Myrtle Street resident exploring run for lieutenant governor

A business leader, educator, husband and father, as well as a newcomer to politics, Myrtle Street resident Bret Bero is now exploring a run for lieutenant governor.

“As lieutenant governor, I want to be the small business champion, and to me, nothing is more valuable for a community to have or difficult to achieve than a thriving small business base,” said Bero, a Democrat. “I want to be a voice for small businesses, especially as we come out of this unprecedented pandemic that led to the economic meltdown, which has had a particularly devastating effect for small businesses.”

Bero, who earned degrees from Middlebury (Vt.) College and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, embarked on his business career working at Digital Equipment Corporation, which gave him an insider’s perspective on the “Massachusetts Miracle” of the 1980s.  He then spent 31 years as a management consultant and business turnaround leader, advising businesses on how to streamline their operations. Bero has had experience across a wide range of industries, including health care, hospitality, technology, retail, building supplies, environmental services, finance, manufacturing and media.

In 1997, Bero also bought a small, deep-draw metal forming company in Orange, Mass., which he rechristened ECHO Industries, and built into a thriving small business before selling it in 2019.

After his business career, Bero joined the faculty of Babson College in Wellesley, where he currently teaches Strategic Problem Solving, Management Consulting, and Leading Business Turnarounds.

Babson College’s MBA program has been named Number One for entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report for the past 18 consecutive years, and teaching there, said Bero, has allowed him to share his business experience with the next generation of aspiring entrepreneurs. “I believe that entrepreneurship is the greatest force for social good in the world,” he said.

Bero also previously served on the finance committee and the revenue enhancement committee for the town of Carlisle  – valuable experience that, he said, gave him a deep understanding of how small-town budgets work.

“When state government deals with town government, it’s helpful to have someone who understands how small-town budgets work,” he said, “and how the state supports those towns.”

Bero and his wife (as well as his high school sweetheart), Joan, who works as an occupational therapist in Weston public schools, have two adult children and two grandchildren, and after living in the Concord Carlisle area for more than 20 years, they relocated to Myrtle Street in 2016 as empty-nesters.

“As someone who moved into the Beacon Hill neighborhood, I think it’s incredibly special,” said Bero, “and as lieutenant governor, I want to be able to preserve the distinction and uniqueness that it has in Boston.”

As for why he has decided to pursue a career in politics at this time, Bero believes that state government now needs a strong voice for small business as the Commonwealth returns to normalcy.

“Small businesses should have a seat at the table when defining the future of Massachusetts,” he said. “And now coming out of quarantine, Massachusetts is at an inflection point. The decisions we make about the economic recovery, and particularly how we define a new foundation for small business, will help define the character of the Commonwealth for the next decade and beyond.”

Moreover, Bero is also confident he can bring a new and much-needed perspective to the State House.

“There’s never been a need like this before, and I can bring a new and needed perspective to what already exists on Beacon Hill,” said Bero. “We have a lot of people who have deep government experience, but we’re short people who have business experience, particularly small business experience. People who have run a small business know what those issues are.”

To learn more about Bret Bero’s campaign for lieutenant governor, visit Bretbero.com.