Merrimack Valley Magazine

Wendy Estrella

May 25, 2021 by Lily Hartman

A Rising Star Gives Back to the Lawrence Community

When Wendy Estrella began school in Lawrence after emigrating from the Dominican Republic at age 13, kids in her class would laugh because she didn’t understand when the teacher asked what her name was in English.

Now, Estrella is the attorney who founded Estrella Law Offices in Lawrence, a real estate and landlord tenant law practice. She also owns a real estate holding company — Estrella Enterprises LLC — with her husband Jose, where they’ve invested in almost 300 units. She is also a trustee of the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover and conducts seminars for first-time homebuyers and on landlord/tenant law, and is the mother of three sons.

In her youth, Estrella thought about becoming a lawyer one day, but with a lack of guidance in the field it felt like an impossible dream. After high school, she attended UMass Amherst, but was forced to withdraw due to her struggles with English. She eventually enrolled in basic English reading and writing courses at Northern Essex Community College, where she received an associate degree in business administration before obtaining a bachelor’s degree from Merrimack College and becoming a full-time accountant.

“It really didn’t hit me until I graduated from Merrimack College,” Estrella says. “I can do whatever I want. The sky’s the limit.”

Socrates De La Cruz, who is an attorney in Lawrence and vice chair of the Lawrence Partnership, became a mentor to Estrella. With his guidance, she found the confidence to attend the Massachusetts School of Law and receive her law degree in 2004 while pregnant with her third child.

“I think lots of our immigrants — they become so comfortable because we have a community where everywhere we go they speak Spanish,” says Estrella, who believes the world is hungry
for immigrants who want to do well. “You stand on your two feet, you do your thing, and you could be at that table like everybody else is.”

Lawrence Partnership Deputy Director Alexandra Nova, who has worked closely with Estrella, believes individuals build levels of awareness and resilience when they move to a new country, and that Estrella is no exception.

As the chair of the Lawrence Partnership since January, Estrella is in an even greater position to use her own experiences to impact the local community, whether she is inspiring other Latinos to attend law school, youngsters to learn English, or busy mothers to pursue their desired degree.

“We all have dreams, and sometimes you’re married, you have children, and you think this is the end,” says Estrella, who married Jose at 18 and had her first child at 19. “It doesn’t have to be
like that.”

After years of building her character as a strong businesswoman, Estrella is most proud of having a family that can live the American dream, and for being able to support the residents of Lawrence, who live in a community that’s like one big family, according to Nova.

“She feels the responsibility of giving back, of lifting as she rises, and I think that’s really special,” Nova says.

Sweet Relief

May 17, 2021 by Katie Lovett

Julieann Thurlow of Reading Cooperative Bank and the Challenge of the Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic raged over the past year, employees at Reading Cooperative Bank realized quickly how vital they really are.

Like other essential businesses, the community bank has been at the forefront of the crisis, offering help to those in need. Employees, led by president and CEO Julieann Thurlow, spent countless hours helping local businesses fill out paperwork for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — crucial funds that were needed to keep their businesses open during the pandemic.

And they didn’t just serve their own customers; the staff at Reading Cooperative was there for all small businesses needing help with the process.

“When PPP became available, we made the decision to apply for all the community,” Thurlow said.

And that assistance didn’t just stay in Reading. Over the past year, the bank has also helped scores of businesses in Lawrence, where Reading Cooperative plans to open a new branch.

The Paycheck Protection Program is implemented by the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) and provides COVID-19 relief funds to small businesses and individuals who are self-employed if the money is used for approved purposes.

Thurlow is a member of the executive committee of the Lawrence Partnership, a group of business and community leaders in and around Lawrence, and is a member of the partnership’s Lawrence Leads program. Through those relationships, she discovered that a relatively small number of businesses in Lawrence applied for loans in the first round of the federal program last year.

A new plan emerged. In the second round, which began in January, representatives from Mill Cities Community Investments (MCCI) served as a liaison between city businesses and the bank, which then helped process applications. In the second round, as of this writing, close to 150 Lawrence businesses applied for funding.

