North Central Chamber of Commerce annual meeting held in Fitchburg

FITCHBURG — The 42nd annual North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce meeting and business expo highlighted everything the community organization has to offer — and all the people behind it.

The June 11 affair held at Great Wolf Lodge New England drew a number of state and local officials and dignitaries including Fitchburg Mayor Sam Squailia, Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella, Gardner Mayor Mike Nicholson, state representatives Jamie Eldridge, Natalie Higgins, Meg Kilcoyne, Mike Kushmerek, Dan Sena, and Margaret Scarsdale, along with several Leominster and Fitchburg city councilors.

Gov. Maura Healey was the keynote speaker.

“It’s awesome to be in Fitchburg,” said the 73rd governor of Massachusetts who in 2022 became the first woman elected governor in state history and the first openly lesbian governor elected in the country.

According to a press release, as its cornerstone yearly event the Chamber’s business meeting brings together hundreds of business and community leaders from across North Central Massachusetts to honor the people and accomplishments that are moving North Central Massachusetts forward. In addition to the Chamber’s annual recognition awards and commencement for its Community Leadership Institute, the event also features an expo to showcase local businesses, which provided participants with a unique opportunity to reach the business and community leaders from throughout North Central Massachusetts who were at the event.

Attendees enjoyed food and mingling along with take home goodies from the Johnny Appleseed Visitor’s Center in Lancaster, maple syrup and honey, and outgoing North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Chair Tony Fields asked them to “continue the support of this Chamber” before introducing longtime North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Roy Nascimento.

“We are proud of our dedicated staff who make it all possible,” Nascimento said of those behind the flourishing Chamber that has been around for over four decades.

He shared some Chamber numbers, including that there are over 650 member businesses with over 47,000 employees represented and that it has $125 million bank capital leveraged, making it a powerful network driving North Central Massachusetts forward. Nascimento thanked the business leaders “who come together” through the Chamber, adding that they “don’t take your support for granted.”

He went on to say their “commitment and your collaboration” are an integral part of the Chamber’s continued success and that “we will continue to build…[and] represent the best of our collaborative leaders.”

Nascimento announced the Chamber’s 2026 Ambassador of the Year, Rosa Rivera, a woman he called “courageous” who has followed a path to help others as a social worker. When he disclosed that Rivera is an eight-year breast cancer survivor there were loud cheers for her, and he noted that “her commitment to giving back is deeply personal.”

“She represents everything we hope an ambassador will be,” Nascimento said of the Community Leadership Institute graduate.

Rivera expressed that she is honored by the recognition and has enjoyed her time as a Chamber ambassador for many years before quoting American cultural anthropologist, author, and speaker Margaret Mead — “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

“In the words of Dr. Greenwood, let’s go change the word,” Rivera said, quoting Community Leadership Institute Chair Michael Greenwood, who is the Fitchburg State University business department chair.

Rivera was one of the 18 Chamber ambassadors acknowledged by Nascimento for their valuable contributions to the organization and he also recognized retiring Chamber board members James Vander Hooven, president of Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, and Micro Machine & Electronics, Inc. Director John Heroux.

“We are deeply grateful,” Nascimento said to the men.

He mentioned the two incoming Chamber board members, Heywood Hospital President Rozanna Penny and Aroma Joe’s Leominster Managing Partner Johnny Ahern, and Smith’s Country Cheese owner Allie Catlin spoke a few words as the incoming board chair.

Nascimento also called up Ray LaFond, who has been part of the board for the North Central Massachusetts Development Corp., the Chamber’s economic development affiliate, for more than 40 years.

“It is an honor to recognize you today,” Nascimento conveyed to LaFond, the former vice president of Enterprise Bank & Trust.

Nascimento then asked all of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce staff members to stand and for a round of applause for them. He praised the dedicated crew for bringing “passion and expertise” to their various roles and said they are “truly the backbone of our organization.”

He noted that the Community Leadership Institute has produced 300 “emerging leaders” over its 36-year history, with over 100 alumni in the past five years alone. Community Leadership Institute Class of 2026 class speaker Julie McNamara said the 25 graduates bonded and were “something special.”

“We celebrated each other,” she said of the group who posed for a photo together after she relayed that “every person carries a story.”

During her address to the crowd, Healey spoke about wanting “to build a kickass manufacturing hub in the region” and talked about the benefit of free community college available for state residents.

“We need everything and anything when it comes to energy,” she said of that issue and also spoke about the housing crisis in the state that she and her administration have been addressing.

“We need to come at this every which way,” Healey said before quipping that while her home state of New Hampshire where she grew up is “a nice place,” “I don’t want people to go there.”

“We’re making progress and I’m not taking my foot off the gas,” she said of housing.

She conveyed that she is focused on making sure state funding is “supporting all regions” and gave a shoutout to those in the manufacturing and farming sectors.

“It’s amazing … people who make things, who grow things,” Healey said.

She disclosed that she has plastic pink flamingo lawn ornaments in her office, one of Leominster’s claims to fame, and waxed about all the “incredible wildlife areas and recreation” that are abundant in the commonwealth. Healey talked about FSU and MWCC being “great places,” disclosed that she signed a Chapter 90 bond bill for $300 million, and noted that the state has invested $500,000 in the Twin Cities Rail Trail that straddles Fitchburg and Leominster.

She talked about transportation and education also being important social issues and said she doesn’t like to hear about teachers and police and fire being laid off as a result of budget cuts, “something we are seeing across the state.”

“We are trying to work through that right now,” Healey said, adding that “funding is being outpaced.”

“We are working on it,” the governor promised.

She also talked about the state investing in early childhood and college programs along with technical education and that while she knows the state has “got a lot to work on … we got a lot of great things going on in this state.”

She mentioned World Cup games being hosted in Massachusetts, Tall Ships returning to Boston this summer, and the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“This great country of ours started here.”