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
The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC) and NewVue Communities, Inc (NewVue) are pleased to offer this one-time grant opportunity to small businesses in North Central Massachusetts. This program was designed to support vulnerable small businesses impacted by COVID-19 to assist with recovery and growth. Grants range between $500 – $5,000 for professional services. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until September 30, 2021 or until grant funds have been expended.
Eligible Use of Funds: Professional services
Accounting/Bookkeeping support
Marketing and social media support
Website upgrades
Legal services (lease review, business entity)
Signage
* Grant funds will be paid directly to consultant
Eligible business:
Located in the North Central MA region
Current on all state and local taxes
Current with all required licenses
Registered in the town/city in which the business operates or Secretary of State
Must have 20 or fewer Full-Time Equivalent employees
Applicants must be in operation when they apply and have started on or before March 1, 2020.
For more information please call 978.353.7600 Ext. 223 or email Maribel Cruz at or Sandie Cataldo at .
Board of Ed Ties Lifting Of Mandate to School Vaccination Rates
Massachusetts is poised to start its third pandemic-influenced academic year with a mask mandate in place across K-12 schools, after a 9-1 vote Tuesday by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Education Commissioner Jeff Riley said the mandate he plans to impose will require all students and staff to wear masks indoors through Oct. 1. After that date, Riley said, his department will “begin to look for off-ramps on masking in schools.”
“I want to be clear that we are hopeful that this will be a short-term measure, and we continue to work with the health and medical community on off-ramps for masking,” Riley said ahead of the vote.
He said he could not rule out the possibility that masks “may be required intermittently throughout the year” based on the path the virus takes.
Under Riley’s plan, starting in October, middle and high schools where at least 80 percent of students and staff have been vaccinated against COVID-19 would be able to lift the mask requirement, for vaccinated individuals only.
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education convened virtually Tuesday for a vote authorizing Commissioner Jeff Riley to issue a mask mandate for K-12 schools. [Screenshot]
The mandate will apply to students age 5 and up, and education officials have said it will include exceptions for students who cannot wear masks because of medical conditions or behavioral needs.
Education Secretary James Peyser said the policy would both ensure “that we have a smooth opening of school without any confusion or ambiguity about the health protocols that everyone is expected to follow” and “reinforce the importance of vaccinations.”
“Obviously, circumstances may change in the coming weeks, which may allow us to take a different course as the commissioner said, but for now the safest and simplest path forward is to mask up in schools as we all work to meet or exceed the 80 percent vaccination benchmark that we’re talking about,” Peyser said.
While it’s unclear how school district officials will gather the information, Riley told board members in a memo that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would provide schools with an attestation form they could submit to demonstrate they met the 80 percent threshold.
A shift from the Baker administration’s previous approach, the board’s vote comes after dozens of school committees, boards of health and other local officials across the state had already decided to require masks in their schools, often following lengthy debates at the local level.
Over the past month, more than 100 districts have put policies in place requiring universal masking when school starts, according to a list compiled by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. With a combined enrollment of about 454,000, those districts serve half the state’s students.
State education and health officials had previously issued what Gov. Charlie Baker called a “strong recommendation” that students in kindergarten through sixth grade — as well as older students and adults who are unvaccinated — wear masks indoors. That recommendation did not require districts to adopt any particular policy, and Baker had said he believes local officials are best suited to make the calls for their communities.
On Friday, after the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced Riley would seek to impose a mask mandate, Baker characterized that move as “appropriate” and said “an ongoing conversation” about back-to-school among state and local officials has been “evolving for the past month or so.”
“I think the commissioner felt this would give everybody sort of what I would describe as a common place to start the year, as well as some pretty heavy incentives for those who can get vaccinated to get vaccinated,” Baker said. “I want to see more people get vaccinated, too. It really is the only way out of this.”
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education received thousands of comments, mostly from parents, ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, member Martin West said.
West, who voted to grant Riley the authority, was one of three board members to speak during the 20-minute meeting and voiced concerns around “the lack of a clear end date or exit criteria for elementary school students who are not currently eligible for vaccination.” He also said he was not sure that requiring unvaccinated older students to still mask up while their vaccinated peers did not need to would work “on both practical and ethical grounds,” questioning how schools would know who had the shots and suggesting students might end up “tattling” on inappropriately maskless classmates.
The sole dissenting vote, Paymon Rouhanifard, said it was “just, frankly, really bad public policy” to tie the proposal to vaccination rates, and said he thinks linking it to community spread of the coronavirus would have been a “more reasonable” alternative.
“I’m old enough to remember how this all started,” he said. “When this all started, it was about flattening the curve, and the curve, you may recall, was about hospitalization rate and count, and all of a sudden, we’re now focused on case count, and I do believe the goal posts have shifted and there hasn’t been an honest discussion about that.”
Rouhanifard, the co-founder and CEO of Propel America and former superintendent of Camden, N.J. schools, said he was “genuinely surprised” that Baker backs the mandate because he considers the governor “to be really smart about technocratic policy solutions.”
“When this all started, and as our school reopening debate demonstrated, a debate about the pandemic and how we address it and policy solutions really became a debate about Trumpism itself and where you stand ideologically, rather than meeting in the messy middle to determine evidence-based policy solutions,” he said.
