Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Speaking at the Women Elected Municipal Officials luncheon during the MMA’s Annual Meeting on Jan. 25, U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said collaboration with local government is key for her to be successful.
As the chief federal law enforcement officer for the state, Ortiz views her two main roles as protecting people’s rights and defending the government. On issues ranging from terrorism to national security to economic crimes, Ortiz described herself as “having the highest commitment to justice.”
Governments on all levels face the challenge of stretched resources, she said. She stressed that local law enforcement agencies and officials can help federal law enforcement in many ways, such as assisting with investigations and negotiations with criminals, and being educated about emerging problems like human trafficking, identity theft and disability rights.
Help from local law enforcement is necessary in order to deal effectively with human trafficking, which has been increasing in Massachusetts, Ortiz said. Local police are typically the first on the scene and can look for signs of human trafficking, like young kids with drug habits and runaway cases.
“They’re going to see certain suspicious activity and conduct,” she said. “They are our eyes on the street.”
Ortiz asked the more than 200 local officials in the room to contact their police departments and ask what they can do to help.
In the civil arena, Ortiz works with the Labor Department and local officials to ensure that the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act is enforced throughout the state. The act requires employers to promptly re-employ returning service members in the positions they would have held if their employment had not been interrupted by military service.
It’s vital, she said, to level the playing field and ensure that service members have access to employment when they come home.
“We want to work with leaders and business in cities and towns,” she said.
Nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2009, Ortiz is the first woman and first Hispanic to serve as U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts.
“The fact is not lost on me,” Ortiz said. “I saw it as an opportunity to excel, break down barriers and hopefully make a difference.”
A self-described “girl from New York City,” Ortiz grew up in a housing project in Spanish Harlem with few female mentors in the legal profession to look up to. She credits her high school counselors and college professors for encouraging her to pursue her dream of a career in the law.
Ortiz stressed the importance of mentorship among women in the public sector.
“You are the leaders in your communities,” she said. “You need to mentor those who want to follow in your footsteps.”
Before becoming U.S. Attorney, Ortiz had interned in the U.S. Justice Department, was a member of Harvard Law School’s Center for Criminal Justice, and served as a Middlesex County prosecutor.