• The

    Judges

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    James F. Conway III

    Jim Conway was formerly Chairman, President and CEO of Courier Corporation.

    Mr. Conway has served as Chairman of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, The Lowell Plan, and the former Saints Medical Center in Lowell. He has served on the boards of the Book Manufacturers’ Institute, Inc.; Greater Lowell Community Foundation; Massachusetts Business Roundtable; American Textile History Museum; and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Inc.

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    Ronald M. Ansin

    A business and civic leader, Ron Ansin served as Chairman of the Anwelt Corporation in Fitchburg, Massachusetts and L.B. Evans’ Son Company, Inc., in Leominster, Massachusetts until 2000. He was Commissioner of Commerce and Development of Massachusetts in Governor Dukakis’s administration.

    Mr. Ansin founded the Ansin Family Leadership Development Program and continues his extensive civic and philanthropic endeavors, including service on the Board of Overseers of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of Boston, the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation of North-Central Massachusetts, Lawrence Academy, and the Thayer Symphony Orchestra. He is a major benefactor of Fenway Health, Boston, and the Boys & Girls Clubs in Boston, Lawrence and Fitchburg-Leominster. Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ACLU of Massachusetts, he is also the founder of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way of North-Central Massachusetts.

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    Arthur Anton, Jr.

    Arthur Anton is the Chief Operating Officer of Anton’s Cleaners. He joined the family business after receiving a BA from Harvard University in 1981. In his role as COO, Arthur helps Anton’s lead the industry in customer service and quality. It is not uncommon to walk into a store and see Arthur with his sleeves rolled up, teaching an employee how to properly press a garment.

    Arthur is deeply engaged with the communities Anton’s serves, both through his frequent store visits and his involvement with Caring Partners, Inc. and its two seasonal programs: Belle of the Ball and Coats for Kids. Arthur has taken the lead in ensuring these programs reach their full potential by personally inspecting each prom dress and organizing the delivery of nearly 50,000 coats on a yearly basis to local distributors. In 2017, Coats for Kids achieved a major milestone, collecting its 1 Millionth coat since the drives inception.

    Additionally, he currently serves on several Boards including, Caring Partners, Inc. (2009-present), The Salvation Army’s Advisory Board of Greater Boston (2014-present), the Massachusetts Family Business Association (2010-present), and the Board of Governors at Lowell General Hospital (2010-present), just to name a few.

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    Bob Antonucci

    Dr. Robert V. Antonucci, a lifelong educator widely recognized for his expertise in all facets of public education, is president emeritus of Fitchburg State University. A 35-year veteran of education, Dr. Antonucci served as the Commonwealth’s Commissioner of Education from 1992 to 1998. He played a key role in the passage and enactment of the state’s historic Education Reform Act of 1993, a landmark law now seen as a national model.

    During his 12 years at Fitchburg State—2003 to 2015—the Fitchburg State graduate and former state commissioner of education enhanced his reputation for leadership and innovation. In addition to fulfilling his duties on campus, he was a tireless community advocate and spokesperson for public schools and colleges, serving on local, regional and national boards, meeting with officials at all levels of government, and working to revitalize North Central Massachusetts.

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    Gino J. Baroni

    Gino Baroni is President and Chief Executive Officer of Trident Building, LLC, headquartered in Salem, New Hampshire, as well as a co-founder of Trident Properties, LLC, and Trident Capital Enterprises, LLC. After leaving the area to lead a national firm in strategic expansion and undertaking signature construction projects, Mr. Baroni returned to the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire to provide Owner’s Project Manager/Advisor services to non-profits, municipalities, school districts, and transitional care communities. He is also involved as an Owner/Developer of LIHTC and market rate residential projects.

    His commitment to community service is reflected in his participation in and support for organizations with missions to improve the quality of life for the residents of the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire.

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    Jennifer Borislow

    Jennifer Borislow is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Borislow Insurance, a leading provider of innovative health and wellbeing benefits solutions. Borislow Insurance serves more than 300 businesses throughout New England with an expertise in transforming workplace culture by creating a community of consumerism and empowering employees to make informed health care choices.

