New England Council Announces Three 2024 New Englanders of the Year – Home Base Program and Executive Director General Jack Hammond, Eastern Bank CEO and Chair of the Board Bob Rivers, and WEX CEO Melissa Smith
The New England Council, the nation’s oldest regional business association, today announced three recipients of its prestigious “New Englanders of the Year” awards. The awards will be presented at the Council’s 2024 Annual Celebration on the evening of Monday, September 23, 2024, at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport. The Council today announced three 2024 New Englander of the Year honorees:
- Home Base & Retired Brigadier General Jack Hammond, Executive Director
- Robert F. Rivers, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Eastern Bankshares, Inc. and Eastern Bank
- Melissa Smith, Chair, Chief Executive Officer, and President, WEX
The Council presents the New Englander of the Year Awards each fall at its Annual Celebration in Boston, an event that has drawn over 1,700 guests from throughout the region in recent years. This year’s program will be held at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport with a reception at 4:30 p.m., followed by the dinner program from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
The 2024 Annual Celebration co-chairs are Cain Hayes, President & CEO of Point32Health, and Katherine Craven, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer, Babson College.
“We are looking forward to celebrating the contributions and achievements of our incredible New Englanders of the year 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 New England Council’s Board of Directors selected this year’s honorees based on their commitment to the community, distinguished careers and countless contributions to the region and the nation. The “New Englander of the Year” awards are presented each year by The New England Council and honor residents or natives of the New England states for their commitment and contributions in their fields of work, as well as their leadership and impact on the New England region’s quality of life and economy. First presented in 1964, over the years the award has been presented to members of Congress, Cabinet Secretaries, CEOs of some of the region’s most well-known and respected organizations, and a variety of other cultural and philanthropic leaders. View a list of past honorees here.
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.