Greenfield Community and Economic Development Director MJ Adams to Retire
GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community and Economic Development Director MJ Adams announced her intention to retire from city service, effective May 6. Adams played pivotal roles in advancing downtown revitalization efforts, coordinating stakeholder and state assistance in creating an expansion of the I-91 Greenfield Industrial Park, helping local businesses navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, and brokering the agreement to redevelop the former Wilson’s Department Store building.
“There are not enough words to describe the energy, savvy, creativity, and dedication that MJ has provided the city and me when it comes to tackling all of the community and economic-development projects that we’ve been able to work on and that we’ll continue to work on,” Mayor Roxann Wedegartner said. “I am truly grateful for her expertise, experience, and ability to build coalitions. I wish her nothing but success and joy in her next chapter.”
Adams joined city government in December 2015 as Community Development administrator and was promoted to Community and Economic Development director in September 2018. Her prior experience includes positions with the Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and as executive director of Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity.
“Greenfield is in a strong position to keep advancing the positive initiatives on the downtown revitalization, housing, and economic-development fronts,” Adams said. “Many of the important projects I have been working on are far enough down the runway for takeoff, and it’s a good time to hand off leadership of the department to the next generation.”
The city will launch a search in the coming weeks for a new Community and Economic Development director. Adams has agreed to remain available during the transition process.
