One of the first people Encore Boston Harbor hired to pound the pavement for the resort casino was John Tocco, and the long-time community relations expert announced this week he is leaving his role at Encore Boston Harbor to pursue private consulting.
Tocco said he plans to work with his wife and their consulting practice, which has grown substantially since he left years ago to take the job with Encore.
“I look forward to supporting my wife and her team grow A10 Associates into a nationally-recognized Government Relation firm,” he said. “Additionally, I am excited to continue to work with…regional elected officials to bring new investment to the region and realize the vison that we have all worked so hard to create. As we said during the campaign, ‘It’s Our Time’ and I look forward to working closely with the community to achieve this dream.”
One of the clients he will be working with initially is Vineyard Wind, a project for wind power off of Cape Cod.
Tocco advocated for the project early on in Charlestown and Everett, helping to create grass-roots support groups.
Outside of Everett, Tocco was often the face of the resort during contentious meetings in Charlestown and Somerville. He was a well-known figure in Charlestown during discussions about the jobs and traffic aspects of the resort.
State Sen. Sal DiDomenico said Tocco was crucial for getting the resort off the ground, and wished him the best.
“John Tocco has been instrumental in the development and opening of the Encore Resort,” said DiDomenico. “He is a true professional who fully integrates himself into the community and he has a passion to bring all parties together to reach a solution. I am proud to call him a friend and we were fortunate to have him on this project from beginning to end. This is a loss for us today, but I know he will continue to be a part of our community going forward and I wish him and his family all the best in this next chapter.”
Tocco said he was thankful to have worked with everyone while with Encore, including Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, City Councilors in Everett and Boston, Chelsea City Manager Tom Ambrosino, Charlestown State Rep. Dan Ryan, Everett State Rep. Joe McGonagle, and State Sen. Sal DiDomenico – among others.
“Seven years on this project is like a doctorate in development,” he said. “I think it’s simply the turning to a new chapter.”