The Malden Gaming District: Lessons in What Government Values in Escape Games
Delivering Game-Changing Immersion
The Malden Gaming District
Lessons in What Government Values in Escape Games
Speaker Session
The Talk
The City of Malden has prioritized cultivating a gaming district to attract visitors. The Mayor and Strategy and Business Development Officer will share what they value and how they work with immersive gaming businesses, and ideas for working with your local officials. At the conclusion of the session, we’ll be heading to Malden to experience the District firsthand.
The Speakers
Mayor Gary Christenson
Mayor Gary Christenson has dedicated himself toward serving the public since high school when he was elected Class President in his junior and senior years. After graduating from Malden High School, he went on to Suffolk University where he achieved a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and later earned a Juris Doctorate at Suffolk University’s Law School.
During that time, Gary worked at the State House where he served as a Budget Analyst and later as the Budget Director for the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office. He also devoted a combined 13 years of elected service to the Malden School Committee and City Council.
Since becoming Mayor in January 2012, Gary has worked in unison with residents and businesses to tackle the many challenges facing the City. He does this by leading by example and he embodies the belief that we are in this together to make our community the best it can be. Gary also believes that communication is critical to a better Malden. He can regularly be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat sharing pictures and videos on the great things happening throughout the city. Finally, he has been committed to fostering an inclusive environment for Malden’s vibrant and diverse community by encouraging citizen engagement and enhancing the delivery of services for all residents.
Kevin Duffy
Kevin Duffy is the Strategy and Business Development Officer for Mayor Gary Christenson in the City of Malden. He serves as a member of the Mayor’s team that sets the city’s strategic direction and is responsible for developing and managing strategic partnerships with business leaders as well as city, state, and federal officials. He has received an MBA with a concentration in Leadership from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Prior to joining the Christenson Administration in 2012, Kevin Duffy has proven to be a versatile operations professional with experience in both the for-profit and non-profit worlds. Previously, Kevin has served as a Director of Operations for a multimillion-dollar health care provider, an Executive Director for a local non-profit, and as a Strategic Consultant to numerous non-profit fundraising efforts and political campaigns. Kevin also worked for the Massachusetts Legislature for eight years in various roles, as well as serving two terms as an elected official himself.
While his total number of hours per week is way down, Kevin is still an active gamer and room escape aficionado.