Alexander Goldstein

Alexander Goldstein

Alexander Goldstein helps Gov.Patrick reach out to Massachusetts residents

Brighton resident Alexander Goldstein is fulfilling a dream that his father had once hoped to achieve himself: Working at the State House.
...
At the mere age of 23, Alexander is already rubbing elbows with the bigwigs on Beacon Hill, where he is the assistant director of interactive media for Gov.
...
"The best thing about my job is that I never know what my day is going to be like," said Alexander, who is a member of Temple Emanuel in Newton."A great idea can be hatched on any given day."In his newly-created position, Goldstein is responsible for producing Patrick's weekly podcasts, as well as designing web-video features on State House policies and initiatives.In February, Goldstein and his team created a video posted on the state's Web site that clearly explains how the governor creates the state budget.It features interviews with Massachusetts' Secretary of Administration and Finance Leslie Kirwan and Undersecretary of Administration and Finance Henry Dormitzer."Alex is great and he brings a lot of passion and energy to helping citizens," said Brad Blake, director of interactive media for the governor.
...
Entering the political arena was a likely step for Alexander, as his father, Howard, noted that his son has been "working on campaigns since before his bar mitzvah."When Howard ran for governor's council in the 1990s, Alexander tirelessly promoted his cause.In between his school work, he spent hours stuffing envelopes, passing out bumper stickers and holding signs often in unpleasant weather. And while Howard lost his campaign, he said he does not have any hard feelings toward his son's quick success in politics."Alex has accomplished more in one year of politics than I have accomplished in 35 years and I am so proud of him," added Howard, 59, who lives in West Newton and works as an attorney."I'm just happy to see him involved in political life because I think it's an important thing for all people to do."First running as a delegate for Patrick's campaign for governor, Alexander quickly rose through the ranks of the administration.Last August, he was appointed as the regional field director for the Deval Patrick for Governor Campaign, in which he coordinated all field operations in Belmont, Brookline and Needham, among other communities.Then, in November, he was chosen to be a staff liaison on the civic engagement working group for the Patrick-Murray Transition Team.Responsible for planning six public hearings on the issue of civic engagement across the state, he later worked with the team's co-chairs to compile a report of the findings for Patrick.Alexander was subsequently offered his current, full-time position by the governor, which he began in January."[He] is an exceptionally good listener," said Patrick in an e-mail to the Advocate."He helped us to reach out to several communities and then helped us to turn people's concerns into actions.Some of their suggestions about how to stay civically engaged led to the continued outreach we do today."While devotion to his job has taken a toll on his social life - he often doesn't have enough time to play rugby or brush up on his improvisational comedy skills any more - it's a sacrifice that Alexander calls worthwhile."It's very rare for someone in their 20s to be doing something that has a meaningful impact on society," Alexander added.