Worcester Business Journal

44 Worcester Business Journal | April 29, 2024 | wbjournal.com P O W E R 1 0 0 M O N E Y & F I N A N C E Pete Dunn President & CEO Greater Worcester Community Foundation, in Worcester Employees: 13 Residence: Worcester Colleges: University of Notre Dame, University of Buffalo School of Law Dunn arrived at GWCF with an impressive track record at the Central New York Community Foundation in Syracuse, N.Y., where assets quadrupled to nearly $400 million during his 15-year tenure. e GWCF board of directors looked to Dunn to stabilize Worcester's largest philanthropic foundation aer a period of rapid turnover of two former CEOs. Dunn, a former litigation attorney who pivoted to fundraising early on in his career, believed the time was right for him to make a change, having led his third, five-year strategic plan in New York. "My interest in building institutions and supporting the growth of community philanthropy coincided with GWCF's needs here," Dunn said. GWCF approved $8.5 million in grants in fiscal 2022, according to an annual report. About $2 million is issued to nonprofits through its major Community Grants program each year to fund the nonprofit's operations and improve the quality of life for people in 60 Central Massachusetts cities and towns. It had assets of $175 million at the end of fiscal 2022, according to an Internal Revenue Service filing. In August, Dunn got to work in Worcester. One of his first tasks was to oversee the move of GWCF offices from the Guaranty Building to One Mercantile just weeks aer his hire. e new 4,500-square-foot suite features community meeting space. Another notable move was the relaunch of the organization's Nonprofit Support Center with a $1-million commitment to support nonprofit capacity building over the next three years. e program had been scaled back in the COVID era, but reopened March 1. A $1-million low-interest loan to Worcester Community Housing Resources marked GWCF's first impact investment this year, to support affordable housing. - E.M. David McLaren Founder & managing partner McLaren & Associates CPAs, in Shrewsbury Employees: 25 Residence: Holden College: Bentley University McLaren is proof that nice guys win. As the founder of one of just four certified B Corps in Central Massachusetts, McLaren has a commitment to improving clients' lives through tax, business valuation, and forensic accounting services central to his company's mission. While case details are top secret, McLaren said his firm has won 100% of its fo- rensic accounting cases in the last decade, recouping lost or stolen money for clients involved in legal disputes. McLaren & Associates is the first accounting firm in New England to receive a B Corp designation from B Lab, a global accolade the organi- zation gives to companies committed to social and environmental justice and have a fiduciary responsibility to stakeholders – not shareholders. McLaren received a B Corp impact rating of 95.4, according to B Lab, well above the required score of 80. Becoming a B Corp in 2019 was a difficult move, as it meant converting the com- pany to a shared governance model; employees help make decisions about policies, procedures, who to work with, and even who to hire. "But the opportunity to grow these team members and give them the opportuni- ty to lead has only helped our firm add even more value, stronger team members, and grow exponentially," McLaren said. e company increased its workforce 50% in 2023. McLaren, a Worcester native who became homeless as a teenager, said early adversity inspired him to graduate with honors from Bentley University and to seek to li others in his professional life. Regularly donating to Worcester nonprofits – especially the Worcester Public Schools and the city's homeless shelters – McLaren has a particular interest in supporting inner-city youth. - E.M. Stephen Adams President & CEO Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, in Fitchburg Employees: 5 Residence: Holden Colleges: Queen's University; Pennsylvania State University Whether it's a new phone system and computers for the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, fresh food delivery to a designated food desert in the Quabbin region, or funding for early college courses for high school students, the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts casts a wide net to find and fund worthy projects to improve the quality of life in North Central Massachusetts. Leading the charge is Adams, leader of the nonprofit public charity since 2019. e Community Foundation serves a quarter million people in 33 communities with nearly $80 million in philanthropic assets. Adams has had a long career in business policy and advocacy, gathering experience on a range of issues facing businesses and the wider community, such as workforce initiatives, challenges facing urban entrepreneurs, and tax policy in Massachusetts and nationally. at's readied him to serve the unique needs of the oen overlooked North Central region, which is challenged by issues such as lack of public transportation, reduced access to health care, and higher poverty rates than more affluent communities closer to Worcester and Boston. Managing numerous charitable funds, the Community Foundation directed $7 million in grants to area nonprofits in the last year. One initiative established a housing task force, created almost 100 units of non-congregate shelter for people facing homelessness in and around Fitchburg, Leominster, and Gardner. e foundation directed $2 million in federal funds to local farms to help expand production and to help establish a food hub. Addressing another top economic issue – childcare access – the Community Foundation formed a coalition focused on employer-sponsored childcare. "People here return calls and almost always find a way to help," Adams said. - E.M. PHOTO | COURTESY OF MCLAREN & ASSOCIATES CPAS

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