New England Council

James Brett serves as the President and CEO of the New England Council – the Nation’s oldest regional business organization representing businesses throughout the six New England states since 1996.

Before joining the Council, James served for more than 15 years as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Throughout his career, James has been an outspoken and tireless advocate for People with Intellectual Disabilities. President Biden appointed him Chairman of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities in 2023. James has been awarded with Papal Honors, being named a Knight of Malta and Knight Grand Cross of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

He is a Trustee of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and a former recipient of the Friends of the Kennedy Library Irishman of the Year award and the Gold Medal Award from the Eire Society of Boston. He is also a recipient of nineteen honorary degrees.

James is a first-generation Irish American with his parents from Tubbercurry, Sligo. He and his wife, Patricia, reside in Boston.