CHAMBER APPOINTS ECONOMIC TASKFORCE

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The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and its affiliate organizations, the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation and Visit North Central Massachusetts, have announced the formation of a special taskforce comprised of a cross section of business and community leaders from throughout the region.  This group of prominent leaders is charged with working collaboratively to provide direction, definition and clarity to the development of the Chamber’s new regional economic development and recovery plan. 

The taskforce members include:

  • Trevor Beauregard, Director of the City of Gardner’s Community Development & Planning Office;
  • Winn Brown, President & CEO of Heywood Hospital 
  • Martin F Connors Jr., President & CEO of Rollstone Bank & Trust;
  • Jeff Crowley, President of Wachusett Mountain Ski Area;
  • Paul DiGeronimo, President of Geronimo Properties;
  • John DiNapoli, Municipal & Community Services Manager of Unitil;
  • Matthew Fournier, President of Elite Construction & Design, Inc.
  • Sheila Harrity, Superintendent of Montachusett Regional Voc-Tech High School;
  • Dr. Richard Lapidus, President of Fitchburg State University;
  • Rachel Lopez, President of Resource Management, Inc.;
  • Barbara Mahoney, Executive Vice President & COO of Leominster Credit Union;
  • Donata J Martin, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg & Leominster;
  • Raymond J Martino, President & CEO of Simonds International;
  • Christopher W McCarthy, President & COO of Fidelity Bank
  • Cheryl Molebash, General Manager of Dixie Consumer Products, LLC;
  • Stephen J Mullaney P.E., President of S. J. Mullaney Engineering, Inc.;
  • Roy Nascimento, President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber; 
  • Nikki Peters, Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Leominster;
  • Douglas Petersen, President & CEO of Workers Credit Union;
  • Bruce Platzman, President & CEO of AIS, Inc.;
  • Angela Rackley, Director of the Shriver Job Corps Center;
  • Laura Reynolds, President of FHC Industrial Supply;
  • Steve Roach, Interim President of UMass Memorial HealthAlliance – Clinton Hospital, Inc.;
  • Steven Rocheleau, President of Rocheleau Tool & Die Co., Inc.;
  • Al Rose, Owner of Red Apple Farm;
  • Eric Shapiro, President of The Lexvest Group;
  • Thomas Skwierawski, Executive Director of the City of Fitchburg’s Community Development Office;
  • Henry Tessman, General Manager of Great Wolf Lodge;
  • Dr. James Vander Hooven, President of Mount Wachusett Community College

The taskforce will work with consulting firm RKG Associates to develop a multi-faceted and implementable plan to guide the Chamber’s regional economic development and recovery efforts.  RKG Associates is a national economic development firm that has been retained by the Chamber to assist with this project.  In the 1990s, the Chamber led a similar community and business-based planning effort, following the recession and the downsizing of several large employers in the region, that proved effective in driving economic development efforts over a twenty-year period and led to the creation of many of the region’s assets. 

The development of this comprehensive regional plan is part of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber’s continuing efforts to help promote the region and advance the economy of North Central Massachusetts.  For more information on the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and its affiliate organizations, please visit NorthCentralMass.com or contact the Chamber at 978.353.7600.