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March 4, 2019
Page One Story

WBJ announces the 2019 Business Leaders of the Year awards

The winners of the WBJ Business Leaders of the Year awards have made bold choices on the path to success.

  • Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
    Focus On Business Leaders of the Year

    WBJ Hall of Fame inducts four new members

    With this year's class, the WBJ Hall of Fame now totals 10 members.

  • Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
    Focus On Business Leaders of the Year

    Sbrega's latest calculated risk taps GFA into a $1B industry

    Grant Welker

    In the more than three decades Tina M. Sbrega has worked at GFA Federal Credit Union, the Gardner institution has grown by multitudes: from one location to nine, from a dozen employees to 100, and from $70 million in assets to $500 million.

  • Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
    Focus On Business Leaders of the Year

    McGuire is a rare leader in a challenging environment

    Grant Welker

    It didn't take long working in a hospital as a cardiac monitor technician for Toni McGuire to find inspiration for a career in health care.

  • Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
    Focus On Business Leaders of the Year

    Dunn has become a legend in the arena industry

    Grant Welker

    Sandy Dunn worked her way up quickly, becoming the DCU Center's executive secretary, then director of events and administration, and assistant general manager.

  • Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
    Focus On Business Leaders of the Year

    Robinson seized on the need for better autism services

    Grant Welker

    For someone who's had such an impact on special education services, it can be hard to believe Jeff Robinson never initially saw himself in the industry.

  • Briefing
    Briefing

    Worcester officials worry about minority businesses in Midtown Mall taking

    Zachary Comeau

    The businesses are typically small and minority-owned shops paying inexpensive rent. Finding a similar location with similar rent could be difficult.

  • Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
    Focus On Business Leaders of the Year

    Bates led an $82M human services merger

    Grant Welker

    Ken Bates has always enjoyed working to help those who need an extra hand or might have especially tough challenges to overcome each day.

  • Editorial
    Editorial

    The WBJ Hall of Famer who never was

    Brad Kane

    Over the past three years, the WBJ Hall of Fame has grown to 10 members. It is supposed to be 11.

  • Making babies: UMass to open region's first IVF clinic for $1.4M

    Grant Welker

    UMass Memorial is hoping to bring more family planning services to Worcester and keep couples from having to travel outside the area.

  • Editorial
    Editorial

    Filling the leadership vacuum

    We're not even a quarter of the way through 2019, and yet it seems a whole class of business leaders have retired or announced their intentions to do so.

  • Shop Talk
    Shop Talk

    Manafort eyes large Worcester contracts

    With the hype around the region's economic activity increasing, Manafort Brothers is looking to land more work in Central Mass., and particularly in Worcester.

  • Advice
    Advice

    Tax reform, one year later

    Alan Osmolowski

    The U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was rushed through the House and Senate. As a result, numerous details were not addressed, and drafting errors need correcting.

  • The man who gave me hives doesn't get enough credit

    Renee Diaz

    I hate being called The Queen, but in all honesty, I know it will 1) never go away, 2) could be worse, and 3) is free advertising.

  • Advice
    Advice

    10 Things I Know About ... Establishing thought leadership

    Heather Caouette

    Done effectively, thought leadership builds credibility and trust in your business.

  • Advice
    Advice

    101: Struggling employees

    Susan Shalhoub

    Whatever the issue, managers have to deal with struggling employees who may drag down the rest of their team – and the sooner the better.

WBJ Web Partners

Today's Poll

Would you want your children following in your professional footsteps?
Poll Description

Massachusetts has the second smallest percentage of family-owned businesses in the country, according to an OnDeck analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 Annual Business Survey. The analysis showed 21.87% of Massachusetts businesses are family-owned.

The power of family-owned operations is found in the numbers. Research performed by Family Enterprise USA reports 74% of family-owned businesses have been operating for more than 30 years.  

Even when families don’t work together running a business, many professionals hope to see their children following in their career footsteps, creating a lineage of those in the same profession and fostering the camaraderie that comes with.

More Information