The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Executive Department

State House Boston, MA 02133

(617) 725-4000

MITT ROMNEY

GOVERNOR

KERRY HEALEY

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 13, 2003

CONTACT:

Shawn Feddeman

Karen Grant

(617) 727- 4025

ROMNEY TARGETS JOB GROWTH THROUGH REGIONAL COUNCILS

Business, community and education leaders work together to bolster economic activity

WORCESTER – Setting his sights on economic revival, Governor Mitt Romney today announced an innovative plan to spur job growth in every region of the Commonwealth by tapping the expertise of area business, community and education leaders through Regional Competitiveness Councils.

“In the past, state government has had a poorly coordinated approach to identifying our strengths and weaknesses, and as a result, our public policy has been clumsy in terms of maximizing our overall growth potential,” said Romney.

He added, “These Regional Competitiveness Councils will provide us with the information we need to boost regional growth and bring more jobs to the state.”

Romney, in naming the members of the regional councils, charged them with conducting an in-depth analysis of their region’s economic climate; assessing local abilities to attract new companies; identifying which companies and jobs are currently at risk; and devising a strategy to turn a region’s resources – human capital, infrastructure and financial investments – into the greatest economic opportunity.

Romney noted that he would use the blueprints the councils develop to market the unique regions of Massachusetts, growing economic development.

“These targeted plans will allow me, other public officials and private industry leaders to aggressively and effectively pursue specific business opportunities for the state,” said Romney.

Romney set up six competitiveness councils representing the following regions of the state: Berkshires, Cape and Islands, Central, Northeast, Pioneer Valley and the Southeast. Due to the size and diversity of the Greater Boston area, Romney said it will be approached on a cluster-by-cluster basis by working through existing organizations, such as the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.

Each of the six councils is comprised of about 25 members from fields ranging from financial services and health care to manufacturing and tourism. In addition, all elected officials have been named as ex-officio members.

The chairs of each of the Regional Competitiveness Councils are:

Each council is expected to convene its first meeting by mid-March.

“I look forward to working with the chairs and members as we lay the groundwork for a vigorous recovery that promises to sustain us far into the future,” said Romney.

Romney noted that the key difference between already established organizations and the regional competitiveness councils is the inclusion of higher education leaders.

“It is impossible to overstate the importance of education in protecting the Commonwealth’s ability to excel in the global economy,” said Romney. “State education leaders will be working to ensure that education reforms are properly coordinated with the strategies developed by the councils.”

REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS COUNCILS

Berkshire Regional Competitiveness Council

Chair: Matt Harris, Chief Executive Officer, Village Ventures

Jeffrey Cook, Partner, Cain, Hibbard, Myers, & Cook

Mary Grant, President, Mass. College of Liberal Arts

Bill Hines, President & Chief Executive Officer, Interprint

Nathaniel Karns, Executive Director, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

Vicky Singer, Director, Berkshire Enterprises

Brad Svrluga, Partner, Berkshire Capital Investors

Joe Thompson, Director, Mass MoCA

Bill Wilson, President, Berkshire Visitor’s Bureau

Cape and Islands Regional Competitiveness Council

Chair: Kathleen Schatzberg, President, Cape Cod Community College

Steve Abbot, President & Chief Executive Officer, Cape Cod Healthcare

John Burns, Economic Development Program Director, Lower Cape Cod Community Development Corporation

Ken Cirillo, Vice President & General Manager, C-Map/USA

Eugene Curry, Esq., Eckert, Seamans, Cherin, and Mellott

Steve Lawson, President & Chief executive Officer, Cape Cod Bank and Trust Thomas Novitsky, President, Associates of Cape Cod

Bob Rogers, Retired, Chairman Emeritus, The Kaufman Foundation

Gay Wells, Economic Development Officer, Cape Cod Commission

Central Regional Competitiveness Council

Chair: Eric Schultz, President & Chief Executive Officer, Fallon Community Health

Daniel Asquino, President, Mount Wachusett Community College Mahmud Awan, President, Techman International

David Begelfer, Chief Executive Officer, I-495 Initiative

Bruce Bennett, Publisher, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Dennis Bunell, President, Smurfit-Munksjo Paper

Rosemary Chandler, Executive Director, North Central Regional Employment Board

David Forsberg, President, Worcester Business Development Corporation Kathleen Marcum, President, Millbury National Bank

David McKeehan, President, North Central Chamber of Commerce

Roberta Schaeffer, Executive Director, Worcester Regional Research Bureau

Stephen Stockman, Vice President, St. Gobain Abrasives

Northeast Regional Competitiveness Council

Chair: Steven Kaufman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Avici System

Deborah Belanger, President, Greater Merrimack Valley Visitor’s Bureau

Joe Bevilacqua, President, Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce

Gaylord Burke, Executive Director, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission

Orit Goldstein, President, Ozzy Property Management

Bob Halpin, President, Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council, Inc.

David Hartleb, President, Northern Essex Community College

Elkin Montoya, Assistant Treasurer, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union

David Outhouse, President, First and Ocean Bank

William Piercey, President, Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce

Miriam Regan, Director, First Community Bank

Pioneer Valley Regional Competitiveness Council

Chair: Kerry Kuhlman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Western MassElectric

David Bartley, President, Holyoke Community College

Alan Blair, President & Chief Executive Officer, WestMass Development

Tim Brennan, Executive Director, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission

Michael Daly, President, Baystate Health Systems

John Doleva, President & Chief Executive Officer, Basketball Hall of Fame

Tony Dophin, President, Springboard

Ann Hamilton, Franklin Chamber of Commerce

Thomas Hazen, President, Hazen Paper

Jim Heyes, Project Director, New England Forestry Foundation

John Lombardi, Chancellor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Jeff Morse, President, Oxford Foods

Lorna Peterson, Executive Director, Five Colleges

Peter Picknelly, Chairman, Picknelly Companies

Steve Richten, President & Scientific Director, MicoTest Labs

Stephen Roberts, President, F.L. Roberts & Co.

David Starr, President, Springfield Union-News

Fred Woodward, President, Westfield State College

Mary Kay Wydra, President, Greater Springfield Convention Center and Visitor’s Bureau

Southeast Regional Competitiveness Council

Chair: Peter Neville, President, Concord Foods

Patrick Apel, Executive Director, Plymouth County Visitors’ Bureau

Leonard Cariaty, Executive Director, New Bedford Regional Employment Board

Bonnie Coughlin, Public Affairs Coordinator, Verizon

Tom Davis, Director, Greater New Bedford Industrial Foundation

Michael Faulkner, Regional Manager, Pomerantz Staffing Group

James Karam, President, First Bristol Corporation

Jean MacCormack, Chancellor, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

Dick Shafer, Executive Director, Taunton Development Corporation

Charles Wall, President, Massasoit Community College

*Partial list of members