Biographical Sketch for David D’Arcangelo (Pronounced Dark-Angelo)

Legally blind from a young age, David D’Arcangelo has built successful careers in both
the public and private sectors and now serves the Baker-Polito Administration as the
Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind.
David is passionate about improving the human condition by enhancing access and
opportunity for persons with disabilities. He has worked to bring about positive change
across Massachusetts and the nation through his involvement with several significant
public policy initiatives.
Previously, served three terms as a Malden City Councilor At Large and was one of very
few elected officials in Massachusetts to openly serve as a person with a disability.
David’s extensive experience in government and public policy includes serving the
Administrations of four Governors and as an aide in the Massachusetts State Legislature.
David may be the first person to reach a statewide ballot in Massachusetts who self-
identified their disability when he became the 2014 Republican Nominee for Secretary of
State.
Immediately prior to being Commissioner of MCB, David was Director of the
Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD), which is the state agency that serves as the
Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator for the Executive Branch of state government.
As Director of MOD, David worked to establish several new events and initiatives. These
include MOD’s annual Disability Summit, Disability Mentoring Week, Breaking Barriers
Juried Art Competition & Exhibit, Municipal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Improvement Grant Program, creating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the
Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development and serving as a
catalyst for Massachusetts becoming the first state to emulate the federal 503 Utilization
Goal, which endeavors to have state government contractors employ more people with
disabilities.
David also served on the national “Work Matters” Task Force, which designed a
framework for states to use in workforce development for people with disabilities. As a
member of the task force, David served as Co-Chair of the Transportation, Technology &
Other Employment Supports Subcommittee and has been a panelist for the Council on
State Government’s Work Matter’s breakout sessions across the country. Additionally,
David has also presented at the National ADA Symposium, the American Enterprise
Institute, the National Governor’s Association State Learning Lab and numerous other
conferences, meetings and events.
David also has extensive experience within non-profit leadership, including having served
on the Board of Directors for the Arc of Middlesex East, Board of Directors for Resource
Partnership, and the Board of Directors for Tailored for Success. David has also served
in many other charitable and leadership positions, including Past President of the Malden
Rotary Club, member and former Chair of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
Rehabilitation Council, member of the Braille Literacy Advisory Council, and as an
Election Officer for the City of Boston.
David is a graduate of Suffolk University, where he has served as an adjunct faculty
member in the Communications and Journalism Department. David lives in Malden with
his wife Lisa and their daughter, who is on the Autism Spectrum.