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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Sabbra Reyes named to lead Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center; special “Business After Hours” event to recognize Burnette scheduled for January
The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce today announced the appointment of Sabbra Reyes to Visitor Center Manager of the Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center, effective December 2, 2024. Reyes will take over for Diane Burnette, who is retiring after nearly three decades of dedicated service to the Chamber.
A resident of Fitchburg, Reyes has been working at the visitors center for nearly 15 years and will bring a deep understanding of the region and its attractions to the management role.
“I am honored to follow in Diane’s footsteps and continue the tradition of excellence she has established,” said Reyes. “The Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center plays a vital role in showcasing our region, and I look forward to working with our team to enhance the visitor experience while maintaining the high standards Diane has set.”
To ensure a smooth transition following Burnette’s retirement, Reyes has been working closely with Burnette, who has shared insights and knowledge preparing for the leadership change. “Sabbra’s promotion represents a recognition of her capabilities and her commitment to maintain the exceptional service our visitors have come to trust and expect when visiting the center,” said Roy M. Nascimento, president and CEO, North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and Visit North Central Massachusetts.
Throughout Burnette’s nearly 30-year career, she has been a welcoming face for the region, greeting countless visitors with a warm personality and serving as an ambassador for North Central Massachusetts, making the visitor center a must-stop destination for travelers exploring the region.
“Diane’s contributions to our organization and the communities of North Central Massachusetts cannot be overstated,” added Nascimento. “She has not only managed the visitor center with exceptional skill but also played a crucial role in promoting our region and supporting local businesses. Her dedication has helped countless visitors discover the beauty and charm of North Central Massachusetts.”
In recognition of Burnette’s years of service, the Chamber will host a special edition of its popular “Business After Hours” series on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Brew Barn at Red Apple Farm, for colleagues and friends. Ticket proceeds from the event will benefit the Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center.
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As your dynamic partner in North Central Massachusetts, we continue to drive initiatives that strengthen our business community and foster regional growth. Our impact spans from direct business support to innovative community development, and we are pleased to share these updates with you that are not covered elsewhere in the newsletter.
SMALL BUSINESS LENDING: Our commitment to small business remains strong. For FY2024 which ended September 30, 2024, the Chamber’s economic development arm, the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC), approved and closed 27 loans to small businesses for a total of $1,101,500. The loans ranged from $1,000 to $250,000 and helped leverage another $2,424,000 in capital from our banking partners and $158,329 in borrower capital. These loans helped create 19.5 new jobs and retained another 29.5 jobs. We currently have a total of 98 loans in our loan portfolio with a total principal balance of $3,149,392.
BUSINESS ASSISTANCE: Beyond lending, our team also provided a total of 2,175 hours of hands on technical assistance in FY2024 to small businesses in the region. We also connected them with resources available through our partners like NewVue Communities, the Small Business Development Center at Clark University (SBDC), SCORE and the Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE). In addition, we continue to connect them as needed with professionals who can provide technical assistance beyond the scope of what we can do directly, including services for marketing, public relations, website/media design, bookkeeping and legal.
INITIATE PROSPERITY: FREE ONLINE RESOURCES: Members have access to Initiate Prosperity, our comprehensive online platform featuring 300+ business resources in English and Spanish. Since launching in October 2023, users have logged 70+ hours accessing interactive tools, templates, videos, and customized technical assistance guides.
Interested in signing up for Initiate? Access is complimentary for members, but pre-registration is required. Contact Sandie Cataldo, Senior Economic Development Manager at or 978.353.7600 ext. 232.
WorkNorthCentral.com: Our online jobs board, WorkNorthCentral.com, continues to be a vital tool for Chamber members. From January 1 to October 31, 2024, we’ve seen impressive engagement with over 1,500 job opportunities posted and more than 22,000 page views. To extend our reach, we also share these listings on our dedicated Work North Central Facebook page.
As a reminder, postings are complimentary for members. You can easily post your employment opportunities directly or email your listings to Sabbra Reyes at .
Take advantage of this powerful platform to connect with top talent in our region. Post your job openings today and tap into our growing network of job seekers!
Lauren Jones, Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, addresses a special joint meeting convened by the Chamber of the Manufacturing Council and the Talent Compact
WORKFORCE & TALENT: The Chamber convened a special joint meeting in September between our Manufacturing Council and North Central Massachusetts Talent Compact. Lauren Jones, Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, shared key insights on the Healey administration’s workforce initiatives and led a discussion on addressing our region’s pressing labor challenges. This strategic dialogue advanced our ongoing efforts to strengthen North Central Massachusetts’ workforce development and enhance regional economic growth.
SOLAR INITIATIVE: Our Pleasant Street solar field, launched in August 2014, continues to deliver significant benefits to participating manufacturers. As of October, 2024 the initiative has produced14,622,546 kWh of Net Metering Credits to the manufacturers participating in the program and a collective savings of $3,106,809 to participants.
This innovative program not only promotes sustainable energy practices but also contributes substantially to cost reduction for local businesses. As we celebrate a decade of operation, these figures underscore the long-term economic and environmental impact of our solar initiative.
