Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | May 29, 2023 | wbjournal.com C E N T R A L M A S S I N B R I E F V E R B AT I M New housing secretary "I'm honored that Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll have placed their faith in me to lead the new Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. Massachusetts' housing crisis impacts every single community in our state, but we know what the solution is – build more housing." Edward Augustus, former Worcester city manager, in a May 15 statement from the Gov. Maura Healey Administration, naming him as the state's new housing secretary New CEO "The hospital has a long-standing reputation and has been, and continues to be, a lifeline to so many in the community and beyond. I'm committed to ensuring that AdCare Hospital remains that beacon of hope, and I look forward to working alongside this amazing and dedicated team." Brian Stoesz, a behavioral healthcare consultant, who on May 16 was named the new CEO of AdCare Hospital in Worcester The human experience "Workhuman's mission aligns so strongly with my own values and passion - to make work more human for every person on the planet. To do this while working alongside an outstanding collective of people just adds to my excitement for the journey ahead." KeyAnna Schmiedl, a former executive at Wayfair and Mozilla, who on May 16 was named the new chief human experience officer at Framingham human resources software firm Workhuman BY ISABEL TEHAN WBJ Staff Writer G irls Inc. of Worcester has named an interim CEO in an effort to restore its programming that was suspended when its CEO and COO were placed on administrative leave amid allegations of racial discrimination. Myran Parker-Brass, a consultant from Interim Executive Solutions in Newton, has been selected by the board of directors to fill the interim role, according to a May 17 statement from Board President Pamela Daly. Parker-Brass has served as interim CEO for a number of nonprofits while at Interim Executive Solutions, according to the Girls Inc. statement. On her LinkedIn profile, she is listed as serving as interim CEO at Health Care Without Walls in Wellesley and the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition. She was also executive director for the arts at Boston Public Schools. "We know that Myran has the skills needed to lead the organization during these challenging times and her first priority will be finding a way to resume programming in the near term, even if on a limited basis. She has our full confidence and support," Daly said in the May 17 statement. Myran also serves as a nonprofit strategic planning consultant and on her LinkedIn profile says she is now working at Music Worcester, the Fitchburg Art Museum, and the Arlington Center for the Arts. In announcing Myran as interim CEO, Girls Inc. did not specify further details on the nonprofit's plan to restore programming, but listed that and organizational stability as reasons for enstating an interim CEO. On May 5, Girls Inc. announced it was suspending its programming because it didn't have the staff in place to provide the services. In the same announcement, the Worcester nonprofit said CEO Victoria Waterman and Chief Operating Officer Allison James were being placed on administrative leave while an external investigation is conducted into concerns raised by employees around workplace equity issues. An online petition with 186 signatures as of May 23 calls for the removal of both Waterman and James and details allegations of racial discrimination at the nonprofit. Girls Inc. and Waterman were sued in January 2022 in an ongoing lawsuit from a former executive claiming discriminatory treatment of Black employees. Girls Inc. names interim CEO in effort to restore suspended programming W The Girls Inc. of Worcester headquarters on 125 Providence St. PHOTO | COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS Myran Parker-Brass, interim CEO of Girls Inc.

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