Worcester Business Journal

24 Worcester Business Journal | December 29, 2025 | wbjournal.com DEI will operate in a low-key manner BY MICA KANNER-MASCOLO WBJ Staff Writer T his year saw the President Donald Trump Adminis- tration launch a nationwide attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion through ex- ecutive orders and federal funding cuts, leaving businesses to decide whether to maintain their DEI commitments. is year marked the biggest changes in the DEI space since 2020, and next year will see more fallout. More DEI-focused nonprofits to struggle Federal funding cuts to DEI-focused nonprofits have forced them to scale back operations, lay off staff, or close entirely, including ONE Worcester and MassEdCo. Next year will see more DEI-nonprofits financially struggle as they're forced to compete for awards and grants from the state and local founda- tions. DEI will be hidden in rewording Many institutions that continued to prioritize DEI have restructured, and sometimes reword, their commitments, such as the Center for Women & Enter- prise and UMass Memorial Health. In 2025, more businesses and organizations will seek creative solutions to avoid Trump's wrath. Despite challenges, DEI work will continue In 2025, Central Massachusetts accelerated attempts to diversify its workforce through government-funded grant initiatives, neurodivergent-fo- cused training, and DEI-centered hiring practices. Organizations will continue this work, especially in healthcare and human services. UMass Memorial eliminates chief DEI position, reorganizes UMass Memorial Health in Worces- ter has eliminated its chief diversity, equity & inclusion officer position as part of a reorganization the health sys- tem says strengthens its commitment to DEI. "is step will support a better care- giver experience and improved care delivery across the diverse communi- ties we serve," Shelly Hazlett, UMass Memorial spokeswoman, wrote in an email to WBJ. Chief DEI Officer Brian Gibbs will exit the role and leave UMass Memo- rial on April 11. Gibbs was hired as the system's inaugural vice president and chief diversity, equity & inclusion officer in December 2020 following the murder of George Floyd and the sub- sequent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. "I am encouraged by the organi- zation 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 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 immi- grant populations throughout Cen- tral Massachusetts. 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 commu- nity health and caregiver belonging. Flo- rez joined the system in 2023 and most recently served as its senior director of community benefits. "We are taking important steps to more intentionally align our community benefits and DEIB programs in support of our health system's broader caregiv- er- and community-facing equity 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 Memori- al, Florez served as regional director of community health and well being at Trinity Health of New England in Connecticut, managing community initiatives and programs including using a DEIB lens to work with local, regional, and national teams, according to the memo. Previously, he worked as director of equity and inclusion at South Wind- sor Public Schools in Connecticut. UMass Chan to form working group to address Trump Administration's anti-DEI demands In response to the President Donald Trump Administration's Feb. 14 threat to potentially cut off federal funding to U.S. colleges that continue with their DEI initiatives, UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester is assembling a committee to navigate the rapidly changing and uncertain landscape of higher education policies and federal regulations. "As the commonwealth's only public Top DEI stories from 2025 W PHOTO | EDD COTE DIVERSITY & INCLUSION The leaders of Fontaine Bros., Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, and Spectrum Health Systems have publicly committed to sticking with DEI in the midst of the 2025 political backlash. Brian Gibbs, former chief DEI officer at UMass Memorial Health

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