SHOP LOCAL GIFT CARD PROGRAM: We currently have 41 member merchants that are participating in the Gift Local eGift Card program. Since January 1, 2024 through the end of October we have sold 59 gift cards valued at $2,600. During the same timeframe, 55 cards valued at $1,787.41 were redeemed at participating small businesses.
As we approach the holiday season—our peak sales period—we invite more businesses to join this free program. Every card redeemed supports our local economy.
Want to participate? Contact Patrick O’Hara: or 978.353.7600 ext. 239.
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM GROWING: Our Chamber Ambassadors—dedicated volunteers who champion member engagement and represent us at key events—continue to expand with two new additions in the last few months. We invite passionate members to join this influential group.
Interested in becoming an Ambassador? Contact Patrick O’Hara: or 978.353.7600 ext. 239.
GATEWAY SIGN INITIATIVE EXPANDS: Our commitment to strengthening regional identity continues with the recent addition of attractive welcome signs in Groton and Lancaster. These new installations complement our existing network of gateway signs in communities across North Central Massachusetts, including Fitchburg, Gardner, Hubbardston, Leominster, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Sterling, and Westminster. Beyond beautification, these signs serve as powerful symbols of community pride, enhance visitor navigation, and contribute to economic development by creating a more cohesive regional brand. We hope to sponsor additional signs for other member communities in North Central Massachusetts as funding becomes available.
Chamber staff showcase the new office furniture at our offices. Special thanks to AIS, Inc. for their donation of the new furniture.
DIGITAL REACH EXPANDS: Our strategic focus on fresh content and enhanced SEO practices continues to drive growth across our digital platforms, creating strong visibility for our members and communities. The Chamber’s main website, northcentralmass.com, demonstrated strong performance for fiscal year 2024 (ending June 30, 2024), attracting over 53,500 visitors and generating 137,700 pageviews—a 19.2% increase from the previous fiscal year.
Even more impressive has been the dramatic growth of our tourism platform, VisitNorthCentral.com. The site recorded more than 112,000 visitors and 207,000 pageviews throughout FY2024, representing a remarkable 50% increase in traffic. This momentum has continued into FY2025, with early metrics showing an extraordinary 89% surge in visitors and a 60% increase in pageviews compared to the same period last year.
These significant gains in digital engagement reflect growing interest in our region and demonstrate the effectiveness of our digital marketing strategies in showcasing North Central Massachusetts.
PODCAST HITS NEW MILESTONES: Our Inside North Central Massachusetts podcast has reached new milestones with 147 episodes and 5,800+ downloads—a 25% increase from last year. The series, sponsored by Franklin Professional Associates, continues to spotlight our region’s business leaders and success stories. Want to share your story? Contact Travis Condon at or 978.353.7600 ext. 224 to book your guest spot.
CHAMBER OFFICE GETS UPGRADE: Thanks to AIS, Inc.’s generous $50,000 furniture donation, we’ve modernized our office space with new staff furniture and cubicles. In keeping with our community-focused mission, we donated our previous furnishings to local non-profits, extending the impact of this upgrade throughout North Central Massachusetts.
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The Chamber has maintained an active presence in both federal and state-level advocacy throughout the latter months of 2024, hosting several key events and engaging on critical policy issues affecting our business community and the economic growth of the region.
Federal Engagement
The Chamber has strengthened its federal advocacy efforts this fall. Our annual Congressional Luncheon brought together Congressman Jim McGovern and Congresswoman Lori Trahan for a discussion on federal issues. Made possible through premier sponsor Fitchburg State University and supporting sponsor Care Central VNA & Hospice, Inc., the event provided members direct access to their federal representatives.
Further enhancing our federal presence, Chamber President Roy Nascimento represented our region at the prestigious Committee of 100 (CCC100) meeting in October. This select group, convened by the US Chamber of Commerce, comprises the nation’s 100 leading chamber executives. Nascimento’s participation enabled direct engagement with national business leaders, members of Congress, and chamber executives from across the country. His appointment to the CCC100 strengthens our ability to advocate for regional priorities while gaining early insights into federal policies affecting our business community.
Looking ahead to 2025, we are monitoring several critical federal issues that could significantly impact our local economy. These include the upcoming expiration of various provisions within the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, particularly changes to the R&D tax credit and the expiration of the pass-through deduction for small businesses. Additionally, potential new tariff policies under the new Trump administration warrant careful monitoring for their potential effects on our local economy.
Elections and Engagement
Maintaining our non-partisan stance, the Chamber served as an objective resource for both incumbent officials and candidates throughout the election cycle. While we do not endorse candidates, we actively facilitate dialogue between our elected representatives and candidates with the business community to ensure our region’s economic priorities are clearly communicated and understood.
Our Annual Legislative and Candidates Reception exemplified this approach. Thanks to the generous support of premier sponsor Mount Wachusett Community College and supporting sponsor Open Sky Community Services, the event provided a valuable forum for meaningful interaction between our legislative delegation, local officials, candidates, and business leaders.
