HOW I LEAD
SYSTEMS THINKING IN ACTION
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Tom approaches problems by understanding how systems work, seeing connections others miss, and identifying leverage points where action creates the most impact.
When he learned that students at North Shore Community College couldn't get to class because the Danvers campus wasn't connected to transportation hubs, he didn't just advocate for better bus service. He brought the college leadership together with Uber to propose creation of what became the NSCC-Uber Ride program, a reduced-fare ride program connecting students to opportunity. It's one of only a few such programs in the nation.
That's systems thinking: see the barrier, understand the ecosystem, bring the right partners together, and create a solution that works.
COALITION BUILDING
Tom's most significant accomplishments have come from bringing together people across organizations that don't typically work together.
At MassTLC, he brought over 100 tech companies together to commit to the Tech Compact for Social Justice, focusing the industry on racial equity following George Floyd's murder. He organized business leaders to stand with then-Attorney General Maura Healey in pushing back against discriminatory immigration policies. He built coalitions between education institutions, workforce development organizations, and employers to create pathways to opportunity.
At the Net Zero Institute, he convenes corporate sustainability leaders to learn from each other and build the case for climate action as core business strategy, working within companies to drive change, not protesting from outside.
Coalition building isn't about compromise, it's about finding shared interests and aligning around work we can accomplish together.
RESULTS-ORIENTED APPROACH
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Tom measures success by results, not intentions.
On the Board of Higher Education, he was part of a team that significantly expanded financial aid for the first time in two decades (MassGrant Plus), created the Commonwealth Commitment that saves transfer students thousands in tuition, and made Massachusetts the first state to adopt equity as its top priority.
As School Committee Chair, he championed Winchester's first net-zero building with town-owned solar, and at key decision points, pushed for full net-zero (not just "net-zero ready") and direct town ownership (not third-party PPA), ensuring maximum long-term benefit.
At MassTLC, he commissioned economic research on immigrant contributions to our economy that was cited by U.S. Supreme Court justices, organized amicus briefs on role of immigrants as innovators and job creators, and helped create conditions for Massachusetts' innovation economy to add tens of thousands of jobs and billions in economic value.
He doesn't just advocate, he delivers.