Much of the rise of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce – and the Greater Worcester economy as a whole – as a force for business advocacy and change in Massachusetts can be traced back to Timothy P. Murray stepping down as lieutenant governor to become the chamber’s leader.
Under his guiding hand, business and government officials seem to know just the right way to ask state officials for help with various projects and developments. The 2,050-member organization – the largest chamber in Massachusetts – took on a different kind of advocacy role during the coronavirus pandemic, providing almost daily updates early in the crisis on programs designed to help businesses navigate the economic turmoil.
The help and assurances provided during that time, particularly around the Paycheck Protection Program, were key to business survival in the early stages of the pandemic.
What do you think the future holds for Central Mass.? “The future for the region is bright given our central location for all of New England and the diverse number of sectors that are the base of the Central Mass. economy. Moreover, as a hub of innovation, we are at the cutting edge of new products, technologies, therapies.”
Hatman: “I have a pretty cool baseball hat collection.”
