Overview:
The Franklin County Community Development Corporation shared its annual report for 2025, stating it served 373 clients and issued $2.38 million in loans to businesses throughout western Massachusetts, resulting in the creation of 66 new jobs and the preservation of 185 more, under the leadership of Executive Director John Waite, who is celebrating 25 years with the organization.
GREENFIELD — In its 25th year under the leadership of Executive Director John Waite, the Franklin County Community Development Corporation served 373 clients and issued $2.38 million in loans to businesses throughout western Massachusetts.
During the corporation’s annual meeting on Thursday at the Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center, staff and members of the board of directors said this year’s efforts resulted in the creation of 66 new jobs and the preservation of 185 more, in part due to Waite’s leadership. Waite has guided the organization for much of its 46-year history and plans to continue his work at the helm.
While reflecting on his 17 years of knowing and working with Waite, former board of directors Chair Darren Gale said two words came to mind: compassion and commitment.
“John was always really great at bringing us back to why we are here. What are we doing to help support the most vulnerable members or our community? How are we helping our neighbors?” Gale said. “That might sound really obvious for a nonprofit, but it’s super easy to get lost in the weeds. … John always brought that compassion to what we were doing on the technical side.”
Gale said it can be easy to get lost while navigating the various programs the Franklin County CDC offers and while working with the many partners the nonprofit business development hub collaborates with, but Waite has been great at keeping the team on track.
“The CDC does so much, and offers so many new and innovative programs. As a board member, it’s so much to be excited about,” said Tamsin Flanders, chair of the Franklin County CDC’s board of directors.
According to the Franklin County CDC’s 2025 Impact Report, this past year, the business development program helped create 13 new businesses, stabilize 40 struggling businesses and grow the revenue of 18 businesses. Meanwhile, at the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center on Wells Street, which processes and stores products for farms across New England, it onboarded 10 new businesses and launched new products, including elderberry syrup and barbecue sauce. In fiscal year 2025, the center processed 53,000 pounds of food, 32% more than the year before.
In FY25, the lending program, through both the PVGrows Investment Fund and the Massachusetts Food Trust Program, issued $2.38 million in loans to 32 businesses.
The Franklin County CDC is looking to raise $2.5 million to reach a $5 million goal set for the PVGrows Investment Fund. Waite said he hopes people will continue to support the fund in furthering its goal of boosting local businesses, as community members did when the fund was first established in 2015.
“There weren’t many impact investment funds around, and it was a risk, but people in the community gave us $25 million in those first couple of years, and we’ve lent it out three times,” Waite said. “It’s an example of when people put their money where their values are.”
Brianna Drohen, co-founder and CEO of LaunchSpace, a nonprofit makerspace in Orange, said the Franklin County CDC makes it possible for small businesses to be successful.
“We have our makerspace in Orange and we’re slowly redeveloping a [former] school … on Pleasant Street, and part of that first phase is a shared-use commercial kitchen that’ll be opened up to food businesses and having a food workforce development program,” Drohen said. “It took years to secure the funding for this project, which is well over $1 million just for the kitchen. … I reached out to the CDC trying to have a partnership and talk through how they can support us, and they mentioned the loan program and it was just perfect. It’s exactly what a small organization like us needs.”
During the meeting, the board of directors also welcomed two new members: Patricia Bernard, vice president of finance and operations at Martin Luther King. Jr. Family Services in Springfield, and Angela Campbell, vice president of institutional mission, culture and climate at Greenfield Community College.
Waite said he looks forward to continuing to work with the Franklin County CDC’s existing board members, staff and partners, and getting to know the new ones while continuing to support businesses in western Massachusetts.
“It’s been 25 wonderful years,” Waite said. “For 25 years, I’ve woken up each day excited for what’s ahead because each day brings new challenges, new ideas and many new successes. … I hope you guys are going to let me continue to do this for at least a few more years.”
To learn more about Franklin County CDC programs, visit fccdc.org.