BOSTON (WWLP) – Governor Maura Healey is still rounding out her cabinet and state-wide positions.

Healey announced last week an interim state police colonel and a veteran’s services secretary. Lieutenant Colonel John E. Mawn, Jr. of the Massachusetts State Police will be serving as the interim colonel of the department until Healey names a permanent replacement.

Mawn is a 30-year veteran of the Massachusetts State Police and most recently has been serving as the Commander of the Division of Investigative Services. Mawn took the initiative of launching new training, increasing police accountability, and reporting diversity statistics. Mawn is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and holds degrees in criminal justice.

“Lieutenant Colonel Mawn is an accomplished leader with 30 years of experience at the Massachusetts State Police,” said Governor Maura T. Healey. “We are grateful for his public service and know he has the commitment and skills to provide steady leadership during this transition period.” 

“I am confident that the Commonwealth and the Massachusetts State Police will be well-served by Lieutenant Colonel Mawn,” said Lieutenant Governor Kimberley Driscoll. “We appreciate Lieutenant Colonel Mawn’s willingness to accept this responsibility as we establish a plan to identify the Department’s future leadership.”   

“As a veteran member of the Massachusetts State Police, Lieutenant Colonel Mawn has earned the respect of his colleagues through his meaningful contributions to the Department’s professionalism and police services,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence M. Reidy. “I know that his work ethic, expertise, and leadership skills will steadily guide the Department forward while the process to identify a permanent successor is underway.” 

“I want to thank the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their confidence in me and the opportunity to serve,” said incoming Interim Colonel Mawn. “I look forward to building upon the Department’s steadfast efforts to enhance public safety, implement reforms that foster public trust, and adopt innovations that strengthen our ability to provide the highest levels of policing services to residents and visitors across the Commonwealth.” 

As for the Veteran Services Secretary, Representative Jon Santiago of Boston will be filling that role. The position was created under a 2022 reform law. Santiago will be tasked with overseeing the two soldiers’ homes in Chelsea and Holyoke.

In a statement to 22News, Santiago said, “Our veterans deserve the absolute highest quality of care, but they are far too often underserved. I look forward to the opportunity to continue my own service as Secretary of Veterans’ Services.”

Santiago became a state representative in 2019 and is currently a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve and an emergency medicine physician at Boston Medical Center.

Now, as for Healey’s Housing Secretary, they might not be named until the summer.