Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 21, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 9 Tickets, limited to 250, are ON SALE NOW at www.worcesterhistory.org or by calling 508-753-8278 x 107. Worcester Historical Museum presents the 21st Harvey Ball Smile Award honoring the Worcester Red Sox Saturday, April 9, 2022 Polar Park leadership in the past. "Unfortunately, our group has oen reflected the old-white-maleness of many of Worcester's foundational businesses and institutions, but that's changing," he said. "We want people who lead organizations to contribute to our discussions; there are no formal requirements beyond that." Women are increasingly involved in the group, Angelini said. Sue Mailman, owner of Worcester business Coughlin Electrical Contractors and member of the city's school board, and Karen Duffy, the former CEO of Worcester Credit Union, served as two of the First Wednesday Club's former chairs. An honest interest At a meeting of the First Wednesday Club, Tim Garvin, president and CEO of the United Way of Central Massachu- setts, presented his organization's efforts to support Afghan refugees in Worcester. Garvin is no stranger to groups like First Wednesday Club, which he views as intent on learning about efforts in the community and opening new lines of communication. One such group he par- ticipates in is Worcester Together, which formed in 2017 in response to Hurricane Maria and worked to coordinate services for evacuees from Puerto Rico. During COVID, Garvin said Worces- ter Together's meetings resumed under the development model of "form, storm, norm, preform" and remained open to all individuals wishing to get involved. e group continues to extend weekly in- vitations on Zoom to approximately 250 community members. Worcester Togeth- er has raised and granted approximately $11 million in funding to date. One Worcester-forward group taking a different tone when it comes to band- ing together for progress is Worcestery Council eatre 3000, a live stream of municipal meetings featuring commen- tary by local entertainers and media per- sonalities. Comedian Bryan O'Donnell credits writer Bill Shaner with bringing the group to fruition in October. O'Donnell described their five months of biting civic engagement as, "Extremely funny, sometimes mind-numbing (hi, executive session), but above all, just fascinating." Like the First Wednesday Club and Worcester Together, Worcestery Council eatre 3000 attracts those with an hon- est interest in Worcester, O'Donnell said. "Since last fall we've learned that sometimes, better things are possible in Worcester, and we do hope we can have even the smallest influence on that," O'Donnell said, adding the opportunity to heckle city officials makes up for pun- ishing moments of municipal minutiae. ose aforementioned city officials have their own extracurricular meet- ings, beyond the regular workday. e Economic Development Coordinating Council, established by Congressman Jim McGovern and Timothy Murray during Murray's tenure as lieutenant governor, brings together the city's gov- ernment and business powerbrokers in a Friday morning meeting at City Hall. "Originally, we wanted to collec- tively promote our city and make sure programs were being adequately utilized and not replicated," said Murray, who is now president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. Craig Blais, president and CEO of the nonprofit Worcester Business Devel- opment Corp., has been a part of the EDCC since day one. "e Economic Development Coordi- nating Council has proven to be a valu- able development tool and clearinghouse to communicate goals and strategies on complex development projects," Blais said. "It allows for coordinated priorities to be advanced with grants, incentives and permitting assistance for developers interested in investing in Worcester." is coordination helps Worcester get to the front of the line for government assistance, said Jon Weaver, president and CEO of Worcester incubator Massa- chusetts Biomedical Initiatives. Groups with a mission to advance Worcester Meeting Key Name location Focus Frequency participants Access "Unfortunately, our group has often reflected the old white maleness of many of Worcester's foundational businesses and institutions, but that's changing. We want people who lead organizations to contribute to our discussions; there are no formal requirements beyond that." Michael Angelini, cofounder of the First Wednesday Club Economic Development Jim McGovern, Timothy Murray, Coordinating Council Worcester City Hall Development Weekly Edward Augustus, Craig Blais, Jon Weaver Closed meeting First Wednesday Club The Worcester Club Business Monthly Michael Angelini, Barry Maloney, Sue Mailman, Karen Duffy By invitation Worcester Together Boys & Girls Club Sarai Rivera, Tim Garvin, of Worcester Kim Salmon, Gina Plata-Nino (or Zoom) Nonprofits Weekly Public Worcestery Council Twitch Entertainment Weekly Bill Shaner, Bryan O'Donnell, Theatre 3000 Shaun Connelly, Brendan Melican, Travis Duda Public Sources: Group participants "Whenever we connect with outside developers or our state and federal partners, they note how well Worcester collaborates and gets along," Weaver said. "at's not an accident, it comes from our commitment to communicating, partnering, and prioritizing how we ad- vance economic development in the city." Showing up for Worcester ere's no denying Worcester's powerbrokers do not accurately reflect the community's demographics. Consequently, the onus of inclusion should not fall on underrepresented folks who already feel le out of the conversation. Major stakeholders need to be proactive about inviting minority groups in. Nevertheless, it bears mentioning that infiltrating Worcester's inner circle is probably easier than most people think. Before railing against the insular power structures preventing you from getting involved, try dropping Angelini, Garvin, O'Donnell, or Murray a line. Despite their undeniable white maleness, each of these leaders is looking to make strides for Worcester, and they claim they'll take all the help they can get. Put them to the test. Introduce yourself with a handshake. Make sure they remember your name. As Bobbitt so aptly put it, "People do business with people they know." W

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