Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 29, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 41 C O M M U N I T Y D E V E L O P M E N T P O W E R 1 0 0 Jeannie Hebert President & CEO Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, in Northbridge Employees: 15 (combined between chamber and Black Valley Hub for Workforce Development) Residence: Shrewsbury Colleges: Tufts University, Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene A constant refrain of lawmakers and industry leaders for the last three years is about the shortage of skilled labor, and for sectors like manufacturing, the shortage has been ongoing for decades. While various administrations have tried to tackle it with money for workforce development programs, Hebert has successfully led the charge on a private-sector solution. Leading the Blackstone Valley chamber since 2008, Hebert saw a need to improve non-conventional workforce education in the state. Frustrated by the lack of access and resources for students, she realized the chamber with nearly $1 million in annual revenues and 475 member companies could lead the way in creating a program. Aer several fits and starts, in 2018 the chamber launched the Blackstone Valley Hub for Workforce Development, aimed at training skilled workers and connecting them to companies in need of employees. A $456,000 grant from the former Gov. Charlie Baker Administration paid for renovation and equipment to open the hub, and state grants continue to support programming. Hub programs are available to approximately 15,000 high school students of Central Massachusetts school districts, according to its website. Hebert, a tourism and marketing industry veteran, said in a podcast this year she led operations during the early days of the hub on Linwood Avenue in the Northbridge mill village of Whitinsville. e hub staff has now grown to 12 since its founding, and there's a lot more in store. e hub's latest expansion includes an electronics and robotics lab, as well as a space for students to study and experiment with new and creative ideas. "We are the only chamber in the country to have a school for workforce development. is allows us to train current and future employees in the skill sets our members need," Hebert said. - E.M. Jennifer Julien Gaskin President & founder Worcester Caribbean American Carnival Association Employees: 10 Residence: Worcester Colleges: Curry College, Bentley University, Boston University e Caribbean is a more culturally diverse place than it is oen depicted in commercials for luxury resorts and other forms of American media, but one aspect serving as an almost ubiquitous link between the region's many different countries, territories, and islands is a love for carnival. A combination of parade and masquer- ade party, carnival is based in folklore and traditions dating back centuries. As the main organizer behind the Worcester Caribbean American Carnival, Gas- kin brings the increasingly popular festival into the mainstream, while providing a valuable service to Central Massachusetts' Caribbean immigrants, descendants, and anyone else who has an appreciation for the tropical region's culture. e carnival and the association behind it have persevered through a lot in the last few years. In 2021, the first year back aer the coronavirus pandemic, the organization faced a financial crisis that saw it lose its office space and be denied a permit for the carnival. Undeterred, Gaskin worked with city officials to devise a plan to bring back this important cultural institution. Tough times struck again in 2023 during the 10th annual edition of the carnival, where the number of parade participants had grown to about 500. Two men near the festival grounds got into an altercation, resulting in gunfire and wounding two bystanders, including a 15-year-old. Following the tragedy, city leaders rallied in support of the annual festival, a result of its profound impact on the community. Gaskin's influence goes beyond the festival; In April 2023, she released her first book, "e Exit," a non-fiction look at the link between joy, faith, and cultural tra- ditions. She also gave a talk at the TEDxRoxbury 2023 event, where she discussed the concept of angry black women and how society should be more focused on addressing the root causes of that justified anger. - E.C. Peter Dunn Chief development officer City of Worcester City employees: 1,963 Residence: Worcester Colleges: Roger Williams University, Babson College Worcester's economic star has been on the rise, and oen the first and main point of contact for businesses looking to invest in the city is Dunn. Since becoming CDO in 2020, Dunn has been instrumental in leading policy through pivotal years of Worcester's economic evolution, striving to clinch the elements of a vibrant, larger city. Dunn is tasked with getting vacant industrial buildings back online with various private-sector tax incentives, and key upgrades, as well as downtown revitalization. is list of projects includes the commercial development of Union Station to be the home of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission and the $4-million project to build out a floor into the headquarters of the Worcester Regional Food Hub. e Worcester Redevelopment Authority, where Dunn serves as CEO, last year approved the sale of the Denholm Building to the Menkiti Group to demolish the aging building and built 233 apartments, which are needed downtown. is helps address one of Dunn's main concerns, the daunting challenge of increasing affordable housing in Worcester. Median home prices have shut out many buyers and low vacancy and sky-high rents make it hard for lower- income families and young professionals to make a home in Worcester. Under Dunn, the City of Worcester has launched 10 programs aimed at increasing affordable housing options for low- to moderate-income households, aided with funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. New tools include a down- payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers, an inclusionary zoning policy requiring a certain number of new apartment units to be set aside as affordable, and the approval of accessory dwelling units, commonly called in-law apartments. - E.M. PHOTO | COURTESY OF JENNIFER JULIEN GASKIN

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