros said in an interview. “I’m excited to help support the growth of jobs, [including] small businesses that are tied to tourism.”
Barros will earn a $330,000 salary leading the MCCA — the same pay level as his predecessor in the job, Marcel Vernon, who left in December amid disagreements with the board.
Vernon was hired in October 2024 after a lengthy search process that followed board clashes with previous executive director David Gibbons in 2023. Former Bentley University president Gloria Larson stepped in to take over on an interim basis after Gibbons left.
Governor Maura Healey, who controls the majority of the MCCA’s board seats, credited Barros’s “experienced and strategic leadership” in a prepared statement.
Board members praised Barros during their brief meeting on Friday, held remotely via Teams. Many know Barros from his time in the Walsh administration.
“I think his positive attitude will be really great for unifying the staff at the MCCA,” said board member Cindy Brown, chief executive of Boston Duck Tours.
Board member Sheena Collier, founder of Boston While Black, added: “He’s someone that will provide some needed stability.”
Walsh, in an interview, said Barros was a strong ambassador for Boston during his time in City Hall.
“He was out there recruiting companies to come to the city,” Walsh said. “This is right up his alley. ... You have to have that personality to be able to attract large-scale shows. You want to be able to sell your area, and John can do that.”
Leading the MCCA also means outreach to the neighborhoods, particularly South Boston, home to the flagship Menino Convention & Exhibition Center. State Senator Nick Collins, who hails from South Boston, praised Barros’s experience and reputation in Boston’s public and private sectors. “I think he’s a strong leader,” Collins said.
One of the biggest challenges facing the MCCA: addressing issues regarding diversity raised in a 2023 report by law firm Prince Lobel Tye. It showed the authority falling short in its hiring and promotion of minority candidates, and in its work with small businesses owned by people of color.
Vernon, who is Black, was charged with addressing those issues. Now, that challenge will fall to Barros, the son of Cape Verdean immigrants.
State Senator Liz Miranda, who grew up in the Dudley neighborhood with Barros, is confident he is up for the task, partly because of his roots in the city. She hopes Barros gets to stay for longer than the current interim appointment of one year, to make more lasting changes.
“We’ve gone through three directors in three years,” Miranda said. “That’s not good for any agency or any organization.”
Miranda co-chairs the Legislature’s equity and inclusion committee, which is scheduled to hold a hearing at the State House to discuss the MCCA’s progress on the supplier diversity and HR issues on Jan. 20. It’s important, she said, for state lawmakers to monitor these issues.
While Barros said he’s eager to get working with the board members, it’s too early to say whether he would want to stay beyond the year appointment.
“We need to be clear on what they want to focus on during this interim period,” Barros said. “I look forward to discussing [the board’s] timeframes and priorities.”
Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him @jonchesto.