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Annual and Recurring Events

 

 

Annual Meeting

The Partnership holds an annual meeting that highlights the organization’s accomplishments over the past year and recognizes an individual from the public sector with the Donald R. Wheeler Regional Leadership award and an individual from the private sector with the Ambassador Richard Egan Regional Leadership Award.  The essential component of the annual meeting is a keynote speaker; past speakers have included Governor Deval Patrick, former Governor Mitt Romney,  syndicated columnist Neal Peirce, and Robert Lang of Virginia Tech’s Metropolitan Institute.

 

Cabinet Forums

The Partnership has held a series of “Meet the Candidate” forums with key Patrick/Murray cabinet secretaries.  The forums offer the opportunity for secretaries to talk about their goals for state action related to their respective issue areas, their perspective on issues affecting the 495/MetroWest region and for regional leaders and the public to share their views on the challenges affecting both the state and the region. To date the Partnership has hosted forums for Dan O’Connell, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development, Ian Bowles, Secretary of Energy and Environment, James Aloisi, Jr. Secretary of Transportation, and Greg Bialecki, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development. Click here for the Partnership’s report to Secretary O’Connell. Click here for the Partnership’s report to Secretary Bowles. Click here for the Partnership’s report to Secretary Bialecki.

Talk with the Next Governor Forums

The Partnership held a series of “Meet the Candidate” forums with the major gubernatorial candidates throughout the past election season.  The forums offered the opportunity for each candidate to talk about their plans for the state and their perspective on issues affecting the 495/MetroWest region and for regional leaders and the public to share their views on the challenges affecting both the state and the region.

State House Day

The Partnership hosts an annual State House Day as a way to thank our legislative delegation for all of their work on behalf of the 495/MetroWest Region.  This event also serves as an opportunity for the region’s municipal officials, business executives and non-profit representatives to interact with our delegation in an informal setting over lunch.  The event usually takes place in early Spring and includes a keynote speaker.

2010

Annual Meeting

 On June 25, 2010 the Partnership held it's Annual Conference.  The theme of the 2010 conference was "Collaborating for Prosperity".  The keynote speakers were Secretary Greg Bialecki of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, and Secretary Jeff Mullan of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, who annouced the creation of the 495/MetroWest Development Compact.  Click here for a detailed description of the Compact, which is intended to create a shared framework for developing state, regional, and local strategies for the growth, development, and land preservation in the 36 cities and towns within the study area

 The Ambassador Richard J. Egan Award was given to Alistair Rennie of IBM and the Donald R. Wheeler Award was given to Helen Lemoine of Leadership MetroWest.  Click here for a copy of the 2010 Annual Report, highlighting a year of accomplishments by the Partnership.

 

2009


Economic Forum

On October 1, 2009, the Partnership held it's annual Economic Forum sponsored by TD Bank at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel.  Each year the Partnership commissions a regional economic study with the MetroWest Economic Research Center  (MERC) at Framingham State College with the final results presented at this event.  Click here to see the full report, 2009 Economic Indicators for the 495/MetroWest Region from MERC, and here for the regional economic summary prepared by the Partnership, Pushing Through the Downturn, which provides additional data and highlights key regional economic factors.  The Forum also provided an overview of current national economic trends as well as insights on the commercial real estate market.  Below are links to the various presentations and reports from the October 1 event:

The Partnership would like to thank the following sponsors for making this event possible and successful:

Principal Sponsor - TD Bank

Research Sponsors - Richards Barry Joyce & Partners, LLC

                            - Framingham State College

Media Sponsor - Community Newspaper Company 

Facility Sponsor - Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center

 

Annual Meeting

On June 4, 2009 the Partnership held it's Annual Conference.  The theme of the 2009 conference was "The Future of Suburban Development: New Challenges, New Realities".  The keynote speaker was Dr. Robert Lang, Director of Virginia Tech's Metropolitan Institute and the panel discussion was rounded out by Bob Brustlin, President and CEO of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., and Eric Nakajima, Senior Policy Advisor in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.  The Ambassador Richard J. Egan Award was given to John Strickland of Bose Corporation and the Donald R. Wheeler Award was given to John Stasik from the Town of Framingham.  Click here for a copy of the 2009 Annual Report, highlighting a year of accomplishments by the Partnership.

