Worcester Business Journal

36 Worcester Business Journal | August 17, 2020 | wbjournal.com Litchfield considers herself an ultimate townie, living in the same Shrewsbury neighborhood she and her husband both grew up in. The mother of a 10-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy is heavily involved in her community, from co-leading her daughter's Girl Scout Juniors troop to her membership in the Women's Initiative, an advocacy group working toward positive change for girls. She volunteers for the United Way of Central Massachusetts, is an active member of her parish, St. Anne's, and serves on her kids' school system's equity and anti-racism committee. Then there's Litchfield's day job as an assistant dean at Becker College for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences in Worcester and the college's nurse administrator. Litchfield has helped bring in notable scholarships to the small private school, including a $150,000 grant for a simulation lab for the School of Nursing, and scholarships for two nursing students. She brings not only an administrator's mindset but also a real- world one, having spent much of her career as a registered nurse at both UMass Memorial Medical Center and Reliant Medical Group, both in Worcester. - G.W. What was your hardest career achievement? Earning my doctorate. I started my degree when my son was 1 and my daughter was 3, while working full-time and holding a part-time job. I would wake up at 4 a.m. to work on my thesis, go to work for 8 a.m., get the kids from school, then karate, dinner, bath, and bedtime. I would then study until midnight. As long as I had four hours of sleep I was good! I am thankful for my husband and my family as my support system. Whose career do you most want to emulate? Ruth Bader Ginsburg is my hero! She attended Harvard Law after she started a family, while pushing through many gender equalities. Dr. Jennifer (Zorge) Litchfield, 38 Assistant dean & chief nurse administrator Becker College, in Worcester Residence: Shrewsbury Birthplace: Worcester Colleges: Regis College, Framingham State University, Framingham State College, Becker College Any visitor to downtown Hudson who hasn't been there in awhile will notice some changes, and not just the street work ongoing this summer ripping up sidewalks and a remade rotary. Hudson has become a star of MetroWest thanks to a stretch of Main Street featuring a few notable destinations opened in the last decade, including El-Gamal's Rail Trail Flatbread Co., and across the street, New City Microcreamery and – shhh!! – a hidden speakeasy bar in the back, Less Than Greater Than. El-Gamal, who moved to town in 2012, is the co-owner and finance head of all three, which are a few blocks away from the aerial yoga studio co-owned his wife, Lora Markova. Today, the establishments, joined by a sibling New City Microcreamery in Cambridge, employ 140 people. El-Gamal is a founding member and vice president of the Hudson Business Improvement District, the first such one in Central Massachusetts, which has used small tax surcharges on property owners to pay for ArtsFest, sidewalk dining and a central website for the neighborhood. As the manager of his companies' finances, El-Gamal is an open book, literally. The employees are given a share in the profits, and they use a management system teaching financial literacy. Before he started all this, El-Gamal was the founder, drummer, and money guy for The Delegates band from 1999-2006, who made three albums, sold 10,000 records, performed 350+ times across Canada and the U.S., including the eastern leg of the 2005 Vans' Warped Tour. - G.W. Who will play you in the movie about your life? Rami Malek. He has an Egyptian background and experience playing a rocker, which I did full time in the past. What do you miss from your pre-pandemic life? Having family-style meals with friends, coworkers, vendors and guests. Karim El-Gamal, 39 Co-owner Rail Trail Flatbread Co, New City Microcreamery & Less Than Greater Than, in Hudson Residence: Hudson Birthplace: Switzerland Colleges: McGill University, Babson College Earth & Aerial Yoga, in Hudson 4 0 U N D E R F O R T Y

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