Jim Brett never forgot his roots, a lesson he learned from his mother, MaryAnn Brett, who emigrated from Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo, to Boston in the 1940s.
Throughout his career in both business and politics, Brett remained true to the values learned from his late parents, and his close Irish family.
A first-generation Irish American, he is the president and CEO of the nation’s oldest regional business organization, The New England Council. The Council recently marked a century promoting economic development and a high quality of life in the region.
Brett has led the Council since 1996. Prior to that, he served as a Massachusetts state representative for 16 years.
But Jim’s story of serving the community, and his civic and cultural pride did not begin with his career path. His values were instilled in childhood. His life’s work, he says, is guided by and rooted in the values he learned from his parents who emigrated from Sligo.
Hard work, support for family, and service to the larger community were the pillars that shaped his world view. “Like so many Irish immigrants, my parents came to Boston to build a family and create a life of opportunities for their children," explains Brett. "They gave us such a great foundation to enable us to contribute to our community."
The Bretts settled in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. Jim, the youngest of six children, saw his parents work hard to make ends meet. Growing up in Dorchester, it’s easy to understand his affinity for politics. His first job was delivering newspapers. He soon wanted to do more to help people in the community. Eventually, he found opportunities in government.
While his mother taught him the value of work and giving back to the community, she also instilled in Jim, and his siblings, the importance of caring for their oldest brother, Jack, who had developmental disabilities. Jim also made it his life’s mission to help his brother and extended that effort to help the broader community of people with disabilities.
His entrée into politics as a state representative gave him the opportunity to do just that. He focused on many legislative priorities including advocating for people with disabilities, seniors, and people in need.
“Many people with disabilities do not have a voice in the public arena,” Brett said. “My late brother Jack always inspired me. I wanted to be a voice for those who are often overlooked.”
He is currently Chairman of the Governor’s Commission on Intellectual Disability, and Chairman of the Massachusetts Disabled Persons Protection Commission. On a national level, Brett is the former chairman of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, a post he served under several presidents: George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joseph Biden. He is also the former vice chair of the National Council on Disability.
A new opportunity presented itself in 1996 at The New England Council. The Council has hundreds of members including large and small companies, institutions of higher education, hospitals, non-profits and organizations. The Council, with offices in Boston and D.C., advocates for policies impacting the region and engages with the congressional delegation as well as federal agencies on key issues.
In all his work, Jim keeps his mother’s life lessons close to his heart, he says, and tries to exemplify his Irish heritage in his commitment to family, faith, and community. “I believe all of the success I have had over the years has been shaped by the values instilled in me by my mother and family,” he said.
“Living in Dorchester, we see every day the power of community in action. When people pull together and support each other, everyone is elevated,” Brett adds. “The immigrant experience continues to be a powerful example of what makes us strong as a community and underscores the unlimited potential for opportunity that exists in America.”
