Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | August 16, 2021 | Worcester Business Journal 23 As project manager of the VHB Worcester land development team, Gesner has spent the last nine years creating developments impacting Central Mass. Her high-profile projects include the Greendale Mall redevelopment, the 45,000-square-foot Rand-Whitney headquarters expansion, and the $75-million Veterans Affairs center at UMass Medical School. Gesner oversees projects from conceptual design through construction, including local outreach and permitting. Under her supervision, the land development team has grown from four people to eight, with another job opening available. Her dedication to investing in Central Mass. shines through in every aspect of her work, as she aims to hire locally, redevelop underutilized land assets, and create productive and sustainable infrastructure. Gesner took on the role of New England industrial market leader at VHB, where she builds relationships with industrial clients to provide quality assurance and insight on market trends. Her white paper on e-commerce and industrial real estate growth highlights Central Mass. development opportunities. She has organized fundraising events for nonprofits like Worcester County Food Bank, Worcester Animal Rescue League, and The Goddard School, and volunteers at community events, such as Building Impacts clean- ups and gardening. - K.H. What world record would you like to have? Eating the most pasta Is there alien life? Yes. It is unrealistic and self-absorbed to think there are no other lifeforms beyond Earth. We're just blissfully unaware of them at this time. What is your favorite Central Mass. restaurant? VIA Italian Table in Worcester What life goal will you accomplish in the next 10 years? Continue to master the art of work/family balance 4 0 U N D E R F O R T Y Brittany Gesner, 31 Civil engineer VHB, in Worcester Residence: Templeton Birthplace: Fitchburg College: Old Dominion University Born and raised in Worcester, Pitts' connection with the city and its residents gives him a unique perspective at Bay State Savings Bank, where he leads the financials at an institution with $469 million in assets and profits of $2.3 million in 2020. He is a commissioned financial institution risk examiner and a certified fraud examiner who worked at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on new banks and older ones with assets greater than $10 billion. He served on the FDIC Chairman's Diversity Advisory Council for the Boston Area, as well as chairman of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Rural Development's Equal Employment Opportunities Action Council for the Western New England. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, financial uncertainty underlined many businesses, yet Pitts is credited with providing comfort, strong leadership, and reassurance during these tough times. He serves as chair on the bank's asset liability committee and as a member of the strategic planning committee, senior management committee, and technology committee. Outside of Bay State, Pitts chaired the City of Worcester's Trust Funds Commission for one term and is in the midst of a second term as a member. - S.P. If you could time travel to any decade, which one would you pick? I wouldn't. The present moment is good enough for me. How do you define success? Realizing my full potential and maintaining a sense of self-worth that comes from within, not without. What Central Mass. community is best? Worcester, as it brings many different people and experiences together, recycles and repurposes them, and uses the energy to provide the foundation for one of the best communities in the country. What have you crossed off your bucket list? Tough Mudder, bungee jumping, and perfecting slow-cooked pulled BBQ chicken. Seth A. Pitts, CFE, 33 Chief financial officer & executive vice president Bay State Savings Bank, in Worcester Residence: Worcester Birthplace: Worcester Colleges: UMass Boston, Worcester State University

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