An Electronic Publication of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce
Inside this edition, you’ll discover the latest Chamber initiatives and success stories from across our region. From economic development projects and upcoming networking events to policy updates and workforce training opportunities, we’re keeping you connected to what matters most for your business and North Central Massachusetts.
June 2026
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The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce is here to help – with trusted resources, a strong business network, and a support system to keep your business and the region moving forward
As the owner of a small-to-medium size business, chances are good that you already spend you time answering countless questions every single day from employees, suppliers, customers, and prospects.
The issue here is this – how much time to you spend asking yourself questions about your business?
According to the Harvard Business Review, “companies often fail to address the tough questions about strategy and execution……are we really clear…about how we choose to create value in the marketplace?” For example, “Can we articulate the few things the organization needs to do better than anyone else in order to deliver on that value proposition?”
Barry Moltz of the Shafran Moltz Group explains that both entrepreneurs and business veterans alike should be asking themselves specific, tough questions in order to both analyze and improve their work, including these five essentials:
What Problem Does Your Business Solve?
While this seems like a easy question at first glance, many business owners struggle to define exactly what the answer is simply because it’s not uncommon for businesses to be launched based on what the founder wants, not the consumer. Think about the ‘why’ involved – why do your clients and customers choose to purchase goods and services from you?
Are There Aspects Of Your Business That Are Loosing Money?
While you likely know exactly what your bottom line is each month, quarter, or year, do you really know the ins and outs of where that revenue is coming from?
What’s Your Customer Retention Rate?
Knowing where your customers come from is a critical part of your overall success, since it’s far more costly to recruit new clients than it is to keep existing ones.
What Differentiates My Business From The Competition?
Establishing, and maintaining a competitive advantage is crucial to the success of small businesses – what’s yours?
Can My Business Survive Without Me?
While nobody likes to think about the possibility that they may not be able to manage their business due to injury, illness, or worse, the reality is that there may come a time when your role within your business needs to shift unexpectedly. If that happens, can your business survive?
The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Lauren Goulet has returned to its professional staff in the position of Operations Manager. Ms. Goulet had previously served for over ten years as the Office Manager for the Chamber before leaving in 2020 for a new professional opportunity. In this new expanded role, Ms. Goulet will be responsible for day to day operations of the Chamber and its affiliate organizations, including oversite of the Chamber building, database management, grant administration, and providing support around governance and event planning.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Lauren back to our team,” said Roy Nascimento, President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “Her experience with our organization and operations will be a great benefit to our members and the region during these turbulent times.”
Ms. Goulet has deep roots in the community, growing up locally and currently residing in Westminster. She holds a B.S. in Business Management from Fitchburg State University.
Existing members or businesses interested in learning more about the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce can reach out to Lauren Goulet at 978.353.7600 ext. 222 or via email at .
MARCH 24, 2021…..A tax expert who has been involved with Massachusetts tax policy for years suggested Wednesday that lawmakers could scrap the idea of a Constitutional amendment to impose a surtax on household income over $1 million and instead repeal the Constitution’s requirement for a flat tax and impose the graduated income tax rate through traditional legislation.
Democrats on Beacon Hill have been working for years to establish a 4 percent surtax on annual income greater than $1 million by putting a Constitutional amendment to that effect before voters. The process is more complicated than it is for a normal piece of legislation because the state Constitution currently requires that a tax on income be applied evenly to all residents, so the so-called Millionaires Tax would be unconstitutional as a standalone law.
Jane Steinmetz, office managing principal of Ernst & Young, said she thinks it is bad tax administration to enshrine a tax rate into the state Constitution. If the Legislature wants to go forward with a graduated income tax, she said, lawmakers should repeal Article 44 of the Constitution and write the surtax provision directly into Chapter 62 of the Mass. General Laws, which deals with the taxation of income.
“When you have a tax change, there are these unintended consequences,” Steinmetz, who was appointed by then-Senate President Therese Murray to a special commission that studied corporate tax issues in 2007, said. “If we etch this in constitutional stone and there’s these unintended consequences, you can’t just amend the Constitution. It could take four years.”
Steinmetz, who did not stake out her own position on the issue, and Stanford University finance professor Joshua Rauh discussed some of the potential consequences of the Massachusetts income surtax Wednesday during a virtual event hosted by Pioneer Institute and the Mass. High Tech Council.
In June 2019, House and Senate members voted 147-48 in favor of the Constitutional amendment (H 86) that would impose a 4 percent surtax on annual household income greater than $1 million.
That amendment must also win at least 101 votes of support among the 200 state legislators at a Constitutional Convention in the current legislative session in order to go before voters on the November 2022 ballot.