Throughout the quarter, we also fostered engagement through individual meetings with officials and candidates, as well as focused discussions addressing specific concerns that our members had approached us about. The November election resulted in no changes to the North Central Massachusetts Legislative delegation, with incumbents maintaining their seats.
Ballot Question Advocacy
The Chamber actively engaged in advocacy regarding two significant ballot questions. With Question 2’s passage leaving Massachusetts without statewide graduation standards, we will advocate for thoughtful development of new standards that maintain educational excellence while ensuring student preparedness. We appreciate voters’ rejection of Question 5, recognizing its potential impact on our region’s hospitality sector. Special thanks to our legislative delegation members who opposed Question 5 and our member restaurants for their grassroots advocacy.
2025 Policy Agenda
The Chamber’s Board of Directors approved our Public Policy Agenda for 2025. Developed through stakeholder input and vetted by our Government Affairs Committee, this agenda will guide our advocacy efforts throughout the coming year.
The agenda focuses on six key priorities: economic competitiveness, small business, manufacturing, education, transportation, and real estate. While maintaining our longstanding positions on core issues, the 2025 agenda includes refined policy positions around plastics manufacturing, housing accessibility, and healthcare costs. These updates reflect the evolving needs of our business community while maintaining focus on long-term economic growth.
The complete agenda is available on our website.
State and Local Legislative Update
We recently provided testimony supporting the northern tier rail extension and submitted recommendations for the federally mandated Community Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). On Beacon Hill, we are monitoring the economic development bill and climate legislation during the closing days of informal session, which runs through December.
As Massachusetts operates on a two-year legislative cycle, any bills not passed by session’s end must be refiled in January when the new session begins. The Chamber will closely monitor new legislation affecting our business community as the process restarts in 2025.
For information about the Chamber’s public policy work, contact Public Affairs Manager Travis Condon at 978.353.7600, ext. 224, or .
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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
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
This notice is to inform you of upcoming traffic management and detour plans related to ongoing construction work. Please review the following information carefully as it pertains to temporary access, detours, and parking impacts.
MassDOT’s Contractor working on the River Street Bridge near Crocker Field needs to temporarily detour traffic on Thursday April 3rd and Friday April 4th between the hours of approximately 6 am and 5 pm to install structural beams at the project site.
On Thursday April 3rd: The River Street Bridge will be closed to eastbound/inbound traffic. Eastbound/inbound traffic on River Street will be detoured around the project site via Sheldon Street to West Street to Main Street. River Street will remain open to local traffic up to the Dunkin Donuts. The Contractor will place a sign at the intersection of River Street and Sheldon Street indicating that businesses are open and accessible. Police details and barrels/sawhorses/cones will be used to manage local traffic and prevent interference with Contractor operations.
On Friday April 4th: The eastbound/inbound lane on Main Street will be closed from Caldwell Street to the roundabout. Eastbound/inbound traffic from Caldwell Street, Ashburnham Hill Road, Read Street, Westminster Hill Road, and West Street will be detoured around the project site via Sheldon Street to River Street and across the bridge to Main Street. Westbound/outbound traffic on Main Street from the roundabout to Caldwell Street will be maintained. The Contractor will place a sign at the intersection of Main Street and Caldwell Street indicating that businesses are open and accessible from the roundabout side of Main Street.
The roadways will reopen to normal traffic patterns each evening after the work is complete. Note the River Street Bridge will continue to be limited to one lane in the eastbound/inbound direction.
The outbound/westbound detour route from Main Street to Circle Street to Broad Street to River Street will remain open at all times.
Due to the potential for traffic congestion on West Street between Westminster Hill Road and Ashburnham Hill Road, parking will be temporarily limited for both travel lanes during the detour hours. There is currently no parking for the westbound lane, but parking is allowed for the eastbound lane. The Contractor will coordinate with the Fitchburg Police Department (FPD) to place the necessary signage and notify abutting residents on West Street of the temporary parking restrictions.
The Contractor will work with City staff to provide door-to-door notification to residents and businesses abutting the detours on River Street, West Street, and Main Street.
The Adam Ezra Group is one of the hottest folk music groups around with shows planned around New England and a tour in Germany. This talented group will be performing a benefit for at the Bull Run Restaurant on April 13. An included dinner buffet will be served at 5pm and the show will start at 7pm. All proceeds will go to North Star Family Services whose mission is to provide stable housing, comprehensive services and advocacy for families in need of support.
Comeketo is making its way back! After a small setback, they’re halfway to their goal and need our support!
Join Comeketo for a one-day exclusive dining experience on March 29th at 199 Main St, Fitchburg, MA (inside the Congregational Church Hall).
Two sessions available:
5:30 PM & 7:30 PM
This is a one-time event (Not the new restaurant location)! Perfect chance to redeem gift cards.
Reserve Your Spot Today:
Call us at 978-381-1212
Email us at
Book Online here
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.”
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.
From Chamber events and ribbon cuttings to community celebrations and regional highlights, stay connected with what’s happening across North Central Massachusetts. Follow us on social media for the latest photos, updates, and stories.
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.
Got a job you want featured? Click here to submit a job posting to our job board or email . This is a member benefit. Post jobs at no extra cost. No algorithms or budgets to manage!
