Worcester Business Journal

16 Worcester Business Journal | May 27, 2019 | wbjournal.com P O W E R 5 0 E D U C A T I O N & A D V O C A C Y F. Javier Cevallos PRESIDENT FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY Susan West Engelkemeyer, Ph.D. PRESIDENT NICHOLS COLLEGE, DUDLEY Laurie Leshin PRESIDENT WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Residence: Framingham Colleges: University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Ecuador-born and Puerto Rico-raised, Cevallos has been proactive in bringing more diversity to Fram- ingham State in a city that itself is much more diverse than it used to be. Cevallos signed on to a pledge last year from CEOs and presidents across the country to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace, becoming the third Massachusetts college president to do so. Just a few months later, Framingham State was recognized by higher education magazine INSIGHT into Diversity for its efforts to support inclusion. en Cevallos was named the new national chairman of the board of directors of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. It's not all about pledges and accolades, of course, and Cevallos gets heavily involved in MetroWest organizations. He serves on the boards of MetroWest Medical Center, Jewish Family Service of Metrowest, United Way of Tri-County and the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? We are fortunate to live in a region thriving in education, science, technology and the arts. Our demographic diversity is one of our assets, and that plurality of voices will add to our economic development. Chef Cevallos: I enjoy cooking. It's a great way to relax. Residences: Dudley and Hull Colleges: Clemson University, East Carolina University, Stephens College Nichols, a small college in a rural town, punches far above its weight. As the pool of traditional college applicants has dwindled, the business-focused college has held its own under the leadership of Engelkemeyer, its president since 2011. Nichols pushes for more non-traditional students, now enrolling a majority of its MBA students online. e MBA program has grown – by an average of 40% annually over the past five years – despite a national drop in graduate business students. Last year, the college created a finance lab to give students access to real-time market information. Nichols isn't done making sure its graduates are in demand. is fall, the college begins new majors in digital and social media marketing, marketing analytics, and corporate finance and investments. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? Central Massachusetts has great promise when compared to the Boston area, in large part due to much more affordable housing and far less traffic. And yet she found a job: My undergraduate degree is in equestrian studies – horseback riding! A really fun degree, but with pretty limited job opportunities. Residence: Worcester Colleges: Arizona State University, California Institute of Technology Leshin has called WPI's small satellite in Boston's Seaport District a wormhole back to the school's main campus in Worcester. e space analogy is an apt one for someone who spent most of her career becoming WPI's first female president as a NASA scientist. It's also a reminder of how Leshin and WPI have worked to better connect the school and its home city to all Boston has to offer with neighborhoods of tech companies and talented and well-educated workforce. Leshin has led WPI since 2014, a time during which the school has built the $49-million Foisie Innovation Studio and Messenger Hall, with 140 beds and floors of lab and study space, and helped foster local startups; roughly a dozen companies with connections to WPI have opened in the last year. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? WPI is part of the renaissance of this amazing college town. In April, we hosted a celebration for Worcester wooing the Red Sox organization and, as part of that, WPI's partnership with the ballclub as its academic technology advisor; the next day I was invited to a city press conference for an app created for the city's Department of Public Health by WPI students to help residents navigate social services. Roy M. Nascimento, CCE, IOM PRESIDENT & CEO; NORTH CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, FITCHBURG AiVi Nguyen PARTNER BOWDITCH & DEWEY, WORCESTER Luis G. Pedraja PRESIDENT; QUINSIGAMOND COMMUNITY COLLEGE, WORCESTER Colleges: UMass Dartmouth, Suffolk University, Institute for Organization Management, Economic Development Institute As the head of the second largest chamber of commerce in Central Mass., Nascimento has built up clout with his 800 member businesses. is year, he used that goodwill to go on an advocacy tour calling for comprehensive Massachusetts education reform. More than just reallocating the state education budget to new priorities or just throwing a billion more dollars at the issue, Nascimento came up with an elaborate plan to provide employers – particularly those in northern Worcester County – with the workers they need today while ensuring the workforce has the skills necessary to build a competitive economy in the future. Under his leadership, the chamber gives out $50,000 annually in scholarships to local high school seniors and connects companies with potential interns and apprentices. Where is the community headed? North Central Mass. is well positioned, with a high-quality workforce, tremendous quality of life, affordability, great infrastructure and collaborative spirit. The Iberian: I have dual citizenship! While I was born in the U.S., my parents were immigrants from Portugal. A few years ago, I applied for Portuguese citizenship to connect back with my cultural heritage. Residence: Worcester Colleges: University of Pennsylva- nia, Boston College Law School At Bowditch, Chairman Mike Angelini used his legal prowess and sense of community to become a towering figure in shaping the region's economy. Nguyen has proven herself to be his worthy successor. When she was promoted to a partner at age 31 in 2016, Nguyen became the youngest partner in Bowditch's 105-year history. She used that visibility to elevate her community efforts, which have included – but are not limited to – pushing for more inclusion. As vice chair of Worcester's Diversity & Inclusion Committee, she helped spearhead the proposal this year to switch to affirmative action in city hiring. Nguyen also serves as chairwoman of the United Way of Central Mass. and on the Kennedy Com- munity Health Center board. Where is Central Mass. headed? Millennials of all different colors, shapes, and sizes have stepped into leadership positions once occupied by a prototype – always the same color, shape, and size. And business is booming. Make no mistake, the Worcester renaissance is being carried on the backs of bold innovators who found their voice and used it to say something new. Hungry: One of my partners at Bowditch called me Goldfish one time, because, as he put it, "a goldfish will eat however much food you put in front of it until it dies." e nickname has stuck for years. Residence: Worcester Colleges: University of Virginia, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary If any of QCC's 13,000 students need a figure to exemplify the educational and career path many will take, they can look to their president. Pedraja, the QCC president since 2017, came to the U.S. from Cuba knowing virtually no English and ended up as the first in his family to go to college. He has since dedicated his livelihood to making sure education can transform lives. Pedraja's impact extends far beyond campus, and he hasn't taken long to get involved in other ways, such as serving on the Massachusetts Economic Development Planning Council to make recommendations to Gov. Charlie Baker on ways to improve the economy. He serves on boards for United Way of Central Mass., Worcester Regional Research Bureau, Latino Education Institute at Worcester State University and MassHire Central Region Workforce Board. He tweaked QCC's offerings aer listening to students, with new programs this fall in criminal justice, media communications and accounting. Where is Central Mass. headed? e community will continue to thrive, with an influx of residents, housing and economic development, and business growth. The Kung Fu magician: I was a magician during grad school, doing shows at parties to supplement my income. I also have a green belt in Shaolin Kung Fu.

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