Worcester Business Journal

32 Worcester Business Journal | April 29, 2024 | wbjournal.com Kory Eng President & CEO United Way of North Central Massachusetts, in Fitchburg Employees: 10 Residence: Roslindale College: University of Massachusetts Amherst When floods devastated the city of Leominster in September, United Way of North Central joined forces with other nonprofit groups to help those displaced, raising nearly $500,000 to support 600 people with basic needs and home repairs. Disaster relief and other unanticipated crises are just one of the specialties of the United Way, where Eng has raised $18 million in his five years leading the organization. With $3.7 million in revenue in 2022, according to Internal Revenue Service records, the nonprofit targets health, education, and financial stability to improve the lives of people in 22 diverse cities and towns from Athol to Little- ton. Chiefly through its Community Impact Fund, United Way of North Central reported $616,000 in assistance to more than 97,000 families between 2022 and 2023. Eng leads a large network of volunteers living and working in the region and leverages connections with nearly 70 nonprofits and corporate business sponsors. UWNCM directed more than $2.5 million in annual grant/financial support to organizations in the region. In addition to flood response, United Way led several high-profile projects in the last year. UWNCM partnered with the Fitchburg Housing Authority to get funding for two family homeless shelters in Leominster and Fitchburg, providing 25 rooms, support services, food, and basic needs. Its United to Feed program is a collaborative approach to fighting food insecu- rity in the region involving nonprofits, local farms, businesses, and community agencies. e program led to $45,000 worth of healthy foods being distributed to more than 1,100 households. Additionally, UWNCM provided more than $125,000 in grant support to collaborative efforts addressing the growing mental health crises among young people. – E.M. P O W E R 1 0 0 Jessica Sassi President & CEO The New England Center for Children, in Southborough Employees: 941 Residence: Needham College: University of Florida Tim Garvin President & CEO United Way of Central Massachusetts, in Worcester Employees: 11 Residence: Sudbury College: Clark University With $13.4 million in assets, the United Way of Central Massachusetts is among the strongest links in Central Massachusetts charitable programming, using its funding and garnering a network of movers and shakers in Greater Worcester to support long- and short-term projects at nonprofits throughout the region. e philanthropic community nonprofit with $8.5 million in annual revenue and its partners have learned to follow Garvin's lead for the good of the 30 cities and towns they serve. "I try to say thank you to individual people at least 10 times a day," Garvin said. Sometimes, United Way responds within a moment's notice. In January, Garvin and his team helped launch a 64-bed emergency overflow shelter for 14 homeless families. While he pivots quickly, he plans and oversees long-term projects, such as collaborating with two other United Way partners to manage multiyear state grants for the Aer School and Out-of-School Time initiative. A total of $6.5 million has been sent to Central Massachusetts youth development programs. Other projects in the last year include the $3.3-million Farm Resiliency Fund created in partnership with the Gov. Maura Healey Administration, to support 290 farms devastated by flooding in the region in the summer, and a $2-million feder- ally funded partnership with the City of Worcester to address food insecurity. Garvin, a National Peace Corps Association volunteer, shows no fatigue as he rounds out his second decade on the job. "I love, love what I do," he said. "I get to be at the center of linking business and philanthropy and policy and resident and nonprofit all for the community good." – E.M. For nearly 50 years, the New England Center for Children was Vincent Strully. He founded the nonprofit from practically zero in 1975 and over the decades built it into a global leader in autism education and research. Now, the next generation of the organization falls to Strully's hand-picked successor: Sassi, who took over the top leadership role in 2023. Strully continues to serve as executive advisor and worked with Sassi over a three-year transition period before he retired. Sassi, who started with NECC as a researcher and clinician before advancing to more senior roles, now oversees a nonprofit with $123.3 million in operating revenue and $118.2 million in operating expenses, according to its 2023 annual report. The center has residential and day schools in Southborough as well as the United Arab Emirates. NECC operates an additional three clinics and provides consultative services throughout the Persian Gulf region. In New England, NECC offers consultation and support to public school districts. A patented software product linking assessment modules to student lesson plans has been licensed to school districts and private programs in 32 states and nine countries. As diagnoses of children with autism are on the rise throughout the state, nation, and world, NECC is expected to continue to be a global leader in addressing the crisis. Since taking over at the end of August, Sassi has already overseen major new initiatives, including the opening of an in-house dental program to serve residential students in Southborough in September, the opening of the newest clinic in Abu Dhabi in March, and the ongoing Infant Sibling Research Project, which aims to detect early markers for autism in infants who have an older sibling with autism. – E.M PHOTO | COURTESY OF THE NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR CHILDREN

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