“Thirty percent of the applications we’re processing right now are in Lawrence,” Thurlow said ahead of the March 31 deadline.

The largest concern voiced by business owners, according to Thurlow, is whether the loans are really forgivable. At a time when some businesses remain shuttered, and owners are struggling with a loss of income and worried about their ability to survive, there has been a substantial fear of taking on more debt.

Under the SBA program, the loans are eligible for full or partial forgiveness if the money is used for qualifying costs, including payroll, rent, mortgage interest, utilities, worker protection, supplier costs, operations costs and property damage costs.

As bank officials worked with the business owners, Thurlow said, there were some obstacles to overcome, including language barriers and securing the necessary documentation to submit the paperwork.

The process underscored the reasons why Reading Cooperative has chosen to open its next location in Lawrence. Bank officials balked at opening a branch in a more wealthy community where it would face rigid competition for the same client population, Thurlow said, and turned toward Lawrence, a place where business is still conducted in person and trust between parties is essential. In that community, Thurlow said, there is a huge need for residents to form a personal connection with a bank.

By assisting the city’s small business community in securing PPP loans, the bank is able to get crucial funds to those who need help the most, Thurlow added.

The opening of the Lawrence branch remains in flux amid the ramifications of the pandemic, Thurlow said. The site has been approved at the corner of Canal and Union streets.

With more than 20 members of the bank’s staff working on PPP applications, it was a true team effort, Thurlow said.

The businesses appreciated their successful operation and willingness to assist where their own banks could not. Reading Cooperative has seen a “tremendous amount” of new small business accounts being opened by nonclients they assisted, Thurlow said.

Thurlow praised the collaboration between the bank and MCCI, calling the latter a “phenomenal partner.”

“We’re happy to help,” she added.

Profiles in Leadership – Part 4

August 7, 2017 by Katie Lovett Leave a Comment

Four Women Who Are Making a Difference: Across the Merrimack Valley, women fill the corner offices and boardrooms in all types of professions and businesses. Here is a look at four female leaders who are making a difference in the workplace each day.

ANITA WORDEN – Co-CEO, Yaskawa-Solectria Solar

Anita Worden’s car is about 16 years old and she couldn’t be more thrilled. After all, she built the electric vehicle.

Worden, 48, is the co-founder of the Lawrence-based Yaskawa-Solectria Solar, a company with roots that began about three decades ago, when Worden was studying electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In 1989, Worden and her husband, James, created Solectria Corp., an electric and hybrid vehicle company. Anita Worden was still attending classes at MIT in Cambridge when she met James through a friend. James Worden was studying mechanical engineering. The couple had a mutual interest in solar-powered racing cars and they soon were developing the parts for them.

At one race, they were asked if solar cars were available for regular drivers.

The idea took hold, and the couple decided to create a car for commuters and everyday use. An investor teamed up with the Wordens, and soon they were making and selling cars.

“I hadn’t even graduated from MIT at the time,” Anita Worden says. “We were pioneers in that industry.”

The company went on to build hybrid vehicles, buses and trucks. But by the time the Wordens sold the company in 2005, the field was changing — hybrid was more popular — and they wanted to return to their more “purist” roots — electric. And solar electric was gaining momentum.

“We had technology in our vehicles that made sense for solar,” she says.

The company became Solectria Renewables. In 2014, the company was renamed Yaskawa-Solectria Solar after an acquisition. No longer focusing on electric vehicles, the Wordens focused on the solar and renewable business.

So, while she still drives her own electric car, the Wordens now have a solar panel system on the roof of their North Andover house. Their company headquarters also has a solar system. Soon, other buildings in their complex will as well.

Anita Worden – Co-CEO, Yaskawa-Solectria Solar. Photo by Kevin Harkins.

Today, the company has about 200 employees, and it has offices in California, Florida, Arizona and Pennsylvania.

