Authority Team

Ms. Gonzalez joined the Authority in February 2020 as the Deputy Director, Administration and Finance. She  is responsible for managing the Authority’s financial controls, insurance program, human resources, information technology, accounting, reporting, debt and rate-setting process and providing oversight and direction for the administrative and financial operations of the Authority. Ms. Gonzalez has been serving public issuers since 2000, when she began working on debt financing, continuing disclosure, and capital planning while employed by a major financial advisory firm. She joined the Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”) as Director of Finance in 2012, and was appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2015.  Subsequently, she served as the Chief Financial Officer for the University of Massachusetts Building Authority (“UMBA”) and Treasurer/Collector for the Town of Watertown. She has been on the board of Boston Women in Public Finance since 2014. Jennifer has an Associate of Science in Business Administration from the Community College of Rhode Island, a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Rhode Island College, and a Juris Doctor from Roger Williams University School of Law. She is a member of the Massachusetts bar.

Ms. Bench joined the Authority in January 2015 as Controller, overseeing accounting, treasury and financial reporting.  Her prior experience includes serving as the Assistant Budget Director for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance.  She began her career with PricewaterhouseCoopers and is a Certified Public Accountant. Ms Bench has a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and a Masters of Accounting Degree, both from Boston College.

Sean P. Nelson joined the Authority as Executive Director in November 2024. Nelson most recently served as the Universities of Wisconsin's Vice President for Finance and Administration, ensuring the fiscal integrity and viability of the 13 University of Wisconsin campuses supporting nearly 165,000 students. Nelson was directly responsible for the management of the divisions of Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Shared Services, Trust Funds/Endowment, and Capital Planning and Facilities. He also served as a board member for the 529 College Savings Plan and the Midwest Higher Education Compact and was an Executive Sponsor of the UW's Administrative Transformation Program. He worked collaboratively with the UW President, UW Board of Regents, elected officials, chief business officers, and campus chancellors to support the mission of public higher education through the UW's strategic plan. 

With more than 20 years of experience in administration and finance, Nelson brings extensive knowledge of public service in the Commonwealth to the Authority. Prior to his tenure in Wisconsin, he served as Deputy Commissioner for Administration and Finance at the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education where he provided oversight and advocacy for the commonwealth's 9 state universities and 15 community colleges. He also served as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Boston Public Library. Prior, Nelson was the CFO for the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety and was a Fiscal Policy Analyst at the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F). 

A New Bedford, MA native, Nelson earned his undergraduate degree from University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and a master's degree in urban and environmental policy and planning from Tufts University.