Annual Celebration - New England Council

Traditionally held each fall in Boston, the Annual Celebration brings together hundreds of business, non-profit, and academic leaders from throughout New England to celebrate the Council’s accomplishments, and to present the New Englander of the Year Award.

The 2022 Annual Celebration was held in person for the first time since 2019 on the evening of Monday, November 7, 2022, at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport. Over 1500 Council members and guests gathered to celebrate our incredible New Englanders of the Year, and our 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Willie O’Ree. Learn more about this year’s honorees below.

Special guests included Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, U.S. Representative Richard Neal, former U.S. Representative Joseph Kennedy III, Bridge Over Troubled Waters CEO Elisabeth Jackson, and Boston Bruins legend Ray Bourque. The program also featured musical performances by Springfield, MA native Michelle Brooks-Thompson, a finalist on NBC’s The Voice,

The Council is grateful to event co-chairs Dennis Leonard, CEO of Delta Dental of Massachusetts, and Becca Gould, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at American Tower Corporation, as well as all of our generous sponsors for making the 2022 Annual Celebration our most successful to date.

About the New Englander of the Year Award

Learn more about the New Englander of the Year Award and view a list of past honorees.

2022 Annual Celebration Honorees

Andrew Dreyfus

President and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

New Englander of the Year

Andrew Dreyfus has served as President and Chief Executive Officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA), one of the largest independent Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in the country, since 2010. Under his leadership, BCBSMA has been known as an innovator on payment models, quality improvement, mental health, and health equity. Andrew joined BCBSMA in 2005 as Executive Vice President of Health Care Services, where he led the creation of the Alternative Quality Contract, one of the largest commercial payment reform initiatives in the nation. Prior to Blue Cross, Andrew was Executive Vice President of the Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA) and held a number of senior health and regulatory positions in the Massachusetts state government. He serves on the boards of the National Institute for Health Care Management, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, and RIZE Massachusetts, and is a graduate of Connecticut College.

Linda Henry

Chief Executive Officer, Boston Globe Media

New Englander of the Year

As Chief Executive Officer of Boston Globe Media, Linda Henry leads a growing multimedia organization with a mission to strengthen local journalism by investing in innovative new products and services to connect people, ideas and causes. She is a four-time Emmy-award winning television producer, children’s book author and community activist who also cheers for Boston as a limited partner in Fenway Sports Group, which includes the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool Football Club and the New England Sports Network. Linda serves on the board of The Engine at MIT. She is a director of the Red Sox Foundation, trustee of the Liverpool Football Club Foundation, chair of the Boston Globe Foundation, and chair of the John W. Henry Family Foundation. Linda earned a Bachelor of Science from Babson College, a Master of Science from MIT, and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School.

David Long

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Mutual Insurance

New Englander of the Year

David Long began his career at Liberty Mutual—the sixth largest global property and casualty insurance company in the world—in 1985 and he has held positions of increasing responsibility in the company’s International Operations, Commercial Markets, Underwriting and Financial and Mergers and Acquisitions. He was elected President in 2010, became CEO in 2011 and Chairman in 2013. David serves on the Board of Directors of several New England organizations, including Eversource Energy, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Massachusetts Competitive Partnership. He is also the Chairman for the annual MGH Aspire Fundraiser, which provides social services and development opportunities for children and young adults on the Autism spectrum. David holds an undergraduate degree from Hartwick College, and a Master’s degree from Boston College, and has received honorary degrees from Bentley University and Merrimack College.

The Honorable Katherine Tai

United States Trade Representative

New Englander of the Year

Ambassador Katherine Tai was sworn in as the 19th United States Trade Representative (USTR) on March 18, 2021. As a member of President Biden’s Cabinet, Ambassador Tai is the principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on U.S. trade policy. Born in Connecticut, she earned her undergraduate degree at Yale University, and her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. Prior to her unanimous Senate confirmation, Ambassador Tai served as Chief Trade Counsel and Trade Subcommittee Staff Director for the House Ways & Means Committee, under Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA). In this capacity, she played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. trade law, negotiation strategies, and bilateral and multilateral agreements, including the recently re-negotiated United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Earlier in her career, she tried cases for the USTR before the World Trade Organization, and clerked for several federal judges.

Willie O’Ree

Retired Player, Boston Bruins

Lifetime Achievement Award

Willie O’Ree made history as the first Black player in the National Hockey League when he took the ice as a member of the Boston Bruins in January 1958. He went on to play 45 games over two seasons, and over the past several decades, has played a significant role in promoting diversity and inclusion in the sport of hockey. In 1998, he became the Director of Youth Development for the NHL’s diversity task force, leading the league’s efforts to encourage minority youth to play hockey. In 2018, the NHL introduced the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award, presented to the person who best utilizes hockey to build character and develop important life skills. In 2018, he was inducted into in the Hockey Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to the sport, and in January 2022, the Boston Bruins retired O’Ree’s number. Earlier this year, Congress awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal.

The New England Council 2022 Annual Celebration

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