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Chief Executive Officer

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Chief Executive Officer

Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council

Onsite Springfield, Massachusetts

The Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council (EDC) is a private nonprofit organization that serves as the regional engine for job creation, business attraction, and workforce development across Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties.

Headquartered in Springfield, the EDC convenes public and private stakeholders to drive equitable and sustainable economic growth throughout the region. With a strategic focus on fostering innovation in industries like advanced manufacturing, life sciences, IT, and clean energy, the EDC aligns regional priorities to make Western Massachusetts the region of choice for employers and job seekers alike.

The EDC delivers programs and services through partnerships with member organizations, affiliates, and government agencies, generating over 90% of its revenue through program service activities. In collaboration with educational institutions, businesses, and community leaders, the Council works to ensure that economic opportunity reaches every corner of the region, advancing workforce resilience and long-term prosperity.

The Opportunity

The Western Massachusetts EDC seeks a bold, visionary, and highly relational leader to serve as its next Chief Executive Officer.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will drive strategic partnerships and lead public-private initiatives to elevate the region’s economic profile. The CEO will be responsible for implementing the Council’s Strategic Plan, which focuses on expanding employment opportunities, enhancing workforce development, and catalyzing emerging industries that will shape the future of the region.

The next CEO will bring a deep commitment to the people and potential of Western Massachusetts. They will serve as a convener and advocate, drawing on exceptional communication skills to engage audiences ranging from local leaders to state legislators.

With strong operational acumen and a growth mindset, the CEO will ensure the organization’s long-term impact and sustainability, both programmatically and financially. This is an opportunity to lead a mission-driven organization at the forefront of regional economic strategy.

Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council
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    By admin|2025-05-14T18:24:03-04:00May 14, 2025|Comments Off on Chief Executive Officer

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    Bob Giannino has had a transformative impact at the highest levels of nonprofit leadership by identifying opportunities for impact, making bold plans, and bringing people together to find common cause for the common good. A touchstone of Bob’s leadership is his conviction that the success of an organization lies in its people—a credo he has embodied and realized by building strong, inclusive teams and nurturing ecosystems where both individuals and institutions can thrive.

    At Lindauer, Bob leverages his extensive executive experience to help organizations identify, cultivate, and retain exceptional talent. His thoughtful approach ensures that leaders are positioned to drive sustainable change and long-term impact.

    Expertise

    With more than two decades of experience across diverse sectors, Bob brings a strategic approach to talent development, honed through years in top executive roles and rooted in the understanding that people are the key to organizational success. At Lindauer, Bob draws on his deep knowledge of how strong talent acquisition, culture-building, and mentorship fuel institutional growth. His expertise includes building diverse and inclusive teams, aligning talent strategies with organizational missions, and scaling organizational impact through strategic growth.

    For Bob, executive search is akin to completing a complex puzzle, where the right candidate represents a crucial piece that helps bring the full picture into focus. Bob thrives on the challenge of understanding the unique needs and dynamics of each organization, then strategically matching them with candidates who can seamlessly integrate and make a lasting impact. His ability to focus on both the immediate requirements of a role as well as the critical factors for long-term organizational success sets him apart in the search process.

    Experience

    Before joining Lindauer, Bob served as President & CEO of United Way of Massachusetts Bay, one of Greater Boston’s leading civic institutions, where his strategic leadership helped create greater opportunity, access, and equity across 140 communities in Eastern Massachusetts.

    Prior to United Way, Bob served as the CEO of uAspire, the nation’s leading nonprofit focused on helping young people and families navigate an affordable path to a postsecondary degree. Over 15 years, Bob oversaw the transformation of uAspire from a small, local organization serving 1,000 young people in Boston into a national, award-winning enterprise reaching more than 25 states and 300,000 students each year. In addition to its direct service programming, uAspire’s policy and systems change efforts will lead to dramatically improved financial access to a college degree and economic opportunity for millions of young people.

    From 2015-2020, Bob served as a member of the Management Faculty at the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, a national leader in equipping the nation’s social impact leaders to boldly advance their organizations and missions, creating a more equitable future for all.

    Throughout his career, Bob has been recognized by numerous local and national organizations for his contributions to and leadership within the nonprofit sector. In 2022, Bob was named an LGBTQ Trailblazer by the Boston Business Journal for his longstanding commitments to Greater Boston’s LGBTQIA community and, in 2024, he was honored by Get Konnected! as a DEI Champion and Ally. In addition, Bob was awarded the prestigious Barr Fellowship for his “outstanding contribution to the Boston community and potential to drive positive change for years to come.”

    In 2025, Bob became Chair of the Board of Directors of Idealist.org.

    Education

    Bob holds an AB in Government from Harvard University and an Executive Education Certificate in Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management from Harvard Business School.

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    Josh Maker brings to Lindauer and its clients significant global philanthropic consulting and project management experience in the nonprofit sector.

    Prior to joining Lindauer, Josh played a key role in advancing alumni and donor engagement at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He partnered with institutional leaders and volunteer committees to design and deliver flagship reunion programs that strengthened the School’s philanthropic pipeline and deepened alumni commitment.

    Josh also spent several years at Grenzebach Glier and Associates (GG+A) where he served in multiple roles. As the Executive Director of Consulting Resources, Josh was a member of the firm’s senior leadership council and led a team in Chicago of 10 professionals in delivering client reports, presentations, and trainings. As the Chief of Staff to the President, he worked in close partnership with GG+A’s President and senior leadership to deliver on the firm’s strategic initiatives, as well as supporting the President in all of her client engagements. In the role of Senior Project Manager at GG+A, Josh managed upwards of 20 client projects at a time, ranging in sectors from arts and culture, academic medicine and healthcare, higher education, independent schools, to voluntary sectors.

    Josh has partnered with a number of clients including; Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Law School, Carnegie Mellon University, Cancer Research UK, Charlotte Country Day School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Drexel University, Esade Business School (Barcelona), Fuller Theological Seminary, Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Philadelphia Museum of Art, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Sidwell Friends School, Tate, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, University of Queensland, and the University of Toronto.

    Josh holds a Master of Arts in Cultural and Creative Industries from King’s College London, and Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Kent State University.

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