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$52,000 in Scholarships Awarded through the North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation
Each spring, a number of the region’s most outstanding high school seniors are recognized with scholarships from the Chamber Foundation of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. A total of $52,000 in scholarships were awarded this year. These awards were either endowed or funded by companies and individuals. The Scholarship Committee selected scholarship recipients from among college-bound seniors in the Chamber’s service area. The sole basis for selection was merit – in all aspects of students’ endeavors, from academics and sports to volunteer work and employment.
Since the establishment of its scholarship program, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation has awarded over a million dollars in scholarships to over 600 students. Many of these awards are made possible through contributions from members of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. Scholarships endowed through the Chamber Foundation are often named in honor of prominent members of the North Central Massachusetts business community whose philanthropy and commitment to the community have helped shape North Central Massachusetts. The Chamber wishes to thank TD Bank and Unitil for their sponsorship of this year’s scholarship program, as well as the many Chamber members who contributed towards the scholarships.
Twenty-six scholarships of $2,000 were distributed to the following seniors from throughout North Central Massachusetts:
Luke Boccelli
North Middlesex Regional High School
Awarded: Chamber Foundation Scholarship
Sara Buszkiewicz
Oakmont Regional High School
Awarded: Barbara Silva Scholarship
Patrick Conlan
Leominster Center for Technical Education Innovation
Awarded: Salny Family Scholarship
Margaret Constantino
St. Bernard’s High School
Awarded: M. Ruth Lee Scholarship
Jackson Dallas Mark
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School
Awarded: Enterprise Bank & Trust
Victoria Fagundes
North Middlesex Regional High School
Awarded: David L. McKeehan Scholarship
Kelsey Harris
Wachusett Regional High School
Awarded: HealthAlliance Hospital Guild Scholarship
Eliza Howlett
Leominster High School
Awarded: Rollstone Bank & Trust Scholarship
Cailin Joyce
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School
Awarded: Chamber Foundation Scholarship
Cailey LeBlanc
Oakmont Regional High School
Awarded: Elizabeth & Anthony DiGeronimo Family Scholarship
Vivian Liu
The Bromfield School
Awarded: Workers Credit Union
Kaitlyn Ostrowski
The Bromfield School
Awarded: Chamber Foundation Scholarship
Lindsey Parise
Nashoba Valley Technical High School
Awarded: George R. Wallace, Jr. and Alice G. Wallace Scholarship
Kelly Provencial
Oakmont Regional High School
Awarded: Benjamin Asher Scholarship
Lindsay Romano
Oakmont Regional High School
Awarded: Roderick W. & Donna M. Lewin Scholarship
Jocelyn Rossignol
Clinton High School
Awarded: Patricia S. Alario Scholarship
Lauren Ruggiero
Lunenburg High School
Awarded: Adams Family Scholarship
Kaden Scopelliti
Fitchburg High School
Awarded: UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital Scholarship
Edward Siaw
Leominster High School
Awarded: Edward C. J. Healey Scholarship
Vincent Soubbotin
Leominster Center for Technical Education Innovation
Awarded: Chamber Foundation Scholarship
Verda Tetteh
Fitchburg High School
Awarded: UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital Scholarship
Hana Valikangas
North Middlesex Regional High School
Awarded: Elizabeth & Anthony DiGeronimo Family Scholarship
Henry Vandermillen
Groton-Dunstable Regional High School
Awarded: Ronald Ansin Scholarshipllllll
Cynthia Wangeera
North Middlesex Regional High School
Awarded: UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital Scholarship
Thailee Zarycki
Leominster High School
Awarded: UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital Scholarship
Ardon Zibel
Leominster High School
Awarded: M. Ruth Lee Scholarship
“Congratulations to the students who were awarded scholarships from the North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation,” said Roy M. Nascimento, President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “The Chamber is committed to providing these scholarships to local students to continue their education and develop into future leaders in North Central Massachusetts. Thank you to the many local businesses who helped make these scholarships possible.”
