After 46 years at the Boston Municipal Research Bureau and 36 years as President, Sam Tyler today announced he will retire from the Research Bureau on March 7, 2019, the date of its Annual Meeting. At that meeting, Pam Kocher, who has served as the Research Bureau’s Vice President of Policy and Research for the past two years, will be elected President.
“Under Sam’s leadership, the Research Bureau has played a dominant role in promoting responsible and efficient government for Boston and being a catalyst for needed change,” said Tom Samoluk, Chairman of the Research Bureau and Vice President & Counsel of John Hancock. “The Research Bureau and the City of Boston have benefited greatly from Sam’s leadership and dogged advocacy over the past forty-six years for which we are most grateful.”
Sam was also responsible for the establishment of the Research Bureau’s two annual signature events: its Annual Meeting with the Mayor presenting his yearly address to the Boston business community; and the Shattuck Awards to honor the dedicated service of exceptional city employees and a business leader and nonprofit leader for their contributions to the Boston community.
“I step down as President with the satisfaction of knowing that the Research Bureau has made an important difference in the City of Boston over a wide range of city issues,” said Tyler. “I am proud of all that has been achieved by the Research Bureau during my tenure, and I thank the Directors and staff for their commitment to the organization.”
The Research Bureau is a one of a kind think tank, policy institute, and civic action generator in Boston. “The Bureau’s excellence is based on trust, and for several decades Sam Tyler has been at the heart of creating that trust,” said Cathy Minehan, Managing Director of Arlington Advisory Partners and former President of the Boston Federal Reserve Bank.
“He is knowledgeable in the extreme, measured in his approach, and always principled in his actions.”
Minehan continued, “For one, the Shattuck Awards will always be a reminder of the devotion Sam has to the unsung heroes in city government that make Boston the special city that it is.”
The Research Bureau has received local and national recognition for the quality and policy impact of its research on issues important to Boston. During Sam’s years as President, the Research Bureau received eight national awards from the Governmental Research Association for Special Achievement or Most Effective Research.
“Sam has been an extraordinary leader of the Research Bureau for 36 years,” said John Drew, Chairman of The Drew Company. “In this time, he has made the Research Bureau a trusted analyst of Boston’s public policy, developing a strong working relationship with multiple Boston mayors and city councilors. He has offered fair, objective, and balanced insight into tax, education and housing policies key to the city’s growth. His insight has played a major role in helping Boston become the strong, vibrant city it is today.”
Editor’s Notes: Originally published as a press release by the Boston Municipal Research Bureau.