Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | August 19, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 15 ForHealthConsulting.umassmed.edu Congratulations, Lora! Your commitment to helping ForHealth Consulting achieve our mission of improving the healthcare experience is inspiring to our team. We are grateful for your strategic guidance and leadership. Lora Dumas Director of Strategy, ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School WBJ Ad 03.indd 2 WBJ Ad 03.indd 2 7/25/24 7:38 AM 7/25/24 7:38 AM 4 0 U N D E R F O R T Y The banking industry has certainly seen some turmoil in the past 25 years, but Walter Dwyer has navigated those troublesome waters just fine. After about five years at Bay State Savings Bank, he headed to Spencer Savings Bank, where he helped the firm navigate the Great Recession in 2008. In 2010, he moved on to North Middlesex Savings Bank in Ayer, giving him the opportunity to provide banking services to his own home community in nearby Pepperell. Eventually moving up the ranks to president and CEO, in 2016, he rode the industry trend of consolidation firsthand when he led NMSB through a merger with Marlborough Savings Bank. Now dubbed Main Street Bank, Dwyer leads the merged institution with $1.7 billion in assets, as it provides local-based banking services to the same communities its predecessors had served for more than a century. He remains active in the local business com- munity, serving on the boards for the Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce, the Marlborough Economic Development Corp., and the Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation. - E.C. What did getting the 40u40 award mean to you at the time? I was proud to be recognized alongside so many other capable people! What does it mean to you now? It makes me feel old, since I'm now 56. That was a long time ago. All kidding aside, I'm still quite proud, and I'd like to think I've continued to progress in terms of my career and community engagement. What advice do you have for this year's 40u40 winners? Manage your time like the valuable, finite resource it is. Don't be afraid to say no. Second, doing the right thing will always serve you well. Helping others can create a virtuous cycle. How has Central Massachusetts changed since you won the 40u40 award? Begin- ning with the positive, I can't believe the transformation of downtown Worcester! I hardly recognize it from the years I spent working on Franklin Street. On the negative side, I really do worry about the cost of living here, particularly housing. Class of 2003 Walter Dwyer Then: Senior commercial lending officer at Bay State Savings Bank, in Worcester Now: CEO at Main Street Bank, in Marlborough Since 2007, Fetterhoff has managed the Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce through COVID-19, while maintaining membership, building strong relationships with community leaders, and enhanc- ing the chamber's visibility and reputation. As interim executive director at the chamber in 2007, she contributed to growing the chamber's membership and reputation, something she continues to do in her current role as president and CEO. As president, she has helped build the Nashoba Valley region and work with distinguished business and community leaders, which she deems as her biggest accomplishment since winning the WBJ 40 Under Forty award in 2007. She has connected with chamber executives from across New England by serving as president of the board for both the Massachusetts Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and the New England Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. In her community, she serves as commis- sioner on the Devens Enterprise Commission and on the boards of the United Way North Central Massachusetts in Fitchburg and the Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster. - S.B. What did getting the 40u40 award mean to you at the time? Very proud. To be recog- nized for my accomplishments at work and community involvement is a special honor. What does it mean to you now? While it's been 17 years, I'm still proud to tell people that I'm a past recipient of the WBJ 40 Under Forty. Absolutely an honor to be recognized by peers and the community for the work I do. How has Central Massachusetts changed since you won the 40u40 award? Since 2007, Nashoba Valley has experienced several significant changes in various sectors includ- ing economic development, population growth, and community enhancements. Devens has become a thriving community with high technology/life science companies, Groton has expanded music education and performance with Groton Hill Music, and the development of shopping center The Point in Littleton has created jobs. Class of 2007 Melissa Fetterhoff Then: Interim executive director at Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce, in Devens Now: President and CEO at Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce, in Shirley 2024 2003 2024 2007

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