The Chamber Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization focused on assisting in the betterment of the region through charitable activities. Funds raised by the Chamber’s Foundation are utilized primarily for education/workforce development initiatives and charitable activities in North Central Massachusetts.
For more information on the North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation’s scholarship program or to view a list of the named scholarships, please visit northcentralmass.com or call 978.353.7600 ext. 222.
Fitchburg’s Victor Rojas Named GEAR UP Professional of the Year
Victor Rojas, Assistant Director of GEAR UP, has been named GEAR UP Professional of the Year by the National Council for Community Education Partnerships (NCCEP) at their annual conference.
The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) initiative is one of the largest and most effective programs focused on increasing college and career readiness of low-income students in communities nationwide. GEAR UP targets entire grades of students, partnering with local organizations and business, and matching Federal Department of Education funds with local contributions, allowing projects to support large number of students. The NCCEP leadership awards honors students, family leaders, community partners, and professionals from the GEAR UP community.
The GEAR UP Professional of the Year is awarded to an individual who is committed to the GEAR UP movement and the goal of ensuring that college access and success is available to all students. Through their work with GEAR UP, the awardee demonstrates the passion and perseverance to assist low-income students in their quest to attain a college education.
“As an educator, a soldier, a husband, a father, and proud grandfather, Victor encapsulates the GEAR UP mission,” NCCEP noted in a statement.
“In the past ten years, Fitchburg High School has achieved its highest level of attendance, graduation rates, students earning dual enrollment credits, students passing Advanced Placement tests, and our lowest suspension and dropout rates,” states Fitchburg High School Principal Jeremy Roache. “Mr. Rojas dogged efforts have much to do with those results.”
Twenty co-workers and community members submitted letters of recommendation to the NCCEP in support of Rojas nomination as Professional of the Year, detailing his qualities, accomplishments, and contribution to the success of the GEAR UP students.
“Victor is always committed to making sure 100% of students are receiving the support that GEAR UP promised. His work goes above and beyond,” noted Peter Chirichiello, GEAR UP Director. “When the school day is over, he is helping everyone with their college applications and financial aid forms. Even when our students were in sixth and seventh grade, he would stay late and make home visits. GEAR UP is not a job for Victor, it is a way of life.”
Born in Puerto Rico, Rojas moved to Fitchburg when he was very young and without speaking any English. Despite this hurdle, he excelled as a student in the Fitchburg Public School system, and went on to become the first in his family to graduate from college, earning his bachelors from Fitchburg State University and his Masters of Education from Cambridge College.
He became involved in the GEAR UP Program in 1999 when it was first introduced in Fitchburg. In addition to the countless students he has impacted, he has personally trained and mentored dozens of college access staff. His experience coupled with a strong sense of duty and responsibility has helped to build an entire cadre of dedicated college access professionals who are culturally competent, willing to go the extra mile for students, and who fully understand the importance of this work to the entire community.
“I have had the pleasure of working and supervising many passionate professional educators, but Victor stands in a special place amongst his peers. I have known Mr. Rojas for over twenty years and have witnessed, firsthand, his innate ability to build strong relationships with our students and extended families,” noted Craig Chalifoux, Director of Finance and Operations for Fitchburg Public Schools. “His passion is outweighed only by his compassion for families and the incredible obstacles they face as they enter the financial aid process and try to understand how this is even a possibility for their child. Victor is kind, understanding, and presents a sense of great hopefulness for families and students as they face longstanding institutional bias and systems that are set-up to disenfranchise so many of our families.”
“Victor is known as Mr. GEAR UP. He has worked on every GEAR UP grant at our institution since the very first grant in 1999,” added Shaunti Phillips, Academic Counselor. “Having walked the same path as many of his students, Victor is able to lead and guide them to be the best that they can be and achieve their dreams.”
“For years I have heard stories about Victor Rojas’ impact with students at Fitchburg High School. I have come to know first-hand how much Victor has transformed lives over the past twenty years,” says Fagan Forhan, Assistant Dean, K-12 Partnerships & Civic Engagement at MWCC. “Every time we are at a community event former students approach him to share their successes and tell the rest of us how much he helped them.”
