A Message from the Chair of the Board and Executive Director
Dear Friends of The Research Bureau, Last year, our Annual Meeting focused on the importance of strong foundations to local governance. A clear mission, sound finances, and efficient operations are essential elements to effective management in any organization. Worcester and our neighboring towns have worked diligently to build those foundations and to prepare our communities for future opportunities. Yet, a foundation is a beginning, not an end. Moving a city and a region forward requires understanding, vision, and collective effort to recognize needs and identify potential. It requires embracing diverse perspectives and building an informed consensus and a united approach. It requires engaging the whole community in the determination of its future.
This year, we celebrate the incredible diversity of our region and the increasing need to expand the community conversation beyond the traditional boardroom. Nationally, our society is struggling to acknowledge, address, and move forward past generations of exclusion. The role and value of traditionally underrepresented cohorts, including women and people of color, is being emphasized more than at any time in human history. Yet determining a way to make sure all voices are heard equally is challenging. As a result of its history, size, and accessibility, Worcester has an opportunity to capitalize on its diversity and identify a way forward that will make us a model of collaborative leadership on a troubled national scene.
