Angela Pitter

Angela Pitter has been elected chair of the Charles River Regional Chamber Board of Directors. Courtesy Photo

Editor’s note: Newsmakers is a regular feature spotlighting accomplishments of Newton community members, businesses and organizations.

Angela Pitter elected chair Charles River Chamber board

The Charles River Regional Chamber’s Board of Directors has elected Angela Pitter to serve as its new chair.

Pitter is the founder and CEO of LiveWire Collaborative, a Newton-based digital marketing consultancy that has been harnessing innovative digital marketing strategies and AI to connect businesses with customers since 2012.

“The Charles River Regional Chamber has always been a leader in advocacy, inclusivity and community-building,” Pitter said. “As we begin this new chapter, I’m excited to carry forward this legacy of excellence while embracing fresh opportunities to grow and evolve. This is a year where we not only build on our past successes but also set bold new benchmarks for innovation and impact.”

Pitter was a member of the Newton School Committee for six years and currently serves on the the Black Alumni Leadership Council at Boston University. She’s a founding member of Newton Coalition for Black Residents and has been twice recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color and is an in-demand expert and presenter with her LinkedIn Influencer framework.

“Angela is someone I’ve worked closely with at the chamber in many capacities during her seven years as a member of our board and on multiple committees and is well-known by our members for her regular presence at networking events and as a presenter at many chamber webinars,” said Greg Reibman, the chamber’s president and CEO. “I’m looking forward to collaborating and being inspired by Angela at a time when our businesses and nonprofits are approaching economic uncertainty and challenges.”

Newton South High School picked for Lincoln Center’s Jazz Band Competition

Jazz at Lincoln Center has announced the top high school jazz bands selected to compete in the 30th annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival in New York City in May, and among them is Newton South High School, under the direction of Lisa Linde.

The organization also plans to expand the Essentially Ellington arts education program, doubling the number of bands competing in the finals, from 15 to 30.

“I’ve watched this program expand and evolve over the years and am deeply proud of how Essentially Ellington has changed the landscape of jazz education,” said Todd Stoll, Jazz at Lincoln Center Vice President of Education. “In a culture always looking ahead to the next best thing, we celebrate the music of Duke Ellington and how it speaks across generations and barriers to bring us together in a way that is both profound and relevant. Congratulations to the directors, parents, and communities that support these students in their efforts to master this music.”

The competition used to take three days, and now it will take five, with two rounds on two stages. The final concert and awards ceremony will be held on May 11 at the Metropolitan Opera House, located at 30 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, N.Y.

Newtonian professor granted nation’s highest science innovation award

Paula Hammond, professor at MIT, was recently awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Courtesy Photo

Newton resident and Massachusetts Insitute of Technology Professor Paula Hammond has been awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation—the highest award given by the United States president for scientists and technological innovators—for developing methods for assembling thin films that can be used for medicine delivery and wound healing.

“Paula’s pioneering research in nanotechnology helped transform the ways in which we deliver and administer drugs within the body — through her technique, therapeutics can be customized and sent directly to specifically targeted cells, including cancer cells,” Anantha Chandrakasan, dean of the School of Engineering and chief innovation and strategy officer at MIT, said in a statement on the MIT website.

Hammond is vice provost for faculty at MIT and a member of the Koch Institute for Cancer Research.

Schwartz parties to pay down debt

State Rep. Greg Schwartz had a loose end to tie up from the 2024 campaign—in the form of campaign debt—so he gathered for a little party at O’Hara’s with friends and supporters to pay down that debt and get his first legislative term off to a good start.

Left to right: Sen. Cynthia Creem, former State Rep. Kay Khan, State Rep. Greg Schwartz, former State Rep. Ruth Balser and State Rep. Amy Sangiolo mingle at Schwartz’s post-campaign party at O’Hara’s in Newton. Photo by Howard Sholkin

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