Visit mwcc.edu to learn more about the GEAR UP Fitchburg program.
Baker-Polito Administration Announces Transition at Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito announced the departure of Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Secretary Thomas Turco, III. Secretary Turco is retiring after more than 30 years of public service. The Administration also announced the appointment of current Undersecretary for Law Enforcement Terrence Reidy as Acting Secretary of Public Safety and Security.
“Since taking office, our Administration has been deeply committed to ensuring the safety and security of the residents, families and communities of the Commonwealth, and we are grateful for the leadership of Secretary Turco in pursuing that goal,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Tom has played an invaluable role in many major efforts to deliver a safer Commonwealth for all, including working with law enforcement, legislators and community justice leaders to deliver landmark police reform legislation. We appreciate his expertise and commitment to public service, and look forward to continuing to work with Acting Secretary Reidy.”
“Over the past three years Secretary Turco led the team at the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and its agencies with purpose and dedication, and we wish him well in his retirement,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “His commitment to supporting the public safety of our local communities was unsurpassed and his thoughtful leadership was invaluable to our Administration. I want to thank Secretary Turco for his years of service and welcome Acting Secretary Reidy to this new role.”
“Public safety depends on all of us working together to build a culture of preparedness, responsiveness, and care for those in our communities,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Thomas Turco. “I would like to thank the residents of the Commonwealth for their support of our work, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor for their confidence in me and my colleagues across our agencies whose collective partnership has advanced our vision of excellence. Knowing how our team will rise to this occasion empowers me to make this decision to spend time with my family who have been a source of unwavering support to me in my life of public service.”
“Serving on Secretary Turco’s leadership team at EOPSS has prepared me for the task of succeeding such an effective leader,” said Undersecretary for Law Enforcement Terrence Reidy. “I am honored to be appointed Acting Secretary of Public Safety and Security and lead a talented group of world-class professionals. Together with our partners in the Administration, Legislature, and local communities, we will fulfill our mission to sustain and increase public safety.”
“On behalf of the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs, I would like to extend our collective congratulations to Secretary Turco on his retirement,” said President of the Major City Chiefs, Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes. “Tom has been a phenomenal leader who we have benefited from. His wisdom, guidance, and ability to make the most difficult decisions has made the Commonwealth a safer place. His legacy will continue in our law enforcement community for years to come.”
“As Boston Police Commissioner, I experienced an extraordinary collaborative fusion under Tom Turco’s leadership,” said Retired Boston Police Commissioner Willie Gross. “Like Coach Belichick, he leveraged the strength of each local, state, and federal partner – challenging each to do their job and contribute to a shared mission. I thank his family for supporting Tom in his work to make the Commonwealth a safer place for all.”
Under Secretary Turco’s leadership, the Baker-Polito Administration has made several advancements on key public safety and security issues for people and communities across Massachusetts. Key accomplishments include:
- Collaborated with the Legislature and key stakeholders to develop, codify into law, and implement the foundation of the comprehensive 2020 police reform bill.
- Increased opportunities for implementing body cameras, including creating grant opportunities for municipalities and a dedicated program for more than 1,500 troopers within the State Police.
- Supported the Commonwealth’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic by helping to coordinate a statewide effort to distribute personal protective equipment and other critical supplies to first responders and other frontline workers.
- Led state-wide election security planning to ensure that residents could safely exercise their right to vote in the election as well as free speech.
- Developed the first-of-its-kind “Faith-Based Organization Safety and Security Toolkit,” an e-learning course for all houses of worship, faith organizations, law enforcement organizations, and first responders in the Commonwealth, and a similar workbook for large public venues.
- Supported funding for the Department of Fire Services to redevelop a former Department of Corrections site and create an academy in Bridgewater.
- Recruited and swore in 450 new State Troopers and oversaw the recruitment of the most diverse State Police class in history.
