The highlight of each year’s Annual Celebration is the presentation of the prestigious “New Englander of the Year” awards. First presented nearly 60 years ago, the award honors 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. Over the years, the Council has honored leaders from both the public and private sectors, including U.S. Senators and Representatives, Governors, cabinet secretaries, college presidents, non-profit executives, and CEOs of some of the region’s most respected and successful businesses.
2021
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro, United States House of Representatives, Connecticut
Sandra L. Fenwick, Chief Executive Officer 2013–2021, Boston Children’s Hospital
Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., Chief Executive Officer & President, Vertex
2020
Marianne Harrison, President and Chief Executive Officer, John Hancock
Ibram X. Kendi, Ph.D., Professor of History, Director, Boston University Center for Antiracist Research
The Honorable James P. McGovern, United States House of Representatives, Massachusetts
Udit Batra, Former CEO, and CEO, Waters Corporation
MilliporeSigma
The Honorable Samantha Power, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, 2013-2021
2019
Margaret Brennan, Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent, CBS News and Moderator of “Face the Nation”
Roger W. Crandall, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, MassMutual
The Honorable Maggie Hassan, United States Senator, New Hampshire
Jerry Remy, Red Sox Color Analyst, NESN; Former Second Baseman, MLB
2018
General Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Jeffrey Leiden, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman, President and CEO, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Staff Sergeant (ret) Travis Mills, Army Veteran and Founder, Travis Mills Foundation
The Honorable Niki Tsongas, U.S. House of Representatives, Massachusetts
2017
The Honorable Charles D. Baker, Governor, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Collette Divitto, Founder, Collettey’s Cookies
Joseph L. Hooley, Chairman and CEO, State Street Corporation
Navyn Salem, Founder and CEO, Edesia
2016
R. Nicholas Burns, Ambassador (Ret.), Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Harvard Kennedy School
Abbey D’Agostino, U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team
Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman and CEO, GE
The Honorable Gina M. Raimondo, Governor, The State of Rhode Island
2015
Karen Kaplan, Chairman and CEO of Hill Holliday
U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz
Ryan M. Pitts, Medal of Honor Recipient
Jack Williams, longtime WBZ-TV anchor
2014
Peter Frates, ALS Research Advocate and Inspiration for the “Ice Bucket Challenge” Fundraising Campaign
Dr. Gary L. Gottlieb, President and CEO, Partners HealthCare
Alan S. McKim, Founder and CEO, Clean Harbors, Inc.
George Stephanopoulos, ABC News Chief Anchor
2013
The Honorable Kelly Ayotte, United States Senator, New Hampshire
Kenneth R. Feinberg, Managing Partner, Feinberg Rozen, LLP Administrator of The One Fund Boston
Robert L. Reynolds, President and Chief Executive Officer, Putnam Investments
George Wein, Chairman, Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. Lifetime Achievement Award
The Honorable Thomas M. Menino, Mayor, City of Boston
2012
Abigail P. Johnson, President, Fidelity Investments
The Honorable John Larson, United States House of Representatives, Connecticut
David McCullough, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author
Robert K. Sheridan, President & CEO, Savings Bank Life Insurance
2011
James T. Brett, President & CEO, The New England Council
Brian Moynihan, Bank of America
Donald Rodman, Rodman Auto Group & The Rodman Ride for Kids
The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen, United States Senator, New Hampshire
Caroline Kennedy, recipient of The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum Award
2010
The Honorable Susan Collins, United States Senator, Maine
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian
Charles Shivery, Northeast Utilities
2009
Jack Connors, Hill, Holiday, Connors and Cosmopulos
John Fish, Suffolk Construction, The Honorable John F. Kerry, United States Senator, Massachusetts
Shea Ralph, recipient of University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball Team Award
2008
Fr. J. Donald Monan, Boston College
The Honorable Richard Neal, United States House of Representatives, Massachusetts
Thomas M. Ryan, CVS/Caremark
2007
The Honorable Barney Frank, United States House of Representatives, Massachusetts
Peter Meade, Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts
James Wright, Dartmouth College
2006
Samuel Bodman, U.S. Secretary of Energy
Ken Burns, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker
Anne Finucane, Bank of America
2005
Larry Lucchino and The Boston Red Sox
The Honorable Jack Reed, United States Senator, Rhode Island
Joseph Tucci, EMC Corporation
2004
Lawrence Fish, Citizens Bank
Robert Kraft and The New England Patriots
The Honorable Edward Markey, United State House of Representatives, Massachusetts
2003
The Honorable Christopher Dodd, United States Senator, Connecticut
Edmund Kelly, The Liberty Mutual Group
The New Hampshire Political Library
2002
Andrew Card, White House Chief of Staff
Cathy E. Minehan, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Michael G. Morris, Northeast Utilities
2001
The Honorable Judd Gregg, United States Senator, New Hampshire
Marian Heard, United Way of Massachusetts Bay
Thomas May, NSTAR
2000
William Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense
William Van Faasen, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Massachusetts
1999
William Bulger, University of Massachusetts
Marshall Carter, State Street Corporation
The Honorable John Chafee, United States Senator, Rhode Island
1998
Gary Countryman, Liberty Mutual
Evan Dobelle, Trinity College
The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy, United States Senator, Massachusetts
1997
Orit Gadiesh, Bain & Co.
Dennis Picard, Raytheon
The Honorable William Weld, Governor, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
1996
Al Zeien, Gillette
Sheila Widnall, U. S. Secretary of the Air Force
1995
George Hatsopoulos, Thermo Electron
John LaWare, Federal Reserve Bank
1994
William Ellis, Northeast Utilities
The Honorable Joseph Moakley, United States Representative, Massachusetts
1993
Wayne Budd, former Associate Attorney General
Ira Stepanian, Bank of Boston
1992
The Honorable Warren Rudman, United States Senator, New Hampshire
Jack Welch, General Electric Company
1991
The Honorable Silvio O. Conte, United States House of Representatives, Massachusetts
Paul O’Brien, New England Telephone
1990
The Honorable George Mitchell, United States Senator, Maine
Terrence Murray, Fleet/Norstar
1989
John H. Sununu, White House Chief of Staff
1988
Thomas L. Phillips, Raytheon
1987
Edward C. Johnson III, Fidelity
1986
The Honorable Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr., United States House of Representatives and Speaker of the House, Massachusetts
1985
Joseph R. Carter, Wyman-Gordon Company
1984
Red Auerbach, Boston Celtics
1983
Guy W. Nichols, New England Electric System
1982
Richard D. Hill, First National Bank of Boston
1981
Bernard J. O’Keefe, EG&G, Inc.
1980
Dr. An Wang, Wang Laboratories
1979
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury G. William Miller
1978
The Honorable James B. Longley, Governor, Maine
1977
Kenneth H. Olsen, Digital Equipment Corporation
1976
General Electric Company
1974
Bradford Washburn, Museum of Science
1973
The Honorable Deane C. Davis, Governor, Vermont
1972
Dr. Charles F. Phillips, Bates College
1971
Albert A. Cree, VT Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation
1970
Charles J. Zimmerman, CT Mutual Life Insurance Company
1969
Dr. James K. Killian, Jr., M.I.T.
1968
Carl J. Gilbert, The Gillette Company
1967
Erwin D. Canham, Christian Science Monitor
1966
Frazar B. Wilde, CT General Life Insurance
1965
Robert Chapman Sprague, Sprague Electric Company
1964
Dr. Edwin H. Land, Polaroid Corporation