Legal eagle hired for gaming enforcement post
A woman with experience as a prosecutor and as a top public safety administrator has been picked to lead the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Investigations and Enforcement Bureau.
On Thursday, the commission voted unanimously to hire Karen Wells, undersecretary to the state Executive Office of Public Safety, to lead the bureau charged with enforcing the regulations at Bay State casinos. She is scheduled to begin as director of the bureau Jan. 28 and will report to the commission's executive director, who has not yet been hired.
Wells is a former assistant attorney general and worked as a prosecutor in the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office.
In recommending Wells for the job, Commissioner Gayle Cameron said Wells brings two decades of experience that includes investigating and prosecuting high-level criminal cases in areas such as narcotics, corruption and fraudulent schemes. She also has regulatory experience and relationships with law enforcement organizations at the local and state levels.
"Those three skill sets make her uniquely qualified for the position," Cameron said.
Wells described herself as being "tough but reasonable" and someone who would push for strict regulatory standards. "The people of Massachusetts expect this will be an honest and aboveboard process," she said.
As for bureau employees, Wells said she would look for intelligent, diligent and "extremely ethical" candidates.
Wells was one of 54 applicants for the post and one of four finalists interviewed by Cameron and a panel of law enforcement experts who unanimously recommended her for the job.
Her appointment comes on the heels of Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's appointment of Patrick Hanley as chief of the Gaming Enforcement Division for her office.
Wells will work cooperatively with Hanley, but their roles are different, officials said. Wells job is centered on enforcing regulations, while Hanley's role leans toward criminal prosecution.
Chairman Stephen Crosby said one of the challenges for Wells will be to avoid law enforcement "turf wars."
"One of the strengths I bring to this job is my ability to collaborate and to get to know people who are working in this business," she said. "Communication is critical in any kind of enforcement operation so that you're not duplicating efforts, you're being efficient."
Wells is a graduate of Colgate University and the Boston University School of Law, according to information provided by the commission. She was earning $128,750 at the Executive Office of Public Safety and her starting salary at the commission is $145,000, spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said.
Her appointment comes as the commission is just days away from a deadline for casino developers to apply to be prequalified for two of the resort casino licenses and the slot parlor license. Four companies have submitted the $400,000 application fee and three of those companies have also provided the necessary paperwork for background checks, Cameron said.
The commission is expecting a flurry of activity as Tuesday's deadline draws near, she said.
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