Proudly Serving Lawrence and North Andover

      David M. Torrisi (D-North Andover) represents the 14^th Essex District, which includes parts of Lawrence and North Andover.  Rep. Torrisi was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1998 and is currently serving his sixth term as a legislator. As a member of the House of Representatives, he has most recently served as the Chairman of the Committee on Higher Education.  In this role, Representative Torrisi considered matters concerning the Commonwealth's university, state college and community college systems. Representative Torrisi previously served as the Chairman of the Committee of Labor and Workforce Development. In this capacity, he was actively involved in hosting a statewide Job Growth Listening Tour last session, which focused on hearing the concerns and suggestions of local business leaders and employees.  He was instrumental in drafting comprehensive legislation aimed at improving the state economy while creating an environment in Massachusetts in which businesses can thrive.  Important initiatives that Rep. Torrisi championed in the bill include technical assistance grants to small businesses, recapitalization of the Brownfields Redevelopment Fund, and increased funding for the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program.
 

      Representative Torrisi's background is as diverse as the communities he represents on Beacon Hill.  After graduating from the University of Vermont in 1990, he worked as a child care counselor at a school for emotionally disturbed adolescents.  Later, he took a position with U.S. Representative Marty Meehan (D- Lowell) working as a legislative aide in the Congressman's Washington, Lowell and Lawrence offices.  In April 1996, Representative Torrisi was elected to the North Andover Board of Selectmen.  Shortly after the election, he left Congressman Meehan's office and returned to his family-owned business, Jackson Lumber & Millwork in Lawrence, a place where he had grown up and worked throughout his lifetime.

      Representative Torrisi actively serves on several charitable and community organizations.  He is a member of the Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council, the Holy Family Hospital Men's Guild, and the Sons of Italy, Lodge 902.  He also volunteers for Lazarus House in Lawrence. He graduated from Suffolk Law School in 2004 and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association.