About Terrence Reidy:
Terrence Reidy has served as Undersecretary for Law Enforcement within the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security since 2019, where he has provided strategic leadership to the Massachusetts State Police, the Municipal Police Training Committee, and the Office of Grants and Research. In addition, Reidy served as a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Hate Crimes. Drawing on his prosecutorial experience collaborating with community leaders, he oversaw the creation of a hate crime resource guide for Massachusetts schools and partnered with police to ensure that every department in the Commonwealth has a trained, dedicated civil rights officer.
Prior to his work at EOPSS, Reidy was an Assistant Attorney General in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and Assistant District Attorney in Worcester and Suffolk Counties. His experience included supervising the Attorney General’s Enterprise, Major Crimes, and Cyber Crime Unit and the Worcester District Attorney’s Gang Unit. In Suffolk County, Reidy was promoted from District Court Prosecutor to Superior Court where he served in the Gang and Safe Neighborhood Initiative Units. In these roles, he developed collaborative relationships with federal, state, and local law enforcement as well as residents and community groups.
Beyond his work in government, Reidy dedicates time to volunteering as a coach for several youth sports organizations. He completed his undergraduate studies at Colby College and earned his juris doctor from New England School of Law.
Arena Promoted to Clinical Nurse Director Joins ASNCM Leadership Team
Julie Arena, Clinical Nurse Director
LEOMINSTER, MA—Aging Services of North Central Massachusetts (ASNCM) is pleased to announce the promotion of Julie Arena to Clinical Nurse Director.
Lori A. Richardson, Chief Executive Officer of ASCNM stated, “Julie brings extensive nursing clinical experience and proven interdisciplinary focus that will be a benefit to programs throughout the agency. She is laser-focused on providing quality services to our consumers. We are excited to have her in this new role.”
Ms. Arena received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University in Boston Massachusetts. Arena’s promotion comes after serving four years at the agency.
“I am incredibly humbled to have the opportunity to expand my role at the agency and look forward to continuing my work with the amazing ASNCM nurses. It is exciting to be a part of an agency that is relentless in its vision, values, and mission” said Julie Arena, Clinical Nurse Director.
To learn more about the Aging Services of North Central Massachusetts—including programs and services being offered, ways you can donate or volunteer, or to learn more about this historic rebrand, please visit www.AgingServicesMA.org or contact David Ginisi, Chief Marketing Officer, at (978) 466-1571 or by email at .
Biden Picks DA Rollins For Top Federal Prosecutor
Article Source: State House News Service
Author: Chris Lisinski
President Joe Biden on Monday nominated Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins to serve as the state’s top federal prosecutor, a historic move that could reshape the U.S. Attorney’s office and kick off a flurry of activity among elected officials and others who wish to succeed her.
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Rollins could be poised to bring the same reform-minded approach to the U.S. attorney’s office that has drawn praise from progressives and criticism from police unions.
She would become the first Black woman to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts and only the second woman to hold that title, following President Barack Obama appointee Carmen Ortiz.
Rollins, who has been publicly linked to the position for months, did not remark on the nomination Monday morning and her office could not be reached for immediate comment.
Biden announced Rollins as one of eight nominees to serve as U.S. attorneys.
“These individuals — many of whom are historic firsts — were chosen for their devotion to enforcing the law, their professionalism, their experience and credentials in this field, their dedication to pursuing equal justice for all, and their commitment to the independence of the Department of Justice,” the White House said.
As part of its work to enforce federal laws, the U.S. attorney in recent years has also targeted political corruption and fraud. For instance, prosecutors successfully brought cases against former House Speaker Sal DiMasi, former Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, former Rep. David Nangle, and former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia.
A Northeastern University School of Law graduate, Rollins worked as an assistant U.S. attorney from 2007 to 2011 before holding general counsel positions at the state Department of Transportation and Massachusetts Port Authority.
In 2018, Rollins topped a five-person Democratic primary for Suffolk DA with 39 percent of the vote, then took 80 percent of the vote in the general election.
She made major waves early in her tenure, outlining a “progressive prosecution” strategy for her office in March 2019 that called for pursuing diversion or dismissal in many nonviolent, low-level cases.
