WORCESTER, Mass. – David Sullivan, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce’s new associate of Economic Development and Business Recruitment, wants people to truly recognize his city as The Heart of the Commonwealth.

“I’m in the business of educating and informing businesses and other folks about Worcester’s value,” said Sullivan. “People are almost always surprised when I tell them that Worcester is New England’s second-largest city,” he said. “Or that we have eight colleges inside the city with over 35,000 students. Or that there has been well over $2.6 billion in public and private economic development investment in the city in just the past 12 years.”

Sullivan is not new to the Chamber. As an undergraduate senior at Clark, he was offered a community-based work study with the organization and was hired as a part-time fellow while he completed his master’s degree.

“David’s done a terrific job over the last 21 months or so at the Chamber,” Tim Murray, president and CEO of the Chamber.

Sullivan said his goal is to bring a variety of big and small businesses to the city and the Central Massachusetts region. 

“From national commercial airliners to restaurant chains to mom-and-pop small businesses, it’s all about bringing them to Worcester so we can continue to grow our economy and share our great region with as many people as possible,” said the recent Clark University graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in administration. “In the end to me, it’s all about equitable economic development – the kind of public and private investment and construction that lifts everyone up and doesn’t leave anyone behind.”

Touting Sullivan’s experience at the Chamber, especially during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Murray sees ample opportunity to continue the City’s momentum.

“Prior to the coronavirus crisis, Worcester was already on the up-and-up with lots of exciting new investments, businesses, projects and developments,” Murray said. “The city and region’s economy are poised to bounce back from this pandemic, and in this new role, David will help lead the Chamber’s efforts to ‘Recruit, Retain, and Incubate’ businesses and developers… We’re confident David’s experience, skillset and passion for his work absolutely make him the right person for the job.”

Sullivan credits his alma mater for opening the door to his new position.

“Clark did a great job of preparing me for my professional life,” Sullivan said. “Not just the academics, but all aspects of life on campus including my extracurricular activities… These experiences, combined with the relationships I built with peers and professors and administrators in Clark’s tight-knit community, have helped sharpen my leadership, writing, speaking and networking skills that make me ready for this job.”

In his new role, Sullivan will work to promote economic development in the Worcester area by recruiting new businesses; building relationships with local, state, and federal government; and advocating for equitable economic development policies and projects. He supervises the Chamber’s StartUp Worcester program, serves as the liaison to the Worcester Regional Food Hub, will write grants, and help manage the nonprofit’s capital project moving to Union Station.

“Public policy is something that I wanted to be involved in at the Chamber from the very beginning, and it’s something that is a huge part of my job today,” he said. “Getting facetime with legislators and government administrators, managing state and federal grant applications and meeting regularly with local government officials are all part of what I do to help us advocate for issues that not only benefit the business community, but Worcester at large.”

Sullivan said the Chamber is highly focused on promoting good policy that creates equitable growth for the region like fare free public buses, investment in affordable housing, investment in vocational technical education and more.

“Thanks to our President and CEO Tim Murray, we are hyper-involved in just about every major policy decision in the city,” Sullivan said. “We work closely with Congressman Jim McGovern, Senators [Edward] Markey and [Elizabeth] Warren, and our state legislative delegation, as well as legislators across the state, to make changes that not only benefit Worcester, but Massachusetts too.”

Sullivan said he is blessed to have this new job opportunity.

“The chance to advocate for the community is one that I don’t take lightly, and I’m grateful.”