Message from the President and CEO | |
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The term “competitiveness” seems to be top of mind as 2023 marked the start of the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the beginning of a new legislative session. But to advance our state's competitiveness, it’s important to have a shared understanding of what it means. For the Roundtable, Massachusetts’ competitiveness is fundamentally about people.
This was the theme of our 2022 Annual Report released this quarter: “Talent Drives Competition.” In 2022 the Roundtable highlighted the importance of talent to advance our state’s competitiveness through policy and advocacy, member engagement, and collaboration with policymakers and partners to ensure the Commonwealth is a place for all people and employers to thrive. As we continue this work, the talent framework will serve as a roadmap for how the Commonwealth can attract, retain, develop and diversify its talent pool and pipeline.
This week, we were honored to be joined by Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones and Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao for our first quarterly Board Meeting. We had a robust and interactive dialogue with the Secretaries about the strategies and policies that will be necessary for employers and the state to collaboratively advance our competitiveness. The meeting was also an opportunity to introduce our new Executive Vice President, Tonja Mettlach, succeeding Lauren Jones following her appointment as Secretary in January. As Executive Vice President, Tonja will play an instrumental role in the implementation of the Roundtable’s "Talent Agenda to Drive Massachusetts’ Competitiveness" and will work with members and policymakers to advance our members’ priorities.
As we consider the work ahead, we are grateful to the engagement of Roundtable members whose voices drive our agenda to ensure the Commonwealth is the best place to live, work, and do business. With a new strategic plan, our third-annual Future of Talent and Competitiveness Survey underway, and our Talent Agenda guiding our advocacy, we look forward to the work ahead this year!
Best,
JD Chesloff
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Over the past three months, the Roundtable has been active and engaged with the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the legislature, and external partners to advance our member-driven agenda. Using the Roundtable’s “Talent Agenda to Drive Massachusetts’ Competitiveness” as the foundation of our public policy work, the Talent Agenda has framed our conversations around the types of priorities and investments that help attract, retain, develop and diversify the Commonwealth’s talent pool and pipeline to meet the needs of the current and future economy. Read more about the Roundtable’s recent work in our “Q1 2023 Policy Roundup” blog post authored by Roundtable Executive Vice President Tonja Mettlach. Highlights include:
- Early Childhood Legislation
- FY24 Budget and Tax Relief Proposal
- Testimony on Education, Housing, Workforce Development, and Tax Policy
Read the complete quarterly policy roundup on our blog.
In Case You Missed It: MBR President & CEO JD Chesloff authored an Op-Ed outlining a framework for how the Roundtable views competitiveness, and how the Roundtable is using our Talent Agenda to advance our mission to make the Commonwealth a place for all people and employers to thrive. Read the Commonwealth Magazine Op-Ed: "Competitiveness is the key - here's what's needed."
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Board of Directors Meeting | |
Quarterly Meeting of the Board of Directors | |
Secretary Jones and Secretary Hao Discuss Strategies to Advance Talent and Competitiveness | |
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The Roundtable hosted its quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors on April 3, featuring Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones and Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao. The Secretaries spoke with members about ideas, strategies, and policy recommendations to address the state’s competitiveness, while members shared feedback about how the state can support employer talent and growth needs. During the meeting, the board approved the Roundtable's strategic plan, the first in over ten years, which will focus on deepening dialogue with state policymakers to advance the state’s competitiveness with a focus on talent, connecting members to available resources, and creating space for members to connect with peers to discuss topical issues and share best practices among employers.
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Welcome to the Roundtable | |
Please join us in welcoming new members who joined the Roundtable this past quarter. | |
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Kellie Crantz
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Dell
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Sean Gallimore
President
Dynisco
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Brendan Joyce
Community Engagement
Lyft
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Erik Montlack
President
Delta Dental of Massachusetts
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David Morales
General Manager
Unicare
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Carl Rust
Executive Director of Industry Engagement and Business Development
UMass President's Office
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Jeffrey Tengel
CEO
Rockland Trust
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A Framework for Cultivating Corporate Trust
Is there a connection between trust and corporate performance? And is it possible to grow levels of trust? For the Roundtable’s first Open Forum in 2023, we welcomed experts from Roundtable member Deloitte including Ashley Reichheld, lead author of The Four Factors of Trust, and co-author Amelia Dunlop of Deloitte Consulting LLP, to learn about their research on why trust is so important to corporate performance and employee loyalty. Through the discussion, employers shared strategies and practices for employers to consider as they cultivate their company culture, particularly in a hybrid environment. Read more about the discussion in this Open Forum Blog Recap.
Business Community Engagement at the NAACP National Convention in Boston
This summer, the NAACP National Convention will be held in Boston from Wednesday, July 26 –Tuesday August 1. As the region prepares for this significant event, the Roundtable hosted an Open Forum discussion with Tanisha M. Sullivan, Esq., President of the NAACP Boston branch to learn more. Thanks to Tanisha for her leadership and taking the time to connect with Roundtable members to share an overview of the programming elements for the convention and outlining initial opportunities for business community engagement, which you can explore through this Open Forum Blog Recap.
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Going Around the Table
Sharing a few highlights from member companies!
