Speaker: William B. Golden
Former Massachusetts Senator
Executive Director, National Institute for Coastal & Harbor Infrastructure  

Topic: Confessions from an entrepreneur who changed tracks, fought the system and won! 

From building companies to winning a seat in the Massachusetts Senate to owning the last two government lightships in existence and saving Boston Harbor, Bill Golden has been part of the system, then decided to take it on and won!  

Bill's lobbying and lawsuit initiatives, plus legislative action to clean up Boston Harbor, is a roadmap for all major waterways up and down the Coast on what works!  His work as the Executive Director of the National Institute for Coastal and Harbor Infrastructure (see NICHI.us.org) and his past success in helping create the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the Urban Harbors Institute and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay have provided Bill with a unique understanding of risks that our coastal infrastructure and our cities near the coast are facing every day and the economic benefit available when improvements are made.  

Speaker: Mara Connolly Taft

Executive VP, Strategic Director

Taft & Partners
 

Mara Connolly Taft is an entrepreneur in the communications industry, having co-founded one of the region's most innovative PR, branding and communications agencies, Taft and Partners, in 1983.  She serves as Executive Vice President and Creative Director of the firm.  The firm also has a specialty consulting practice, PharmApprove, and a leadership communications practice, ClearPoint.  Mara is a strategy and branding expert. 

A graduate of Smith College, who also did graduate studies at UPenn, Mara is founder of The Potluck Society, an inclusive and diverse group of women who learn, laugh and connect through conversations and experiences about thought-provoking and also fun topics. 

One click. One vote a day. A playground for all.

HomeFront is one of ten finalists in a national contest sponsored by Dr Pepper Snapple and KaBOOM for a chance at a $20,000 grant to build a new playground for the homeless children who will be served at the Campus. HomeFront is the only organization in New Jersey-and in the Northeast, in fact-chosen as one of the finalists. 

To vote for our fellow Chamber member-and help homeless children get a safe and fun place to play-click here! The  top 5 vote-getters receive the grant.