    Ms. Borislow is the co-author of four books, Bend the Health Care Trend 1 and 2, Inspire to Act and Inspire to Act for Kids. She is an industry leader and active participant on several insurance company advisory boards. She currently serves as a trustee at Northern Essex Community College and also on the board of trustees of the Merrimack Valley YMCA. She is a frequent keynote speaker at many national and international events. Her commitment to community involvement is highlighted by her passion to make a difference in the lives of others.

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    Charles J. Brophy III

    Mr. Brophy is President and CEO of HUB International New England, LLC in Wilmington, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of the Whittemore Business School at the University of New Hampshire. Mr. Brophy has over 25 years of business development and management experience with domestic and London based brokerage firms. He joined HUB International New England, LLC in 1996 after spending 12 years as director of Bain Hogg Robinson LLC. He is a member of the Advisory Council for the Hartford, AIG, Arbella, Safeco, Travelers and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. He is active in the Insurance Library Association of Boston and serves on the Board of Directors. Prior to his career in the brokerage field, Mr. Brophy was a Senior Commercial Lines Underwriter with the Travelers Insurance Company.

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    Gary Campbell

    Gary Campbell is Chief Executive Officer of Gilbert Campbell Real Estate, a company that owns and manages 2,000 units of rental housing in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.  He is responsible for management operations, which include marketing, finance, and maintenance. He is also involved in developing and acquiring new rental communities for the company. He is a builder-member of the National Association of Home Builders, current President of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Massachusetts, past President of the Apartment Association of New Hampshire, as well as a member of ULI Boston, IREM, and the Northeast Realtors.

    He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a CPM designation through IREM, and has a Real Estate Broker’s License as well as a General Contractor’s License from MA.  He was recently named 1st Vice-Chair of the Multifamily Council Board of Trustees and Chair of the Research Subcommittee of the 55+ Housing Council of NAHB and serves on the Responsible Property Investment Council of the ULI (national body).

    He is currently serving as Chair of the Board of Circle Health and Lowell General Hospital, Chair of the Governance Committee of Wellforce Health Care, as well as Co-chair of the Lowell Plan, and was past Chair of the Board of Pike School in Andover.

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    Dr. Carole A. Cowan

    Carole Cowan served as the president of Middlesex Community College for 25 years before retiring in 2015. Under her leadership, she built and grew the college campuses in Bedford and Lowell into one of the largest and most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts. She emphasized the importance of local partnerships with area businesses and public schools which put Middlesex in the forefront of economic development and education reform.

    During Dr. Cowan’s tenure, Middlesex developed international partnerships, fostering training programs and exchange opportunities for students in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Central America.

    Dr. Cowan generously contributes her time to many charitable and non-profit organizations, including MassInsight Education, a Boston-based education policy think tank, Project Learn in Lowell, and the Middlesex Community College Foundation.

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    Ed Davis

    Edward F. Davis is the President and CEO of Edward Davis, LLC, a full-service security and consulting firm. The firm specializes in product development, and advises major corporations on the latest technology in the police and security fields. Specializing in telecommunication, cyber security, risk management, continuity of business planning, crisis management for corporations, as well as large scale events and best practice consulting in community policing.

    Davis has been in law enforcement for 35 years. He served as the 40th Police Commissioner of the City of Boston from December 2006 until October 2013. Commissioner Davis was Boston’s lead police official during the tragic Marathon bombing and testified before Congress about the bombing and lessons learned. Prior to that, Davis was the Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department, a position he held for 12 years and one he rose to after starting out as a patrol officer in 1978. Davis’s leadership resulted in over 50% reductions in part one crime in Lowell and over 30% reductions in Boston. He comes from a police family, which has allowed him to better understand the needs of police officers and the communities they serve.

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    Dr. Desh Deshpande

    Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande is a Trustee of the Deshpande Foundation along with his wife Jaishree. He is also the President and Chairman of Sparta Group LLC, a family investment office and is also the Chairman of Tejas Networks.

    Dr. Deshpande has pursued an entrepreneurial career for the last three decades. He is involved either as the founder, a founding investor or chairman of several companies including Cascade Communications, Sycamore Networks, Coral Networks, Tejas Networks, Cimaron, Webdialogs, Airvana, Sandstone Capital, A123 Systems and Curata.

    Dr. Deshpande lives in Andover and serves as a life-member of the MIT Corporation, and his support has made possible MIT’s Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation.

