Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | May 1, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 11 A D V O C A C Y P O W E R 5 0 Seven Hills Foundation & Affiliates has spent 70 years Building Communities of Care for people with significant life challenges. For the last 20 years, Dr. Kathleen Jordan has kept Seven Hills at the forefront of health and human services through her commitment to excellence and steadfast dedication to the people we support. Thank you, Dr. Jordan, for your leadership and belief in the rights of all people to fulfill their dreams. Seven Hills celebrates your Power 50 recognition and looks forward to your leadership as President & CEO in July. Congratulations Dr. Kathleen Jordan WBJ Power 50 | | | sevenhills.org TIMOTHY MURRAY PRESIDENT & CEO WORCESTER REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Residence: Worcester College: Fordham University in New York, Western New England School of Law in Springfield Murray is approaching 10 years leading the Worcester regional chamber, a powerhouse chamber in New England serving more than 150 communities in the region and 2,300 members. Formerly Massachusetts lieutenant governor working alongside then-Gov. Deval Patrick, Murray knows what makes Massachusetts tick. Even more so, Murray gets Worcester. A lifelong resident of the city, he was mayor for three terms during an important period for Worcester's economy. With that background, Murray and the Worcester chamber partner with seven other local affiliate chambers. Added to the list in 2022 were LABO: Latin American Business Organization and the Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce, which will now both benefit from the programming and advocacy work spearheaded in Worcester. Each year, the Worcester chamber takes part in organizing more than 200 events for its members, which create countless network connections and push forward favorable, business-friendly public policy initiatives in the interest of bolstering the economy and job creation. The chamber's annual revenue hovers in the high $2-million range, according to ProPublica records, up significantly from 2012, before Murray began, when it did not crest $1.5 million. In 2022, the chamber worked in collaboration with the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts to secure federal and state dollars to build a permanent location for the Food Hub at Union Station, which serves area farmers and has helped launch hundreds of food-related businesses, a significant number of which are owned by women and people of color. n How should professionals best use the power they wield? "Try to be a good listener, compromise, and collaborate wherever possible." n Paperboy: Murray was a newspaper carrier for the "Worcester Evening Gazette and Sunday Telegram." VALERIE ZOLEZZI-WYNDHAM FOUNDER & CEO PROMOTING GOOD, IN UPTON Residence: Upton Colleges: Boston University, Boston College Zolezzi-Wynham has her sights set on extending the impact of Promoting Good when she opens the PG Collaborative, a collaborative coworking space to allow for the fostering of relationships for creatives and entrepreneurs. She intends to open the space in Downtown Worcester, adding a physical footprint for connections, particularly among people of color. Even before the PG Collaborative opens, Zolezzi-Wynham has made her mark on the region. Promoting Good, now past its five-year mark, has helped change the conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion in the business community in Central Massachusetts, with high-profile clients such as UMass Memorial Health, the largest employer in the region. Promoting Good is showing no signs of slowing down. Next on the agenda is launching a program particularly for C-suite level employees to support leaders at the highest level implement effective equity work. A Latina-owned business currently staffed entirely by people of color, Promoting Good emphasizes the enduring commitment required if businesses are truly committed to DEI work. Through its programs, Promoting Good is changing the model for how companies understand and implement equity. Zolezzi-Wyndam is also a co-founder of Casita Cultura Latina, a nonprofit organization for intergenerational cultural events and creative activities. n How should professionals best use the power they wield? "Professionals should bravely use their power to role model diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging leadership every day. Professionals should use the power they wield to uplift and amplify the voices and excellence of people with the least power in their organizations and in the community. They should promote good." n Creative release: Art and culture help Zolezzi-Wyndham manage the emotional toll that work and difficult conversations about racism take. FRED TAYLOR BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE, NORTH ATLANTIC STATES REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS PRESIDENT, WORCESTER NAACP Residence: Worcester College: Wentworth Institute of Technology, in Boston Taylor gives Central Massachusetts a voice in one of the largest trade unions in the country, advocating for more than 30,000 members across the region. While the carpenters have been busy enough on numerous multimillion dollar projects, including three valued at more than $240 million in Worcester and Charlton, what sets Taylor and the organization apart is the focus on people. Ensuring a living wage and supportive benefits is an essential for Taylor. A community-focused lens that comes from his upbringing within Worcester means Taylor is dedicated to the people in the place where he lives and works. He furthers this agenda through ample training opportunities uplifting union members. Taylor is one of four people representing Worcester on Gov. Maura Healey's Advisory Council on Black Empowerment and brings the interests of the carpenters union on that council. Through and beyond his role at the NAACP, Taylor works to uplift other professionals who are making a difference in Central Massachusetts, working to sew together the fabric of an inclusive, progressive Worcester. n How should professionals best use the power they wield? "Businesses of all shapes and sizes should use their power by investing in their communities, and by providing diversity, equity, and inclusion to their workforce and leadership … Workers help businesses succeed and develop wealth; business professionals should make sure all of their workers are in return sharing in their success." n Which other professionals are making a difference in the Central Mass. community? "Parlee Jones and her daughter Sha-Asia Taylor (no relation to me) operate a community center called The Village Worcester. The Village is an Afrocentric community center offering cultural programming and opportunities for communities to explore holistic healing." n Last laugh: Taylor loves comedy.

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