 

 

I-495 Interchange Study


The overall goal of this I-495 Study by CMRPC and MAPC is to identify the existing and future capacity constraints associated with the I-495 interchanges and to identify both methods to move more people through the interchanges and strategies that might reduce the single auto trips that need to be moved through these interchanges. The combination of strategies includes: 1) adding capacity, 2) redistributing future employment and population growth, and 3) developing alternatives to the single-occupant vehicle through transit, walking and bicycling modes. Click here for the presentation from the July 2009 meeting hosted by the Partnership.  The final report was released in September 2009.  Surveys were sent to the eight communities within the study area as part of the next steps toward a more comprehensive corridor study.

Small Business Town Hall Meeting with the Massachusetts Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship

CoSponsored by the Massachusetts Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Assabet Valley, Corridor Nine, and Marlborough Regional Chambers of Commerce.

The Partnership hosted this forum so that the region’s small businesses could share their concerns with the Massachusetts Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the state legislative delegation.

 

Federal EPA Phosphorous Regulatory Initiative briefing


New England EPA Representatives discussed the new Residual Designation Authority Program, which would require certain industrial, commercial and residential facilities in Milford, Franklin, and Bellingham with two or more acres of impervious area to operate under a Clean Water Act permit to the Partnership’s Water Committee. Click here for the EPA presentation.

2008


A Roundtable Discussion to Advance Clean Technologies in the 495/MetroWest Region

CoSponsored by the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, Senator Pamela Resor, Senator Karen Spilka, Senator-Elect James Eldridge, Representative Pamela Richardson, Representative Thomas Sannicandro, and the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce.

The Partnership held this roundtable so that regional leaders could provide input to the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production on clean technology, policies and practices, and potential implications for the environment and economy.   

495/MetroWest Economic Forum


This event, which featured an address from Congressman Jim McGovern, focused on the continuing need to update infrastructure in the 495/MetroWest region as local municipalities and businesses continue to grow.  McGovern was followed by a panel discussion with President Timothy Flannigan of Framingham State College, Jeff Fuher the Boston Federal Reserve’s Director of Research, and Ambassador Christopher Egan of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.  Click here for President Flannigan’s presentation. Click here for Jeff Fuher’s presentation.

Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Forum


Co-sponsored by the Partnership, this forum focused on Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative, details of which were presented by Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Dan O’Connell, and Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, the President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Science Center. The nearly one hundred attendees were also treated to a panel discussion by a variety of experts including Dr. Timothy Flanagan, President of Framingham State College, who spoke on building the state’s leading science teacher workforce, as well as representatives from Genzyme Corporation, AstraZeneca R&D, Mass General Hospital, and the Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives.

 

Stormwater Policy Briefing


Fred Civian, State Stormwater Coordinator for Mass DEP provided an overview of the proposed comprehensive statewide program to reduce stormwater runoff to the Partnership’s Water Committee. The new Stormwater Management Program will help clean up watersheds throughout Massachusetts by requiring owners of large parcels to control phosphorus and other pollutants before the stormwater runs off their property. The stormwater program will have the added benefit of recharging groundwater aquifers as measures are taken to redirect runoff away from nearby surface waters and back into the ground. Click here for Civian’s presentation.

BioReady Communities Forum


This seminar presented the state of the biotechnology industry in Massachusetts and included a panel discussion on how municipalities can best prepare to host biotech laboratory and manufacturing opportunities. Click here for the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council’s presentation for the event.

2007


I-495/Rt. 9 Interchange Forum


This forum was convened to discuss needed transportation improvements in the I-495/Route 9 interchange with the state’s Massachusetts Permit Regulatory Office in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. Participants included major stakeholders in the I-495/Route 9 interchange from both the public and private sectors.

Suburban Brownfield Redevelopment Conference


The Partnership collaborated with the National Association of Local Government Professionals , The Town of Framingham, and Mass DEP to develop the structure and goals of this conference.  A number of regional brownfield case studies were presented at this event, and different solutions for addressing the various unique issues each case demonstrated were discussed.

