E-Newsletter
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.
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

Professor Mike Greenwood, business professor at Fitchburg State University and chairman of the Institute steering committee, is enthusiastic about this year’s participants and the meaningful professional, personal and community development they will take part in. “I have been with the class since it’s reintroduction in 2011. Each year, I am amazed and impressed with the dedication of the participants. Programs like this are an important asset within the community to ensure one that continues to thrive, even after our current leaders retire.”
Marty Connors, president of Rollstone Bank & Trust and past chairman of the Institute steering committee, led the Institute’s revival in 2010. “I was in the 1991 class of the Institute and it was an integral part of my success in the community. As Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors in 2010, I felt we needed the program back to once again support our needs for leadership and succession planning. Rollstone Bank & Trust’s participants have enjoyed the program and become leaders here in their workplace and in the community. We could not be prouder of the work they have done.”
Applications for the class of 2020 will be accepted until August 23, 2019. Please contact Kat Deal, Events & Programs Manager, at 978.353.7600 x 235 or for more information.
Community Leadership Institute Class of 2019
Amy Bonilla, Rollstone Bank & Trust
Matthew Borseth, Fidelity Bank
Jared Brown, W. E. Aubuchon Company, Inc.
Jon Bullock, Enterprise Bank and Trust Company
Kathleen Craigen, Fitchburg State University (formerly Sizer School)
Jill deSousa, Avidia Bank
Kyle Johnson, Johnson Controls
Brion Keagle, Fitchburg State University
Sweta Khajurivala, Montachusett Opportunity Council, Inc
Heather Layton, Mount Wachusett Community College
Christine Lowe, Institute of Professional Practice
Rocco Mammone, Resource Management, Inc.
Mary May-Lucchese, Montachusett Regional Voc. Tec
Christopher Medley, Fitchburg State University
Peter Ryan, Johnson Controls
Frances Santos, Montachusett Home Care Corp.
Jessica Senee, Leominster Credit Union
Jennifer Stone, Fidelity Bank
Anthony Trapasso, Halstead Insurance Agency, Inc.
About Community Leadership Institute
The Community Leadership Institute began in 1988, known then as Leadership North Central. Over the last 25 years, more than 250 participants have graduated from the Institute and become leaders in their communities, with over 100 in the last five years. Participants for the Institute are sponsored by their business and are seen as leaders or potential leaders within that company. Applications for each class are available in July & August of each year, sessions held once per month from October to June.
The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Nicholas Jones of Fitchburg State University as an intern for the summer semester. Nicholas, currently a senior, is majoring in Communications Media with a concentration in Professional Communications and a double major in Graphic Design. His focus on online communications such as interactive social media and other online platforms is what led him to the Chamber. Nicholas is learning a variety of aspects of the Chamber and its affiliates. He has been gaining hands on learning experience by assisting with creating interactive media, and assisting with advertising campaigns.
Mr. Jones has also served our country proudly as an Aviation Ordinance man in the U.S. Navy. Nicholas was a part of the Strike Fighter Wing Pacific Detachment in NAF El Centro, CA.
“We are excited to welcome Nicholas as part of our team this semester,” said Roy Nascimento, President & CEO of the Chamber. “He is a bright and ambitious student who will benefit from his time working with our members and supporting the advancement of North Central Massachusetts. I have no doubt that he will make a positive contribution to our organization.”
Nicholas was connected to the Chamber through Fitchburg State University’s Internship program, which allows students to explore a career field and gain relevant work experience, apply academic learning to real world situations, and build critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and professional skills. Please contact the Chamber at 978.353.7600 ext. 240 for more information.
The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce is one of 35 state and local chambers chosen to take part in a national program aimed at addressing critical education and workforce issues. Sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips participants with resources, national expertise and a network of peers to build their capacity to address the most pressing education and workforce challenges.
“Businesses in North Central Massachusetts are struggling with the same challenges their peers are throughout the country.” says Christopher McDermott, Public Affairs Manager of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber, who is participating in the third cohort of the program on behalf of North Central Massachusetts. “Recruiting, training and retaining qualified and skilled workers has grown increasingly difficult in recent years. This is a great opportunity for the Chamber to actively contribute to the national conversation while learning best practices from our counterparts in other states that can help us make an impact locally.”
“We created the Business Leads Fellowship Program in response to the needs of our state and local chamber partners,” says Cheryl Oldham, Senior Vice President of the Center for Education and Workforce. “They, better than anyone, see the critical link between education and economic development, and we are glad to be able to support them as they take on this critical leadership role in their community.”
The 35 chamber professionals included in the third cohort of Business Leads Fellowship were chosen through a competitive selection process. The four-month fellowship, which concludes in September, 2019, will cover the entire talent pipeline, including early childhood education, K-12, higher education and workforce development.
