Recovery. Renewal. Renaissance.
June 2, 2021
Recovery. Renewal. Renaissance.
Many will think that this past year will be remembered not in what we experienced, but what we didn’t: things we missed as individuals, as coworkers, as family, as a community. Despite this, we’ve pressed on, we’ve adapted to learn virtually, worked from home, and made compromises to ensure the safety of our neighbors. Some may think that life slowed down due to these changes but the truth is anything but. The challenges we’ve faced have signaled the call to action to be better—to bring about our recovery as a community, our renewal as a people, and our renaissance as a society as we look to the future. We are glad to welcome these three forward thinking leaders that have already answered the call into the Academy of Distinguished Bostonians.
Recovery.
Kate Walsh is President and CEO at Boston Medical Center Health System, one of the top academic health systems in the nation, dedicated to underserved populations.
She stands mighty as a vocal champion for health equity and reform while confronting the impacts of structural racism, earning her the title of 2021 Inductee of the Academy of Distinguished Bostonians.
From caring for COVID-19 patients to getting our communities vaccinated, Kate Walsh and her team have committed themselves to a safe and equitable recovery for all.
Renewal.
Paul S. Grogan, President & CEO of The Boston Foundation, helps lead efforts in education, to housing, to criminal justice, earning him the title of 2021 Inductee of the Academy of Distinguished Bostonians.
Paul leads with equity at the forefront, ensuring that The Boston Foundation’s programs and funding championed inclusivity and revitalized our Commonwealth.
Paul and The Boston Foundation’s work stands as a hallmark for what other community organizations aim to be as they help bring about the renewal of the Greater Boston area.
Renaissance.
Melvin B. Miller, Founder, Chief Editor & Publisher of The Bay State Banner, uses the publication to shine a spotlight on the lives, businesses, and experiences of the Black community, earning him the title of 2021 Inductee of the Academy of Distinguished Bostonians.
Melvin is a powerful story-teller, civil rights champion, and mentor to many. Known for amplifying the vibrant voices and stories of the Black community, he has dedicated his life’s work to the region’s renaissance.
The Future of Work
This once-in–a–lifetime pandemic left leaders from around the world looking to see what the future of work will be like.
We are proud to have McKinsey & Company Global Institute present on The Future of Work After COVID-19 which helped answer the questions we’ve all been asking.
In their presentation, based on their extensive reports (What’s next for consumers, workers, and companies in the post COVID-19? and The future of work after COVID-19) they presented the facts, sharing that the hybrid model will become more commonplace moving forward as the remote potential for many occupations points towards 20-25% of the workforce being able to work from home.
Businesses have a unique opportunity to reimagine their workplace but will still need to figure out where we work, how we work, what skills we need, and what culture we need?
The Future of the Chamber
We are happy to welcome Chamber Board Chair Micho F. Spring of Weber Shandwick to address us on the steps we at the Chamber have taken to recognize disparities amongst our board and aimed to have it reflect the vibrant diversity of our great Commonwealth. Micho says,
“With the uncertainty and challenges of 2020 came a new belief and trust in business – the highest in our history. Now, it’s our responsibility to seize that opportunity, and our responsibility to our communities and stakeholders to do more and do better.”
Since 2016, women serving on our board have raised from 23% to 40% with a 50% goal by 2026, people of color have increased from 12% to 20% with a goal of 37% by 2026. As Micho said,
“We have begun but work remains.”
Jobs, Justice, and Joy
Vishaan Chakrabarti, FAIA, FRAIC, is an architect, urbanist, educator, and author who utilizes his designs to advocate for an equitable future based on the notion of human connection at the core.
We are delighted to have him speak alongside our President and CEO, James E. Rooney, and discuss his views on the future issues that cities need to address. In the interview, Vishaan says,
For jobs, Vishaan says creating a federal minimum wage and bringing affordable housing to cities would be crucial to prevent cities from fighting amongst each other in order to bring motivated and hardworking people into the critically important jobs in each city.
For justice, as a child growing up in Arlington, MA, Vishaan shared with us the social justice issues that the city needs to address in order to create an environment that people are excited to join.
“Boston has a tough racial history, and it needs to be more upfront about it frankly and it needs to reconcile it.”
For joy, Vishaan described the steps other cities across Europe and Latin America have taken to limit the amount of private automobiles that are allowed in cities. With the space freed from private vehicles they can look to turning parking lots into affordable housing, parking spaces into charity drop off points for the disenfranchised and homeless. These cities have improved the quality of life of their citizens through these changes which has left room for expansion for public transportation while also reducing the carbon footprint from private automobiles.
With the concepts of “jobs, justice, and joy”, Vishaan sees a bright future for every city facing a potential exodus to the suburbs.
We are proud to bring you this year’s Annual Meeting as a celebration of all these great people and to show the work ahead that these leaders have already started.