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Celebrating One Year of the Massachusetts Apprentice Network: In March, the Roundtable joined partners from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Accenture to celebrate the One Year Anniversary of the Massachusetts Apprentice Network. The Network was launched in 2022 with the goal of hiring 1,000 apprentices in expanded professional jobs by 2027. Several Roundtable members are involved in the network including Franklin Cummings Tech, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Boston Children’s Hospital and Liberty Mutual. The One Year celebration also featured remarks from Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones.
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Health Equity Compact Launches with Participation from Roundtable Members and Staff: In January, the Health Equity Compact, a coalition of 50+ Black and Latinx leaders, filed legislation to address racial and ethnic inequities. Several Roundtable members are members of the Compact, including Dr. Kevin Churchwell of Boston Children’s Hospital, Cain Hayes from Point32Health, Jeff Sanchez of Sanchez Strategies, Dr. Marcelo Suarez-Orozco from UMass Boston and representatives from member companies at Beth Israel Lahey Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Mass General Brigham, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and Unicare. The Roundtable is also represented as a member of the Compact by Vice President Claire Cooper. Read more about the Compact’s policy priorities in The Boston Globe: Legislation addresses root causes of health disparities in the state | |
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Franklin Cummings Tech Launches New Name and Logo: Congratulations to Franklin Cummings Tech on the rollout of their new name and branding! Formerly the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, in February Franklin Cummings Tech shared their new name and look following a major gift they receive from the Cummings Foundation in 2022. More information about the new name and logo were featured in The Boston Business Journal.
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Roundtable Members Honored for Their Impactful Leadership: Congratulations to several Roundtable members whose achievements were recognized at major celebrations this quarter. In January, Dr. Aisha Francis, President and CEO of Franklin Cummings Tech and Mary Anne Heino, President and CEO of Lantheus, were honored for their leadership and achievements at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce 2023 Pinnacle Awards. In March, Roundtable Board Chair Jane Steinmetz, Boston Office Managing Principal at EY, was recognized by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts at their Women Leading Women Awards. The Women Leading Women Awards also recognized Roundtable member P&G Gillette, who received the Corporate Changemaker Award. Leaders from other Roundtable member companies were also represented among the honorees including Melodie Knowlton of Vertex, Amy Latimer of Delaware North and Isis Ortiz-Belton from Eastern Bank.
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Expanding the Table
Roundtable member companies promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace
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Eastern Bank Launches Program to Support Underrepresented Business Owners: Eastern Bank announced the launch of the Equity Alliance for Business, a new program for business owners with 51% ownership or more by women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, veterans, and people with disabilities. The program includes specialized credit offerings and loan consideration, access to financial planning resources, and one-on-one guidance from bankers to help meet the needs of business owners from backgrounds underrepresented in business. Read more about the launch of this new initiative in The Boston Globe.
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Fidelity Launches "Invest in My Education" to Support Underserved Students: Fidelity Investments announced $250M in funding to launch a new program, “Invest in My Education”, which will provide access to education and support for up to 50,000 Black, Latinx, and historically underserved students over the next five years. The program is launching in three regions including Boston, Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina and Dallas/Forth Worth, Texas, with more regions to be added each year. Read more about this new program in The Boston Globe. | |
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The Lazu Group Releases Cultural Heritage Calendar: Roundtable member The Lazu Group, an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion firm offering businesses and organizations cutting edge strategies for product development, marketing, communications, talent recruitment & retention and community engagement that fundamentally impact the bottomline, has released its inaugural digital product: the CULTURL Heritage Calendar. The calendar offers insights into the history and significance of holidays and commemorations across many different cultures, all aimed at helping companies build connections, foster cross-cultural appreciation and enhance communications within their organizations. The product includes insights and perspectives on more than 80 holidays across a spectrum of cultures, ideas and resources for creating timely communication to promote empathy and curiosity, ways to encourage dialogue around significance and meaning, all designed to alleviate the burden on those celebrating to constantly translate and explain to others. You are invited to watch this short CULTURL Heritage Calendar tutorial video to learn more about the product.
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Corporate Advancement for Latino Leaders: Several Roundtable members were involved in the inaugural offering of Latino Leaders Magazine’s C-Suite and Board of Directors Forum, a program hosted in January to discuss advancement opportunities for Latinos on Boards and in executive leadership. Host Committee Members for the event included Roundtable members David Morales from Unicare, John Capone from KPMG and State Street, represented by Yvonne Garcia. The convening featured a powerful lineup of business leaders including Roundtable members Bob Rivers of Eastern Bank and Lucy Perez of McKinsey & Co., as well as Roundtable partner Phyllis Barajas from Conexión, and others. The Roundtable was honored to serve as a member of the host committee for the program, which also included a conversation on the Relevance of Non-Profit Boards moderated by MBR President & CEO JD Chesloff. | |
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The Health Equity Compact is hosting the first annual Health Equity Trends Summit on Tuesday, June 13 in Boston to convene Massachusetts government and industry leaders for a public discussion on actions to accelerate and achieve breakthrough health equity reform across the Commonwealth. Details will follow, but please save the date for this critical conversation.
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The Roundtable is pleased to join the Workforce Solutions Group for the 14th Annual MA Jobs & Workforce Summit in Devens on Thursday, October 26. Save the date and more details including speakers will be announced soon.
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