Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | May 27, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 7 C U L T U R E P O W E R 5 0 You've got a lot on your plate. We're here to help. With local, trusted advisors and a full suite of money management products. Let's talk about your business and where we can take it together. EXPANDING PRACTICE. EVER-EXPANDING RESPONSIBILITIES. IF THIS IS YOU, THEN THIS IS YOUR BANK. Visit web5.com or call 800.696.9401 WEBSTER • DUDLEY • OXFORD • AUBURN • WORCESTER • SHREWSBURY Member FDIC Member DIF Cliff Rucker OWNER WORCESTER RAILERS HOCKEY CLUB AND THE FIDELITY BANK WORCESTER ICE CENTER, WORCESTER Elaine Osgood FOUNDER & CEO ATLAS TRAVEL & TECHNOLOGY GROUP, MARLBOROUGH Troy Siebels PRESIDENT & CEO THE HANOVER THEATRE & CONSERVATORY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, WORCESTER Stephanie Ramey EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DISCOVER CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS, WORCESTER Residence: Westborough Colleges: UMass Amherst, Anna Maria College With Osgood at the helm for more than 30 years, Atlas dominates worldwide with locations in London, New York City and Washington D.C. and global support in more than 100 countries. Osgood entered the travel industry aer stints as a teacher and investigator with the Mass. Department of Children & Families. e technology side of Atlas helps corporate clients understand their operations using analytics, increasing efficiencies in areas like supplier management, risk management and global travel expenses. e company has expanded its in-house educational program, Atlas University, to attract and retain local talent. Osgood serves on the boards of Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce and Girls Inc. of Worcester, including in its diversity committee and weekly mentor program. Where is Central Mass. headed? e business community has grown significantly and will continue, with ongoing investments. A huge benefit to local companies are the colleges and universities supplying a young, well-educated workforce. Round and round we go: I was a hula hoop champion in high school. I still enjoy the sport! Residence: Worcester College: Worcester State University As the second-ever executive director of Discover Central Mass., Ramey is tasked with the difficult proposition of turning a good idea into a great agency. Aer DCM wrestled control over the region's tourism promotion from the stagnant Destination Worcester, former DCM leader Christina Andreoli did an excellent job of setting a framework to create a viable agency for the industry generating $44 million in local and state taxes annually, along with 3,600 jobs. Now, it rests on Ramey to deliver on that promise, through hard metrics like hotel room nights and more unquantifiable measures like brand recognition. Although it is still early aer her first year as leader, Ramey has largely delivered, aer developing new innovative tools like a mobile app for visitors to explore restaurants, shops and other tourism options. Where is Central Mass. headed? We are building legitimate destinations within Worcester. More independent retailers will fill empty storefronts. Staying balanced: I love to figure skate. I'm not great, but I'm pretty good. I take lessons at the same time as my daughters on the weekend. Residences: Danvers & Worcester College: Tufts University Rucker became an instant major player in the Central Mass. economy in 2015 when he announced the return of Worcester minor league hockey, and he hasn't let up since. Rucker's Railers team saw only a 4% drop in attendance for its 2018-2019 season, following a very buzzy inaugural year. His involvement in the dis- cussions with the Pawtucket Red Sox was integral in convincing the baseball team minor league sports could thrive in Central Mass. He has continued to build up his real estate holdings, adding tenants like the Worces- ter Regional Chamber of Commerce to his 311 Main St. building in Worcester. e Worcester Ice Center is home to two restaurants, and Rucker owns another in the Railers Sports Tavern. Rucker and the team have donated $300,000 annually to local community orga- nizations while its flagship program, Skate to Success, teaches 2,500 Worcester fourth graders to ice skate. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? e sky is the limit. e momentum is contagious. Maybe the fourth graders could teach him: While I own a professional hockey team, I can't actually skate. Residence: Shrewsbury Colleges: North Carolina School of the Arts, Loretto Heights College, Shenandoah Conservatory of Music Siebel's vision for a pedestrian-friendly, culture-centric downtown Worcester took another step closer to reality in March when the city began the remaking of Carroll Plaza, which will create a viable outdoor space for artistic endeavors just outside the Hanover eatre. Siebels has been at the forefront of Worcester' cultural overhaul since he's led the Hanover before it opened in 2008, growing the performance and education facility to attract roughly 200,000 visitors annually, with 40 employees and 280 students. His plans for the Hanover to anchor a robust eatre District includes another 300-seat theater and a jazz club. He's played a leading role for the Worcester Cultural Coalition, Discover Central Massachusetts and the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District, a special 78-acre area using a tax surcharge to make downtown friendlier to visitors that just hired a new executive director and a contractor to provide ambassadors downtown to give directions and advice to visitors. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? Worcester's downtown will continue to evolve and develop, and will overcome earlier negative perceptions to become a destination for culture, dining and entertainment. The anti-Scrooge: I direct the theatre's annual production of "A Christmas Carol," which is based on a script I adapted from Charles Dickens' book. We donate more than 2,000 tickets to kids and families who would otherwise be unable to attend.

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