BOSTON – Stephen Flavin, Vice President for Academic and Corporate Engagement at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, is the new Chairman of the Board of MassEcon, and three new Directors were elected for three-year board terms: Dorrian Cohen Fragola, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Janitronics Building Services; Katie Joyce, Head of U.S. Corporate Affairs and Media Relations at Shire; and Lauren Liss, President and Chief Executive Officer at Mass Development.
“I’m honored on behalf of WPI to be taking on this leadership role,” said Flavin. “MassEcon has become a significant contributor to the economic competitiveness of the Commonwealth, and in its upcoming 25th year I look forward to MassEcon extending its impact even more to advance economic growth.”
Flavin leads WPI’’s institutional economic development activities with a portfolio that includes the Office of Corporate Engagement, Corporate and Professional Education, the Biomanufacturing Education and Training Center, and the Career Development Center at WPI. He has been active in MassEcon since 2012.
The new Chairman and Directors were elected on Wednesday at the Annual Meeting of MassEcon, a nonprofit organization of business members that champions Massachusetts as a place for business and facilitates location and expansion. Flavin assumes the role of Chairman from Brian Cohen, a Partner at Transwestern Consulting Group, who oversaw a year with significant accomplishments.
The new officers assume their duties on Jan. 1, 2018. The election of officers at the UMass Club in Boston at One Beacon Street was followed by a lunch for members featuring an address by Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack.
Incoming Chairman Flavin resides in Pepperell, MA. Directors Joyce lives in Natick, Fragola in Medfield, and Liss in Gloucester.
The Directors who were reelected to MassEcon’s Board include Tim Ceurvels of Eversource Energy, Michael DiGiano of NAI Hunneman, David L’Heureux of Santander, Denise McGeough of Citizens Bank, Chris Steele of Investment Consulting Associates, and Geoff Howell of DLA Piper LLP US. Howell was also elected as Vice Chairman & Clerk. Mike Scott, Partner at Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, was elected Treasurer. Taidgh McClory, Managing Director/Partner at CBRE/New England, and Denise McGeough, Senior Vice President for Commercial Markets at Citizens Bank, were appointed to the Executive Committee.
In 2017, MassEcon provided customized support to 53 companies associated with 9,000 jobs, and users of MassEcon’s Site Finder Service sought seven million square feet of space and 550 acres of land. Those numbers include Seattle-based Amazon’s high-profile for a second headquarters location in North America.
Twelve members of MassEcon this year volunteered services that provided expertise in design, construction, real estate, labor force, and research to companies considering expansion in the Commonwealth. MassEcon collaborated with the UMass Donahue Institute to produce the highly informative report “Choosing Massachusetts for Business: Key Factors in Location Decision-Making.” And 12 new properties were identified to be included in the ReadyMass100 portfolio of available buildings and sites in Massachusetts.
The organization recognized 15 expanding companies at its annual Economic Impact Awards luncheon in November, with Gov. Charlie Baker and Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash attending. And MassEcon worked with site locators and businesses in other cities, including New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, San Diego and Seattle.
New MassEcon members this year include, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, N2 (Newton and Needham) Innovation District, Sentry Commercial, and Shire.
MassEcon’s 2018 celebration of its quarter-century anniversary will involve all of its working committees, including Location Intelligence, Membership and Marketing, Programs and Events, and Government Relations.
