Worcester Business Journal

12 Worcester Business Journal | May 27, 2019 | wbjournal.com P O W E R 5 0 E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T Christina Andreoli SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PRIVATE BANKING BERKSHIRE BANK, WORCESTER Residence: Holden College: Syracuse University Andreoli has long combined her plethora of powerful contacts with an affable style to have a typically behind-the-scenes influence on the workings of the Central Massachusetts economy, whether it was in her early work at the City of Worcester or at the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, where she championed and executed the idea of creating the Discover Central Massachusetts tourism agency. Two years ago, aer Berkshire Bank in Pittsfield bought out Worcester's Commerce Bank for $230 million, the new bank coaxed Andreoli into the private sector, where she uses her long-held community power to help powerful people make the most out of their money. At the same time, Andreoli remains heavily involved in the community, volunteering for the likes of Girls on the Run, the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus and Notre Dame Academy. Where is Central Mass. headed? When I think back to when I was working for the City of Worcester, I can't help but be proud of all the exciting things happening today and what's to come. I want my children to want to raise their families here! Worcester's time is now. Shaping hearts & minds: I am a Girl Scout troop leader and a Catholic catechism teacher. And I love spinning! Nick Capasso DIRECTOR FITCHBURG ART MUSEUM Residence: Acton Colleges: Clark University, Rutgers University Capasso has leveraged his position leading a respected cultural institution in a long-struggling city to push for a new type of redevelopment centered around his passion: art. His crowning achievement is nearing reality in the next year or two; the Fitchburg Arts Community will feature 62 units of affordable live/ work space for artists in three historical buildings adjacent to the Fitchburg Arts Museum, in one of the city's most diverse and economically challenged neighborhoods. Having created partnerships with organizations like the city, Fitchburg Public Schools, Fitchburg State University, NewVue Communities, CENTRO and the Spanish American Center, Capasso plays an important role in other developments key to Fitchburg's revitalization plan, including bringing FSU downtown and reopening City Hall. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? With our work on multiple economic and community development projects in Fitchburg, we hope to soon join Worcester as a city enjoying a true renaissance. He likes art: For more than two decades, I have been a leading advocate for public art in Boston, through my work with the Urban Arts Institute, the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, and Now + ere, a young but fierce nonprofit realizing cutting-edge projects in urban spaces. Denis P. Dowdle PRESIDENT MADISON PROPERTIES, BOSTON Residence: Newton College: University of Wisconsin Unlike virtually anyone else on this list, Dowdle's power comes on how much he's being relied on: by Worcester's government, its taxpayers and the soon-to-be Worcester Red Sox. e anticipated tax revenue from his plans to develop a $140-million mixed-use development adjacent to the $101-million baseball stadium – being built for the minor league baseball team's arrival in 2021 – are the financial lynchpin in Worcester's promise to not use any general taxpayer money to cover the ballpark construction costs. While still being finalized, his plans include 225 apartments, a hotel, an office building and retail. Dowdle, who was looking to develop the Canal District property before the Sox reached an agreement to come to Worcester, has come through for the city before. Almost a decade ago, he built a Walmart Supercenter as part of a new retail complex at the former U.S. Steel site. is time, you could say – in a baseball analogy – the bases are loaded. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? e positive momentum building in Worcester will continue to accelerate to the benefit of the entire Central Mass community. Baseball family: My late father-in-law Jim O'Toole pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and started Games 1 and 4 in the 1961 World Series. Timothy P. Murray PRESIDENT & CEO WORCESTER REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Residence: Worcester Colleges: Fordham University, Western New England University School of Law You can't really talk about business in Worcester without mentioning Murray, who simultaneously serves as advocate, go-between and powerbroker. Murray's hand is both visible and invisible in countless business projects throughout the region, such the arrival of the Worcester Railers and its owner's subsequent purchasing of real estate in the city. Murray and City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr., were the first two Worcester decisionmakers to meet with Pawtucket Red Sox officials in 2016, which directly led to the team deciding to move to the Canal District in 2021. Like clockwork, Murray advocates for a lower business tax rate every year. Murray serves on several nonprofit boards, including at Anna Maria College, Latino Dollars for Scholars, Worcester Tree Initiative and the Worcester Business Development Corp. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? e region will continue to grow with collaboration being key to Central Massachusetts' success. That's when he really had all the power: I worked as a courier and mailroom clerk for the Worcester chamber when I was in high school. Charles F. "Chip" Norton PRESIDENT & OWNER FRANKLIN REALTY ADVISORS, WELLESLEY & WORCESTER Residence: Dover College: University of New Hampshire A significant player in downtown Worcester for the past four years, Norton expanded his reach over Central Massachusetts in the past year with the master planning and redevelopment of the 1.3-million- square-foot Southbridge Innovation Center, a 150- acre campus housing hotels, commercial space and industrial space in 12 buildings. Norton transformed an off-line electric power plant into a 1.1-megawatt combined heat-and-power cogeneration facility to provide power to the property. In November, he completed the restructuring of the finances behind his Mercantile Center in Worcester, which he bought and invested $70 million into back in 2015. He has been a leading voice among downtown property owners, particularly as the Worcester Redevelopment Authority seeks to revitalize the Midtown Mall. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? It is more evident than ever the area's growth is just the beginning, and the interest in Central Massachusetts has begun to grow exponentially along with it. Red line: I played on a National Junior Hockey Team in Russia, Czechoslovakia, and in East Berlin in 1973, when they were under Communist control. Arthur G. Vigeant MAYOR CITY OF MARLBOROUGH Residence: Marlborough College: Worcester State College Vigeant leads a city that is the envy of nearly all Central Mass. communities. With Vigeant's pro-business tone, more than 20 companies have either expanded or moved to Marlborough in the past year, generating more than 350 new jobs and occupying more than 250,000 square feet of commercial space. Marlborough, uniquely located between the Greater Worcester and MetroWest is home to some of the largest and most profitable companies in Massachusetts, including medical device makers Boston Scientific and Hologic. e city's unemployment rate is well below state and national averages. e city's revenue from hotel room taxes rose for a sixth consecutive year in 2018 to $2.7 million, which funds the Marlborough Economic Development Corp. Vigeant serves as president of the Massachusetts Mayors' Association and on several Massachusetts Municipal Association committees. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? With rents climbing in Boston, more employers are choosing to establish themselves west of 495. e biotech industry has brought a highly educated workforce, and the region must work together to retain these employees by developing housing plans. Ron Swanson would be proud: I enjoy spending time in New Hampshire, riding my motorcycle and woodworking.

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