Board member Matt Hills, who praised state leaders as “unafraid to pivot” in their pandemic response, voiced confidence in Riley, describing the commissioner as someone who would not “just keep restrictions in place for the sake of it.”
Riley is authorized to issue the mask mandate under the state’s regulations around student learning time. Those regulations say that when the board declares — as it did in Tuesday’s vote — that exigent circumstances exist that hinder students’ ability to safely attend classes, the commissioner “shall issue health and safety requirements and related guidance for districts.”
As of Aug. 13, 57 percent of the Massachusetts population between the ages of 12 and 17, or 271,900 people, were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to federal data. A total of 333,070 members of that age group had received at least one dose.
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for use in people age 16 and older, and those shots are also available to youth between the ages of 12 and 15 under an FDA emergency use authorization.
There is still not a COVID-19 vaccine authorized for kids under 12. State officials have said they hope that could change as soon as this fall, but there is not yet a clear timeline for how much of the coming school year will play out with younger students still ineligible for a vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors in K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Locally, groups including the Massachusetts Medical Society and the Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians have also said masks should be required indoors for everyone in schools.
Massachusetts Teachers Association President Merrie Najimy said the vote was “a significant advancement toward keeping our communities safe as we prepare for a return to full in-person learning.”
“Students of all ages have been champions from the beginning,” Najimy said in a statement. “They quickly learned an important lesson of life – that when they wear their masks, they are protecting their peers, educators, and the entire school community. Masks have become routine for them. We can count on students to do their part once again to help this comprehensive policy succeed as classes resume. As we have been saying for many months now, our top priority is to get our schools open safely and keep them open for full in-person learning. This vote is a step toward that goal.”
Governor Charlie Baker, Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg and Attorney General Maura Healey announced the appointment of Representative Bradford R. Hill to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC). Per statute, two commissioners are appointed by a majority vote of the Governor, Attorney General and Treasurer. Representative Hill will fill the experience in gaming regulation and administration or gaming industry management seat. The Commission is bipartisan, with no more than three members representing the same political party. Representative Hill will fulfill the balance of a term that ends in 2025.
“Brad Hill has been a dedicated public servant for over two decades and has years of experience working with the Massachusetts gaming community,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I am confident that he will be well-suited to serve in this new role during a transformative time in the Commonwealth’s gaming industry and am pleased to make this appointment.”
“In his decades of experience advocating for the residents of the Commonwealth and their needs, Brad Hill has a proven record of leadership on gaming policy,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “His demonstrated passion for the gaming industry, and his commitment to public service, will benefit the Commission and its work.”
“Brad Hill has spent his career advocating for our state and its residents,” said Attorney General Healey. “His knowledge of the gaming industry will be a great asset to the Commission during this critical time.”
“Representative Hill’s many years of business experience and public service, along with his commitment to serving our state, will positively impact the Gaming Commission and people of the Commonwealth,” said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, “We look forward to working with him in this new capacity and know that he will ensure fairness and equity as the industry continues to evolve.”
“It has been my distinct honor and privilege to serve the people of Massachusetts and the 4th Essex District for nearly 25 years,” said Representative Brad Hill. “I am deeply grateful to the Governor, Treasurer and Attorney General for this incredible opportunity to continue supporting the Commonwealth, and am eager to begin this new chapter working alongside my fellow Commissioners.”
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission was created after “An Act Establishing Expanded Gaming in the Commonwealth” was signed into law on November 22, 2011. The Commission is a five member independent body that is responsible for developing and managing the process to select, license, oversee, and regulate all expanded gaming facilities in the Commonwealth. The costs associated with operating the state’s gaming commission is paid for by the gaming industry and not by Massachusetts tax dollars.
The Chair of the Commission is appointed by the Governor; one member is appointed by the Attorney General (whose appointee must have a background in criminal investigations and law enforcement); and one member is chosen by the State Treasurer (whose appointee must be proficient in corporate finance and securities). The remaining two commissioners are appointed by a majority vote of the same three constitutional officers.
About Bradford R. Hill
Representative Bradford R. Hill has represented the 4th Essex District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives since 1999, where he was appointed Minority Whip in 2009 and then Assistant Minority Leader in 2015. A former local official and longtime public servant, Representative Hill has served as a member of the Hamilton Zoning Board of Appeals and of the Ipswich Board of Selectmen, and also worked as a legislative staffer in the Massachusetts State Senate.
As State Representative, Representative Hill has worked to deliver bipartisan, commonsense results on issues such as coastal and environmental protection, education, criminal justice reform and healthcare for his constituents and residents of the Commonwealth. He has also been a determined advocate for the Massachusetts gaming industry and has authored and filed six pieces of legislation to authorize sports wagering.
A cancer survivor who received a bone marrow transplant in 2013 while continuing to serve in the House, Representative Hill resides in Ipswich with his wife, Aimee. They are the proud parents of two adult children, Zachary and Courtney.
Fore Then Pore: Golf Clinic, 9 Hole Play & End of Summer Bash
August 21, 2026
Golf Clinic, 9 Hole Play & End of Summer Bash
August 21, 2026
The Woods of Westminster
Event Start at 1:00pm View
Event
Sponsors Reception: Old Mill
August 26, 2026
Thank you to all our sponsors who help sponsor this past 2025-2026 program year! We are truly honored by your continued support and efforts to continue to make our community thrive! View
Event
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.
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 .
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.
Member Spotlight
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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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.
