Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | April 21, 2025 | wbjournal.com I N B R I E F CEO steps down "I could not be more proud nor grateful for all we have accomplished. The strength and dedication of our staff, along with the resilience of those we serve, continue to inspire me every day." Michael Ames, former president and CEO of RFK Community Alliance in Lancaster, who announced on April 14 he would be stepping down from his leading roles. Ames will stay on with the nonprofit in a consulting capacity. First female CEO "During her over 15-year tenure with the bank, she has shown an unwavering commitment to serving our customers and building strong teams, which aligns perfectly with the bank's values and objectives." William O'Neil, Clinton Savings Bank board chairman, on Mary Dean officially assuming her role as the bank's first female CEO on April 1. Pictured is Dean. New CEO "Stephanie's broad range of experience in the provider community, behavioral health, and state government, and her deep commitment to the people served by provider agencies, make her a natural choice for this vital and challenging leadership role." Diane Gould, board chair for Framingham nonprofit The Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers, on ADDP selecting Stephanie Costa to be its next CEO on July 1. Pictured is Costa. BY MICA KANNER-MASCOLO WBJ Staff Writer U Mass Memorial Health in Worcester has elimi- nated its chief diversity, equity & inclusion offi- cer position as part of a reorganization the health system says strengthens its commitment to DEI. "is step will support a better caregiver experience and improved care delivery across the diverse com- munities we serve," Shelly Hazlett, UMass Memorial spokeswoman, wrote in an email to WBJ. Chief DEI Officer Brian Gibbs exited the role and le UMass Memorial on April 11. Gibbs was hired as the system's inaugu- ral vice president and chief diver- sity, equity & inclusion officer in December 2020 following the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. "I am encouraged by the organiza- tion and believe its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion will continue," Gibbs said to WBJ. With the role's termination, UMass Memorial has rebranded its diversity, equity, and inclusion department to the department of community health UMass Memorial eliminates chief DEI position, reorganizes diversity & inclusion efforts Florez served as regional direc- tor of community health and well being at Trinity Health of New England in Connecticut, managing community initia- tives and programs including using a DEIB lens to work with local, regional, and national teams, according to the memo. Previously, he worked as direc- tor of equity and inclusion at South Windsor Public Schools in Connecticut. Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has launched aggressive anti-DEI efforts, signing a number of executive orders and threaten- ing to sever federal funding for institutions that continue their DEI initiatives, although those efforts have been slowed by the courts. Central Massachusetts insti- tutions have reacted differently to Trump's demands. UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, which has already implemented a hiring freeze and planned layoffs in anticipation of federal cuts to science research, has assembled a working group to navigate the Trump Admin- istration's anti-DEI demands, led by Marlina Duncan, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion. UMass Memorial's reorganization of its DEI efforts is not a result of Trump's demands, Hazlett wrote. "ese changes are unrelated to the federal government," she wrote. and caregiver belonging, combining the system's DEI and community benefits departments. "We are grateful to Dr. Brian Gibbs for all he has done to establish our DEIB office, create training programs for caregivers and enhance our talent acquisition outreach to immigrant pop- ulations throughout Central Massachu- setts. We thank Dr. Gibbs for his lasting influence on the UMass Memorial community and wish him continued success," Hazlett wrote. UMass Memorial's expanded de- partment will be led by Mario Florez, UMMH's new vice president of com- munity health and caregiver belonging. Florez joined the system in 2023 and most recently served as its senior direc- tor of community benefits. "We are taking important steps to more intentionally align our commu- nity benefits and DEIB programs in support of our health system's broader caregiver- and community-facing equi- ty goals," UMass Memorial wrote in an unsigned internal memo announcing Florez as the new leader of the system's DEIB efforts. Before coming to UMass Memorial, The University campus of UMass Memorial Medical Center Brian Gibbs, former chief DEI officer at UMass Memorial Health W

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