That move drew criticism from Gov. Charlie Baker’s public safety chief, who told Rollins at the time that her prosecutorial policies “do not reflect the careful balance struck” in a 2018 criminal justice reform bill.
Rollins also called in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic for releasing some inmates from Massachusetts jails and prisons to reduce the risks of transmission, saying at the time that inmates were “essentially sitting in a petri dish.”
“As Suffolk County District Attorney, Rachael Rollins has demonstrated what a difference a DA makes; from moving to dismiss thousands of cases tainted by Massachusetts’ drug lab scandals to declining to prosecute several low-level offenses, she has prioritized racial justice and fairness in our legal system,” said ACLU Massachusetts Executive Director Carol Rose. “The ACLU looks forward to working with her if she is confirmed as U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts.”
Rose, whose organization does not endorse or oppose nominees, said she wants Gov. Baker to select a successor, interim DA “who will continue the work toward a legal system that is focused on transformation and healing — not convictions and incarceration.”
Baker, a Republican, would be responsible for selecting an interim Suffolk County district attorney to succeed Rollins until the 2022 election if she departs.
It would be a major decision for Baker, who has yet to announce if he will seek re-election in 2022. He could tap a member of his own party — who did not have a candidate on the ballot last cycle — but such a move could rankle legislative leaders and many Suffolk County voters.
The Boston Globe reported in May that Rollins would like to see Daniel Mulhern, her first assistant, succeed her as DA if she is confirmed as U.S. attorney.
In an April 15 tweet, Rollins said, “FYI, when DA’s leave, at least all the men that did before I was elected, they recommend (tell) the Governor who should replace them.”
In 1992, Suffolk County District Attorney Newman Flanagan departed to lead a national association of district attorneys. Republican Gov. William Weld named former federal prosecutor Ralph Martin as acting Suffolk DA, and Martin, a Republican, went on to win four-year terms in 1994 and 1998.
The Biden administration has returned to the Massachusetts well on multiple occasions to fill federal jobs. Former Boston Mayor Martin Walsh is serving as U.S. labor secretary, former Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack took a job as deputy administrator at the Federal Highway Administration, and House Majority Leader Claire Cronin has been tapped as U.S. ambassador to Ireland.
Rollins’s departure would require Boston voters to select a new district attorney in 2022, one year after they will choose a permanent mayor to serve a full term.
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey both praised the Biden administration for selecting Rollins, with Pressley calling her “my sister in service.”
“She has fought to transform our legal system by prioritizing racial justice, decarceration & reimagining public safety in MA,” Pressley tweeted.
Markey said he and fellow Sen. Elizabeth Warren “were proud to recommend” Rollins, adding that “we will work to make sure she is confirmed as quickly as possible.”
Trump administration appointee Andrew Lelling spent more than three years as U.S. attorney until he resigned in February. Nathaniel Mendell has served on an acting basis since then.
Governor Charlie Baker Announces Appointment of Jamey Tesler as Transportation Secretary
Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito today announced the appointment of Jamey L. Tesler as Secretary of Transportation and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Tesler has served as Acting Secretary since January, when he was appointed to replace former Secretary Stephanie Pollack after Pollack’s appointment as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration for the Biden-Harris Administration.
“Jamey Tesler is a dynamic leader and with several years of experience in senior roles in the transportation sector, he and the team at the Department are ready to advance the important work underway across Massachusetts’ transportation systems,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “From safety to planning for the mobility needs of the Commonwealth’s future, the job of Transportation Secretary is hugely important and Jamey is the right person to lead the Department.”
“In continuing in his role as Secretary, Jamey will remain a strong partner for officials at the municipal level, ensuring a commitment to local infrastructure and projects,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are grateful for his ongoing leadership and dedication to the transportation sector and service to the people of this Commonwealth.”
