Message from Roundtable Staff | |
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In keeping with a tradition that started 14 years ago, the Roundtable team enjoyed meeting one-on-one with nearly 70 members this summer. This annual exercise, which is extremely insightful and impactful, helps the Roundtable gain a better understanding of the trends across a range of industries, challenges and opportunities for doing business in Massachusetts, and strategies for how the Roundtable can refresh its agenda and improve its value. Thank you to our members for taking the time to contribute to this meaningful work.
We also hosted our 45th Annual Meeting, which featured remarks from Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities, Ed Augustus. Housing has emerged as a top issue of concern for Roundtable members due to its continuing impact on employers’ ability to attract and retain talent. In his remarks, Secretary Augustus highlighted the importance of increasing housing production, the new tools available to the Administration to address the housing crisis, and how businesses can support this work.
There is much work ahead, but we are grateful for our members, collaborating organizations, policymakers, and community partners. Thank you for your continued support of the Roundtable!
Best,
JD, Tonja, Lauren, and Rebecca
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Following the end of the formal legislative session, the Roundtable’s 2023-2024 Legislative Roundup highlights our accomplishments on member-driven priority issues to make Massachusetts more competitive. These accomplishments are a result of continued collaborations between Roundtable members, key partners and coalitions, the legislature, and the Healey-Driscoll Administration.
Key priorities worked on and achieved during the 2023-2024 legislative session include:
- Housing
- Education and Workforce
- Taxes
- Representing the business community on a dozen boards, commissions, and coalitions
There are still key issues that remain unfinished, including passing an Economic Development Bill and Siting and Permitting reforms. The Roundtable will continue to work with members, partners, the legislature, and the administration to advance these two critical bills.
Read the Roundtable’s 2023-2024 Legislative Roundup.
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Roundtable Urges a No Vote on Question 2
This November, voters in Massachusetts will be faced with a ballot question that would directly impact the future of the state’s education system. Question 2 would eliminate the MCAS test, the only current statewide graduation assessment for high school students. The Roundtable supports the No on 2: Protect Our Kids’ Future campaign and urges members to vote “No” in November.
This question would directly impact our education system and worsen the talent challenges currently facing employers across the Commonwealth. It would also make Massachusetts a national outlier, and since the question does not include any standards to replace MCAS, it could lead to 300+ different standards across the Commonwealth. Learn more about the campaign.
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Summer Meeting Roundup
Insights and data from 2024 summer meetings
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The Roundtable team spent the summer meeting with nearly 70 members and partnered with Seven Letter to conduct a pulse poll to shed further insights about the takeaways from summer meetings.
Key themes from summer meetings centered on:
- Impact of Political and Economic Uncertainty
- Workforce, Housing, and Transportation Linkage
- Cautious Flags on State Competitiveness Environment
- Evolving Applications of AI in the Workplace
- And a Few Others: Regional perspectives; clean energy transition; and nonprofits threatened
Highlights from the Seven Letter pulse poll included:
- Roundtable members have split opinions on the state of business in Massachusetts
- The state’s biggest advantages: Talent, Stability, Quality of Life, and Innovation
- The state’s biggest challenges: High Costs, Housing, Transportation, and Taxes
Read the Summer Meeting Roundup here. This fall, we will take the themes and feedback and incorporate it as we update and refresh our policy agenda, with a particular focus on:
- A holistic approach to housing, transportation, and workforce
- A renewed focus on competitiveness and cost
- Connecting members to talent
- Elevating issues around AI, clean energy, and nonprofits
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Board of Directors Meeting
Quarterly Meeting of the Board of Directors
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Roundtable Hosts Annual Meeting featuring Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities, Ed Augustus | |
The Roundtable convened its 45th Annual Meeting on September 24, hosted by Roundtable member Joe Preston, President and CEO, New Balance. The agenda included a presentation from the New Balance team; a presentation on the takeaways from the Roundtable’s annual summer meetings; and a discussion with Secretary Augustus. Members also enjoyed a tour of New Balance’s facilities and a reception.
