Michael A. Costello
Encyclopedia
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
, who represents the first district of Essex County, Massachusetts
Essex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge* Salem Maritime National Historic Site* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
. Costello graduated from Salem State University in 1989 with a Bachelors of Science
Bachelors Of Science
Bachelors of Science is the stage name of Phil "Rene", Chris and Lukeino. They met in California and formed a successful act, quickly becoming one of the top drum and bass producers in the electronic music scene...
, and from Suffolk University Law School
Suffolk University Law School
Suffolk University Law School, also known as Suffolk Law School or SULS, is one of the professional graduate schools of Suffolk University. Suffolk University Law School is a private, non-sectarian, law school located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. Suffolk University Law School was founded in...
with his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1996. Costello has been serving in the House since 2003.
Education
Costello has dedicated his career to public service. While he was a student at Salem State College (now Salem State University), Costello spent three years organizing and leading a program that resulted in student's building desperately needed housing for some of the poorest Americans living in AppalachiaAppalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
. He also spent a summer working as an intern in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
Costello graduated cum laude from Salem State and went to work as a lay volunteer for the Catholic Diocese of St. Thomas
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Thomas
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Thomas is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Caribbean. The diocese comprises the overseas dependency of the Virgin Islands specifically the islands Saint Thomas, Saint Croix and Saint John. The diocese is a suffragan of the...
. Later, he served as the Program Director for the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Association of Boston
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...
. While attending Suffolk University Law School, Costello earned academic honors and worked for New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
's Office of the Public Defender.
Early career
After earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1996, Costello worked for Essex County District Attorney Kevin Burke. As an Assistant District Attorney, Costello prosecuted hundreds of cases involving the possession and distribution of drugs, domestic violence, assault and battery and robbery.Costello was elected to the Newburyport
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
City Council as a councilor-at-large in 1997 and, a year later, became Field Director for Congressman John F. Tierney
John F. Tierney
John F. Tierney is the United States representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party and an advocate for liberal policies and government oversight. A former attorney, he has served since 1997....
's (D-Salem
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
) campaign. Following Congressman Tierney's successful election, Costello worked as the Chief of Staff for State Senator Joan Menard
Joan Menard
Joan M. Menard is a retired American politician who currently serves as the vice president for work force development, lifelong learning, grant development and external affairs at Bristol Community College....
(D-Somerset
Somerset, Massachusetts
Somerset is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,234 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace and hometown of Clifford Milburn Holland , the chief engineer and namesake of the Holland Tunnel in New York City....
), former Chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.
State legislator
Costello was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2002. He serves the First Essex District, which includes the cities of NewburyportNewburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
and Amesbury
Amesbury, Massachusetts
Amesbury is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Though it officially became a city in 1996, its formal name remains "The Town of Amesbury." In 1890, 9798 people lived in Amesbury; in 1900, 9473; in 1910, 9894; in 1920, 10,036; and in 1940, 10,862. The population was 16,283 at...
and the town of Salisbury
Salisbury, Massachusetts
Salisbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,827 at the 2000 census. The community is a popular summer resort beach town situated on the Atlantic Ocean north of Boston on the New Hampshire border....
.
During his first term, Costello served on the Joint Committees on Banks and Banking and Insurance. He appeared on the Pat Whitley Radio Show and on New England Cable News
New England Cable News
New England Cable News is a regional 24-hour cable news television network owned and operated by NBCUniversal serving the New England region of the United States. It is very similar to CNN in structure and style, but focuses more on regional news. The channel is also similar to Northwest Cable...
with Chet Curtis to discuss insurance issues and the Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
merger with Fleet Bank. He now serves as the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security and is a member of the Democratic leadership team in the House.
In his role as Chairman, Costello has taken a leading role on many critical public safety issues. He was one of the lead sponsors of sweeping identity theft legislation designed to safeguard consumer's information and signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
last year. He is a member of the Governor's Anti-Crime Council, which discusses critical issues like gang violence and the spread of assault weapons. He served on the Governor's CORI Reform Commission, which helped author legislation that will provide meaningful opportunities for people seeking to transition back into society. In a similar capacity, he was just named the National Chair of American Bar Association's Re-entry and Collateral Consequences Committee. In 2007, the Massachusetts Bar Association named Costello its Legislator of the Year.
Within his district, Costello has helped sustain many of the valuable organizations that provide critical social services in the region, including the Newburyport YWCA, the Pettengill House, the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Merrimack Valley
Merrimack Valley
The Merrimack Valley is a bi-state region along the Merrimack River in the states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, United States. The Merrimack is one of the larger waterways in the New England region and has helped define the livelihood and culture of those living along it since native...
, the Newburyport Learning Enrichment Center and the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center. He has also worked hard to preserve the natural environment and historic resources that make the 1st Essex District such a beautiful place to live.
Costello is a member of the Board of Directors for the Essex County Bar Association and is of Counsel
Of counsel
Of counsel is often the title of an attorney who is employed by a law firm or an organization, but is not an associate or a partner. Some firms use titles like "counsel," "special counsel," and "senior counsel" for the same concept...
to Andrews and Updergraph Law Firm of Salem.
Family
Costello is the son of former State Senator Nicholas Costello and Cynthia Costello. He is married to Kerrin D'Archangelo of MassachusettsHaverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
, and they live in Newburyport with their daughter and son.