Page 54 - BusinessWest April 27, 2026

Jesse McMillan
Principal, Westfield Middle School:
Age 33
Jesse McMillan comes from a family of educators,
and he counts himself lucky to have had teachers
who made a big impact on his life — and inspired
him to want to do the same.
So, it’s natural that he would find his way into that
field.
But the path he’s taken has been anything but
typical.
Indeed, he was named principal of New Hingham
Regional Elementary School when he was just 24,
making him the youngest principal in the Bay State at
that time.
“I had people around me who really believed in me
and gave me opportunities to grow; that made all the
difference,” he said of his quick ascension to a top
administrative role. “I loved being in the classroom, but I
realized I wanted to have an impact beyond just my own
students. Becoming a principal gave me the opportunity
to support teachers and improve the experience for an
entire building of kids at once.”
This mindset has propelled him to reach higher and
seek new challenges, including his current position as
principal of Westfield Middle School, where he leads a
staff of 100 and provides direction and motivation to
700 students.
And as he goes about his work, he draws inspiration
Daniel Miller
Senior Environmental Scientist,
Tighe & Bond: Age 34
When the federal workforce was decimated
by personnel cuts early in 2025, Daniel Miller
was one of the human faces represented by
those job loss statistics. But he has found a new place
to put his passion for the environment to work, here in
Western Mass.
“A lot of federal employees are mission-driven; they’re
not in it for the profit,” he said of his years with the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service, a role from which he had to quickly
rebound last year. But in his current position with regional
engineering firm Tighe & Bond, he has stepped into
leadership roles in dam removals, tidal marsh restorations,
cleanup of former industrial sites, and other projects that
blend environmental and community benefits.
“It turns out everyone here is mission-driven, too,” Miller
explained. “They care about the projects we work on.”
His drive to improve the world around him began early
in life, he added. “One of the things I live my life by is
leaving something better than you found it. Growing up,
I made sure my room was clean and helped with chores,
and now, I want to leave our local communities, and our
environment, in a better place than we found it.
“That means helping wetlands and marshes and
A32 2026
from his own middle school principal. “Every morning he’d
greet me with ‘Hey, Jess!’ and it made me feel seen,” he
recalled. “That stayed with me. It showed me the kind of
impact a principal can have on a student.
“At the end of the day, it’s about people,” he went on. “If
students feel safe and supported, and teachers feel
valued, everything else starts to fall into place. That’s
what I try to build every day.”
He said that he loves all aspects of this job, but
especially the fact that no two days are the same, and
every day provides a new opportunity for him to learn
and build on those experiences.
“That process of continuous learning and refining
my approach is what’s helped me grow as
a leader,” he said. “And I hope it creates
a culture where staff and students feel
comfortable taking risks and learning from
mistakes as well.”
“I have always seen myself as a learner first,”
he continued, adding that this applies to
everything from his teaching as an adjunct
at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
to learning something completely new like
beekeeping. “It all comes back to that same
curiosity. I think that mindset makes me a
better educator and leader.”
It also makes him a 40 Under Forty honoree.
—George O’Brien
rivers get cleaner and more environmentally sound,”
he went on. “The uncertainty from climate change and
sea levels rising and extreme temperature warnings is
a big issue, too. So my overarching goal is to help these
natural systems adapt in the future after I’m gone, so
my kids and my grandkids can enjoy the land the same
way I have.”
Outside of work, Miller can often be found volunteering
in local wetlands and among rivers and ponds, picking up
trash, pulling invasive species, and helping keep public trails
open. But he also has a passion for fitness, and as a personal
trainer and coach, he works with members of the community
who might not otherwise visit a gym, from senior citizens
to new parents finding time for short workouts, to people
managing weight and anxiety without resorting to extreme
diets.
“It’s a huge thing to work on mobility and core strength needs
as we age,” he said. “But I’ve also seen people get their first pull-
up in their 60s and 70s. And it’s great to help people with their
relationship with food, teaching them how to eat all-natural whole
foods and not so much processed food. It’s been a passion of
mine for the better part of 10 years now.”
—Joseph Bednar
Business W est