I have had the opportunity to work with Speaker DeLeo on many complex issues over the years, and have always found him to be sharply focused on how a new policy or law would affect Main Streets and neighborhoods in every region of the state. He recognized that Massachusetts was not just one economy but a collection of regional economies with different needs and opportunities. I think that is why he has been an especially good friend to UMass as he recognized how important the state’s only public research university is to the prosperity of every region of the Commonwealth.