Supporters of the surtax say it could generate as much as $2 billion per year for education and transportation in Massachusetts without dipping into the pockets of most residents. But critics have long said it could prompt wealthy residents to move out of the Bay State and encourage employers to steer clear of Massachusetts.
“Maybe people hear this discussion and think, ‘gee, high-income people, these are millionaires, who really cares if they leave or they reduce their income, does it really matter?’ Well, the fact is, it does really matter,” Rauh, a Newton native, said.
A 2012 referendum in California raised the top tax rate for the state’s highest earners, Rauh said, which was followed by “a big spike in departures of high-income people.” Compared to the rate of departures before the initiative passed, he said, the rate of departure doubled following the tax rate hike.
“The other thing we found that had maybe even more of an economic consequence was that for people who stayed in California who were high earners, the income that they were reporting to tax authorities really leveled off compared to the income growth that we saw from taxpayers who were located in other states but who were comparable to these taxpayers who were in California,” Rauh said, citing his own research. “And on balance, what we found was that within a couple of years around 60 percent of the state’s expected windfall revenue gain from this tax increase was actually eroded away by this combination of people leaving and also high-income earners apparently reporting less income to the state.”
A previous Pioneer Institute event looked at how remote working opportunities made popular during the COVID-19 pandemic could encourage people to leave Massachusetts for low-tax states like Florida and New Hampshire, but Steinmetz said Wednesday that the Congressional response to the pandemic and its economic impacts — especially the appetite for federal tax increases among Congressional Democrats and the White House — also bears consideration.
“We’re talking about this 4 percent surtax, but when individuals are thinking about their tax bill, they’re thinking about it in totality. So as these tax proposals move forward at the federal level, the Mass. Legislature has to really watch them and analyze how those potential increases might impact what a surtax could do here in Massachusetts,” she said.
Steinmetz also pointed out that Massachusetts is not exactly hurting for revenue at the moment. Fiscal year 2020 ended about $120 million short — “which is close to breakeven, but it’s still a shortfall,” she said — and fiscal year 2021 “seems to be doing fine,” with the state having collected $1.123 billion more from taxpayers in the first eight months of the budget year than it did the previous year.
On top of that, she said, is a deluge of billions of dollars in federal funding, some of which comes to the state under the restriction that it not be used to directly or indirectly offset a tax cut.
“We’ve gone on this crazy rollercoaster ride through COVID-19 and now we’re coming out of it and there’s largely a reset button being hit,” Steinmetz said. She added, “So it’s a real important decision for the Mass. Legislature to make about do we move now, or do we kind of pump the brakes a little bit and move forward maybe 12 months from now and see how this reset worked itself out because it would be hard to adjust taxes on a go-forward basis. ”
Rep. Jim O’Day, the House sponsor of the amendment, expressed a desire to take the issue up sooner rather than later this session and said he has no reason to believe that the 19 new members of the Legislature this session will significantly alter the support for the measure.
“I’ve not heard anything overwhelming at all from any of my new colleagues other than asking if we were doing the amendment again,” he told the News Service in February. “If anything, the newer members have been interested in being able to sign on to that.”
Senate President Karen Spilka has until May 12 to convene a new Constitutional Convention.
Join us for Connect North Central
Friday, November 20, 2026
8am-9am View
Event
Joint Mayor's Meeting
December 4, 2026
Chamber members are provided with the opportunity to engage with the Mayors of Fitchburg, Gardner, and Leominster who provide updates on projects and other things happening in their Cities. These events are by invitation only, please contact Travis Condon for more details. View
Event
Future Leaders of North Central: Annual Holiday Party & Ugly Sweater Competition
December 8, 2026
Bull Run Restaurant
215 Great Rd. Shirly, MA View
Event
Chamber members are provided with the opportunity to engage with the Mayors of Fitchburg, Gardner, and Leominster who provide updates on projects and other things happening in their Cities. These events are by invitation only, please contact Travis Condon for more details. View
Event
Fuente del artículo: State House News Service
Article By: Katie Lannan
SEPT. 30, 2020….Talk of the top hospital in Massachusetts usually conjures images of the large, prominent academic medical centers in Boston.
A new index that uses metrics not typically involved in hospital rankings bestows that designation somewhere else — namely, Leominster.
UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital leads the state in the new Lown Institute Hospitals Index, a ranking of 3,300 hospitals and 300 hospital systems launched this summer.
Discussing their findings in a webinar hosted Wednesday by the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium, Lown Institute officials said their national list is based on measures not contemplated in similar undertakings, like community benefits, pay equity and inclusivity. It also factors in mortality, readmissions, patient safety, patient satisfaction and avoiding overuse of procedures with little or no clinical benefit.
“It’s not necessarily the usual suspects that you’re going to find at the top of these rankings,” said Shannon Brownlee, the institute’s senior vice president.
