“There are many people who’ve been successful in particular fields,” said Timothy Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Public sector, private sector, board and volunteer work: Many people are successful in one, and fewer people are successful in two.
“Christina has been successful in all three.”
Born in Worcester and raised in Shrewsbury, Christina Andreoli found an early role model in her mother, who raised three children while working as a nurse. She taught Andreoli the value of hard work, at work and at home.
“My mom was of the generation where women were expected to have it all, both at work and at home, but that didn’t leave her with a lot of free time,” Andreoli said.
Unlike her two siblings, who attended Shrewsbury High School, Andreoli attended the all-girls Notre Dame Academy in Worcester, which she credits with allowing her to explore who she was outside the co-ed environment pressures.
After graduating from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1999, Andreoli took a job at her mother’s employer, Worcester insurer Fallon Health. She worked in public relations under Richard Burke, who would later go on to become Fallon’s president and CEO. From there, her journalism experience led to her being recommended by Burke for a communications position under then-newly appointed Worcester city manager Michael O’Brien, starting her public sector career.
“That’s one of the great things about my career,” Andreoli said. “Each opportunity came from the last one.”
Starting in 2006, Andreoli worked just about every public sector job available under O’Brien, from communications and economic development to veterans’ affairs and disability services. In 2014, she transitioned to the directorship of the Worcester Public Library Foundation, where she helped launch the One City, One Library initiative to open libraries in four of Worcester’s most underserved elementary schools. They were staffed by public librarians and open to the public outside of school hours, which is one of her proudest accomplishments.
To do this, Andreoli said, she had to work with a wide variety of professionals, including contractors, educators, administrators, community leaders, and librarians to get the program up and running within eight months.
“When I get involved in stuff, I tend to go 100% in,” Andreoli said.
After her time at the WPL Foundation, Andreoli was recruited to be the chief of staff to Murray, who had just been appointed leader of the Worcester chamber.
“Christina’s been one of those effective behind-the-scenes leaders on multiple fronts. She’s one of the hardest-working individuals you’ll ever meet,” he said.
As part of the Worcester chamber, Andreoli helped launch Discover Central Mass, a convention and visitors bureau aiming to increase tourism in 35 cities and towns across Central Massachusetts.
“I had to work with a lot of people for the good of my community, and I’m glad it will still live on in a capacity that someone else is going to take and put their stamp on,” Andreoli said.
After almost 20 years in the public sector, Andreoli returned to the private sector after being recruited by Boston-based Berkshire Bank for her role as senior vice president of private banking, where she uses the skills she developed organizing people and working as part of a team to advance common goals.
Throughout her career, Andreoli has engaged in a variety of volunteer and mentorship work, which she identifies as almost as important as her professional work. She remains on the board of her alma mater, Notre Dame Academy, and additionally coaches track there, feeling that Central Massachusetts needs an all-girls school to mentor the next generation of female professionals. She remains involved in her local Girl Scouts troop and engages in informal mentorship with young female professionals.
“I have two daughters, and I don’t want them, or anyone else entering the workforce, to face any of the opposition women of my generation faced,” she said.