The highlight of the meeting was a member discussion with Secretary Augustus. In his remarks, he highlighted the importance of life-cycle housing, tax programs, and market rate housing in gateway cities. He further highlighted the ways the Affordable Housing Act, the nearly $5.2B Housing Bond Bill that passed in July, can help to address the housing crisis. In response to member questions concerning the role of local communities in meeting the state’s housing goals and how businesses can be involved, Secretary Augustus indicated that they will work with local communities to align their goals with the state’s goals and that business leaders can be involved in two ways: (1) engaging with the Roundtable to provide feedback as they begin to implement the Affordable Homes Act; and (2) by showing up and being vocal at local town meetings where housing decisions are being made.
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Welcome to the Roundtable | |
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Brian Steven
Senior Vice President of Strategy and Commercial Operations
Schneider Electric
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Nef Walker
Deputy Vice President & Professor Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, & Equity
UMass President's Office
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Open Forum Recaps
This Fall, the Roundtable has been hosting a series of events to educate members in advance of the November election.
SEPTEMBER OPEN FORUM
In September, the Roundtable partnered with Conexión to discuss voter participation trends featuring David Paleologos, Director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. At the Open Forum, David shared about voter participation trends and key issues that are worth watching this fall as we approach important state and federal elections. He also discussed recent polling around the presidential candidates, engaging nonvoters who are eligible to vote, and the critical role the Latino vote will have in the November election. During the Open Forum, the following resources were shared:
OCTOBER OPEN FORUM
In October, the Roundtable hosted Evan Horowitz, Executive Director of the Center for State Policy Analysis (cSPA) at the Tisch College at Tufts University, who provided insight on five ballot initiatives slated to be decided by voters in November. During the Open Forum, Evan shared the history of ballot questions and the process of placing an initiative on the ballot. He also shared an impartial overview of the arguments surrounding each of the five initiatives which included the following topics: Auditing the State Legislature; Eliminating the MCAS as a Graduation Requirement; Allowing Rideshare Drivers to Unionize; Legalizing Psychedelic Mushrooms; and Increasing the Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers. Read cSPA’s analysis of the ballot questions.
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Going Around the Table
Sharing a few highlights from member companies!
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 |  | Jobs and Workforce Summit: Thank you to Roundtable members who participated in the 15th Annual Massachusetts Jobs & Workforce Summit held on September 26 in Devens, MA. This annual event is organized by the Workforce Solutions Group, a statewide advocacy coalition that plays a major role in setting the state’s agenda for skills training and workforce development, and of which the Roundtable is a member. This year’s theme, “Fifteen Years of Forward Progress,” covered topics of interest often expressed by members—from building talent pipelines to increase competitiveness, to AI in the workplace, and highlighting workforce challenges and opportunities facing newly arrived immigrants. Thank you to Roundtable member Lisa Murray of Citizens for providing opening remarks and MJ Ryan from Roundtable member organization Mass General Brigham for participating in the opening session panel. Thank you to Roundtable members who sponsored this year’s summit, including Citizens, Eastern Bank, Franklin Cummings Tech, Google, and Verizon. Thanks to your support, we convened nearly 200 attendees representing business, education, nonprofits, workforce practitioners, labor, government, and more. See pictures from the day on our LinkedIn.
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The Role of Business in Society: The Roundtable was pleased to partner with Roundtable member organization Bentley University, Gallup, and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce for an important conversation on the changing role of business in society. Data presented from a recent Bentley-Gallup survey found that 63% of Americans say business is having a positive impact on people’s lives. In 2022, 48% said business should take a public stance on current events, which dropped to 38% in 2024. Roundtable Chair Lisa Murray of Citizens, Roundtable member Brent Chrite of Bentley, Pallavi Verma of Accenture and Bill Pappas of MetLife offered invaluable insights about if, how, and when business can be a positive force for good. As Lisa said, “The vast majority of businesses are trying to make their communities better.”
