Robert Travaglini

Robert Travaglini
President of the Massachusetts Senate
In office January 1, 2003 – March 19, 2007
Preceded by	Tom Birmingham
Succeeded by	Therese Murray
Member of the Massachusetts Senate from Middlesex and Suffolk 1st district
In office 1992–2007
Preceded by	Michael LoPresti, Jr.
Succeeded by	Anthony Petruccelli
Majority Whip for the Massachusetts Senate
In office 1999–2002
Boston City Councilor from District 1
In office 1984–1992
Preceded by	District Created
Succeeded by	Diane Modica
Personal details
Born	(1952-07-20) July 20, 1952 Massachusetts
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Kelly (née Holtz)
Children	Taylor, Jennifer, and Andrew
Alma mater	Boston State College
Occupation	Politician Lobbyist

Robert Edward Travaglini (born July 20, 1952) is an American politician and lobbyist. From 2003 through 2007, he served as President of the Massachusetts Senate. He represented the first Middlesex and Suffolk senate district, encompassing portions of Boston, Revere, Winthrop, and Cambridge.

Career

Travaglini began his venture into politics as an executive assistant to then Massachusetts Attorney General Francis X. Bellotti from 1975 to 1981 followed by a three-year stint as administrative assistant to Boston's Mayor Kevin White.

After earning experience as an assistant, Travaglini entered the political world in the 1984 election for the Boston City Council. He was successfully elected as the councilor for District 1, and was subsequently re-elected to several two-year terms. He served at this post until 1992, when he was elected to the Massachusetts Senate. In 1999, he moved up in rank to Majority Whip of the Senate.

Travaglini reached the pinnacle of his political career in 2003 when he was elected as President of the Massachusetts Senate. He was the first Italian American to lead either legislative branch in Massachusetts.

He resigned from the Massachusetts Senate position on March 19, 2007, in order to start his own lobbying firm, Travaglini Eisenberg Kiley LLC.

Education

Travaglini attended Savio Preparatory High School in East Boston and then continued on to Boston State College, where he earned a B.S. in Political Science in 1974.

Personal life

Travaglini a lifetime resident of East Boston, now resides in Winthrop, Massachusetts. He is married to Kelly (née Holtz) and has three children, Taylor, Jennifer, and Andrew.

In 2008, Travaglini spent $30,000 on an oil-on-canvas portrait by Boston-based artist Thomas Ouellette, which now hangs in the Senate Reading Room of the Massachusetts State House alongside former Senate Presidents such as Calvin Coolidge and Horace Mann. Only eleven Senate Presidents have portraits in the State House.