    The Deshpande Foundation strengthens ecosystems that create significant social and economic impact through entrepreneurship and innovation. Leveraging the experience gained at the MIT Center, the Deshpande Foundation has facilitated the setup of five other centers; Deshpande Center for Social Entrepreneurship in India, EforAll (formerly known as the Merrimack Valley Sandbox) in Lowell/Lawrence Massachusetts, the Pond-Deshpande Center at the University of New Brunswick in Canada, the Dunin Deshpande Queens Innovation Center at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario and the Gopalakrishnan Deshpande Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India. Deshpande Foundation also provided the founding grant for MassChallenge in Boston, National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps™), Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and the UPOP program at MIT.

    Dr. Deshpande holds a B. Tech. in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology – Madras, an M.E. from the University of New Brunswick in Canada, and Ph.D. from Queens University in Canada.

    Deshpande co-chaired the National Council to support President Obama’s innovation and entrepreneurship strategy from 2010 to 2015.

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    Joanne Flynn

    PGA Professional Joanne Flynn is the owner of the Windham Country Club in Windham, New Hampshire. A PGA member since 1994, she has instructed golfers of all ages and abilities.

    Ms. Flynn’s passion and commitment to community is an inspiration for others. She serves on the Board of the Directors on several non-profits including the:   Salem Animal Rescue League, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem, New England PGA and New Hampshire Golf Association.  She has also run a charity golf tournament for Haven, a New Hampshire based Domestic Violence center, for the past 20 years.

    Ms. Flynn has a great desire to give back to the community and help anyone less fortunate. She started a Mobility Impaired Golf program that offers individuals the opportunity to get out on the links with the use of adaptive clubs and carts.

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    Lane Glenn

    Dr. Lane A. Glenn is President of Northern Essex Community College (NECC), with campuses in Haverhill and Lawrence, Massachusetts.

    Dr. Glenn is focused on student success and is passionate about finding ways to help students achieve their educational goals, especially students who are underprepared for college.  In addition, he is a strong advocate for colleges and universities as engines of economic and workforce development—particularly in Massachusetts Gateway Cities.

    Dr. Glenn has been responsible for significant expansion of NECC’s Lawrence campus, including the opening of the college’s new $27 million El Hefni Allied Health and Technology Center, NECC Riverwalk, iHealth@NECC, “The Hub,” and expansion of partnerships with area high schools and four-year colleges and universities to expand educational opportunities in downtown Lawrence.

    As part of this effort, Dr. Glenn is the chairman of the board for the newly formed “Lawrence Partnership,” a coalition of Lawrence-based businesses and organizations committed to the economic development of the city.  In its first two years, the Lawrence Partnership launched a multi-million-dollar venture loan fund for small- and mid-sized businesses in the city; formed a training consortium to improve workforce development; and created a revolving “test kitchen” for aspiring restaurant entrepreneurs.

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    Rey Lopez

    Rey Lopez is the CEO and founder of Resource Management, INC. (RMI) located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. RMI is a privately owned Human Resource Organization (HRO) founded in 1995. RMI provides small to mid-size companies with a variety of services including: human resources, payroll preparation, risk management, and employment law compliance.

    Mr. Lopez serves on the Board of Directors of the Central Massachusetts Condo Association, Employers Insurance Group Inc., the Hispanic Business Counsel of Kissimmee, Florida and is Treasurer of FAPEO – Florida Association of Professional Employer Organization.

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    Jim Mabry

    James Mabry grew up outside Rochester, New York, attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio and later completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Columbia University. He taught social studies in New York City public high schools and later taught U.S. history and economics at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, New York. He served as an Academic Dean at Palm Beach State College in Florida and as the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Mesa Community College in Arizona. On February 16, 2015, Mabry began his service as the fourth president of Middlesex Community College.

    James holds a Ph.D. in U.S. History from Columbia University and a Master of Science degree from The London School of Economics.

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    Martin T. Meehan

    Marty Meehan is the first undergraduate alumnus to lead the five-campus University of Massachusetts system. On July 1, 2015, he became the university’s 27th president after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as chancellor of UMass Lowell.

    Meehan has an abiding belief in public higher education’s power to transform lives. At his presidential inauguration on Nov. 12, 2015, Meehan pledged to fight for UMass, which he called “the most important institution in Massachusetts in the critical areas of social mobility and economic growth.”

