Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced the appointment of John Barros, Walsh’s challenger in the election, as chief of his economic development cabinet.

"John shares my belief that we have to do more than better organize our efforts – we have to ensure those efforts lead to more opportunities for all of Boston’s residents and business owners," Walsh said in a statement. "Boston’s economy is in a good position, but we can do better. With John, our job creators, and our communities all working together, we will create more economic opportunities throughout our city and take Boston to the next level."

In his role, Barros will focus on fostering economic development in all of Boston’s neighborhoods through marketing Boston on a national and international scale; ensuring access to employment, pathways to careers, and strong job growth; streamlining licensing and permitting processes; and supporting small businesses, particularly women- and minority-owned businesses.

Barros is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where he studied economics and African/African-American studies. During his time there, Barros was accepted into an executive training internship and placed at Chubb Group of Insurance Cos., where he worked full-time following his graduation. At Chubb, Barros helped underwrite initial public offerings for dot-com startups, supporting new business growth.

Barros is a member of the 2005 Fellows class in the South African-United States Center for Leadership and Public Values and is a 2007 Barr Foundation Fellow. He has served on the community advisory board for Northeastern University’s Race and Justice Institute and the board of the New Democracy Coalition, and was elected co-chairperson of the Center for Community Builders, a national practitioner network. He was a member of the Aspen Institute’s Roundtable on Community Change. He is also a member of the Skillman Foundation Board of Trustees Program Committee, based out of Detroit, with a special focus in neighborhood revitalization.