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UMass Launches New Early College Program: Congratulations to UMass Amherst and Roundtable member organization UMass President’s Office for the launch of a new early college program which will provide students at five high schools in western Massachusetts opportunities to earn UMass college credits at no cost. Early college programs, which the Roundtable supports as one way to address talent challenges, allow high school students to earn transferable college credits for free, with some students earning up to two years’ worth of college credits before they graduate high school. President Meehan has pledged to triple early college enrollment at UMass to serve more than 2,000 students over the next five years. Read the press release and learn more.
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Western New England Launches FinTech 413 Startup Program: Roundtable member Robert Johnson of Western New England University recently announced the launch of the University’s first FinTech + AI 413 Startup Launch Series, made possible by the support of MassMutual. This series will connect college students and local entrepreneurs who have innovative startup ideas with the training resources they need to bring their ideas to life. This exciting new initiative is also designed to drive economic growth and innovation in the region. Learn more about the Startup Launch Series.
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CMBG3 Law Receives 2024 Empowering Women Award: Congratulations to Roundtable member organization CMBG3 Law for being named to the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly 2024 Empowering Women list. This annual program recognizes law firms that have shown a strong commitment to supporting and elevating women attorneys. As noted when they received the honor, “The “CMB” stands for the names of three founding women shareholders at the firm, which was brought to life seven years ago in Boston as a majority female-owned firm. Today, more than half of the staff is women and nine hold senior leadership and management positions, while six hold senior counsel or partner roles. Learn more about their award and view the list.
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Expanding the Table
Roundtable initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace
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| |  | The Massachusetts Apprentice Network, which the Roundtable helps to convene, brings together employers, training providers, and talent sources looking to launch, sustain, and expand apprenticeships in new and emerging sectors, including health care, life sciences, financial services, I.T., cybersecurity, clean energy, hospitality, and more. Apprenticeships are a proven talent development strategy that can help employers solve their current and future workforce challenges while creating pathways into wealth building careers for the region’s untapped talent. Members of the Massachusetts Apprentice Network come together regularly to share best practices, access resources, make progress on their apprenticeship goals, and promote apprenticeship as a way to build a more competitive and equitable workforce in the Commonwealth. To learn more about the Massachusetts Apprentice Network contact Mike Holland, Director of Workforce Development Strategy, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce: mholland@bostonchamber.com.
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Hack.Diversity, a Boston and New York-based nonprofit, works to break barriers and help companies connect to the next generation of diverse tech talent. Since 2017, 500+ Hack.Diversity Fellows have contributed to 50+ companies, including Roundtable member organizations Liberty Mutual, Amazon, Vertex, and Beth Israel Leahy Health. Fellows are early-career software and data engineers who contribute to organizations as interns, and upon strong performance, are invited to join the team permanently. Review Hack.Diversity’s recent Impact Report HERE, and contact Angela at aliu@hackdiversity.com to start a conversation about your tech team needs.
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Upcoming Events
Transforming Democracy in the Latino Century: A Conversation with Mike Madrid and Ray Suarez
Join the Roundtable, The Edward M. Kennedy Institute, and Conexión on October 23 for an interview moderated by Ray Suarez, acclaimed author, and journalist, with Mike Madrid, political consultant, Co-founder of The Lincoln Project, and expert on Latino voting trends. With over thirty years of experience in political campaigns and as a pioneer in Latino communications, Mike will discuss his latest book, “The Latino Century: How America's Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy.” This hybrid event at The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate will feature an insightful dialogue on how the Latino community is reshaping American politics and democracy. Details: October 23rd, 5:30–8:00 p.m., hybrid (In-person and virtual stream). Registration and zoom information for the hybrid event.
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MassSkills Convening: Join the Roundtable and the MassSkills Coalition on Wednesday, October 30 at Bank of America for a conversation around skills-first talent strategies. The event will feature a keynote speaker; a high-level overview of skills-first best practices for hiring, retention, and upward mobility; and making the business case through measurement and data collection. In addition, it will feature opportunities for networking and peer learning. MassSkills was launched earlier this year by Governor Healey at a Roundtable Board Meeting and co-chaired by the Secretary Lauren Jones of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, the Roundtable, Eastern Bank, and the MA AFL-CIO. Registration and additional details.
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