    Meehan made raising money for scholarships the centerpiece of his inauguration and generated $1.7 million for scholarship funds on all five campuses. He also closed his congressional campaign committee, transferring its funds to an educational foundation and making a $1 million scholarship donation to his alma mater, UMass Lowell.

    Under Meehan’s leadership and with his support and advocacy, UMass has reached new heights and achieved historic milestones. As of the 2016-17 academic year:

    • Enrollment has reached a record 74,500 students
    • Research expenditures have risen to a high of $629 million
    • Financial aid funding has increased to $255 million, its highest level ever
    • The university’s statewide annual economic impact is measured at a record $6.2 billion
    • U.S. News & World Report now ranks all four UMass undergraduate campuses in the top tier of national universities – making it one of the few university systems in the nation with that distinction
    • The UMass School of Law has earned full accreditation from the American Bar Association
    • The UMass Foundation has divested its direct investments in fossil fuels, making UMass the first major public university to take such a significant action as a climate change initiative

    Born in Lowell, Meehan was one of seven children in a family where the importance of education was stressed. After attending Lowell public schools, Meehan, a first-generation college student, graduated cum laude from UMass Lowell in 1978 with a degree in education and political science. He also earned a master’s degree in public administration from Suffolk University in 1981 and a juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1986.

    Meehan embraced a career in public service early in his life. He served as the deputy secretary of state for securities and corporations from 1986 to 1990. In 1991, he became first assistant district attorney for Middlesex County, managing a staff of more than 150, including 80 prosecutors, and establishing an innovative “priority prosecution” policy that targeted hardened criminals.

    Seeing an opportunity to expand his public service commitment and to serve his nation, Meehan ran for U.S. Congress and was elected to represent the 5th Congressional District of Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992. He served on the House Armed Services and Judiciary committees and established a national reputation for his legislative leadership, winning praise for his efforts to protect the public from the health risks of tobacco. Meehan was a central figure in campaign finance reform and a major sponsor of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, known as the McCain-Feingold Bill in the Senate and the Shays-Meehan Bill in the House.

    After serving 14 years in Congress, Meehan was appointed chancellor of UMass Lowell in 2007. He made quality, diversity, access and affordability keystones of his vision to raise his alma mater’s reputation and impact. During his eight-year tenure, UMass Lowell’s enrollment grew by nearly 50 percent and the university climbed into the top tier of U.S. News & World Report’s best national universities rankings by improving its performance in every sphere of activity, including student success, fundraising and auxiliary revenue generation. His extraordinary achievements at UMass Lowell led to his appointment as president of the five-campus UMass system in 2015.

    Meehan resides in Boston and Seabrook, N.H.

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    Julia Silverio

    Julia Silverio is the President of Silverio Insurance. Founded in 1984 in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Silverio Insurance is a provider of quality protection for individuals, families and businesses. Ms. Silverio has contributed to the political structures in her community and the Commonwealth, serving as the first Dominican American woman to hold public office as a Lawrence City Councilor from 1999-2004. During her tenure as City Councilor, she was the Chairwoman of the Personnel and Budget and Finance Committees.

    Ms. Silverio was the first Latin American woman to be awarded the Tribute to Women in Industry by the YWCA in 1986. She was the recipient of the Leadership Award by the Dominican American National Roundtable in 2005 and in 2102 received the Immigrant Entrepreneur Award by the Immigrant Learning Center in Boston. She is a philanthropist and a significant voice in the Lawrence business community, actively campaigning for a greater Latino presence in city government and the empowerment of women entrepreneurs, and prides herself in being a mentor to young Latino men and women.

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    Linda Sopheap Sou

    Linda Sopheap Sou is the Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation for Lowell Community Health Center and is charged to design, direct and manage processes for innovation and strategy development that lead to new growth and innovative opportunities for the organization.  She is responsible for leading the creation of organizational and team level strategic and project plans, and for designing and implementing a process for incorporating board and staff participation in the planning process, as well as methods for ensuring accountability and organizational learning.

    Most recently Ms. Sou served as the Chief of Interpretation and Education for two years at Lowell National Historical Park, National Park Service. In this role she worked collaboratively with park partners, and served as a critical organizational link between the actions of staff in the field and strategic park planning. She also led and supported the planning, development, and implementation of the park’s interpretation and education programs along with the charge to plan and implement the Centennial celebration of the National Park Service. Linda also supported with updating the Lowell NHP planning documents, park interpretive themes, and developed community engagement strategies and programming for Lowell’s diverse communities.

