In January of 2021, Katrina Jagroop-Gomes, the MGC’s Chief Information Officer, was appointed to the Essex County Commission on the Status of Women (ECCSW), joining a team of eight other women representing the county’s 32 towns.

The ECCSW was established in 2010, and is modeled after the statewide Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW). One of 11 county and regional women’s commissions, the ECCSW was created to “study and report on the status of women and girls in their geographical areas, and to provide permanent and effective voices for women and girls. Each county and regional commission reports its findings annually to MCSW.”

“I was tremendously excited when I found out that I would be joining the Essex County Commission on the Status of Women,” Jagroop-Gomes said. “As a long-time resident and volunteer in Essex County, my focus has always been on young girls and women at risk. Being appointed awards me an opportunity to work directly for the women and young girls of Essex County, a personal passion of mine that’s near and dear to my heart.”

Jagroop-Gomes has served as the MGC’s Chief Information Officer since 2018, managing information technology services (ITS) and gaming technical compliance (GTC). With more than 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, she has worked with business heads to help create strategies to leverage technology in their organizations.

She holds both an MBA in Information Technology from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor’s degree in Management from Suffolk University, was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success, and was one of the recipients of the Massachusetts Excellence in Technology, Leader in Digital Government Award in 2017.

“Being at the MGC has diversified my knowledge and skillsets and has connected me to incredible women in our industry,” Jagroop-Gomes said. “I have the privilege of working with a fantastic, diverse team at the MGC who provides terrific support, encouragement, and feedback to each other. Our strong collaborative spirit will play an essential role in the work expected of me at the ECCSW.”

In her capacity as a volunteer, Jagroop-Gomes will be “studying, reviewing and reporting on the status of women in the county; promoting and facilitating collaboration among local women’s organizations; recommending policies that benefit women to agencies, officers of the state, and local government; and holding fact-finding hearings and other public forums as it may deem necessary.”

“The ECCSW is comprised of a team of women from diverse backgrounds that work collectively towards common goals; having a commitment to teamwork and collaboration will be essential to our collective success,” Jagroop-Gomes said. “I am very excited to begin my journey with my fellow Commissioners, working on programs and policies that benefit our community and potentially the Commonwealth at large.”