As part of his continuing rise in local politics, Irishman Denis Keohane was appointed Chairman of the Milton Board of Selectman last week. Last year, the Cork native became the first foreigner to be elected to the Board of Selectman and now creates further history by becoming first Chairman from outside the U.S.

“It’s a great honor for me to be appointed chairman in a town which has such a large population of Irish people” said Keohane in an interview with The Irish Emigrant. “Milton is one of the most highly populated towns by Irish people in the U.S., if not the highest, and I’m privileged to be able to represent them”.

With many believing that change was needed, Keohane was a breath of fresh air to the Milton board last year. The Cork man is already making an impact by tackling issues head on, including the parking problems in the town.

“One of my first priorities is to create parking in the town. The project at the East Milton deck at the overpass has been stalled for over 30 years but last year, we managed to appropriate the funds for the project and now everything is finally going ahead.”
In an effort to generate some participation from the less active members of the Irish electorate in Milton, Keohane is urging them to get more involved in local matters. “We have a hugely educated workforce here and I ask them to join the school boards, planning boards and other various committees to have their voice heard. These people would be of great benefit to the community and are more than capable of getting involved”.

Keohane moved to the U.S. in 1988 aged 21, where he became involved in Real Estate Development. The Cork man settled in Milton, is married with three children and runs his own operation, the Keohane Company, a re-modeling outfit which has grown steadily into a full-scale property development group. Keohane’s recent political successes may only be the latest chapter in this Irish man's journey.

Denis Keohane invites those of you who wish to contact him to email;dkeohane@townofmilton.org