NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL ANNOUNCES HONOREES FOR 2026 ANNUAL CELEBRATION – Business Organization to Honor Senators King and Shaheen; Filmmaker Ken Burns; Fidelity Executive Pam Everhart; Mental Health Advocate Eliza Dushku
BOSTON – The New England Council, the nation’s oldest regional business association, today announced three recipients of its prestigious “New Englanders of the Year” awards, as well as two recipients of its “Legacy Award.” The awards will be presented at the Council’s 2026 Annual Celebration on the evening of Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, MA.
The Council today announced three 2026 New Englander of the Year honorees. The New Englander of the Year Award—first presented in 1964—honors natives or residents of the New England region for their contributions to economic growth and quality of life in the region. Past recipients include members of Congress, Cabinet Secretaries, CEOs of some of the region’s most well-known and respected organizations, prominent journalists, and a variety of other cultural and philanthropic leaders. The 2026 New Englanders of the Year are:
- Eliza Dushku Palandjian, Mental Health Counselor, Advocate, and Philanthropist
- Pamela D. Everhart, SVP, Head of Regional Public Affairs and Impact
Fidelity Investments - The Honorable Angus King, S. Senator, Maine
The Council also announced two recipients of its Legacy Award. The Legacy Award was established last year as the Council celebrated its centennial, and recognizes past New Englanders of the Year for their ongoing legacy of excellence and contributions to the region. The inaugural Legacy Award was presented to Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. The 2026 Legacy Award recipients are:
- Ken Burns, Academy Award-Winning Documentary Filmmaker
- The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen, S. Senator, New Hampshire
“We are looking forward to celebrating the contributions and achievements of our incredible honorees this fall,” said New England Council President & CEO James T. Brett. “Each of our honorees has made valuable contributions to the economic wellbeing and quality of life in our region. We are grateful to each of them for their tireless work in our communities, and proud to call them New Englanders.”
The Council presents the New Englander of the Year Awards, and now, Legacy Awards, each fall at its Annual Celebration in the Boston area, an event that has drawn some 1,800 guests from throughout the region in recent years. Attendees hail from all six New England states, and include senior leaders from a wide array of businesses and organizations representing every sector of the region’s economy. This year’s program will be held at the Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, Massachusetts, with a reception at 4:30 p.m., followed by the dinner program from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
The New England Council, the country’s oldest regional business organization, is an alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions, and public and private organizations throughout New England formed to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the region. The Council is dedicated to identifying and supporting federal public policies and articulating the voice of its membership regionally and nationally on important issues facing New England. The NEC is also committed to working with public and private sector leaders across the region and in Washington through educational programs and forums for information exchange. For more information, please visit: www.newenglandcouncil.com.