Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | May 25, 2020 | Worcester Business Journal 5 H E A L T H & E D U C A T I O N P O W E R 5 0 Congratulations to our very own Monica Thomas-Bonnick, VP of Business Lending and Executive Director of the Webster Five Foundation, on her selection to the Power 50. We're continually impressed by Monica's unwavering commitment to the community, and we're extremely proud to have her on our team. You rock, Monica! LOCAL LENDER. COMMUNITY PILLAR. TOTAL ROCKSTAR. Webster • Dudley • Oxford • Auburn • Worcester • Shrewsbury NMLS #523049 MEMBER FDIC MEMBER DIF To learn more, visit web5.com/monica Michael F. Collins, MD CHANCELLOR OF UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL, WORCESTER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH SCIENCES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS Residence: Worcester Colleges: College of the Holy Cross & Tufts University School of Medicine Collins is by far the longest tenured of any leader in the UMass system. That's brought stability to UMass Medical School as well as results. The school regularly tops out its allotment of new students at around 160, and it has become something of a fundraising machine. The school's endowment has ballooned from $39 million in 2004 to $222 million in 2018, and the school has brought in nearly $1.5 billion in research funding over the past decade from the National Institutes of Health. Site work has begun for a new Veterans Affairs clinic due to open next year at a cost of up to $75 million. The school has an especially important role during the coronavirus pandemic, too. It graduated its Class of 2020 more than a month early to supply the area with the physicians it would need to help fight the crisis. In addition to overseeing institutional advancement, outreach and other efforts, Collins serves on the boards of UMass Memorial Health Care, Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts. What makes Central Mass. unique? Central Massachusetts is really a model for – and the envy of – so many regions across the United States, given it is home to a mix of world-class higher education institutions, and thriving life sciences research and manufacturing companies, in addition to the lifestyle and cultural organizations and businesses making Central Mass. such a desirable place to live, work, learn and play. We all benefit from the rich, collaborative and diverse business community built and nurtured in Central Massachusetts, and we, at UMass Medical School, are proud and fortunate to be a part of it all. Paperboy: My first job was delivering newspapers in Walpole, my hometown. Laurie Leshin PRESIDENT WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Dr. Karen Munkacy, MD PRESIDENT & CEO GARDEN REMEDIES, INC., FITCHBURG Colleges: Arizona State University & California Institute of Technology When Gov. Charlie Baker needed someone from the higher education industry to serve on his advisory board on how to best reopen the Mass. economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, he turned to Leshin. In a region and state with a multitude of historic and well-regarded institutes of higher learning, this is the power Leshin holds. Beyond simply leading a school with more than 5,000 stu- dents and an endowment in excess of $520 million, Leshin in her six years as president has made sure WPI has played an outsized role in the community. WPI hosts incu- bators, and a dozen new companies with connections to WPI have launched in the past year. She is an outspoken advocate of STEM education and owns the importance of being the first female leader of 155-year-old WPI. What makes Central Mass. unique? With Ed and Meds comprising some 40% of the local payroll, colleges are significant contributors to the Central Mass. economy. The 11 colleges in Greater Worcester educate the workforce, support cutting-edge research, spin out startups and incu- bators, and offer rich cultural programming. Finding her peace: I'm a weaver and a lover of beautiful yarns. Weaving is very zen and helps me to re-center, so there is always a work in progress on a loom in my home office. And, my faithful corgi, Hudson (aka Space Puppy), loves it when he can join me there. Residence: Newton Colleges: University of Michigan & University of Michigan Medical School Munkacy doesn't need to cite research or talk to others to tout the medical benefits of cannabis. She's gone through a medical crisis without it, and doesn't want others to have to do the same. Munkacy is a breast cancer survivor who fought nausea and other side effects of chemotherapy without being able to turn to cannabis, which can relieve those symptoms. A physician, anesthesiologist and a pain management specialist, Munkacy started Garden Reme- dies in 2013 when medical-use stores were first allowed and today the company has medical and adult-use retail stores in Marlborough, Melrose and Newton, employing more than 100 people in Central Mass. The company says it's the only cannabis producer in Mass. both female- and physician-led, giving Munkacy and Garden Remedies a unique selling point in an industry criticized for a lack of diversity. Garden Remedies is playing a leading role, too, with a mentorship program for other entrepreneurs. What makes Central Mass. unique? What separates our facility from most is the spirit of the people at Fitchburg. They take incredible pride in producing premium products. Munkacy Farms: When my daughter was young, she enjoyed pets and animals so much we had chickens, a rabbit, a cat, three dogs and a guinea pig. Dr. Luis G. Pedraja PRESIDENT QUINSIGAMOND COMMUNITY COLLEGE, WORCESTER Residence: Worcester Colleges: Stetson University & University of Virginia Enrollment at QCC and others throughout the state spiked during the Great Recession as people out of work turned to new job training to get their careers back in motion. The same vital role for QCC appears headed into a period in some ways could be far worse. Pedraja, the QCC president since 2017, had no connections to Worcester or Mass. before he came from the West Coast to take over for Gail Carberry. But Pedraja has gotten involved seemingly everywhere, serving on boards for the United Way of Central Massachusetts, the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, the Latino Education Institute, and the Mayor's Commission on Latino Education and Advancement. He also served on the Massachusetts Economic Development Planning Council. Though QCC hasn't seen the expected recession's impact in the classroom yet, the college is leading by donating protective equipment and offering 20 free business classes for business owners and their workforces. What makes Central Mass. unique? Its people. They truly and fiercely care about the community. President Tornado: I was a disaster volunteer who responded to many disasters and was a tornado spotter (yes, I kind of chased tornados, but not like on TV).

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