Worcester Business Journal

6 Worcester Business Journal | May 10, 2021 | 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 David Fithian PRESIDENT CLARK UNIVERSITY, IN WORCESTER Residence: Worcester Colleges: Clark University, Yale University Fithian had a lot to be excited about when he was named the leader of his alma mater in January 2020. Then, the coronavirus pandemic hit, and police actions during racial equality protests in the summer forced Clark to stop using off-duty Worcester police officers. Despite those challeng- es, Fithian has jumped into his new job full force and ap- pears to be taking the 134-year-old Main South institution with 3,272 students and a $450-million endowment to the next level. Clark went partially remote for last fall's semes- ter, and in the wake of the planned closure of Worcester's Becker College, Clark said it would absorb Becker's nationally ranked video game design and esports programs as the new Becker School of Design & Technology at Clark University. Fithian has spoken ambitiously about the di- rection he wants to take his alma mater. A post-pandemic school year should give him the opportunity. What do you think the future holds for Central Mass.? "When I was a student at Clark in the 1980s, I couldn't have imagined the remarkable renaissance taking place in Worcester today. I'm not sure even a decade ago I would have seen the potential envisioned by the city's adminis- tration and business leaders." A president and a farmer: Fithian and his husband, Michael Rodriguez, breed and raise Friesian horses on a farm in Southeast Massachusetts. Laurie Leshin PRESIDENT WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Residence: Worcester Colleges: Arizona State University and California Institute of Technology WPI tends to nearly always be at the center when people talk about where Worcester colleges shine: drawing more students, spurring startups, and a forward-thinking mentality toward equal opportunities. WPI has a $530-mil- lion endowment and more than 4,600 undergraduates, the largest in Worcester. Its Gateway Park site includes space for digital health startups. This spring, WPI said it would become test-blind, among the first of a few dozen nationally to no longer consider standardized testing in ad- missions. Leshin, WPI's president since 2014 and its first female leader, has led this change, along with serving on the state's committee to oversee reopening efforts during the coronavirus pandemic and having WPI serve as a vac- cination for health and safety workers from area colleges. What do you think the future holds for Central Mass.? "The pandemic has highlighted the need for stronger investments in research and innovation, a revitalization of U.S.-based manufacturing, and a workforce to create and build the innovations of the future. With its mix of higher ed institutions and a strong life sciences and manufacturing sector, Central Massachusetts is well positioned to answer that call." Spaced out: "I have an Asteroid named for me: Asteroid 4922 Leshin. But don't worry, it's not going to hit Earth!" Roy M. Nascimento, CCE, IOM PRESIDENT & CEO NORTH CENTRAL MASSACHU-SETTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, IN FITCHBURG Colleges: UMass Dartmouth, Suffolk University, Villanova University, and University of Oklahoma Under Nascimento's leadership since 2015, the North Central chamber has truly become the leading economic development organization in North Central Mass., perform- ing surveys of the region's businesses and assessments of the economy in order to better advocate for their wants and needs locally and at the State House. During the coronavirus pandemic, this advocacy reached a new level, as the chamber not only provided helpful information for companies in crisis but provided grants and loans to help businesses stay afloat, even processing Paycheck Protec- tion Program loans for those companies without banking relationships. This comes from the chamber's lending arm, which few other chambers have, where the North Central Massachusetts Development Corp. serves as a U.S. Small Business Administration microloan lender, helping those who might not have good enough credit for bank loans. What do you think the future holds for Central Mass.? "North Central Mass. ... offers a high quality workforce, tremendous quality of life, affordability, great infrastructure, a collaborative spirit and an engaged political leadership." In his blood: Nascimento comes from a family of small business owners and learned their challenges and value. Rev. Debora Jackson DEAN WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, FOISIE BUSINESS SCHOOL Residence: Newton Colleges: Andover Newton Theological School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Indiana University Jackson has been part of WPI's administration for nearly a decade, having served on the university board since 2012, but it wasn't until her appointment to business school dean in January that her influence at the school and in the Greater Worcester community really took off. WPI has been putting a greater emphasis on having a more inclusive student body and faculty while focusing on its experiential and project-based learning, and Jackson – the first woman and person of color to be WPI's business school dean – offers plenty of real-world STEM experience from her long career, which included IT and software engineering at companies like Digital Equipment Corp. and becoming chief operating and chief information officer at an e-commerce energy services provider. In her short time as dean, Jackson already has engaged with several organizations to strengthen WPI's ties to the community, including Worcester Interfaith, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, Diverse Professionals Roundtable, Black Families Together, Yes We Care, the Worcester Pipeline Collaborative, and the Black Excellence Academy. What do you think the future holds for Central Mass.? "The future is bright. The pandemic has demonstrated societal inequities that are yet to be overcome, but given an undeniable awareness, we are positioned to create a culture of care for all people. We are motivated to make a more inclusive society where all can prosper." A thalassophile: Jackson loves the ocean.

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