Brownlee said hospitals need to be judged on the value of care they provide, the quality of that care and their role as civic leaders in the community.
The top hospital in the national rankings is JPS Health Netork in Fort Worth, Texas, and Bronwnlee said ten Massachusetts hospitals land in the top 100.
Along with the Leominster hospital — which is ranked number 8 nationwide — the other nine are Boston Medical Center (11), UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester (24), Winchester Hospital (48), Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital in Boston (53), Signature Health Care Brockton Hospital (75), Millford Regional Medical Center (86), Cambridge Health Alliance (88), Marlborough Hospital (94) and Baystate Wing Hospital and Medical Centers in Palmer (100).
Lown Institute President Dr. Vikas Saini said the index is meant to help shape a discussion around health care quality and unearth new ideas, rather than serve as a shopping guide for consumers.
“This is not a ranking to figure out where you want to get your knee done,” he said.
To come up with its findings on pay equity, the institute used public records, Internal Revenue Service nonprofit forms, and Securities and Exchange Commission disclosures to identify CEO compensation levels, then compared those to the pay of a hospital’s non-professional workers.
Saini said CEO pay is often a topic of hallway gossip, but is rarely the focus of systemic conversations.
Nantucket Cottage Hospital has the lowest gap between executive compensation and worker wages in the state, according to the index, followed by Cambridge Health Alliance and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Leominster, MA – Leominster Credit Union (LCU) held its first ever Virtual Annual Meeting on September 15, 2020. During this meeting John O’Brien, President & CEO of Leominster Credit Union announced that he will be retiring effective, November 30, 2020 after 13 years with LCU.
“I have enjoyed my 13 years at Leominster Credit Union as well as my 41 years in the banking industry.The last 7 ½ years as the CEO of LCU has been a very rewarding experience.I believe the Credit Union is in an excellent position, with a strong management team in place, solid results, excellent employee morale, and a strong vision. I feel very fortunate to be able to retire at a time that both works for me, and works well for LCU,” said John O’Brien.
Giulio Greco, Chairman of the Board said, “John is well respected throughout the credit union community and has been dedicated to giving back to non-profit organizations in the communities in which we live and work. He has been a strong asset to Leominster Credit Union, and we will miss his leadership.”
Barbara Mahoney, the next President & CEO of Leominster Credit Union.
The Board of Directors appointed Barbara Mahoney as the next President & CEO to replace John O’Brien.
Mahoney joined the Credit Union on October 10, 2003 as Vice President of Human Resources.She was promoted to Senior Vice President of Human Resources in March of 2010 at which time she oversaw Human Resources, Training and Facilities. Since her promotion to SVP/Chief Operating Officer in January 2019, and she has been providing leadership, direction and vision for the Operations, Information Technology/Risk, Human Resources and Facilities functions.
Before joining Leominster Credit Union, Barbara was employed for 13 years at Allmerica Financial as Director of Human Resources and prior to that she worked for Bank of Boston.
“I am honored and humbled by the Board’s decision and very excited to take on the CEO role, representing and leading Leominster Credit Union.We have an exceptional team and I know through their passion and commitment we will continue to move LCU forward. John established an excellent foundation and I am confident we are positioned well, for continued success,” said Barbara Mahoney.
Barbara has had many professional affiliations within our community including, The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Strategy Committee, Masshire North Central Workforce Board as the Executive Committee Chair, Employers Association of the Northeast Past Executive Committee Chair, HR Network and Cooperative Credit Union Association, New England Human Resources Association, Society of Human Resources Management, HR Council.Barbara currently serves on the Foundation Board for St. Bernard’s High School.
“Barbara brings experience, leadership, strategic vision and a passionate community connection that we feel are critical attributes that will help Leominster Credit Union to continue moving forward over the next several years,” stated, Giulio Greco, Chairman of the Board.
Founded in 1954, Leominster Credit Union (LCU) is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative with a full range of deposit, lending and other financial services. Headquartered in Leominster, Massachusetts, LCU is proud to claim nearly 50,000 members and more than $700 million in assets. LCU has seven branch locations in Leominster, Clinton, Holden, North Leominster, Sterling and Worcester with ATM services at all branch locations. LCU also provides 24 hour banking via Mobile and Online services. Visit leominstercu.com or call 800-649-4646.
Article Source: Nashoba Valley Voice
Article By: M.E. Jones
DEVENS – The senior housing development on Hospital Road that MassDevelopment rolled out a couple of years ago is now fully functional, partially occupied and filling up fast.
Construction that began in May 2019 was completed earlier this year.
The new community – aptly named Shirley Meadows — is housed in a single, three-story structure, set back at an an angle from the road and with through-way access to the heart of Devens as well as downtown Shirley. It is a handsome addition to the rural streetscape, surrounded by open space, with paved walking paths around the building and ample parking in back.
