Green Jobs Initiative

Lawrence is an ideal candidate for a green-collar jobs campaign. The city has a strong industrial history and capital assets; a young, poor, and disadvantaged workforce; leading nonprofit community development and youth organizations; new development hoping to incorporate green building; community leaders who are willing to think out of the box; and a large number of diverse, but not yet connected, green activities. Additionally, MIT@Lawrence has over the past decade built a relationship with the city and a strong network of community partners in Lawrence.

The Green Jobs Initiative works to capitalize on opportunities that flow from a ‘green economy’ through identifying community partners and convening a working group. Working with Jeff Beam, DUSP graduate student Eric Mackres has focused this initiative on workforce development and community asset-building. It should serve to connect the currently disparate environmental and community development projects in the city through an overarching vision and new narrative for the city of an economic revival through leadership in the green economy.

Initially, a working group served to build an overarching vision and new narrative for the city of an economic revival through leadership in  the green economy.  This working group, as well as the larger initiative, will had three focuses:

  1. Action-oriented – Other groups have already done much to identify the opportunities for green economic development in Lawrence.  The Green Jobs Initiative will instead take strategic action to implement policies and practices that will lead to the creation of green jobs and provide the needed training.
  2. Collaborative – A diverse group of community interests working together to establish common values and goals will create a more robust and achievable agenda while also establishing a lasting coalition.
  3. Building on Lawrence’s Assets – This initiative will focus in particular on ensuring that Lawrence’s local assets receive the necessary investment—green jobs for Lawrence residents, revitalization of the City, and community asset-building.

Desired outcomes for this project include a greater awareness of the current green activities in Lawrence, increased interest in the benefits of a green economy to Lawrence, tangible new collaboration between diverse sectors of the Lawrence community, and momentum behind continuing on the path needed to prepare the city to be a leader in the green economy.

Partners and Resources

Involving a diverse coalition from the beginning is essential for a successful project. This will help create campaign goals that make sense for Lawrence and which have buy-in from the broad community. The following partners are the first participants in the Green Jobs working group:

  • Dennis DiZoglio, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
  • Frank O’Connor, City of Lawrence - Community Development Department
  • Bob Halpin, Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council
  • Helen Torres-Rodriguez, Veritas Bank
  • Heather McMann, Groundwork Lawrence
  • Andrew Mente, Youthbuild Lawrence
  • Tom Casey, International Union of Painters

As the initiative matures we will ensure that additional partners are brought into the process and that outside resources are drawn in as necessary. This list includes but is not limited to:

  • Non-profit - Lawrence CommunityWorks
  • Businesses - Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, Chet Sidell, Sal Lupoli, Quincy Vale, Clivus Multrum, New Balance, Lawrence General Hospital, other major employers
  • Labor - Merrimack Valley Central Labor Council, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
  • Education - NECC, UMASS-Lowell, Cambridge College, MIT, Tufts
  • Government - Lawrence Community Development and Planning Departments, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, Mayor Sullivan, Rep. Tsongas, MA, Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs
  • Regional Green Leaders - MIT Community Innovators Lab, MIT Prof. Harvey Michaels, Massachusetts Green Jobs Coalition, JFY NetWorks, LISC, Green Development Center

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