The WBJ along with our partner the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, presenting sponsors Bank of America and Bowditch and corporate sponsor Kelleher and Sadowsky, were pleased to present the 2026 Central Mass Economic Forecast Forum on Thursday, February 26, 2026.

This annual program provides an in-depth look at the economic landscape and what lies ahead for the coming year, along with timely insights and practical forecasts about the future of our regional economy. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us, all of our sponsors and special thanks to our keynote economist, Shruti Mishra – US Economist, Bank of America and all of our panelists for sharing their insight and thoughtful perspectives.

2026 EVENT PHOTOS

Keynote Economist: Shruti Mishra, US Economist, Bank of America

Shruti Mishra is a US Economist at Bank of America. Her primary focus is on analyzing the labor market and the GDP outlook. In addition to that, she also looks at the US consumer and contributes to the widely-read “BofA on USA” card data report, as well as other thematic research on the real economy. Her comments on the economy regularly appear in CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance and Financial Times. Mishra has a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University with a specialization in macroeconomics and finance and has worked at the IMF during her PhD.

Keynote presentation slides: US Outlook_Boston.

Panel Discussions: 

Panel 1: Our panel of local business leaders will provide thoughts on the region’s economic climate as well as share their industry-specific viewpoints on the trends shaping their business environment, current challenges and how they’ve navigated economic shifts and the emerging opportunities that will help propel their growth.

Panelists to date: 

• Justin Precourt, President, UMass Memorial Medical Center
• Brooke Thomson, President & CEO, Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM)
• Darnell Dunn, Director of Business Recruitment, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce

Panel 2: Our panel of real estate and development leaders will feature an in-depth discussion on the region’s real estate landscape. This panel will explore the market forces fueling growth, the area’s unique competitive advantages, and the challenges and dynamics of navigating this evolving real estate market.

Panelists to date:

• Joshua Lee Smith, Partner, Bowditch
• James G. Umphrey, President, Kelleher & Sadowsky
• Jackson Restrepo, Founding Partner, Restrepo Properties LLC

In Partnership With

Presenting Sponsors:

Corporate Sponsor:

Supporting Sponsor:

ROCKLAND TRUST