    In addition to her work, Linda also serves on the Board of Directors for multiple organizations and serves as part of the faculty team at the Institute for Nonprofit Practice as a Senior fellow. Linda finds tremendous pride in the City of Lowell and champions efforts around youth development, community coalition building and cultural preservation and innovation.

    A daughter to Cambodian refugees, Linda was born and raised in Lowell.

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    Sam Tamposi

    Sam Tamposi is the President of the Tamposi Company, a real estate development firm located in Nashua, New Hampshire, with real estate interests in New Hampshire and Florida. The firm actively manages 1.0 million square feet of industrial and commercial buildings and over 1,000 acres of land held for development or investment.

    Mr. Tamposi has been an active member of the Nashua community for many years. He oversees a scholarship fund in memory of his father, awarding scholarship grants to Nashua area high school seniors desiring to attend Rivier College. Mr. Tamposi is also the President of the Tamposi Foundation, which makes annual donations to local charities and deserving causes. Under his tenure, the Tamposi Company has donated nearly 3,000 acres of family-owned land in New Hampshire for the purpose of conservation, recreation, and to protect the quality of life for New Hampshire citizens.

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    Joseph White

    Mr. Joseph (Jody) White has served as President and CEO of Circle Health and Lowell General Hospital since April 2017. In this role, he is responsible for the overall vision and leadership of the health system and hospital’s management. As CEO, White leads the effort to fully realize Circle Health’s vision to be one of the best integrated healthcare systems in America. Born of collaboration among community physicians, Lowell General Hospital, Lowell Community Health Center and Circle Home, Circle Health represents a unique community-based approach to care and a force for positive change in how individuals, families and communities experience and improve their health. The collaboration supports ongoing investment in new technologies, advanced clinical expertise, the most innovative treatment approaches and medical best practices, individual and community health management, augmented by partnerships with leading academic medical centers and specialty clinics.

    Prior to his appointment as CEO, White served as President of Lowell General Hospital since 2013. He had previously served for 10 years as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the hospital and was responsible for overseeing its daily operations. Since White joined the leadership team, Lowell General Hospital has earned both regional and national recognition for its quality of care and work environment, including Magnet designation for the second time by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2015 – an honor celebrating excellence in patient care held by only 4% of hospitals nationally. He played a strategic leadership role in Lowell General Hospital’s merger with Saints Medical Center in 2012, as well as the hospital’s Legacy Project, a major expansion of its main campus to construct the six-story Dahod Building in 2012.

    An active member of several healthcare industry organizations, White currently serves as secretary of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association and as a board member of the Massachusetts Council of Community Hospitals. He also serves on Attorney General Maura Healey’s advisory task force on hospital and HMO community benefit guidelines. Locally, White is a former board chairman of the Greater Lowell YMCA and serves on the board of Circle Home, a community-based home health care and hospice agency based in Lowell.

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    Anita Worden

    Mrs. Anita Worden is an experienced and successful business leader with a proven track record of creating effective management teams and securing solid financial backing.  Mrs. Worden was a co-founder and co-CEO of Yaskawa Solectria Solar, a leader in the design and manufacture of grid-connected photovoltaic inverters. She brought exceptional leadership, team building and financial relationships to the Company. Since its founding in 2005, she led the organization and increased the Company’s financial strength resulting in zero debt. Under Mrs. Worden’s direction, Solectria’s revenues grew multi-fold and it became a leader in the Photovoltaic Inverter industry. In 2014, Mrs. Worden managed Solectria’s successful acquisition by Yaskawa America Inc. and continued to lead the company as co-CEO until 2017.  From 1989-2005, as the co-Founder, President, and Board Member of Solectria Corporation, an internationally recognized leader in the electric and hybrid vehicle industry, she skillfully lead all aspects of operations and finance, resulting in the Company’s tremendous growth and its successful sale in 2005.  Mrs. Worden has been recognized by the Boston Business Journal and Mass High Tech as a 2013 Woman to Watch.  She was the recipient of the YWCA’s Annual Tribute to Women awards and was nominated as a 2015 ILC Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, she was recognized by Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute’s Top 100 Women Led Businesses in Massachusetts. She actively participates as a judge in Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll). Mrs. Worden is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.