Press Release: 4/6/2026

Avangrid, MIRA, Hillcrest and Secretary Jones Win AIM Leadership Awards

 



Posted on April 3, 2026



By Brooke Thomson

President & CEO



AIM has for many years recognized companies and individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the cause of economic opportunity in Massachusetts.



It’s one of the best parts of this job. That’s why I am delighted to announce the winners of four AIM awards that will be presented at our organization’s 2026 Annual Meeting.




  • The 2026 Vision Award goes to global energy company Avangrid for developing the diverse energy sources Massachusetts needs to sustain economic growth.

  • The 2026 Lewis Latimer Award given to an organization that has demonstrated a commitment to economic inclusion goes to the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.

  • The 2026 Frances Perkins Award goes to Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones for her tireless efforts to support caregivers in the workplace.

  • And the 2026 John Gould Education and Workforce Development Award goes to Hillcrest Educational Centers of Pittsfield for providing educational services to students with complex psychiatric, behavioral and emotional issues.



It’s an amazing group of honorees with breathtaking economic and social accomplishments. From creating wind energy to helping new arrivals to the commonwealth, our AIM awards winners together provide a dose of inspiration and hope at a time it is desperately needed.



Avangrid



Avangrid oversees everything from electric and gas utilities to offshore wind generation to a new connection to Canadian hydropower. The company’s Massachusetts footprint stretches from the Berkshires, where it owns Berkshire Gas Company, to its role as co-developer of the Vineyard Wind 1 project off Martha’s Vineyard.



Part of the Iberdrola Group SA, Avangrid operates in 23 states with approximately $48 billion in assets and has two primary lines of business: networks and power. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates seven electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.4 million customers in New York and New England. Through its power generation business, Avangrid owns and operates more than 80 energy generation facilities across the United States producing more than 10.5 GW of power for over 3.1 million customers.



Energy is a top-of-mind issue for Massachusetts employers and Avangrid is a key player in developing and delivering energy for homes and businesses through service, innovation, and investments in grid infrastructure and energy generation projects.



Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition 



MIRA is the most influential organization in New England promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees, as well as their social, civic, and economic inclusion. MIRA’s mission has been particularly challenging in the face of continuous changes in federal immigration policy yet has remained successful by securing millions of dollars in state funding to expand program capacity.



The organization is a respected leader on immigrant issues at the state and national levels, and the leading source of information and policy analysis for policymakers, advocates, immigrant communities, business partners and the media. With offices in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, MIRA provides education and training, leadership development, institutional organizing, strategic communications, policy analysis and advocacy.



Secretary Lauren Jones



Secretary Lauren Jones assumed her current post in January 2023 and has since paid particular attention to elevating the needs of family caregivers as a talent attraction and retention strategy. AIM has collaborated with the secretary on this issue because family caregivers represent a sizable population of the workforce across Massachusetts at a time when employers struggle to attract and retain workers.



Secretary Jones has more than two decades of experience working in local and state government, non-profits, and the private sector, with a focus on workforce development. Prior to joining the Healey-Driscoll Administration, she served as Executive Vice President of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable and led the organization’s workforce development policy and strategy.



She previously led the Massachusetts market for the non-profit Apprenti, where she worked with companies to cultivate and diversify tech talent through registered apprenticeships.



Hillcrest Educational Centers



Founded in 1985, Hillcrest is a private not-for-profit agency that provides a range of individualized and comprehensive clinical, psychological and special education services for children, adolescents and families in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and the Northeast. The students served by Hillcrest in nonresidential and residential programs have complex psychiatric, behavioral and/or developmental disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorders, and a variety of high-risk behaviors.



The objective is to address the significant needs of students during a critical time in their lives, providing them with essential skills that will enable them to achieve enduring positive change.



The programs and services provided by the Hillcrest Educational Foundation are state licensed and certified, and Hillcrest Educational Centers is accredited in behavioral health care by the Joint Commission.



“From our dorms, classrooms, campus activities, and off-campus activities, Hillcrest offers a great environment for students to learn, heal, and progress,” said Shaun V. Cusson, President and CEO.