“Since January, it has been the honor of my professional career to serve as Acting Secretary of Transportation and I am grateful and humbled that Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito have confidence in my ability to continue to lead the organization as we deliver a transportation system that is safe, reliable, resilient and equitable,” said Secretary Jamey Tesler. “With the support of MassDOT’s dedicated workforce and management team, I am looking forward to continuing to advance customer service improvements, programs giving municipalities resources, and infrastructure projects which connect people with where they want to go, whether they are walking, bicycling, traveling by public transportation, or riding in a vehicle.”
Prior to his appointment as Acting Secretary in January, Tesler served as Registrar of Motor Vehicles. He has years of experience across the Department of Transportation and has worked for more than 16 years in senior management roles in the public sector, including as General Counsel to the Massachusetts State Treasurer, Deputy Legal Counsel in the Office of the Governor, Deputy General Counsel for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), MassDOT Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Contract Management, Acting Chief of Staff for the Secretary of Transportation, and then as Chief Operating Officer at MassDOT. Tesler received his bachelor’s degree in Economics and International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan.
Learn more about the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
Mount Wachusett Community College Awarded Over $1.1M to Support Adult Education
The Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS) unit of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has awarded Mount Wachusett Community College grant monies totaling $1,108,106 to support basic skills education, occupational training, and post-secondary enrollment for adult learners in our region.
The Adult Education Services Continuation grant of $958,106 funds free access for eligible undereducated and limited English proficient adults, age sixteen and older, to highly effective adult basic education services in sixteen Workforce Investment Areas. The grant also includes $42,335 directed toward the Integrated Education and Training program HiSET/GED preparation with Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training and an additional $37,665 is directed to the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education program which combines ESOL instruction and CNA training. Each program is funded to support twenty students.
An additional grant of $150,000 was awarded in June for the Transition to Community College program that supports students transitioning from adult education programs to post-secondary enrollment.
The purpose of these services are to assist adult students to achieve their educational and career goal as family members, workers, and community members, and prepare them to successfully take their next steps toward those goals, in college and further training, at work, and in the community.
“The continuation of this grant funding is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our Adult Education team of advisors, and educators,” stated MWCC President James Vander Hooven. “Their work truly reflects the MWCC mission to be a lifelong learning community dedicated to excellence in education and responsive to the changing needs of the communities we serve.”
“Through this funding and your continued support, we hope to provide high quality adult education services across 16 local workforce development areas and statewide for Adult Education and Correctional Institutions,” stated the grant award letter signed by Governor Charles Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.
The grant will allow MWCC Adult Education and Training division to provide Adult Basic Education to 115 students and English as a Second Language to 154 students.
“Our adult education programs are vital to the success of our community,” notes Adam Duggan, Dean of Adult Education and Training Services. “These programs allow us to help students build the personal, social and academic skills needed to successfully complete a college program and go on to employment.”
The Adult Education and Training (AET) Center offers classes in Adult Basic Education, high school equivalency preparation, English for Speakers of Other Languages, and a variety of other programs. The AET Center is headquartered at the Leominster campus, alongside the MassHire North Central Career Center.
Fidelity Bank Introduces Strategic Innovation and Optimization Lab
First-of-its-kind lab to revolutionize banking processes and procedures
Fidelity Bank formally announced its Strategic Innovation and Optimization Lab, an internal consulting team to help the bank better serve clients through technology enhancements, process improvements, project management and data analytics to better understand and anticipate client needs.
“We make great improvements by collaborating with our colleagues who know banking inside out,” said Sheila Julien, Director, Strategic Innovation and Optimization Lab. “The lab brings expertise in some sophisticated technologies as well as systematic process improvement and project management. Together, we reimagine and reinvent our business processes.”
“The list of tools we can deploy to improve processes include data gathering and workflow, Microsoft® Excel® PowerQuery and macros, and Robotics Process Automation (RPA), which leverages trained bots to automate routine tasks through a user-friendly interface,” added Julien.
Three staff members are certified experts in RPA and have deployed nearly a dozen bots in the past year. These include daily execution of complex tasks and large-scale repetitive tasks for major projects, such as system conversions.
