Zea’s career at Saint-Gobain began 14 years ago, where in test development her team pioneered a program to improve testing at the facility. Later, in research and development, she collaborated to launch two new products generating $3.4 million in sales. After working in New Hampshire as production manager, she returned to Worcester as plant manager, responsible for annual sales of more than $40 million and 145 employees.
She served in the inaugural Leadership Worcester class in 2015.
What is your main professional goal? Make sustainable impacts to operational effectiveness through engagement of employees, focused initiatives and strong communication.
Who gave you the best career advice? My long-term mentor Regan Gallo: “What’s your plan?” Rather than dwelling on what is frustrating, she told me to work toward solutions.
I prepare for the unexpected by…remaining grounded in my ethics and the long-range strategies of my team, always biasing towards what is right.
Who is the fictional character you are most like? Per my daughter, Elsa from “Frozen” – very intense but doing what is right for her kingdom.
Meet the other 40 under Forty winners
Matthew Abraham – Tighe & Bond Inc. in Worcester
Kola A. Akindele – UMass Medical School in Worcester
William E. Aubuchon, IV – Aubuchon Hardware in Westminster
Amanda Marie Baer – Mirick O’Connell in Westborough
Elizabeth Belliveau – Enlightened Interventions & Union Street Yoga in Worcester
Joe Bush – Worcester CleanTech Incubator
Nicholas J. Carbone – Boyle & Carbone, P.C. in Fitchburg
Christof Chartier – C.M. Chartier Contracting in Templeton
Rob Cleary – ClearCom IT Solutions Inc. in Leicester
Emily DeGray – Residential Mortgage Services in Sturbridge & Worcester
Alexander Dunn – Skyscope in Worcester
Peter Dunn – Worcester Executive Office of Economic Development
Amadeus Finlay – BlueHive Inc. in Worcester
Tiffany Gallo – Cutler Associates, Inc. in Worcester
Carly A. Gould – Reliant Medical Group in Worcester
Hawley Harrigan – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass/MetroWest in Worcester
Michael Herbert – Town of Ashland
Julie Holstrom – Worcester Business Development Corp.
Miriam Hyder – Ed Hyder’s Mediterranean Marketplace in Worcester
Kham Inthirath – Envision Digital Group in Worcester
Isabelle Jenkins – College of the Holy Cross in Worcester
Renee King – The Queen’s Cup in Millbury
Oriola Koci – Livia’s Dish & Altea’s Brunch in Worcester
Ryan Leary – Running Start Coworking in Worcester
D. Andrew McBeth – Green Leaf Construction in Leominster
Paul Medeiros – Easter Seals Massachusetts in Worcester
Bob Miller – Tegra Medical in Franklin
Jonathan Miller – YOU, Inc. in Worcester
Amanda Misilo – Commerce Bank in Worcester
Jasmine Jina Ortiz – Keller Williams of Greater Worcester in Worcester
Amy Peterson – DCU Center in Worcester
Katherine Pittinger – Worcester Fitness
Douglas T. Radigan – Bowditch & Dewey, LLP in Worcester
Caitlin Sargent Lubelczyk – Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester
Dr. Brian Sullivan, MD – Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center in Worcester
Evis Wilmes Terpollari – Veterans Inc. in Worcester
Brian Treitman – B.T.’s Smokehouse in Sturbridge
James A. Valis – Blackstone Valley Wealth Management in Hopkinton
