The leader of the North Central chamber for a decade, Nascimento is bullish on delivering results for the region’s employers and workforce. The chamber plays a crucial role in enhancing workforce development, holding hiring events and awarding more than $56,000 in scholarships for both traditional and non-traditional students in the past year.
Investing in long-term regional development is one of his priorities; over the past year, the chamber deployed $1.1 million in loans, provided more than 2,100 hours of direct technical assistance, and leveraged $2.6 million in capital from other sources. Crucially, 78% of lending and 51% of technical assistance reached historically underserved communities, and the chamber has a targeted initiative offering expanded support for the Latinx business community. On the tourism side, the chamber set a goal of achieving $200 million in visitor spending for the 2025 fiscal year, but thanks to destination marketing efforts, it generated $497 million.
In 2023, the North Central chamber was named a Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. This was the first time a chamber in New England won the award, considered the highest in the industry. Nascimento said he’s proud to serve the entire North Central region well, not just urban centers like Fitchburg and Leominster.
Laura Finaldi is a former WBJ reporter and current freelance writer.