“We can handle projects with significant complexity to help navigate the technology race that many industries are facing,” said Jim Notaro, Vice President and Manager, Strategic Innovation and Optimization Lab. “But you’d be surprised at how much value we’ve created with tools most businesses already have today.”
For example, Notaro developed an internal document portal for easy storage and retrieval of imaged documents. “For years, we physically moved our documents between locations via courier or email, and then we would file the documents in an array of cabinets, all of which proved very cumbersome and inefficient,” added Julien. “By utilizing the document portal Jim developed, we ensure everyone has secure, easy access from their desktops to the information they need to do their jobs more efficiently.”
Additionally, the team utilized available technology to automate ATM balancing. “The process of balancing our fleet of ATMs used to take nearly 90 minutes each day to complete,” said Julien. “By studying the process and listening to colleagues describe their experiences doing this task, we were able to import the data and write the complex formulas to process most of the data automatically. Now it can be done in less than ten minutes each day.”
The lab also supports lines of business with complex data analytics requests. To add new advanced skills to the lab, two members of the team are pursuing advanced education in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence applications.
“Whether analyzing data, innovating processes, or managing a project for our internal clients, the lab follows the same C.A.R.E. process that our bankers use to help all our clients: We Collect information about their goals and their situation, Analyze the information, Recommend an approach, and Execute, all done with care,” added Julien.
Chamber Recognized as Finalist for National Honor
The finalists for this recognition represent the best of the best. To be selected as a finalist, the chamber must have demonstrated organizational strength and made an impact on key community priorities, such as education, transportation, economic development and quality of life. The North Central Massachusetts Chamber was one of four finalists in its category – along with chambers in Cumming, GA; Leesburg, VA; and Tuscaloosa, AL.
“This year’s finalists are among the most impactful organizations within the industry,” said ACCE President & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly. “Following a tumultuous year, these chambers emerged as community champions, providing catalytic leadership to address their region’s greatest challenges and opportunities for prosperity.”
“While we are disappointed that we were not selected as the final recipient, we are very honored and humbled to have had the North Central Massachusetts Chamber recognized as a finalist for the 2021 Chamber of the Year Award. While we don’t do the important work we do for the accolades and awards, it is still very special to be recognized as one of the best chambers nationally by our peers.” said Roy M. Nascimento, President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “We want to express our deep appreciation and gratitude to our Board of Directors, members, partners and communities for their contribution to our success.”
This is the second time that the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce has been honored as a finalist for the National Chamber of the Year Recognition – the first was in 2017. The North Central Massachusetts Chamber is the first chamber of commerce in Massachusetts and New England to have been named a finalist by ACCE for this prestigious and competitive recognition.
Rates Set for Employers’ Extra COVID-19 UI Assessments
Article Source: State House News Service
Author: Chris Lisinski
Employers in Massachusetts will face additional assessments equal to 10.5 percent of their unemployment insurance rates as part of an accounting fix the state deployed to soften the pandemic’s impacts, the Baker administration announced last week.
The unemployment system stabilization law Gov. Charlie Baker signed in May unwound massive spikes in the bills that businesses pay to fund joblessness benefits while imposing a new COVID-related charge, but until recently, employers did not know how much the additional assessments would cost.
In a letter to businesses dated Thursday, the Department of Unemployment Assistance announced the quarterly “COVID-19 Recovery Assessment” will be equal to 10.5 percent of each employer’s existing UI rate. The Boston Business Journal first reported about the letter on Friday.
Those who pay a UI rate of 4.98 percent, for example, will face an additional COVID-19 assessment at a 0.523 percent rate. Adjusted UI rates and COVID rates will be available starting July 26, the department said, with bills for the first and second quarters due by Aug. 31.
COVID-19 Recovery Assessments will be retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year and will help “manageably spread over time the cost of benefits paid by the UI Trust Fund in 2020 and 2021,” DUA wrote in its letter.
