Adam Chapdelaine, MBA

LecturerPhoto of Adam Chapdelaine

Expertise:

Public Finance, Urban Infrastructure, Sustainability Leadership

Education:

MBA, Suffolk University
BA, Political Science, UMass Dartmouth

Courses:

UA 509: Public Finance and Urban Infrastructure

Biography:

In July 2023, Adam Chapdelaine was appointed Executive Director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA). Adam previously served as the Deputy Director of the Boston Green Ribbon Commission (GRC). In this role, he worked to structure and execute strategies to help advance Boston in its commitment to decarbonize energy and build climate resiliency.

Before working at the GRC, Adam spent 10 years of his career as Town Manager for the Town of Arlington and served as the Deputy Town Manager for two years before that. Prior to his work in Arlington, he served as City Administrator for the City of Fall River and held multiple staff roles in the office of former State Senator Joan Menard. 

    During his tenure in Arlington, Adam assumed leadership roles with local and regional advocacy groups. In 2021 he served as the President of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and he also led Arlington to join the Metro Mayors Coalition several years ago. Since then, he has been an active participant in the coalition’s work on climate, housing, and youth violence prevention. 

    During his tenure with the Town of Arlington, Adam worked tirelessly to make the Town a leader on climate mitigation and resilience. The creation and adoption of Arlington’s Net Zero Action Plan in 2021 culminates years of work on climate and sustainability issues, including solar PV installations, energy-efficient investments, municipal fleet electrification, and resilience planning and project implementation. A cardinal mitigation project currently underway thanks to his leadership is the new 400,000 sq. ft. Arlington High School – designed to be fully electric and net-zero ready, the project supports students’ health and well-being and creates new learning opportunities.  

    Adam has earned an Executive Education certificate in Sustainability Leadership from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.  Adam lives with his wife, Rita, in Dedham with their two children.

    Contact Information:

    Phone: (617) 358-4637
    Email: adamchap@bu.edu