By Jerry Filmore
WORCESTER, MA — Twenty-eight professionals representing businesses, nonprofits, public institutions and community organizations across Worcester will spend the coming year learning more about the systems, challenges and institutions that shape life in the city as members of the Leadership Worcester Class of 2027.
The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the new class Aug. 19 after selecting 28 participants from 62 completed applications.
The group includes people working in city government, higher education, health care, housing and human services, financial institutions, small businesses, arts organizations and other sectors that interact with Worcester residents and neighborhoods.
According to the Chamber, the Class of 2027 includes:
- Benedicta Agyemang, Rehoboth Law PLLC
- Brandi Anderson, Girl Scouts of CWM and Total Foods, LLC
- Christine Becotte, The Hanover Insurance Group
- Betty Blute, The Hanover Theatre
- Jennessa Burks, Allureativity
- Shantelle Campbell, City of Worcester
- Harolyn Castillo, CWE and World of Foods
- Angelina DiGioia, Guild of St. Agnes
- David Echavarria Toro, EzBusy.ai and Masis Staffing Solutions
- Levi Ekstrom, Open Sky Community Services
- Miguel Fernandez Nazario, Streetplus LLC and Downtown Worcester BID
- Liza French, Worcester Public Library and Century 21
- Jennie Guzman, Quinsigamond Community College and El Salón
- Shelby Hutchinson, Keller Williams Boston Metrowest and Raymond Media
- Nathan Lewis, Worcester Earn-A-Bike
- Brendan Madigan, F.W. Madigan Company, Inc.
- Megan Moran, Worcester State University
- Landon Parr, City of Worcester
- Mitzila Pineda, Workers Credit Union
- Sabrina Rashid, DCU Center
- Yessica Rivas, UniBank
- Xena Robinson, Mahanaim Law, P.C.
- Shane Sampson, Fontaine Bros. Inc.
- Jessica Sarita, Sara’s Auto Sales, Inc. and MassAbility
- Elizabeth Shea, UMass Memorial Health
- Tina Vo, Heywood Primary Care, self-employed and UMass Chan
- Jaclyn Wallen, Resiliency Collective and A Deeper Way
- Leah Wilson, REALTOR Association of Central MA
The program begins Sept. 10 with an overnight retreat designed to allow participants to meet one another, identify individual leadership strengths and develop a broader understanding of the Worcester community.
Beginning in October, participants will attend daylong sessions one Thursday each month through May. According to the Chamber, sessions will focus on urban sustainability, education, economic development, public health, community safety, government, arts and culture, and food security.
The class is scheduled to graduate in June 2027.
Leadership Worcester was relaunched by the Chamber in 2015 after a previous version of the initiative was paused in 2000. Karen Pelletier, executive vice president of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the incoming group represents the 12th cohort since the program restarted.
This year’s application process drew more than twice as many applicants as available positions.
“The Leadership Worcester Class of 2027 is the 12th cohort since the Chamber relaunched the program,” Pelletier said. “This year alone, we received 62 completed applications for just 28 available slots.”
The program’s structure is intended to expose participants to people and organizations working across different parts of Worcester rather than focusing only on their individual professions or employers.
Timothy P. Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the program gives participants an opportunity to develop relationships across sectors while learning more about issues facing the city.
For Worcester residents, the makeup of the class brings together people connected to institutions residents may interact with in everyday life, including the City of Worcester, Worcester Public Library, Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester State University, UMass Memorial Health, the DCU Center, Downtown Worcester BID and several community-based organizations and local businesses.
Participation in Leadership Worcester costs $3,200.
The Chamber said scholarship assistance is provided through employers and several Worcester-area foundations and supporters, including Greater Worcester Community Foundation, the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation, George I. Alden Trust, Stoddard Charitable Trust, Hoche-Scofield Foundation, the Fletcher Foundation, the City of Worcester, Peter Staiti and the Leadership Worcester Alumni Fund.
The Chamber did not specify in its announcement how much scholarship assistance individual participants may receive or how many members of the Class of 2027 are receiving financial assistance.
Residents and professionals interested in a future class will have another opportunity to apply next year. Applications for the next Leadership Worcester class are expected to become available in February 2027.
Additional program information is available through the official Leadership Worcester website.
🔎 W.U.W. Verification Box
• Project / Topic: Leadership Worcester Class of 2027.
• Current Status: The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce has selected 28 participants from 62 completed applications for the Class of 2027.
• Key Dates or Decisions: The class begins with an overnight retreat Sept. 10, 2026. Monthly sessions run from October through May, with graduation scheduled for June 2027. Applications for the following class are expected to open in February 2027.
• Estimated Cost: Participation costs $3,200 per person. The Chamber says scholarship assistance is available through employers, foundations and other local supporters.
• Timeline: The program begins in September 2026 and continues through graduation in June 2027.
• Immediate Next Steps: Selected participants will begin the program with the Sept. 10 overnight retreat. People interested in a future class can watch for the next application period in February 2027.
• Primary Sources: Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce announcement dated Aug. 19, 2026, and the official Leadership Worcester program website.
• What We Do Not Yet Know: The Chamber’s announcement does not state how much scholarship assistance each participant may receive, how many members of the incoming class are receiving financial assistance, or provide the detailed location and agenda for each monthly session.
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