WBI - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Leader for the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce
- President / CEO / Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce
As the leader for the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce, Carol is dedicated to its member businesses and passionate about building strategic relationships on behalf of the Chamber and its community of members.
Prior to joining the Chamber, Carol most recently served in community relations and fundraising positions with nonprofit organizations focused on healthcare and higher education. These included the Reliant Foundation in Worcester, Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, and HealthAlliance Hospital in Leominster/Fitchburg. She spent more than 15 years in global manufacturing at Nypro, a leader in precision custom injection molding, as Corporate Communications Manager.
Carol currently serves on the Board of Directors for LUK, Inc., and as a member of the North County Advisory Council for Open Sky Community Services, and the Massachusetts Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Job Titles:
- Senior V.P. Enterprise Bank and Trust
Job Titles:
- Emeritus Director / Senior Vice President, Consulting Services
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Executive Director
Glenn Eaton has been with the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) for the past 20 years serving as its Economic Development Director for the first eight and its Executive Director for the past 12. He and the MRPC support local communities and the businesses that call the Montachusett Region home. Glenn is passionate about the need to support and improve primary and secondary educational institutions as well as business assistance centers such as the Wachusett Business Incubator, Inc. in Gardner and LaunchSpace, Inc., a makerspace with two campuses in Orange and Athol. Lastly, he has been working with local officials to create an Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC) in Templeton where he lives with his wife of 26 years and their two, rescued Labrador Retrievers.
James Vander Hooven, Ed.D. has been committed to the ideas of access and opportunity in higher education for the majority of his professional career. In his role as president at Mount Wachusett Community College, Jim has taken this student-centered approach and applied it to everything he touches. Previously, Jim served as the Vice President for Enrollment Management at Landmark College in Putney, Vermont. In this role, he served as the College's chief enrollment officer, managed recruitment activities, enrollment and admissions processes, and administered the Office of Financial Aid. He also oversaw the Office of Transfer, Career, and Internship Services. Before joining Landmark College, Jim was president of Tohono O'odham Community College, a Tribal College located on the Tohono O'odham Reservation in Arizona. In that role, he oversaw the $9 million construction of a new main campus, strengthened programs in the areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and developmental education, and represented the Tribal Colleges in annual presentations on Capitol Hill. The breadth of his experience gives him a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities of educational leadership. He is dedicated to building strong teams designed to achieve important goals and improve student outcomes. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from The Ohio State University. He received his Master of Arts degree in American Studies from the University of Wyoming. In 2009, he was awarded his Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Maine.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Manufacturing / Advanced Cable Ties, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Board Member of the Gardner Redevelopment Authority
M. Paul Carlberg has been with the Division of Insurance for 4 years serving as the Director of Producer Licensing for the past 2 years.
Prior to Paul's work with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, he worked at several technology startups and was a Director at Staples Corporation. He also was the principal owner of Heritage Insurance for more than twenty years. Paul has a strong entrepreneurial energy and is continually working to bring new ideas and products to market.
Paul is an active board member of the Gardner Redevelopment Authority and Gardner Industrial Development Finance Authority. He has served many other organizations in the Gardner area including Gardner Community Action Center, Gardner Rotary Club, United Way, Masonic Lodge, Gardner Lions, MWCC Foundation, MWCC Trustees, Gardner Visiting Nursing Association, Aleppo Temple Clown, Faith Lutheran Church and Chair City Church.
Paul serves as the treasurer and as a board member of the Wachusett Business Incubator. He is excited about the direction of the organization and is looking forward to helping WBI achieve great success.
Paul lives in Gardner with his wife Lina. Paul has two grown children both of whom are entrepreneurs.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Economic Development / North Central MA Development Corporation
Sandie works with non-profits, state agencies, banks and credit unions as well as small business community to strengthen economic development on a regional level by encouraging job creation and retention.
Prior to the Development Corporation Sandie held the position of Business Development Coordinator for the City of Leominster for nine years. In this role, Sandie represented the city as the liaison to the small business community working one-on-one with entrepreneurs guiding them through the municipal process. In addition, she coordinated all aspects of the city's large community events designed to support the revitalization of the downtown Leominster and to provide opportunities for small businesses to gain more exposure and visibility.
She serves on the Board of Directors for Wachusett Business Incubator, a member of the North Central MA CRA Coalition, as well several economic development advisory committees.