2006


Residential Development Challenges in the Arc of Innovation Region Event


In an effort to continue disclosure on the issue of stringent local land use regulations leading to high housing costs, the Partnership held a housing forum based around the Pioneer Institute’s report and research on municipal codes and regulations. Amy Dain, Project Manager for the Pioneer Institute’s Initiative on Local Housing Regulation, presented her work on developing the Institute’s municipal regulation database.  The forum featured a four member comment panel, including representatives from the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association, the Town of Shrewsbury, the Home Builders Association of Massachusetts, and the Citizen’s Housing and Planning Association.  Click here for the Pioneer Institute’s presentation. Click here for the Town of Shrewsbury’s presentation.

Peak Water Demand Event


Seasonal peak water demand places stress on many local water supply systems as well as aquifers and streams in the 495/MetroWest region.  Much of this peak demand is related to non-essential outdoor water use that can be managed by a variety of techniques.  This workshop provided communities and businesses with water use reduction techniques that have been successfully implemented across the nation and in Massachusetts.  Click here for the SummerSmart Water Use presentation. Click here for the Greenscapes.org presentation from the event. Click here for the Concord, Massachusetts water conservation plan presented at the event. Click here for the Acton, Massachusetts water conservation plan presented at the event.

Mass Highway Design Forum


The workshop introduced municipal officials/employees, particularly planners, to the recently revised Massachusetts Highway Department Project Development and Design Guidebook, provided an overview of the process and variable approaches in the guidebook, detailed some of the tools that are available within the document, and reviewed the process of plan preparation within the new guidebook.  The workshop program featured two municipal case studies on highway design projects in Southborough and Framingham, spotlighting what was not possible with the old guidebook and what is possible under the guidelines in the new guidebook. Click here for the revised guidebook.

2005

 

Housing in the 495/MetroWest Region: A Discussion of Innovative Solutions forum

The Partnership held this forum as a component of our housing awareness campaign (Home@last) and featured a presentation on the impact of housing on suburban communities by John Mullin from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, as well as two case studies - Natick’s Housing Overlay Option Plan (HOOP) by Steven Greenberg from Natick Center Associates and Sarkis Sarkisian from the town of Natick, and Acton’s Conversion of a school to housing by Robert Whittlesey and Nancy Tavernier from the Acton Community Housing Corp. Click here for Acton Community Housing Corp’s presentation.

District Improvement Financing (DIF): A Financing Tool For Municipalities
Co-Sponsored by NAIOP Massachusetts

The Partnership held this forum to provide municipal officials, developers, and interested individuals with further resources on the latest public-private development financing mechanism. The program featured presentations on the statute by Jay Gonzalez from Palmer & Dodge; the regulations by Scott Brown, the Director of the MA Office of Business Development; DIF Financing by Laura Canter from MassDevelopment; Use Cases by Kathy McCabe from McCabe Enterprises; James Shea from Palmer & Dodge; Harold Davis from New England Economic Development Corp.; and Brian Blaesser from Robinson & Cole.

Making Massachusetts More Competitive:
A Forum for Secretary of Economic Development Ranch Kimball

The Partnership held this forum for Secretary Kimball to provide input from the region’s high technology employers and host communities on the proposed stimulus legislation and expedited permitting.

STEM Event


This event highlighted the looming crisis of a lack of STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) workers in the 495/MetroWest region and how the LIFT program is addressing this problem. The program began with a presentation by state representative Daniel Bosley, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technology, on the House’s Economic Stimulus package and the explicit link between STEM workers and economic development. Following a description of the LIFT program, the event concluded with a panel discussion on the results and rewards of LIFT. Panel participants included representatives from Littleton Public Schools, Intel, and Staples. Click here for the LIFT presentation.

