Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | October 26, 2020 | Worcester Business Journal 13 O U T S T A N D I N G W O M E N I N B U S I N E S S FOCUS D epending on how you count it, Outstanding Women in Business is WBJ's most sought-aer award. e 40 Under Forty gets the most nominations, typically around 200, but roughly one in five nominees wins the award. Business Leader of the Year is WBJ's oldest award and has become a who's who of the Central Massachusetts business community, but only a select few are even considered for the award each year. Outstanding Women in Business, however, gets a large number of nominations every year for a select few spots, and nearly all of the 40-50 women who are nominated each year have a strong case for why they should win the award. is year, the judges considered 53 nominations for 40 nominees. What has always separated the winners from the rest of the nominees are their roles in advancing the causes of women in the workplace, through direct mentoring, leading by example, and breaking through the glass ceiling previously holding half of the workforce back. is year, the Outstanding Women in Business winners are breaking new ground in all sorts of ways. Tamara Lundi is the first Black CEO of either gender in the UMass Memorial Health Care System. Susan Kalk has risen in the ranks in the typically male-dominated STEM industry, particularly in biotechnology. Kate Roy Alexander broke new ground when she was promoted to CEO out of Southbridge Credit Union's retail department, and the financial institution has grown and reshaped itself since she took over. All seven of this year's winners have an amazing story to tell, joining the 66 other alumnae of this award in creating a rich tapestry of female empowerment and accomplishment in the Central Massachusetts business community. Normally, WBJ would honor these Outstanding Women in Business at a November luncheon event at Tuckerman Hall in Worcester. Of course, nothing about 2020 is normal, so the awards event will be virtual, airing in November. We hope you will join us for this unique experience. - Brad Kane, editor Breaking new ground Tamara Lundi .......................................14 President & CEO at Community Healthlink of UMass Memorial Healthcare in Worcester Susan Kalk ............................................15 Senior vice president, chief quality & technical operations officer at Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Marlborough Karin Branscombe ...............................16 Chairwoman of Quaker State Special Risk in Worcester Liz Hamilton ........................................18 Executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester Sheila King-Goodwin ...........................19 Senior vice president & chief community banking officer at Fidelity Bank in Leominster Kate Roy Alexander ..............................20 President & CEO of Southbridge Credit Union Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham ...................22 Founder & owner of Promoting Good, LLC in Upton Brandale Randolph is the founder and CEO of Framingham bicycle manufacturer The 1854 Cycling Co., where he works to employ formerly incarcerated women in order to give them a steady job and income. He is the 2020 WBJ Small Business Leader of the Year. Arpa Gonzalez is the Medicare sales compliance & agent oversight manager for Worcester insurer Fallon Health, where she played a key role in launching the Fallon Tree of Diversity, an interactive company-wide initiative to showcase the many backgrounds of its workforce. She won the WBJ 40 Under Forty award in 2020. Rita Kapur is the vice president of operations for Auburn manufacturer Atech Turbine Components, Inc. She received her MBA from Bentley University in Waltham. She is an alumna of the Outstanding Women in Business awards, having won the honor in 2019. 2020 Outstanding Women in Business W [ All photos by Matthew Wright ] is year's judges

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