Downtown Worcester BID names two business leaders to board

Photo | Matt Wright Kate McEvoy

Photo | Courtesy of Joffrey Smith Financial Group Joffrey Smith, CEO of Joffrey Smith Financial Group

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By Timothy Doyle

The Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District named Kate McEvoy and Joffrey Smith as new members of the organization’s board of directors.

McEvoy is vice president for corporate relations for UMass Memorial Health in Worcester, the region’s largest employer. She was a member of WBJ’s Outstanding Women in Business, Class of 2022, and 2019’s Power 50.

"I am excited to work with the Board, staff, and community partners to help promote economic growth and development in Downtown Worcester, and to support the businesses and organizations that make our community such a special place,” McEvoy said in a Tuesday press release.

A former Worcester city councilor, Smith is CEO of Joffrey Smith Financial Group and insurtech startup Concordia Exchange. He purchased an historic building at 8 Norwich St. in 2022, renovated it, and opened it as the headquarters for his two companies in January.

"I believe Downtown Worcester has tremendous potential, and I am excited to work with the BID’s Board to help unlock that potential and make our downtown an even more vibrant and dynamic neighborhood,” Smith said in the press release.

"We are thrilled to have Kate and Joffrey join the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District’s Board of Directors," Downtown Worcester BID Board Chair Julie Holstrom said in the press release. "Their experience and expertise will be invaluable as we continue our mission of promoting economic growth and vitality in Downtown Worcester."

The Downtown Worcester BID is a nonprofit organization established in 2018 representing more than 100 property owners in downtown Worcester, funded by a surcharge on property tax bills within the district.

In March, the organization named Electric Haze owner Victoria Mariano as its new program director.