Low Impact Development Event


This event was held in conjunction with the release of the Low Impact Development Toolkit prepared by MAPC for the Partnership, and is part of the 495/MetroWest Partnership and MAPC’s Water Resources Strategy for the region. The program began with an overview of hydrology and stormwater systems presented by Gerry Preble of Beals & Thomas. Tim Reardon and Martin Pillsbury of MAPC then presented the principles, techniques, and benefits of low impact development. Steve Roy of Geosyntec and Rich Claytor of the Horsley Witten Group presented what low impact development might look like in action. The event concluded with a review of local bylaws, public works concerns, and other aspects that affect low impact development presented by Julie Conroy of Coastal Zone Management and Angus Jennings,  Marshfield Town Planner. Click here for the MAPC presentation at the event. 

Once is Not Enough Water Reuse Event


This event was held in conjunction with the release of the report Once is Not Enough: A Guide to Water Reuse in Massachusetts prepared by MAPC for the Partnership. The workshop began with an overview of water reuse methods, benefits and costs presented by Tom Parece and Karla Wurst of EarthTech.  Peter Potenza of Ryan Development, Mike Wood of Intel Massachusetts, and Donald Freeman of Camp, Dresser & McKee presented three water reuse case studies.  Allan Slater with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) presented an overview of regulatory issues and new initiatives at DEP that pertained to water reuse.  The workshop concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Gerry Preble of Beals and Thomas Inc.  The panel, composed of the workshop speakers, discussed the potential for and barriers to water reuse strategies being implemented in the MetroWest region.  Click here for the EarthTech presentation. Click here for the DEP presentation. Click here for Camp. Dresser & McKee’s presentation. Click here for Intel’s presentation. Click here for the MAPC/Partnership presentation.

 

2004

 

Smart Growth: How Will it Affect the 495/MetroWest Region?
A Regional Forum with Secretary of Commonwealth Development Doug Foy

With the state’s focus on coordinating and implementing Smart Growth policies across transportation, environment, and energy agencies, the Partnership invited Secretary Douglas Foy to address the region on the implications of these policies for suburban communities and the 495/MetroWest region.

Regional Roll-Out Meeting and Workshop on the State’s Water Assets Study

Co-Sponsored by the MA Executive Office of Environmental Affairs; Metropolitan Area Planning Council; and Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission.

The Partnership hosted this regional meeting for the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs release of the state’s Water Assets Study, which analyses water resources and needs for 131 municipalities and public water suppliers along I-495. Click here for background information on this study.

The State of the Workforce: Changes, Challenges, & Opportunities in the 495/MetroWest Region

Co-Sponsored by MassINC  / Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth
Research sponsored by Verizon.

The Partnership held this event to provide regional leaders with analysis and resources on workforce issues, and featured the release of a labor market report commissioned by the Partnership from
Paul Harrington of the Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University; a report on the statewide workforce by Dana Ansel, the Research Director at MassINC; and a panel discussion including Vin Cipolla, President and CEO of Veritude;  Dr. Jack Wilson, the President of the University of Massachusetts; and Jane Edmonds, the Director of the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development. Click here for Harrington’s presentation. Click here for Ansel’s presentation.

 

2003

 

Emerging Technology Initiative, Job Creation and Economic Opportunity throughout the Commonwealth: A Forum with House Speaker Thomas Finneran

The Partnership held this forum for Speaker of the House Thomas Finneran to provide an overview of the proposed Emerging Technology Fund to provide an expanded job creation program focusing on high technology industries. Click here for Speaker Finneran’s presentation.

Pursuing Our Purpose: Quality of Life and Economic Development in the 495/MetroWest Region

Co-Sponsored by Citizens Bank of Massachusetts, MassINC, and MetroWest Daily News.

The Partnership convened regional leaders from the public and private sectors to discuss the need for collaborative leadership in addressing regional economic challenges.  Presentations included a regional economic overview by Michael Goodman from the University of Massachusetts’ Donahue Institute; a survey on the quality of life by Dana Ansel from MassINC; and a panel discussion moderated by David Begelfer from NAIOP Massachusetts; Tom Hollister, the President and CEO of Citizens Bank of Massachusetts; Robert Haynes, the President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO; Helen Lemoine, the Executive Director of Leadership MetroWest; and William Reed, the Regional Director of the Massachusetts Department of Business and Technology. Click here for a flyer from the event, which summarizes the forum.