June 2019    Your Connection to LMW
June Academy Day
"I had no idea the MW region had such an impressive art museum and school. What a nice surprise to discover it through the Academy."

The new home of Danforth Art Museum was the morning stop for the last Leadership Academy Day for the class of 2019. The Museum on the Framingham Centre Common is now part of Framingham State University. After a conversation with the Director, the Curator gave the class a guided tour of permanent and special exhibitions. The widely recognized Museum is a true asset to the region.
"Visiting the Farm was so much fun and so informative. What a great benefit for MW kids and adults."

The class of 2019 closed our their Academy year at Natick Community Organic Farm for a barn banquet and then a guided walk around the farm with 2015 alumna Trish Umbrell, Director of Operations, for a glimpse into their intriguing mission. NCOF is a nonprofit, certified-organic farm providing productive open space, farm products, and hands-on education for all ages.
The Farm is free to visit and open every day of the year.

The day ended with a conversation about the last of seven capacities in the Academy's Positive Leadership curriculum, "gratitude." The essence of Positive Leadership is: positive actions evoke positive reactions. Positive leaders understand the generative affect gratitude has on the community or organization they serve.
Academy Graduation & Annual Meeting
"Although it's fun to celebrate our accomplishment of completing the Leadership Academy, it's also bittersweet that we won't be meeting each month as the Class of 2019. But we'll be connecting again for community collaborations and perhaps for a beer or two!"


There was a lot of buzz when graduates, their guests, and alumni gathered at Village Hall on the Common for a reception in honor of the 2019 graduates, followed by a brief Annual Meeting. (See more about the Annual Meeting below)



Below left (l to r): Yolanda Greaves (2018), Jen Moran (2016), Aimee Siers (2018)
Below right (l to r): Amy Sadkin (2019), Jason Homer (2019), Linda Murtagh (2019)
Above left (l to r): Estela Shingleton (2012), Natalie Saroufim (2014), Caitlin Brosnihan (2019)
Above right (l to r): Judith Sallet (2005), Janet Drummey (2001), Bob Schecter (2004)
The graduation began with Executive Director, Helen Lemoine (1993) presenting a photo retrospective of the Academy year - starting with the opening retreat and highlighting each monthly program day.Graduates enjoyed reflecting on their experiences, and guests and alumni learned about the activities, places and topics that made up the Academy year.

Class project team representatives presented overviews of their work...helping residents at Heritage Assisted Living get ready for spring gardening season, a community cleanup in Ashland, and a weekend of volunteering for a Special Olympics Massachusetts event.
Diplomas were presented to each graduate with lots of cheering, laughing and fun memories.Leadership MetroWest is proud of this accomplished group of leaders from around the region who now become part of the impressive LMW alumni network. Click here for a list of the Class of 2019 graduates.
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The 2019 Annual Meeting convened just prior to the graduation. Dave Welch (2016), Board Chair, officially opened the meeting and shared highlights of the year including two successful Alumni Breakfasts, and the "Alumni Encore" program. He thanked this year's alumni donors, sponsors, grant funders, and the 2018-2019 Board of Directors.

Then Dave called to the podium, Board member Susan Nicholl (2005) whose term expires at the end of June. Susan is District Liaison in the Office of Senate President Karen E. Spilka.

She joined the Alumni Committee in 2005 as a new alumna and a few years later joined the Board and served as Clerk, and then Board chair from 2016-2018. For the past year Susan has served on the Governance Committee.

Nobody has done more to help LMW thrive than Susan.She is a leader of leaders and an advocate, ambassador and mentor. We are thrilled that Susan has volunteered to serve on LMW's Awareness & Communications Committee in the coming year.
Dave presented Susan with a special gift from the Board as a token of sincerest appreciation for her dedication to Leadership MetroWest and its mission.

The presentation was followed by the election of new 2019 - 2020 Directors. Two names were recommended by the Board for nomination: Thom Begin (2018), Deputy Director, Parks & Recreation for the City of Framingham, and Aimee Siers (2018), Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway/Commonwealth Real Estate. Both were elected unanimously.
Alumni in the News
Beth Reynolds (2014), Ashland's Economic Dev. Director & Board member at MW Conf. for Women, was honored as a one of the 2019 " Heroines" of MA. The award recognizes unheralded acts of public leadership & volunteerism that make our communities better places to live, and work that advances the status of women & girls. Honorees are positive change makers who don’t always make the news but always make a difference.

Jeremy Marsette (2016) , DPW Director for the Town of Natick recently received a graduate certificate in Local Government Leadership & Management from a program designed exclusively for municipal employees interested in furthering their professional career in local government and pursuing a graduate degree. It is sponsored by the Mass Municipal Association in partnership with Suffolk University’s Moakley Center for Public Management.

Chris Meyers (2012) is now the Vice President of Financial Systems and Services at South Shore YMCA in Norwell, MA. Chris has served in finance roles at Y's in the Greater Boston area for more than 20 years.
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Mission Moment: Anne O'Connell (2016), Literacy Unlimited, is Board of Directors Chair at Downtown Framingham,Inc, Also on the Board is Sara White Scully (2016), MWRTA, and Julie Ginn (2018), MassBay. And the Executive Director is Courtney Thraen (2018).

D o you have news to share? Do you serve on a Board? Click here to let us know.
Board of Directors Retreat
Don't let the laughter fool you! After a casual dinner, the meeting got off to a really fun start with a great ice-breaker activity, before the Board with its two new members got down to business to talk about strategies for the coming year.