Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | September 16, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 25 The next generation of leadership #ShopWoo during construction V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L B ack in March, we wrote in this space about how pending retirements among longtime CEOs and executive directors at more than a dozen key businesses and nonprofits like Edward M. Kennedy Health Center in Worcester, the YMCA of Central Mass., Main Street Bank in Marlborough and the Worcester Community Action Council were going to create a leadership vacuum in the region's business community, especially with the loss of such significant institutional knowledge in such a short period. While the corporate level of turnover feels more normal, the leadership changes in the nonprofit sector is dramatic. As those empty leadership chairs have been getting filled with the likes of longtime employee Jim McCarthy at R.H. White Cos. in Auburn, former Obama Administration official Barbara Fields at the Greater Worcester Community Foundation and seasoned hospital executive Lou Brady at the Family Health Center of Worcester, it's rewarding to see Central Massachusetts organizations attracting such qualified hires with a diverse array of backgrounds and experience. While only time will tell how each of the new leaders performs in their roles, the organizations experiencing a transition in leadership appear to have landed in capable hands. With the Baby Boomer generation well into retirement age, we expect this wave of leadership changes to continue for years. In the Shop Talk feature on page 26 in this issue, Marybeth Campbell discusses how she plans to build on Jill Dagilis' legacy at the Worcester Community Action Council in being the leading voice for anti- poverty issues. Over at the Kennedy Community G eneral mayhem. at's how many local residents are perceiving certain Worcester neighborhoods under- going or slated to begin major construction projects. Tune out the cacophony and look past the immediate interruption. ese transformations are helping to realize the – gulp, yes I'll say it – Worcester renaissance. A bright future for the city to which we're all commit- ted exists, but it's on the horizon and we're journeying to that destination together. If we as a community are too inconvenienced by dust on our shoes or the time it takes to circle the block once more to find a parking spot, fewer of these commer- cial institutions on which we've come to rely, and which support Worcester's identity, will endure the in-between. Collectively, we must support the existing momentum in Worcester. In just 63 acres in the Canal District, you can find ramen and BBQ, vintage homewares and new fashion, a forest of succulents and taxidermy – even three apple pies for $1. e chamber was one of many voices advocating for the relocation of the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate team to Worces- ter and helped determine the site of the future Polar Park within the Canal District. However, we must not let the neighborhood's new identity be drowned out. e Canal District has cultivated exceptional entrepre- neurship and sparked similar commitment throughout Worcester. A dedicated group of business owners developed a vision, launched a successful farmer's market, created one of the most Instagrammable shops west of Boston, and gave smaller-scale business owners a platform on which to thrive. And their vision has caught on. Bedlam Books opened in the Crompton building in November; Stillman Quality Meats opened its doors in December; June saw the launch of Russo's Italian Restaurant on Water Street marking an expansion of Lock 50 Owner Ed Russo's footprint; and a creperie is slated for the former Weintraub's deli. On Main Street, we mourned the loss of Elwood Adams Hardware, once the longest-operating hardware store in the nation, but the success of Crust, North Main Provisions, Sweet Jane's Designer Consignment, and AlphaGraphics are evidence Main Street has commercial potential. Much of the real estate le empty from the fallout of the Great Recession has been swily purchased by housing developers. Mixed-rate apartments at 332 Main St. went on the market earlier this summer. Tying together the diversity of Main Street commerce is the Downtown Business Improvement District. Tasked with cultivating an 18-hour downtown, the nonprofit launched earlier this year and employs an armada of placemaking am- bassadors throughout downtown who help beautify the city. Don't let the construction change the direction of your feet. Brave the congestion and detours – it might just lead to a new favorite Worcester destination. Take up your phones – and wallets! – and share your purchases and experiences with #ShopWoo. Use this hashtag as a badge of honor to show off your support of the city we all call home. Emily Gowdey-Backus is director of communications for the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. BY EMILY GOWDEY-BACKUS Special to the Worcester Business Journal Health Center in Worcester, former Democratic National Convention CEO Steve Kerrigan is taking over a strong organization Toni McGuire guided for more than a decade and plans to continue to make a difference for the underserved in the community. Starting in September over at the SHINE Initiative, new Executive Director Fred Kaelin is going to have the opportunity to work alongside outgoing leader Paul Richard, who is retiring at the end of the year. Retirements aside, some turnover is a natural part of the mix, as Timothy McGourthey le the leadership of the Worcester Regional Research Bureau to become the No. 2 honcho at the state's economic development office, with his former role at the WRRB being filled by Paul Matthews, who's le the executive director's position at the 495/MetroWest Partnership open for a new leader there. What do all these new Central Massachusetts business leaders have in common? Not much. Some are longtime agency employees; others are new to the field. Some, like David Connell at the YMCA, are the first people of color the lead their organizations. ese new leaders are both from outside the region and from inside its ecosystem. Each has the ability to shape the future of their organizations, influence the region and carve out a legacy for themselves. ey all have big shoes to fill, but from what we can tell so far, they all seem up to the task. While some of the retiring leaders may move away or put up the "Gone Fishin" sign, others have kept their hand in the game, taken on part-time gigs, and increased their volunteer time in the community. It's nice to see the skills and connections of so many longtime leaders continue to be put to good use. The Worcester Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Please send submissions to Brad Kane, editor, at bkane@wbjournal.com. Emily Gowdey- Backus W WO R D F R O M T H E W E B Tweets of the week "'What is it like being nonbinary in the business world?' I interpret this as, 'How are you treated walking into a board room in a dress and heels?' a quote from @ JoshuaCroke's viewpoint on the matter." - Action! by Design (@ActionDesignCo.), Sept. 6, on a WBJ column from Action! Founder Joshua Croke. "Look what we found in this week's edition of @WBJournal! One of #Sturbridge's newest businesses: Escape the Pike." - Visit Sturbridge (@visitsturbridge), Sept. 3, on a new escape room attraction in Sturbridge Facebook feedback "Small business incubator. It has multiple business spaces with a built- in cafe, decent parking, great highway access." - Ben Hebert, Sept. 11, on a WBJ story about Best Buy leaving the mostly empty Greendale Mall "Very grateful to the Belsito family who takes in retirees. They gave my dad the best 15 years of employment. Wish he was here to see the new facility." - Lisa Petrone, Sept. 6, on a WBJ story about Millbury farm equipment supplier buying a Sutton building W

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