Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 29, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 39 marlboroughedc.com Congratulations MEREDITH HARRIS On behalf of the City of Marlborough, the MEDC Team and its Board of Directors, we congratulate YOU on being named to the Central MA Power 100! We are proud to have our fearless leader be recognized as one of the top influential professionals in the region's business community. S T E P H E N J . K E R R I G A N W B J P O W E R 1 0 0 C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o S t e v e K e r r i g a n , P r e s i d e n t a n d C E O o f K e n n e d y C o m m u n i t y H e a l t h o n h i s w e l l - d e s e r v e d r e c o g n i t i o n a s a 2 0 2 4 W o r c e s t e r B u s i n e s s J o u r n a l P o w e r 1 0 0 h o n o r e e ! G O V E R N M E N T P O W E R 1 0 0 Sam Squailia Mayor City of Fitchburg Employees: 1,275 Residence: Fitchburg College: New England Institute of Technology Squailia was elected as Fitchburg's 46th mayor in 2023, the third female to hold the position in the North Central city of about 42,000. Previously city councilor, Squailia beat incumbent Stephen DiNatale, vowing to improve transparency, inclu- siveness, and communication within city government. e change in leadership comes at a crucial moment in Fitchburg's economic development. While Squailia recognizes the importance of downtown revitalization – a focus of DiNatale and leaders from places like Fitchburg State University and the Fitchburg Art Museum – she believes the focus on those efforts may have come at the expense of roadway repairs. She's made it a priority to address the state of the city's streets and is working with the engineering team at the Fitchburg Public Works Depart- ment on a pavement management program. While infrastructure is a focus, Squailia is prioritizing making Fitchburg welcom- ing to businesses and streamlining the permitting process. Fitchburg's economic revitalization is a work in progress, but development projects are breaking through. On north Main Street, work is underway to convert three old school buildings into 68 mixed-income, artist-preference apartments. Off of Route 2, Great Wolf Lodge New England fuels the city's tourism, drawing 700,000 visitors to its resort and water park in 2023 and employing 750. With a state university, MBTA Commuter Rail, lower housing costs and access to key highways – include Route 2 directly into Greater Boston – Fitchburg has ingre- dients to become a thriving city. Squailia aims to bring them all together. "I was convinced that the city and community desperately needed a change in leadership, and that I had the right temperament and understanding of both city government, the City of Fitchburg government specifically, and engineering and infrastructure knowledge to help make a real difference," she said. - N.C. Mike Nicholson Mayor City of Gardner Employees: 1,100 (including seasonal) Residence: Gardner Colleges: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Suffolk University Like many post-industrial Massachusetts cities, Gardner has struggled to find its way since industry peaked and manufacturing jobs went overseas in the early 1990s. Nicholson, a Gardner native who is the city's first Latino mayor, has met the problems of blight and economic depression head on. Creating conditions for new housing and business development in the city of about 21,000 people has been the focus since his election in 2020 at the age of 25 to lead the municipal government with a $75-million budget. e small city has seen downtown growth in the last year, with 225 planned downtown housing units, the opening of nearly 27 new large retail and small businesses since 2023 and eight more in the works, and 24 downtown buildings under renovation. City policies allowing for more outdoor dining and assistance to small businesses have been key to this effort. Gardner's economic development projects in the last year include the $5-million renovation of the Gardner Municipal Airport, paid for by federal funds; Candor Realty of Lowell buying for $500,000 the historic Garbose Building, which it plans on redeveloping into 18 market-rate apartments; and Candor beginning to fill up the commercial space in the Bullnose Building, including Brilla Coffee's third location. Once an aide to former Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke, Nicholson has spent his young career in public service, building ties as an intern for state lawmakers, including former Gov. Charlie Baker. Before becoming mayor, he was town administrator in Rutland. With a master's degree in public policy and a law degree, which he earned while in office, Nicholson shares his perspective on the needs of Central Massachusetts as a board member for the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the Massachusetts Mayors' Association, and the newly formed Governor's Transportation Funding Taskforce. - E.M.

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