Message from Roundtable Staff

As we put a bow on 2025, we are pleased to share this quarterly newsletter highlighting the Roundtable’s work over the past several months. While “uncertainty” continues to dominate the economy and decision making by private and public leaders alike, there is a clear urgency to press forward and to innovate, to grow, to invest, and to meet this moment head on. That resolve is evident across our membership and is reflected throughout this newsletter, as the Roundtable has remained focused on addressing the state’s competitiveness. Roundtable members’ resilience and commitment to the Commonwealth, despite uncertainty, has continued to drive and inspire our work.

While much of this newsletter is focused on "the what," our achievements and impact over the past quarter, we are equally proud of "how" we approach our work. In our annual Talent and Competitiveness Survey last spring, 75% of members expressed a willingness to partner with government and with one another to address the state’s competitiveness challenges. We have taken that message to heart. By engaging external partners, working collaboratively with state leaders, and serving as substantive contributors in policy discussions, the Roundtable is combining the “how” and the “what” to bring the ideas, priorities, and messaging of our members to impact public policy.

We are grateful for the continued engagement and support of Roundtable members throughout 2025 and look forward to bringing this same focus, partnership, and perspective to our work in 2026. Thank you for your commitment to Massachusetts and for your ongoing support of the Roundtable.

Best,

JD, Tonja, and Lauren

Quarterly Policy Roundup

Taking Aim at the Commonwealth's Competitiveness

This quarter, the Roundtable continued to advance the business community's priorities by engaging in key efforts focused on strengthening the Commonwealth's competitiveness across education, innovation, workforce, and the defense sector. On behalf of, and in many cases along side our members, the Roundtable is actively representing the business voice on several newly established and ongoing councils and working groups:

Massachusetts Competitiveness Council: The Roundtable serves on Governor Healey's Competitiveness Council, which brings together leaders from business, labor, research, and state government to develop strategies to strengthen the Commonwealth's long-term economic competitiveness. We are working to ensure the Council's recommendations reflect employer priorities an will continue to engage members for input as well.

DRIVE Acceleration Team: In response to cuts to federal research funding, Governor Healey launched the DRIVE initiative (Discovery, Research, Innovation for a Vibrant Economy) to address changes to federal funding, grow the state’s world-renowned research and innovation economy, and create thousands of jobs. The Roundtable, alongside several member organizations, is serving on the DRIVE Team, working on issues impacting talent, innovation, federal funding cuts, commercialization, and more.

SHIELD Council: The Roundtable is a member of the Massachusetts Strategic Hub for Innovation, Exchange, and Leadership in Defense (SHIELD), a public-private collaboration focused on strengthening the state’s defense sector. Through this work, which is being led by member organization Mass Tech Collaborative, we are elevating the perspective of employers to support continued growth and innovation of the defense sector.

Statewide Graduation Council: In response to the MCAS Ballot Question, the Roundtable represents the business community on the Massachusetts K-12 Statewide Graduation Council, alongside the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. The Council recently released an initial framework, which is a first step in ensuring that any new high school graduation standard is rigorous, uniform, and equitable, a priority of the Roundtable and the broader business community.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Roundtable will continue to engage members, business colleagues, and the public sector to ensure the business community's input, feedback, and ideas help shape policy solutions critical to the Commonwealth's competitiveness.

Board of Directors Meeting

Quarterly Meeting of the Board of Directors

Roundtable Hosts Meeting on Policy Priorities, AI, and MA250

On December 9th, the Roundtable held its final Board of Directors meeting of the year. The meeting featured a presentation from Maggie Orr and Lisa Vura-Weis, Managing Directors and Partners at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), who shared updates on the Roundtable’s AI Ecosystem project. The meeting also included a policy discussion and polling on potential upcoming ballot initiatives and the broader economic outlook. The meeting wrapped up with remarks from Roundtable member Bob Rivers, Executive Chairman and Chair of the Board of Directors, Eastern Bank, who shared an overview of MA250, the statewide commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, and highlighted opportunities for members to engage in the celebration.

Welcome to the Roundtable

Join us in welcoming new members who joined the Roundtable this quarter!

Grace Lee

President & CEO

St. Mary's Credit Union

George Timmons

President

Holyoke Community College

Open Forum Recaps

NOVEMBER OPEN FORUM

The November Open Forum featured a discussion on the "You Can’t Beat Boston" campaign- an employer-led initiative and toolkit designed to help organizations highlight why Boston and the region continue to be a top destination for talent and innovation. The conversation was led by Roundtable members Lisa Murray, Massachusetts President at Citizens and Roundtable immediate past chair, and Joe Preston, President & CEO of New Balance and Roundtable Vice Chair. The discussion underscored the importance of a collaborative approach to marketing Boston as a place to live and work, leveraging the region’s strengths in safety, innovation, and excellence across sectors, including healthcare, education, technology, and finance. The campaign is rooted in the idea that Boston’s challenge is not a lack of assets, but a need to better tell its story. See here for an employer resource kit.

