Working Groups

PBLN's four Working Groups, focused on Education; Energy & Environment; Health Care & Life Sciences; and Economic Development & Housing, are each led by a team of PBLN members who are distinguished professionals that field.

Open to participation from members at all levels of business leadership, these Working Group advance PBLN’s mission by analyzing public policy issues and best practices, planning conference sessions, or putting on creative educational programs that deepen understanding and bring people together.

Healthcare & Life Sciences Working Group

PBLN's Healthcare/Life Sciences Working Group in the
US Capitol. Here health IT entrepreneur and PBLN Board member Paul
Egerman is joined by leading experts from the Business
 Roundtable, the Center for American Progress and the Washington Post.

Co-Chaired by Jim Roosevelt, President & CEO of Tufts Health Plan, and Joshua Boger, former President & CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Coordinatored by Valerie Fleishman, Executive Director of the New England Healthcare Network (NEHI), and Brian Carey, Partner with the law firm Foley Hoag LLP, this group has addressed the Massachusetts plan to expand healthcare coverage to include all residents, the urgency of sustained federal funding of biomedical research, public strategies for retaining life science industry businesses, and the value of corporate health and wellness programs. Currently they are looking at issues surrounding national and Massachusetts healthcare reform efforts, and at strategies for sustainable development of the life sciences as both social/health innovators and as a source of economic growth.

Healthcare/Life Sciences Policy Statement
As progressive business leaders, we believe Massachusetts should continue to lead the nation as an innovator in health, health care and life sciences.

Education Working Group

This meeting of the PBLN Education Working Group
took place at the Jeremiah Burke High School in Boston

Chaired by Gloria Larson, President of Bentley University, this group has addressed topics such as Civic Engagement and Workforce Development. Their current focus is K-12 education reform in Massachusetts.

Education Policy Statement
PBLN supports passage of education reforms that bring access to innovation and excellence for all students from cradle to college. We view these innovations in education as essential contributions to the invention of a sustainable, competitive economy defined by shared and lasting opportunity and prosperity.

Energy & Environment Working Group

At PBLN: Mindy Luber of Ceres, Tim Healy of EnerNoc
Massachuetts Energy/Environment Secretary Ian Bowles
and Solventerra Managing Principal and the
Working Group's Co-Chair Roger Freeman

US Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) engages in a dialogue
with PBLN about the prospects for federal energy legislation

Chaired by Mitch Tyson, CEO of Advanced Electron Beams, Inc. and Coordinatored by Roger Freeman, Principal, Solventerra Energy, this group has addressed the impact of buildings on the environment, and increasing energy access and affordability. Their current focus is the role business can play in addressing climate change and the economic and environmental implications of doing nothing.

Energy/Environment & Housing/Economic Development Policy Statement
Progressive business leaders are committed to supporting strategies and policies both within our companies and our society that move us toward a more sustainable future, where we strive to harmonize our activity with our environment in our communities, in our country and throughout the world.

Economic Development & Housing Working Group

Working Group Chair Tom O'Brien leads a policy session

Chaired by Tom O’Brien, Managing Partner of HYM Investments, and greatly aided in its leadership by Coordinator Sean Sacks, Assistant Vice President of the New Boston Fund, this group has discussed such topics as the “smart growth” plan to address the available and affordable housing crisis, public-private partnerships that have led to innovative development successes, and issues surrounding housing production and the policies required to ensure the health of this key driver of economic growth. Currently they are focused on issues of affordable housing as well as the economic development opportunities – necessities – presented by climate change and the policy response to it.

In 2010 this Working Group prompted the PBLN to adopt a firm position in favor of protecting the Massachusetts Market-based model of securing affordable housing, known as 40B. PBLN supports a NO vote on 2010 Ballot Question 2 in Massachusetts which would repeal The Affordable Housing Law. Our full position statement is here.

Member Spotlight

Diane Hessan, President & CEO - Communispace
According to Advertising Age Communispace is one of the fastest growing marketing and technology companies in the country, with a Blue Chip client list that would make a Madison Avenue giant jealous. A pioneer in creating online communities to help marketers deeply engage customers, Diane helped found Communispace in 1999 and hasn't looked back.