CMK
DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
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Gerry Kavanaugh
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Gerry Kavanaugh has a wide breadth of knowledge in economic development, real estate development and finance, local, state, and federal policy, and institutional master planning.
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Gerry was educated and trained as a city planner, achieving a Master’s Degree in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, Gerry spent a decade in city planning for the cities of Keene, New Hampshire, Quincy, Massachusetts, and Salem, Massachusetts. Gerry then spent five years as the Assistant Director for Institutional Planning and Chief of Staff at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and oversaw the development of five million square feet of new space.
Gerry then moved to Washington, DC to work for the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, first as his Economic Policy Advisor, and later as his Chief of Staff. In these roles, Gerry led all economic development efforts with Massachusetts businesses, universities, and hospitals. Gerry then started a number of successful businesses, including Higher Education Partners, which provided financing to community colleges for the expansion of their facilities and programs. Gerry served as the Senior Vice Chancellor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
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Gerry and his wife Colleen founded SouthCoast Connected, a non-profit that runs after school programs for disadvantaged students in New Bedford’s three middle schools. Gerry is also Chair of the New Bedford YMCA’s Capital Campaign, Chairman of the City’s Regeneration Committee, and serves on eight other local boards and committees. Gerry obtained a Doctorate Degree in Higher Education Administration at Northeastern University. He is expected to complete his dissertation in 2018. Gerry and Colleen live in New Bedford, Massachusetts. They have two grown children, Gordon and Casey.