DECEMBER OPEN FORUM

The December Open Forum focused on a proposed November 2026 ballot question that would establish a new statewide rent control law in Massachusetts, with potential impacts on housing production, property owners, tenants, and communities across the Commonwealth. We were joined by Tamara Small, CEO, and Anastasia Daou, Vice President of Policy & Public Affairs at NAIOP Massachusetts, who led the conversation and highlighted concerns around regulatory restrictions, the lack of mechanisms to address rising operating costs, and the risk that rent control could further exacerbate the state’s significant housing shortage. They also shared alternative approaches aimed at supporting affordability, stability, and long-term housing growth. See here for the PowerPoint with additional information.

Going Around the Table

Sharing a few highlights from member companies!

Nixon Peabody Stablecoin Event: This fall, the Roundtable co-hosted an event with member organization Nixon Peabody on stablecoin payments. Last summer, Congress enacted the GENIUS Act, establishing a comprehensive framework for payment stablecoins—a new and rapidly evolving digital payment instrument that promises to revolutionize the payments industry. It was an engaging discussion on an evolving and cutting-edge issue that will impact the business community and economy. See pictures from the event and a blog post with additional details on how this will impact businesses.

Southcoast Health Economic Impact in the Region: Southcoast Health recently shared its Economic Contribution Analysis (ECA) and its Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Highlights include over 8,600 employees, over 5,400 supported jobs in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and $864.4 million in wages and benefits. Congrats to the entire Southcoast Health team on this impactful work for the region!

JD Chesloff Keynotes 1Berkshire Annual Meeting: JD Chesloff joined 1Berkshire, an organization in the Berkshires working to grow the region’s economy, at their 2025 annual meeting. In his remarks, JD touched on growing up in the Berkshires and what that region has meant to him, the current state of the Massachusetts economy, and headwinds and opportunities as we collectively work to ensure the Commonwealth remains competitive. Read more about the meeting and a LinkedIn post summarizing the event.

Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Report: The Roundtable was honored to once again partner with member organization Bentley University for a business leaders’ conversation around the annual Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Report. This year’s conversation focused on whether Americans trust businesses to act in society’s best interest; if and/or when people want companies to speak out on current events; and how to handle challenges and opportunities around AI. Visit the Roundtable’s website to read a guest blog by Helen Henrichs, Director of News and Public Relations, Bentley University, that recaps the conversation.

Expanding the Table

Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace

Roundtable and Schneider Electric Convening: The Roundtable, in partnership with member organization Schneider Electric, had the privilege of co-hosting a conversation about creating a cross-industry Black Professional ERN in Massachusetts. Building spaces where Black professionals can feel connected and supported is invaluable and can help to strengthen community, visibility, and growth across workplaces. Learn more about the reflections from the day in our blog post. If you want to get engaged in this effort or learn more, reach out to Lauren Nwagboli at the Roundtable.

Second Annual Massachusetts Caregiver Awards: In November, the Roundtable joined employers, advocates, and government partners to celebrate the second annual Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition awards at the State House. The Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition, which Roundtable members helped to launch, brings together the public and private sectors to support family caregivers in the workplace. At the event, JD Chesloff moderated a panel discussion with Secretary of Elder Affairs Robin Lipson, Rob Fields of BILH, and Jared Auclair of Northeastern University. In addition, the event honored this year's Caregiver Champions, who demonstrate exceptional leadership and dedication to advancing caregiver support across the Commonwealth. Congratulations to awardees: Lisa Murray of Citizens, Senator Jo Comerford, Representative Brandy Fulker-Reid, Darlene Lombos of the Greater Boston Labor Council, and longtime partner and friend of the Roundtable, Tom Weber of the Eastern Bank Foundation and the Massachusetts Business Coalition for Early Childhood Education.

MassSkills Convening: In December, the Roundtable co-hosted a convening of partners and members of the MassSkills Coalition, a coalition the Roundtable co-chairs with Lauren Jones, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development; Jerry Rubin of Eastern Bank Foundation; and Chrissy Lynch of the MA AFL-CIO. This event, hosted by member organization Beth Israel Lahey Health, brought together stakeholders from across the Commonwealth for a special preview of a new employer toolkit on skills-first hiring. The convening concluded with a preview of what is to come for 2026, including employer toolkits on upward mobility and data and measurement, and additional employer case studies on proven and effective skills-first strategies. The new resources shared at the roundtable included:

If you are interested in joining MassSkills or want to learn more about skills-based talent strategies, reach out to Roundtable EVP Tonja Mettlach anytime!