SEAPORT — 1,700 New England Council members and guests from throughout the region gathered at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport for the Council’s 2024 Annual Celebration. The event celebrated the achievements and contributions of the 2024 New Englanders of the Year:
- The Burton Family, Ron Burton Training Village
- Retired Brigadier General Jack Hammond, Executive Director, Home Base
- The Honorable Ann McLane Kuster, U.S. House of Representatives, 2nd New Hampshire District
- Robert F. Rivers, Executive Chair and Chair of the Board, Eastern Bank
- Melissa Smith, Chair, Chief Executive Officer, and President, WEX
Special guests included Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, U.S. Representative Lori Trahan, and Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner. The audience also enjoyed musical performances by Michelle Brooks-Thompson, a Springfield, MA, native and finalist on NBC’s The Voice.
Council CEO and President James T. Brett expressed his gratitude to event chair, Katherine Craven of Babson College, and the nearly 200 businesses and organizations who sponsored the annual celebration for making it such a success. Also speaking were Rob Griffin, CEO of Newmark, who introduced the Burton family and John Heller, chair of the Council board.
We are pleased to announce that our 2025 Centennial Celebration will take place on October 20, 2025, at the Encore Boston Harbor. Stay tuned for more announcements about the Council’s 100th Anniversary festivities in the coming months!
All photos by Bill Brett