The company occupies an 11,000-square-foot building in Lawrence, significantly larger than the original 4,000-square-foot space.

“We’ve seen what you can do with perseverance, energy and a passion for the world,” Anita Worden says.

As she reflects on her career, Worden says she’s proud of building two successful companies that have had a positive impact on the planet.

“I feel our mission is to change the mindset for people who have to think about our energy future,” she says.

Worden is also proud of her contributions to the Lawrence Partnership, where she has worked to help change the city’s ecology footprint and improve the economic outlook for the community.

“It makes me feel proud that we’ve done something to make a difference,” she says.

At home, Worden oversees another busy environment. The self-proclaimed soccer mom has three children, ages 12, 14 and 17.

“When I’m home, I’m not an executive in a business running a company; I’m Mom,” she says.

Born in England, Worden attended primary school in North Africa and Algeria before moving to Florida and going to high school there. While at MIT, she says, about 20 percent of the engineering school students were women. Today, it’s about 50 percent.

“That’s a remarkable change,” she says. “For me, that’s the model for where this world should be going.”

Yaskawa-Solectria Solar
Lawrence, Mass.
(978) 683-9700
Solectria.com

Profiles in Leadership – Part 2

August 4, 2017 by Katie Lovett Leave a Comment

KATHY AIELLO – Director, Atlantic Hospitality Group

Kathy Aiello can never be completely sure how her day will go when she arrives for work at Atlantic Hospitality Group’s corporate offices in Salisbury. For that, she is very happy.

Aiello, a Newburyport resident, is the director of the multifaceted organization. Owned by the Capolupo family, which is well known for its construction work, Atlantic Hospitality Group operates six businesses along Salisbury Beach, including the Blue Ocean Music Hall, the Blue Ocean Event Center and the By the Sea gift shop. They also own the Seaglass and Capri restaurants, as well as SurfSide, a bar and restaurant at the beach.

Aiello became acquainted with the Capolupos 10 years ago when her children were students at Immaculate Conception School in Newburyport and she was tasked with organizing the popular North Pole Express train ride. The Capolupos’ company, SPS New England, was a sponsor.

Aiello was hired as executive director of the Salisbury Beach Partnership, a nonprofit that was the brainchild of the Capolupos. The group organizes festivals, concerts and events with the goal of bringing crowds back to the beach while also trying to launch revitalization efforts for the beach pavilion complex.

“Everything just grew from there,” Aiello says.

The Capolupos began investing in the area and developing their properties through AHG. In 2008, Aiello was given the role of director and worked alongside the Capolupos to bring to reality their concept and vision for improving the beach.

“I’m fortunate to have been involved from the beginning,” Aiello says.

About 125 year-round employees work for the six distinctive businesses under the AHG umbrella. It’s no wonder Aiello’s schedule is constantly shifting.

Some days she can be found planning which acts to bring to the music hall. Other times she’s working with chefs and menus for the many private functions and parties at the event center or restaurants. When it comes to the 300 or so events that AHG oversees each year, tending to the smallest details is important to Aiello.

She strives to stay aware of what’s current and fresh — but not too trendy — and to be “consistent in what we deliver,” Aiello says, while “being the best at what we do” and recruiting the best talent.

Achieving all of this ensures that customers will continue to return, she adds.

“We are always trying new ideas and new events,” Aiello says.

Proud to have witnessed — and played a role — in creating the story of Salisbury Beach today, Aiello says she would offer this advice to newcomers entering the hospitality field: “Be willing to pitch in and get the job done.”

From folding napkins to giving a speech, all elements are crucial to running a successful event, Aiello says.

“It’s really not about me in this business — it’s about the team,” she says.

Her job also offers an important perk — it lets her keep up a little with one of her favorite hobbies.

“I love to dance,” Aiello says with a laugh. “If you go to a show at the music hall, you’ll find me dancing in the back of the room.”

