THE CHAMBER BRIEFCASE

John Ings, PE has been promoted to President and CEO of Meridian Associates, Inc. Ings is continuing as Chairman of the Board. He succeeds Doug Reed, PE.

“I am excited to see what the future holds for Meridian. It is an honor to take on the leadership responsibilities of an engineering and surveying firm rooted in such a rich history of exemplary service to its clients and surrounding communities, Ings said. “The last few years have been filled with uncertainty, but Meridian has weathered this recent storm well. An inspirational plan by our former CEO, Doug Reed, to see beyond the pandemic, invest in our employees and prepare for the future has proven to be prescient.”

Meridian is made up of a great group of people who are well prepared to lead us into a bright future. I am deeply committed to working diligently to uphold the Meridian Way, to give our employees every advantage I can find, and working with our clients to build a better tomorrow.”

Meridian is a Civil Engineering, Geospatial Survey and Landscape Architecture firm based in the Northeast.

Baker Newman Noyes (BNN) has joined HLB International, a global network of independent advisory and accounting firms providing consulting, tax, and audit services.

BNN has a wide client base that they serve locally, regionally, and globally from five full-service offices in Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. They are a leading tax, assurance, and advisory firm in the region and work in a host of sectors including banking and financial services, healthcare, life sciences and biotech, real estate and construction and public sector entities. Baker Newman Noyes will strengthen the ever-expanding HLB presence in North America.

Lisa Benson, HLB Chief Regional Officer, Western Markets, said, “We are very happy to welcome Baker Newman Noyes to the network. The addition of a Top 100 firm in the Northeast strengthens the U.S. market even further. With offices in five locations in three states paired with the depth of services BNN offers, it’s a big win for HLB. Their focus on fostering relationships and collaboration is entirely in keeping with the HLB’s people first approach. We look forward to working together and learning from each other so we can deliver effective accounting and advisory solutions to the HLB global community.” protein, and nonperishable items.

To submit a news item for The Chamber Briefcase, please email katie.lovett@northshorechamber.org.

The Salem Pantry will continue to operate its longstanding mobile distribution program. In partnership with community partners, this program provides reliable food access for students, residents, and clients.

Brightview Senior Living has been named to Fortune Magazine’s annual list of “100 Best Companies to Work For 2023.” Brightview, which placed 92nd, was the only Senior Living company to make the list. This is the second time it has earned a ranking.

The list is compiled using anonymous survey responses of more than half a million employees from Great Place To Work Certified™ companies. Companies also submitted essays describing their efforts to offer generous and innovative support for workers, which were validated against employee survey responses.

The Salem Pantry recently opened its first brick-and-mortar location in partnership with The North Shore Community Development Coalition.

“The Salem Pantry feeds nearly 800 families a week. That is up from about 530 families a week at this time last year. In January alone, we distributed food to nearly 4000 individual people. The need for reliable food isn’t decreasing in our community,” Director of Programs and Partnerships Mike Lilley said. “At the Pantry, we are committed to reliably providing fresh and healthy food to our community. The Market is another way we seek to uphold that commitment.”

The Market will be open five days a week, including weekend and evening hours, and serve as The Salem Pantry’s main distribution point, providing pantry guests with a consistent location for convenient, no-cost shopping.

The Market will serve as more than a pantry, providing community and health resources outside of food. The Salem Pantry will also partner with The Salem Skipper and The Salem Council on Aging to offer transportation options to The Market, where guests can shop from various produce, dairy,

Beacon Communities and Harborlight Homes recently broke ground on the Beverly Village for Living and the Arts, at the historic former home of the Briscoe School.The development will be a mixed-use community centered around affordable housing for seniors.

The groundbreaking included a speaking program featuring Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Department of Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox, Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill, State Sen. Joan Lovely, State Rep. Jerry Parisella, and MassHousing VP of Multifamily Housing, Mark Teden.

The adaptive reuse plan will transform the former school’s existing footprint into a vibrant, liveable space. Former classrooms will be turned into 85 units of affordable housing for lowincome seniors, and former locker rooms will become six live/work studios. The former auditorium will be preserved as a community performing arts space. The former gymnasium will house a community room, computer learning center, wellness and fitness spaces, library and reading room, as well as a workshop. I