Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1541233
14 Worcester Business Journal | November 17, 2025 | wbjournal.com F O C U S VETERANS IN BUSINESS J ust by joining America's armed forces, service members have already made a great contribution to society. For however long they were in the service, the 16 million American veterans alive today became part of something larger than themselves and defended the nation's interests, oentimes at great personal cost. e Veterans Day holiday held Nov. 11 each year is one way we honor veterans for their efforts. At WBJ, we wanted to showcase how veterans contribute to society beyond their time in the military, particularly in Central Massachusetts business. All across our region's economy, you'll find veterans playing vital roles in companies, nonprofits, and governments, using the advanced skills learned during their time in the service. To recognize a handful of those who served, WBJ has launched its Notable Veteran Executive awards. e awards are open to anyone in Central Massachu- setts who has served in the military and has since made a significant impact in the economy. In the 13 profiles on the following pages, you'll read stories of great personal and professional achievements, how the military shaped the lives of these executives, and what lessons they carry forward to today. e stories about each of the 13 honorees were written by the AI program Claude. e AI program was given their bios, awards nominations, and question- naires completed by the winners. A human editor then fact-checked and copy- edited the AI-written profiles before they were published. Each of the winners, in their own unique way, are an inspiration to the rest of us. We salute them. – Brad Kane, editor Honoring those WHO SERVED TABLE OF CONTENTS Bernard "Bob" Barlow ........................................................................... Page 15 President & CEO of MBA Mortgage Corp. Andrea Brewster .................................................................................... Page 15 Nurse navigator at UMass Memorial Medical Center Douglas Bushman .................................................................................. Page 16 Executive director at Fitchburg Housing Authority & CEO at Opportunities for Hope Matthew Casaubon ................................................................................ Page 16 Director of veteran affairs at Quinsigamond Community College Jonathan Daige ...................................................................................... Page 17 Vice president of business development at Central Mass Crane and Rigging Andrew Leblanc ..................................................................................... Page 18 Vice president of information technology at All One Credit Union Helder Machado ..................................................................................... Page 18 CEO of Machado Consulting Bruce Mendelsohn ................................................................................. Page 19 Resource development & communications coordinator at MassHire Central Region Workforce Board Vincent "Vin" Perrone ............................................................................ Page 19 President & CEO of Veterans Inc. Rick Porter ............................................................................................. Page 20 President of Cinch IT & Soccer Asylum Don Prescott .......................................................................................... Page 20 Coordinator of training & professional development for the City of Worcester Lawrence "Larry" Sasso ....................................................................... Page 21 Entrepreneur & investment advisor representative at Lawrence Sasso Insurance & Financial Services Inc. Jacob Zapata ......................................................................................... Page 21 Chief operating officer & partner at The Tocci Group Notable Veteran EXECUTIVES Notable Veterans IN BUSINESS Notable Veteran EXECUTIVES