Worcester Business Journal

38 Worcester Business Journal | April 29, 2024 | wbjournal.com P O W E R 1 0 0 G O V E R N M E N T Meg Delorier Interim executive vice president, Devens operations and director of military initiatives MassDevelopment, in Devens Employees: 180 Residence: Quincy College: Nathaniel Hawthorne College Delorier stepped in as the head of Devens for state-backed lender and developer MassDevelopment in September 2022 applying years of military base management and economic development to act as the interim point-of-contact for the 4,400- acre mixed-use development community spanning Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley. e former Fort Devens is a national model for military base reuse. Delorier has carried the torch for its continued development of the site, which generated $16.4 million in operating revenue in fiscal 2023, according to an annual report. It is home to nearly 100 businesses supporting 10,000 jobs, and latest data from the UMass Donahue Institute estimated Devens' economic impact to be $4 billion. For Delorier, a highlight came in February 2023 when U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and other federal officials visited to mark the introduction of fusion energy as a new commercial energy source by Devens- based Commonwealth Fusion Systems. en in October, Delorier oversaw the groundbreaking of a state-of-the-art public safety building to support the community. at same year, Devens was honored for quick assistance as an emergency assistance intake center for homeless families. e bigger story continues to be the commercial footprint of Devens-based companies. Home to world-class technology, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences companies like Bristol Myers Squibb, CSX Corp., and Ascend Elements (which is relocating from Westborough), Devens offers ample available build-to- suit land, construction financing, and permitting help for potential companies. Delorier, the former executive director of the Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce and station manager for the Red Cross at military bases in Devens and Arizona, said her secret to keeping the economic development momentum going in Devens is working with a great, smart team. – E.M. Eric Batista City manager City of Worcester Employees: 1,963 Residence: Worcester Colleges: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Assumption University Batista says managing the second-largest city in New England and its $848 million budget is like managing a busy household. It's impossible to please everyone with a population of 206,000 from diverse backgrounds; it's all about balance and compromise. ough he's still relatively new to the job, having taken office initially on an acting basis in June 2022 before getting the role officially in December 2022, Batista is well acquainted with the inner workings of the City. He advanced through various City Hall roles beginning in 2012. e opportunities and challenges have been constant during those years with key development projects for Worcester and pressing needs Batista urgently needs to address each day. A top priority in Batista's administration is increasing housing across income brackets. e City is directing about $20 million in grants from the American Recovery Plan Act toward inclusionary zoning, rental, and homeownership initiatives. Housing is just one of several fronts covered by the newly completed Worcester Now | Next Master Plan, a two-year project slated to be adopted this spring addressing development and infrastructure across Worcester. Inside City Hall, diversity has been a major focus with the creation of the Executive Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, with Batista increasing funding for those efforts by 67% in fiscal 2024. Hiring practices and employee benefits have been overhauled, and Batista oversaw a racial equity audit completed in March of the Worcester Police Department, although a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the WPD practices still looms over the City. With the City Council's backing, Batista requested the state Legislature remove the police chief and deputy police chief positions from Civil Service aer allegations of misconduct swirled around former Chief Steven Sargent. – E.M. Central Massachusetts government leaders (from left) Mike Nicholson, Sam Squailia, and Eric Batista PHOTO | EDD COTE

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