While the law aimed to reduce the immediate impact and trimmed the solvency assessment rate from 9.23 percent to about 1.1 percent, employers remain on the hook in the long term to cover the upheaval in the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund. As of May 31, the fund had a balance nearly $1.8 billion in the red, according to the most recent state report.
Business groups (including North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce) have been pushing for the Legislature and administration to use a portion of state government’s roughly $5 billion American Rescue Plan Act funding to pay down the deficit and reduce the burden they face. Lawmakers will kick off a public hearing process Tuesday about how to use that money.
Baker-Polito Administration to Invest $186 Million in Federal COVID-19 Funding for Critical Health Care and Workforce Priorities
The Baker-Polito Administration today announced it will invest $186 million of the Commonwealth’s direct federal aid from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) toward critical priorities including support for hospitals, health and human services, mental health, and workforce development. Utilizing these federal resources now will help further the Commonwealth’s economic recovery and provide relief for residents hardest-hit by COVID-19, such as lower-wage workers and communities of color.
This $186 million is part of a total of approximately $5.3 billion in direct aid awarded to the Commonwealth through ARPA. The funding announced today is part of $200 million provided to the Administration in recently signed legislation for addressing critical needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Baker has filed legislation to put an additional $2.915 billion of this funding to immediate use to address additional urgent and pressing needs including housing and homeownership, economic development and local downtowns, job training and workforce development, health care, and infrastructure.
“Our administration is putting this $186 million to work now because many communities throughout Massachusetts – especially low-income families and communities of color – have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and cannot wait for assistance. More than 400,000 residents are due to lose enhanced unemployment benefits in the first week of September, making the workforce training funding particularly urgent,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We look forward to working quickly with our colleagues in the Legislature in allocating additional funding and providing residents and families with relief from the housing, economic, workforce, health care, and other challenges which continue to face the Commonwealth as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Investing this $186 million is an important step in helping those who have been hard-hit by the pandemic, and we must continue deploying federal resources to further the economic recovery,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “These funds will help address crucial health care and workforce priorities, and we look forward to quickly getting them out the door and into our local communities.”
Highlights of this $186 million investment plan include:
Health Care
- $55 million for health and human services’ workforce development. Funding will enable 10% immediate time-limited rate enhancements from July through December 2021, helping strengthen and stabilize the state’s provider networks’ workforce in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- $50 million for fiscally distressed hospitals. This funding will help stabilize safety net hospital systems that have experienced significant financial shortfalls according to the latest data published by CHIA and those serving communities that were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
- $31 million for inpatient psychiatric acute facilities, both free-standing and in general hospitals. This investment will help bridge a significant staffing gap which is resulting in many individuals not being able to access licensed psychiatric beds and therefore spending extensive periods of time in emergency rooms. Funding will provide temporary supplemental payments to recruit critically needed clinical and direct care staff.
Workforce
- Up to $50 million to help train an estimated 15,000 unemployed or underemployed individuals across Massachusetts by providing industry credentials in critical areas of the economy such as advanced manufacturing, health care, information technology, and construction. Funding will also help scale up workforce development efforts in work readiness programs such as ESOL and the Signal Success soft skills-building curriculum.
The discretionary funds awarded to the Commonwealth through ARPA are intended to support urgent COVID-19 response efforts, replace lost revenue, support immediate economic stabilization for households and businesses, and address unequal public health and economic challenges in Massachusetts cities and towns throughout the pandemic. ARPA is also providing a total of $3.4 billion in direct aid for local governments throughout Massachusetts.
Massachusetts expects to benefit from a total of approximately $113 billion in COVID-related federal aid provided through the six pieces of federal legislation enacted during the pandemic. The majority of this funding is outside of the Commonwealth’s discretion. For example, over $50 billion is going directly to individuals and businesses in the form of stimulus payments, Paycheck Protection Program loans, Unemployment Assistance, and other initiatives. Over $3 billion has been awarded to the MBTA, RTAs, airports, and transportation. Approximately $2.9 billion has been awarded in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER Grants) for local schools, over $1.5 billion is being provided for higher education relief, and nearly $700 million has been awarded for child care.