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October 29, 2018 Focus on outstanding women in business

Outstanding Women in Business: 2009 Alumnae

Frances Anthes Current role: President & CEO at Family Health Center of Worcester
Kathryn Hunter
Deborah Penta

Frances Anthes

Current role: President & CEO at Family Health Center of Worcester

Frances Anthes, president and CEO of Family Health Center of Worcester, is gearing up for her next big transition: retiring from her post at the nonprofit health center, a role she's had since 1997.

Before that, the former teacher had been a deputy director at the center since 1991, when the facility served 6,500 patients with a $2.3-million dollar budget. Under Anthes' purview, those numbers have reached 36,000 and $40 million, respectively. In the years since she won the Outstanding Women in Business Award in 2009, the organization has grown in other ways, as well.

Grants and awards populate its timeline over the past decade and beyond, with Anthes named to the inaugural class of the Worcester Business Journal Hall of Fame in 2017; the center's $8.3-million renovation and opening of its vision center in 2014; the addition of the breast health center in 2011; the launch of the center's multilingual website in 2011.

“Diversity has continued to grow,” said Anthes. “We have services now in even more languages – 53. We have tried to make our services more broad … responding to the opioid crisis with a broad-based approach of prevent, treat, recover. We are serving the transgender community more, as we are seeing a fair number of folks involved in that process medically,” hiring and training to meet that need.

A New Jersey native, after retirement she has no plans to leave Worcester or to not seek to make an impact in some way. Though Anthes has agreed to stay on at the center until the search for her replacement concludes, she plans to volunteer in the health or social services field in the city.

At the core of the center's service, she said, are the relationships built with families and the community. Whether or not she's at the helm, she expects that to continue.

Kathryn Hunter

Now: President & CEO at YMCA of Central Massachusetts in Worcester

What have been your career highlights since 2009? Celebrating the YMCA of Central Massachusetts' 150 years of service with a successful capital campaign funding more than $10 million in projects.

And personally? My husband, Jim, and I are proud of our two sons, who are entering adulthood. This has provided us with the opportunity to travel more. I began horseback riding after a 40-year hiatus.

How has the world changed since 2009? Diversity in the workforce has changed in a positive way, and I have witnessed the exceptional results when different talents, ages and backgrounds work together.

Deborah Penta

Now: CEO of PENTA Communications, Inc. in Westborough

What have been your highlights since 2009? Won the YWCA Katherine Forbes Erskine Award in Business & Law in 2013; renovated the historic 1790 house in 2014 in celebration of the company's 25th anniversary; won the Silver Hammer from the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce; produce a TV show called “Top Growth;” presented with a key to the City of Worcester in 2014.

How has the world changed since 2009? More doors are opening for women in all industries. We are seeing more female CEOs in the corporate world, in politics and in higher education. There are more women on corporate boards.

Read more about the 2018 Outstanding Women in Business:

Kate Sharry, president of Group Benefits Strategies 

Carla McCall, CPA, CGMA, co-managing partner of AAFCPAs

Laurie Masiello, president of Masy Bioservices

Jennifer Luisa, vice president of marketing and communications at The Hanover Insurance Group

Marianne Lancaster, president of Lancaster Packaging Inc.

Sandra Brock, PE, vice president and chief engineer at Nitsch Engineering

Read about this year’s judges

Read about the nine previous years of Outstanding Women in Business award winners:

2017 alumnae 

2016 alumnae 

2015 alumnae 

2014 alumnae 

2013 alumnae

2012 alumnae 

2011 alumnae 

2010 alumnae

2009 alumnae

Check out a column from this year's Innovative Business Leader of the Year on the importance of women business leaders in the Central Mass. community

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