The first quarter of 2025 is off to a fast start. The Roundtable released its policy agenda for the new legislative session, and we have begun the work of conveying our priorities to the legislature and the Healey-Driscoll Administration. We are convening Roundtable members around topical issues, providing opportunities for them to connect with one another and public leaders, and are promoting the work of members in their communities. We are grateful for the engagement of the membership in advancing this work in pursuit of our mission to make Massachusetts the most desirable place to live, work, and do business.

All of this activity is happening under unique circumstances, as uncertainty and unpredictability from the federal government puts a strain on our economy. Industries foundational to the Massachusetts economy are vulnerable, as is the funding that drives innovation and research in our state. The Roundtable is responding in a variety of ways: convening members to share experiences, engaging outside experts about strategies to navigate the uncertainty, joining colleagues in the business community to identify ways to mitigate risk and protect the state’s key industries, and identifying the opportunities the federal changes may present, from tax and regulatory policy changes, to thinking differently and innovatively about how to address the challenges before us. 

We continue to be thankful for the engagement of our members in developing and advancing a framework for how the Roundtable plans to collaborate with the Healey-Driscoll Administration, legislature, broader business community, and other stakeholders to advance Massachusetts’ competitiveness in this increasingly uncertain and unpredictable climate. We are ready to build upon the successes of the last legislative session as we continue to find new solutions to address the state’s competitiveness challenges. 

Sincerely,

JD Chesloff

President & CEO

Roundtable Releases its 2024 Annual Report

The Roundtable is excited to share its 2024 Annual Report, which provides a summary of our activities and impact in 2024! With a consistent message framed around addressing the biggest challenges facing the state, we worked collaboratively alongside public and private leaders with a shared goal of improving the state's short- and long-term competitiveness. Through Convening and Connecting; Public Policy; and Thought Leadership, we brought the business communities’ perspectives, ideas, and solutions to important conversations and created opportunities for business leaders across the state to learn, share, and develop deeper relationships. Read our 2024 Annual Report!

Roundtable Hosts Board Meeting featuring Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development and Secretary of Education

In March, the Roundtable hosted its first Board Meeting of 2025, featuring Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, Lauren Jones and Secretary of Education, Patrick Tutwiler. The Secretaries spoke with members about their work and how it aligns with the Roundtable’s activities and policy agenda; efforts to better integrate immigrants into the workforce; and how the administration is responding to ongoing federal actions. After the discussion, members participated in a Pulse Poll aimed at getting insights concerning ongoing federal actions. The feedback from the pulse poll suggests that members are concerned that policies being implemented by the federal administration are negatively impacting the Massachusetts economy. Additionally, the top two policy issues of interest among members are the tariffs on foreign imports and reducing government spending/funding. View photos from the meeting.

Welcome to the Roundtable

Kevin Conroy

Partner

Foley Hoag

Benjamin L. Ebert, MD, PhD

President & CEO

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Going Around the Table

Sharing a few highlights from member companies!

Creating a Workforce that is Job-Experienced: In March, Michael Goldstein of Roundtable member organization, Franklin Cummings Tech, authored an op-ed in the Boston Business Journal about the importance of co-op programs to build Massachusetts’ workforce. Read the op-ed. If you are interested in learning more about Franklin Cummings Tech’s co-op program and how you can partner with them to grow a diverse workforce, reach out to Michael Goldstein.

Southcoast Health President Receives Honor: Congratulations to Roundtable member David McCready, President & CEO of Southcoast Health, who was recently elected as an at-large delegate to the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board 1 (RPB 1). The American Hospital Association (AHA) has nine regional policy boards across the country, with RPB 1 representing New England. The AHA Regional Policy Boards convene three times annually to discuss policy issues, foster communication, and provide input on public policy issues unique to the regions they serve. Congrats, David!

Early College Day at the State House: The Roundtable joined the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College and a coalition of partners to host Early College Day at the State House. Nearly 350 Early College advocates, including students, K–12 and higher education leaders, and partners from business and community organizations traveled to the State House to advocate for the continued expansion of Early College programs. Nearly 50 legislators and legislative staff members joined the briefing to hear an update on the field and a roadmap for the initiative’s continued success. Since the program’s launch in 2017, Early College enrollment in the Commonwealth has expanded rapidly. More than 8,000 students are served by Early College programs statewide, and research in Massachusetts shows that participation in Early College doubles the likelihood of a student enrolling in college and persisting to a second year. The Roundtable, through our Talent Agenda, supports programs like Early College, which create pathways for students and help ensure employers in the state have the talent they need to grow and thrive.

BCBS of MA CEO Perspective: Roundtable Member Sarah Iselin, President & CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MA shares her thoughts on the challenges facing the commonwealth’s health care system and what BCBS of MA is doing to address them. Read her perspective here.

Expanding the Table

Roundtable initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace

Celebrating Diversity

As we close out the first quarter, Roundtable staff took a moment to reflect on the past few months. With February’s focus on Black History and March’s spotlight on Women’s History, we took a moment to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of Black Americans and women and reflected on the importance of celebrating diversity in all forms. Read our full reflection.

MassSkills Virtual Learning Communities

The MassSkills Coalition, which the Roundtable co-chairs, is a cross-sector collaboration that brings Massachusetts employers together, from every sector across the state, who are committed to sharing, learning, reimagining, and implementing new ways to access, hire, train, upskill, and retain talent. As part of this effort, this quarter the Roundtable helped to organize and launch virtual Learning Communities on proven strategies for skills-first hiring, upward mobility, and data and measurement. The first session, held in February, focused on skills-first hiring and included organizations sharing best practices and tools, and the challenges organizations have faced in cultural shifts and fully embracing skills-first practices. These Learning Communities aim to be a space for HR leaders from talent management, workforce innovation, learning and development, etc., to learn from one another as we collectively navigate challenges and collaboratively drive towards solutions. The virtual sessions on Data & Measurement begin on April 8, learn more and register.