The objectives of the program align with the North Central Massachusetts Chamber’s efforts around improving the workforce, which are most recently exemplified by the publication of its recent report Build North Central: Improving the Industrial Heart of Massachusetts.
Upon completion, Business Leads Fellows will join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s dedicated network of 200 chambers of commerce and statewide associations from around the nation who regularly engage on education and workforce initiatives.
Fitchburg Public Library presents Summer Reading Program!
Come join us for a summer of laughter and learning at the Fitchburg Youth Library! Our Summer Reading Program this year will highlight a special weekly theme in our free programs and activities, including favorites like Monday and Tuesday Storytime with Ms. Jane, Pokemon Game Night, Lego Club, and Crafternoon. Each week will also feature a photo booth where young and old can take their picture with special props for the weekly theme. Let us show you that Libraries Rock!
Kick-Off Party – June 28, 4-6 PM: Sign-up for the Summer Reading Program and learn about of all the exciting summer programs we have planned for you! Lois Shorten, a teacher-naturalist from Mass Audubon will present Reading Rocks with Libraries, sponsored by the Montachusett Opportunity Council.
Our first full week (July 2-8) is Drama and Poetry week. Join us for Poetry and Puppets at Maker Monday and practice your poetry on a Therapy Pet on Saturday morning. Sally Cragin will be presenting Marionettes and More on Thursday with a chance for you to make your own working marionette!
Travel back in time during History Week (July 9-14). For Maker Monday, Jessica Clarke will come show us how to use clay to make a pinch pot, and we will make log cabins, cowboys, and horses with Ms. June at Crafternoon on Tuesday. Our photo booth will have Little House on the Prairie costumes and a Wild West Cowboy Outfit. Tuesday evening, the ScienceTellers will take us back to the Wild West and teach us about chemical reactions, acids and bases, combustion, air pressure, inertia and much more!
Who doesn’t like to experiment? For July 16-21 the library will be filled with research and learning for Science Week! We’ll conduct our own science experiments at Maker Monday, make a mechanical hand with Ms. June on Tuesday at Crafternoon, and meet some special canine officers to learn about their scientific powers of scent discrimination on Wednesday. Ed the Wizard will present Alchemy Lab! Tuesday evening with magical transfigurations, vanishes and other amazing feats using everyday household items!
Since the library is chock full of Adventures – this will be our theme for the week of July 23-28. Listen to an adventure story at lunch time on Wednesday, and travel with Bastion to Fantasia for our Friday Film Fest. The Wingmasters will take us on an extra special adventure into the avian world in their program Music to Our Ears, How Birds of Prey Communicate on Thursday evening.
Calling all detectives! If you love a good mystery then the week of July 30-August 4 is the week for you! We’ll work with invisible ink and make detective boxes at Maker Monday, and Ms. June will show us how to create a secret code decoder at Crafternoon on Tuesday. Venture into the world of CSI with the Forensic Science Roadshow on Wednesday evening. The Museum of Science will help us to outwit nature so that we can continue to look for clues at their Thursday program: Blizzards: Outwit the Elements. You can go undercover with disguises at our photo booth all week!
Travel to a world far away where knights and dragons live during Fantasy week (August 6-11). We’ll make fairy houses at Maker Monday, and it’s our Annual Prince & Princess Day at Crafternoon on Tuesday with crowns, swords, shields, and even a castle! Sally Cragin will be back to help us create more marionettes on Thursday – this time with a Princess, a Farmhand, and a Wizard! Make a wooden robot on Saturday (pre-registration required). Listen to “Intergalactic P.S. 3” by Madeline L’Engle on Wednesday for lunch, and at Friday’s Film Fest enjoy the story about a girl who uses telekinesis on her parents in the 1996 film.
We all need a laugh – so this year’s Summer Reading Program ends with Comedy! Listen to Dan Gutman’s super funny “Mrs. Yonkers is Bonkers” on Wednesday for lunch and shake your sillies out at Ms. Jane’s Storytime on Monday and Tuesday mornings. Our Wrap-Up Party with Chris and Pete’s Magic Show will be held on Thursday with lots of energy, silliness, and giggles! Join us for an evening of laughter and fun!
Free parking is available in the lot at the corner of Boulder Drive and Newton Place. All programs are free to the public. For information about this or other Library programs call 978-829-1780 or visit our website: www.FitchburgPublicLibrary.org.
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.”
Discover local business stories through our Inside North Central Massachusetts Podcast series. Listen as Chamber members share their journeys, insights, and contributions to our thriving regional business community.
Looking for your next opportunity? Explore current job openings from employers across North Central Massachusetts on our Jobs Board. Whether you’re starting a new career or making a change, you’ll find a variety of local positions available to help you take the next step.
CapEx Facility Services & Construction · Leominster, MA
TaraVista Behavioral Health Center · Harvard, MA
DRS Power Technology, Inc. · Fitchburg, MA
AIS · Leominster, MA