(Additional photograph below.)
Two area women with long histories of elected public service formally started their new roles with the start of the new year.
Eileen R. Duff, who served as 5th District governor’s councilor from 2013 to the end of 2024, was sworn in as Wednesday as Southern Essex Register of Deeds, while former Methuen City Council Eunice D. Zeigler was sworn in Thursday to take Duff’s place on the Governor’s Council. Both women won election in November to the posts.
Gov. Maura T. Healey welcomed the new Governor’s Council in the House Chambers before a joint session of the Senate and House. Noting their constitutional duties to screen and approve the governor’s appointments of judges, among other responsibilities, Healey said councilors fulfill a “critically important role.” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, the Council’s ex-officio member, explained the significance of the job.
“In the last two years, we’ve confirmed 50 judges, including 38 last year alone; two on the Supreme Judicial Court; and the chief justice of the Appeals Court—meaningful work that will really carry on generations of insuring that we have the right sort of lived experience and commitment and professional experience to lead these efforts,” she said.
Sen. President Karen E. Spilka administered the oath of office to the eight elected councilors.
A day earlier, Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin swore in the new and re-elected registers of deeds six-year terms who run the 21 local state registries charged with recording property transfers. Among those sworn in were Duff, who succeeded former Register John L. O’Brien at the Southern Essex Register of Deeds in Salem, and M. Paul Iannuccillo, register of the Lawrence-based Northern Essex Register of Deeds. Iannuccillo has served since 2013.
“In several of our registries, we are seeing home sales diminish,” Galvin said in a statement. “As the registers of deeds begin their new terms, I look forward to working with each of them to increase the number of Massachusetts residents who are able to achieve the goal of owning their own home.”
Registers were separately sworn in by Land Court Chief Justice Gordon H. Piper since each register is also deemed a recorder of the land court.
Galvin, who oversees the network of the 14 registries where county government has been abolished, said in a statement he has organized registries to create a statewide alert system for homeowners to ward off deed theft and other scams.
Eileen R. Duff takes the oath of office as Southern Essex Register of Deeds. (Courtesy photograph.)