Situated on about 4 acres that was once the so-called Shirley housing section of the former Fort Devens, the site is within the town’s original borders and the municipal complex – police station, town offices, public library – and is within walking distance, on the opposite side of the road.
At the Hospital Road/Front Street intersection, a sidewalk – currently undergoing a major, grant-funded makeover – extends in both directions as far as the Ayer town line. At the in-town end, the sidewalk leads to Main Street, the train station and the Shirley Village business district.
According to Connie Donahue, executive director of the Chelmsford Housing Authority, which manages the property, the locale is a key part of the package. The area is “service rich” as well as conveniently situated, she said, making it ideal for residents — seniors 62 and over — to “age in place.”
Chelmsford Housing Authority Executive Director Connie Donahue and on-site services coordinator Margaret Leighton — both members of the management team — chat in the Shaker Meadows lobby during a lull at a recent Open House.
She noted, for example, the proximity of health care providers, senior centers and social service agencies and medical facilities such as Nashoba Valley Medical Center.
Donahue’s assessment draws in part on experience with other senior housing communities in the C.H.A. management network, including Chelmsford, Westford and Harvard.
Shirley Meadows’ 58 apartments – 55 one-bedroom and three two-bedroom units –are rented at “affordable” rates based on income levels ranging from moderate (50% of area median) to low (30%.) Eight units are set aside for homeless or at-risk seniors, according to the application packet.
Donahue said the community generated healthy interest from the first and 17 units are already occupied, with a dozen move-ins expected by Oct. 1. The first resident moved in on July 29.
The moving-in process can be daunting in the COVID-19 era, she said, but the community follows all CDC guidelines to ensure the health and safety of its residents and visitors. Common areas are cleaned by an on-site maintenance department. Routine upkeep of individual units are the responsibility of the tenants, but housekeeping services can be accessed as needed.
With a list of applicants lined up, all 58 apartments in the building will likely be rented by the first of next year, Donahue said.
During an open house last week, Donahue and Christina Andersen, CHA’s director of property management and compliance, greeted scheduled guests and conducted tours. They said that 35 people had signed up for the open house, and all of them showed up.
Activity had subsided when a Nashoba Valley Voice reporter arrived. The lobby was empty except for the tour guides and Margaret Leighton, Shirley Meadows’ on-site services coordinator.
A big-screen TV displayed a scrolling video that roamed the building’s corridors, common spaces and apartment interiors. It was telling, but a walk-through was even better.
Anderson led the way along carpeted corridors with apartments on both sides, cream colored walls and a striped, tri-color carpet with a different dominant color on each level.
Given that the hallways look alike, the three color combinations identify which floor is which, Andersen said, a useful perk for residents with memory challenges.
There are two elevators, a common mail room/post-office box area and a laundry room on each floor.
The apartments are small, spare, ready for residents’ to furnish, with windows in each room and easy-care, wood-look floors. Bathrooms feature modern, low-rim showers with grab bars on both sides. Some apartments will be outfitted with walk-in shower units for handicapped residents, Andersen said.
The compact kitchen – identical in all units –opens to the living room. Closets have adjustable racks.
There’s also a spacious common room with glass doors leading to an enclosed outdoor deck with patio tables, chairs and umbrellas. Across the parking lot, raised garden beds await planting.
The common room has a fully-equipped kitchen and can be reserved for gatherings, Andersen said.
At one end of the large room, Diane Welch had a table set up with handouts, a raffle and gifts.
Welch is an account executive with Fallon’s Summit Elder Care, operating under the umbrella of a national program called PACE, which has a medical office/treatment room on the building’s first floor.
Without once referencing the detailed information packet on the table, Welch rattled off an array of services Fallon offers to participating residents, including medical care, counseling and referrals.
Support services such as in-home aides who can help with shopping and personal care, even ethnic cooking, make it possible for people who need “nursing home level” care to live at home, she said.
She said there are a host of medical and mental health offerings available to Fallon plan members age 55 and over, including adult day care, with five centers across the state. The closest is in Leominster.
The PACE office was one of the stops on Andersen’s building tour. When it’s furnished, and staffed, residents can get medical treatment there, she said, including injections.
For more information about Shirley Meadows, the number to call is 978-256-7425 to reach Christina Andersen.
Miembro Destacado
Custom Cleaning Service of Peabody
When the workday ends and the lights go down, Custom Cleaning Service of Peabody, Inc. gets to work. “We operate as our clients’ silent partner after business hours,” says Adam Paicos, of Templeton, who now serves as Director of Operations and oversees the company’s expansion into North Central MA. “We are not often seen, but we ensure facilities are clean, secure, and ready for business each day while serving as the eyes and ears for our clients when they are not on site.”
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