Biography

Brian A. Joyce was first elected to the state Senate in a special election in December of 1997 and is currently serving his third term representing Boston, Avon, Randolph, Milton and Canton. Senator Joyce’s district will expand in 2003 to include the towns of Stoughton, West Bridgewater and parts of Sharon, Easton, Braintree, and East Bridgewater. He will continue to represent Canton, Randolph, Milton and Avon in the senate.

Today, Senator Joyce is the Assistant Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means – the Committee that shapes the state budget and votes on all legislation  affecting the Commonwealth’s finances. 

In addition, Senator Joyce is the Senate Vice Chair of the Committee on Banks and Banking, and serves as a member of Senate Committees on Taxation, Public Service, Energy and Government Regulations.  

Prior to joining the State Senate, Senator Joyce served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as the 7^th Norfolk District State Representative for the towns of Milton and Randolph. During his first year in the House, Joyce was elected by his colleagues to be the President of his legislative class, representing 32 newly elected legislators.  

Senator Joyce is the former elected Chairman of the Board of Park Commissioners and the Democratic Town Committee in his hometown of Milton. He continues to serve as an elected Town Meeting Member. 

Senator Joyce has a well-deserved reputation for working hard on behalf of the communities he represents and the people he serves. He secured over $100 million in state aid for Milton to completely rebuild the town’s six schools, prompting the Boston Globe to write that the Senator had secured a “state aid bonanza” for his town. Senator Joyce also worked with his legislative colleagues to secure approximately $80 million to renovate the Ashmont, Shawmut, Savin Hill and Fields Corner Red Line train stations in Dorchester. Additional funds were secured to preserve historic Stetson Hall in Randolph, save open space in Jamaica Plain and along the Neponset River, and address local projects in Avon, Canton and Hyde Park. 

While focusing much of his efforts in the areas of health care, improving education and fiscal discipline, Senator Joyce’s other priorities include preserving the environment, job creation, housing, and public safety. 

A 1984 graduate of the Boston College School of Management and a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Suffolk University Law School where he was an editor of the Law Review, Senator Joyce is a practicing attorney who has taught at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. 

Senator Joyce is also involved in a number of charitable and civic associations. He serves as the Vice President of the Milton Town Club, and is a member of the Randolph Chamber of Commerce, the Neponset River Watershed Association, and the League of Women Voters. He coaches youth hockey and baseball. 

The Senator is the recipient of several awards, including the Eva B. Hester award, given by the Secretary of Elder Affairs to Senator Joyce for his leadership on senior issues; the “No Care Like Home Care Award” from Massachusetts Home Care for his outstanding contributions to seniors; the 2001 Barbara Henry Democrat of the Year Award; and a 1999 Legislative Award from the Massachusetts Coalition of Police for enhancing the “livelihood of all Law Enforcement officers in the Commonwealth.” Senator Joyce was also named “2001 Legislator of the Year” by the Massachusetts Police Association, and was selected by the College Board as a national “2001 Legislative Education Leader” for his efforts to promote educational access, equity, and excellence for all Massachusetts students. Senator Joyce is also a 2002 Marshall Memorial Fellow. 

Senator Joyce and his wife Mary have five children between the ages of 5 and 13-years-old.