Mary Z. Connaughton
Encyclopedia
Mary Zarrilli Connaughton (born Mary Gina Zarrilli August 3, 1960 in Boston
, Massachusetts
) is a former board member of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Connaughton was a candidate for Massachusetts Auditor
in 2010.
candidate for state representative
in the Seventh Middlesex District of Massachusetts
. She lost that open-seat race to then Ashland
School Board member Tom Sannicandro
.
In September 2005, Connaughton was appointed by Governor Mitt Romney
to the board of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. There, Connaughton has gained notoriety as an anti-toll activist for her area, but wanted higher tolls for Boston and Western Massachusetts, appearing on numerous television and radio programs to discuss issues pertaining to the Turnpike.
In January 2010, Connaughton announced the commencement of her campaign for Massachusetts State Auditor as the Republican candidate. The seat was to be vacated by Joe DeNucci
(D), who announced he would retire at the end of his term. She challenged Suzanne Bump (D), the former Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development under Governor Deval Patrick (D), for the Auditor's position. Bump ultimately won the election.
. Additionally, she serves on the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct.
Connaughton held the position of senior manager on the audit staff of Ernst and Young in the Entrepreneurial Services division and was Chief Financial Officer
of the Massachusetts Lottery
. Her other experience includes working as a financial consultant/CPA both independently and for a local firm and being chief financial officer of a privately-held company. She was previously vice-chair of the Framingham Finance Committee and served on the board of directors of Commonwealth Corporation.
Connaughton earned her Master of Business Administration
from Assumption College
in 2009 and a Bachelor of Business Administration
in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts
in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
. She also spent two summers studying English literature
at the Trinity College
, Oxford University Summer Seminar program. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.
in the Brighton
neighborhood of Boston. She lives in Framingham, Massachusetts
with her husband and two children.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
) is a former board member of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Connaughton was a candidate for Massachusetts Auditor
Massachusetts Auditor
The Massachusetts State Auditor is a statewide elected office in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The current auditor is Suzanne Bump.-List of state auditors of Massachusetts:-External links:*...
in 2010.
Political career
Connaughton started her political career in 2004 as a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for state representative
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
in the Seventh Middlesex District of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. She lost that open-seat race to then Ashland
Ashland, Massachusetts
Ashland is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the MetroWest region. The population was 16,593 at the 2010 census.-History:...
School Board member Tom Sannicandro
Tom Sannicandro
Tom Sannicandro is an American attorney and businessman, currently serving as a State Representative in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for Framingham and Ashland, and a leader on civil rights of persons with intellectual disabilities. As Chair of the Ashland School Committee in 2004,...
.
In September 2005, Connaughton was appointed by Governor Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
to the board of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. There, Connaughton has gained notoriety as an anti-toll activist for her area, but wanted higher tolls for Boston and Western Massachusetts, appearing on numerous television and radio programs to discuss issues pertaining to the Turnpike.
In January 2010, Connaughton announced the commencement of her campaign for Massachusetts State Auditor as the Republican candidate. The seat was to be vacated by Joe DeNucci
A. Joseph DeNucci
A. Joseph "Joe" DeNucci is a former middle-weight boxer and former Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.-Early Life and career:...
(D), who announced he would retire at the end of his term. She challenged Suzanne Bump (D), the former Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development under Governor Deval Patrick (D), for the Auditor's position. Bump ultimately won the election.
Professional background
Connaughton is currently a partner in the business development firm of Ascentage Group (formerly Henniker River Group) and an adjunct accounting instructor at Framingham State CollegeFramingham State College
Framingham State University is located in Framingham, Massachusetts, from Boston. It offers undergraduate programs in a range of subjects from Art to Biology to Communication Arts, and graduate programs including MBA, MEd, and MSc...
. Additionally, she serves on the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct.
Connaughton held the position of senior manager on the audit staff of Ernst and Young in the Entrepreneurial Services division and was Chief Financial Officer
Chief financial officer
The chief financial officer or Chief financial and operating officer is a corporate officer primarily responsible for managing the financial risks of the corporation. This officer is also responsible for financial planning and record-keeping, as well as financial reporting to higher management...
of the Massachusetts Lottery
Massachusetts Lottery
The Massachusetts Lottery was established in 1971, following the legalization of gambling by the Massachusetts General Court, the legislature of the Commonwealth...
. Her other experience includes working as a financial consultant/CPA both independently and for a local firm and being chief financial officer of a privately-held company. She was previously vice-chair of the Framingham Finance Committee and served on the board of directors of Commonwealth Corporation.
Connaughton earned her Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from Assumption College
Assumption College
Assumption College is a private, Roman Catholic, liberal arts college located on 185 acres in Worcester, Massachusetts. Assumption has an enrollment of about 2,117 undergraduates...
in 2009 and a Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
. She also spent two summers studying English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
at the Trinity College
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
, Oxford University Summer Seminar program. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Personal life
Connaughton was born at St. Elizabeth's Medical CenterSt. Elizabeth's Medical Center (Boston)
St. Elizabeth's Medical Center is a large medical facility and teaching hospital in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
in the Brighton
Brighton, Boston, Massachusetts
Brighton is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located in the northwest corner of the city. It is named after the town of Brighton in the English city of Brighton and Hove...
neighborhood of Boston. She lives in Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
with her husband and two children.
External links
- Official Campaign Website
- http://www.facebook.com/MaryForAuditor facebook Supporter page