Page 13 - BusinessWest June 10, 2024

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Melendez
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whether to keep the doors open, the goal is the same, he said: to provide the business owner with support and a plan for moving forward.
“There are exciting conversations, and there are hard conversations,” he went on. “And I love the envi- ronment we’ve created, which is in many ways the first of its kind in the Bay State.”
For Melendez, this latest work is the culmination of everything that came before it career-wise, steps where he developed a passion for others and cultivat- ed myriad skills, especially when it comes to organiza- tion, building teams, developing relationships, making
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“There are exciting conversations, and there are hard conversations.”
connections, and getting things done.
All of this has come together at the LEDC, where
not all dreams come true, but all dreams are given
“When the topic is something outside my comfort zone, like a motivational speech, that fuels me.”
about social media for six hours and not even bat an eye, but motivational-style speaking is completely
their best chance to come true.
And Melendez, through his work and the example
he has set, is a huge part of the agency’s success. As Rodriguez noted, he serves as an inspira-
tion “by demonstrating that, with access to the right resources and support, individuals from any back- ground can achieve prosperity and success.”
This has made Melendez a leader, a 40 Under Forty honoree, and now, an Alumni Achievement Award finalist. BW
—George O’Brien
different.”
There are many things that fuel Rothschild today,
everything from working with her team to grow Chik- media to providing scholarships to girls of color look- ing to enter the marketing field, to ... well, living life unleashed.
All that explains why she is an Alumni Achieve- ment Award finalist. Again. BW
—George O’Brien
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Rothschild
social-media training to talks that would be consid- ered motivational in nature.
She said it’s taken her the better part of a decade to “get into a really good groove,” as she called it, developing a style that makes heavy use of humor and that engages the audience in whatever it is she’s talk- ing about.
“When the topic is something outside my comfort zone, like a motivational speech, that fuels me,” she said. “It makes me take a moment and really think about what I’m going to say. I can stand up and talk
Congratulations
Chelsea Depault
for receiving the
Women in Banking Emerging Leader Award!
Chelsea Depault
VP, Commercial and Municipal Lending
MEMBER FDIC MEMBER DIF
BusinessWest
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