Music and dancing have provided many happy memories, dating back to her childhood in Connecticut. Every Saturday night, she watched as her parents went out dancing. On New Year’s Eve, Aiello and her family could be found hitting the dance floor. These days, a similar scene plays out when her family gathers at the summer beach house.

Aiello also loves boating and skiing. She and John Murdock, her husband of 26 years, enjoy traveling with their children, Lauren, 22, and Ryan, 19.

Atlantic Hospitality Group
Salisbury, Mass.
(978) 465-2000
NorthShorePavilion.com

Check back tomorrow, when we continue our series with Deedee O’Brien, Executive Director of Ironstone Farm.

Profiles in Leadership – Part 1

August 1, 2017 by Katie Lovett Leave a Comment

ANN LALLY – President and CEO, Salem Co-operative Bank

It took Ann Lally one semester into her first year at Loyola University in Chicago to realize she was in the wrong major. The dental field just wasn’t the right path for her.

She transferred to the business school at New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University). These days, Lally is celebrating 31 years at Salem Co-operative Bank, where, in 1997, she became the bank’s first female president after having served as its treasurer.

The New Hampshire bank was founded by community leaders in 1922 to serve the town’s residents and businesses. It’s a mission Lally is committed to following.

“I’m a person who likes to lead by example,” she says. Her office has an open-door policy for all of Salem Co-ops’s 60 employees and for the bank’s customers as well, many of whom drop in regularly during their visits. After all, her office is located in the lobby.

Passionate about volunteering, Lally encourages her employees to contribute to the community, too.

In 1997, Salem Co-op founded Salem Community Benefit, Inc. to help address the needs of the communities it serves. The bank’s commitment to the town and the surrounding area is clear. Last year, donations and contributions from Salem Community Benefit totaled $93,000. In addition, the Bank provided donations and support of $113,000.

A big supporter of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem, Lally was an active member of a task force that oversaw the creation of a new teen center for the community. The bank pledged $610,000 to help launch the fundraising efforts.

Lally is also active with the Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce and previously served on the Southern New Hampshire University Board of Trustees. She currently serves on the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s advisory board for the Manchester region. She is also a member of the steering committee for the Stand Up Salem coalition which was organized to prevent and reduce substance misuse primarily focusing on Salem youth. In 2003, Lally became the first woman to chair the New Hampshire Bankers Association.

Traditionally a field that draws more men, particularly to the higher ranks, banking has been changing in recent years.

“There’s a lot more female managers than there used to be,” Lally says.

While technology has also changed the industry, Lally says the bank continues to enjoy strong relationships with its customers.

“Community banking offers a unique opportunity for consumer issues and small business needs,” Lally says. With today’s technology, customers have the ability to visit the bank or use electronic means to complete their transactions. “Community banks are well-placed to be able to offer both and do both well,” she says.

The bank opened a second branch in Methuen in 2010. The location was selected because of the “many synergies” it shares with Salem, according to Sarah Rastello, Salem Co-op’s senior vice president of retail banking and business development.

“Methuen’s population and demographics are similar. Salem is a destination point for many Methuen families [for activities] such as shopping and dining,” she says.

The bank has donated to numerous organizations in Methuen, including the YMCA, the Merrimack Valley Immigrant and Education Center, the Michael B. Christensen Community and Family Support Center, Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and the Festival of Trees.

“I’m very proud of all the relationships that I’ve had and been involved with through the bank,” Lally says, including customers, business leaders and fellow bank presidents. “That’s very fulfilling.”

Lally escapes her hectic job for a few camping trips each summer with her sisters. The oldest of eight children, she says her large family may have been a bit of an adjustment at first for her husband, Peter, who is an only child.

The summer getaways fall somewhere between roughing it in the woods and “glamping,” or glamorous camping, Lally says.

“We use a trailer, not tents,” she admits. “It’s a pop-out.”

Salem Co-operative Bank
Salem, N.H.
(603) 898-2153
SalemCoOp.com

Check back in a few days for Part 2 of this series, highlighting Kathy Aiello of Atlantic Hospitality Group .