FITCHBURG REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Native Local Business Owner
Jay Roy was born and raised here in Fitchburg. He graduated from St.Bernard's High School and received an MBA from Fitchburg State. He went to work managing luxury apartment communities for a fortune 1000 company before leaving to join the fire department in 2015 as a firefighter/EMT, all while also working at the family business Roy's Home Rehab and RHR Realty, where he's rehabbed dozens of homes in North Central Mass. He builds quality cedar swing sets for Triumph Play Systems of Ashburnham, and is a self-taught photographer and videographer that does real estate shoots and small business promotion work. For fun, he likes to travel around the world, and visit local restaurants and shops. He lives with his girlfriend and their amazing black lab. Jay joined the board because he has a unique insight into the people of Fitchburg through the Fire Dept. and wants to make a bigger impact on helping this city prosper.
Laura Bayless moved to the City of Fitchburg in 2017 when she joined Fitchburg State University as the Vice President for Student Affairs. One of the things that impressed her about Fitchburg State was the university's active and positive collaboration with the City of Fitchburg, and she loves that her role on the FRA Board is a piece of that commitment. She is a frequent presenter, consultant, and podcaster. Laura lives in Fitchburg with her husband and an evolving number of her five stepchildren and their friends.
Laura O'Kane, CCIM, my husband and I have lived in Fitchburg for over 30 years and raised four children in this wonderful City. I enjoy a career in commercial real estate with a focus on asset and property management, retail redevelopment, and retail leasing, and am honored to serve as a member of the Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority.
Maribel Cruz was born and raised in Fitchburg. She works as the Economic Development Manager for the North Central Massachusetts Development Corp. an arm the NCM Chamber of Commerce. Previously, she was the Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Gardner and has an 18 year history in business banking. Maribel is an advocate for small business with a focus on Latin / Minority and women-owned businesses.
Meagen Donoghue brings with her a breadth of experience including economic development, grant writing, planning, and historic preservation, to name a few. She previously served as the Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Sudbury and has worked in other communities in various economic development and planning capacities including for the Town of Webster, MA, the City of Worcester, and the City of Chicopee. Since arriving in Fitchburg, she has spearheaded updating the Urban Renewal Plan, the sale of several long-time owned FRA properties, and the administration of FRA grants including during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Meagen earned her Master's Degree in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts, a Master's Degree in Higher Education from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor's Degree in History from Elmira College. She lives in Worcester with her husband and two boys.
Robert Hasche joined the FRA team as the Facilities Manager in May of 2023. He brings with him a wide range of expertise in many technical fields as well as a private business owner for nearly 25 years. His focus for the past 8 years has been facilities management, facilities design, facility construction, manufacturing, and oversight of CAPEX expenditures for a large manufacturing company and their retail locations. Bob grew up in Stow and has lived in Westford for the past 30 years. He enjoys spending time with his wife and 3 grown children, on the ocean, working on various projects, and outdoor cooking.
Sarah Uhlendorf Stebulis was excited to join the FRA team at the end of 2021 in the newly created role of Business Administrator. She grew up in nearby Pepperell and has a BA in American History from Keene State College. She has had a wide variety of professional roles in public and private sectors, including positions for the City of Lowell's Historic Board, Preservation Worcester, Museum Textile Services, Worcester Public Schools, and Fruitlands Museum. She has served on the Holden Historic District Commission since 2019. In her downtime, she enjoys antiquing, gardening, and exploring the outdoors by foot or kayak. She lives in Holden with her two sons and two dogs.