Gardner mayor, Worcester city manager receive business honor

Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson and Worcester City Manager Eric Batista made the Worcester Business Journal’s annual Power 50 list last month in recognition of their contributions to the Central Massachusetts economy.

Nicholson was chosen for his role in leading economic development in Gardner, which saw 33 businesses open or expand in 2022, and an additional seven so far this year.

Batista was noted for his creation of Worcester’s Executive Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and its search for a chief equity officer; implementation of body cameras for police officers; and work toward an inclusionary zoning policy to get more affordable housing into new developments.

This is Nicholson’s second recognition from the publication within the year. Last summer, he made the journal’s “40 under Forty” list of rising stars in the region’s business community.

Nicholson has been Gardner’s mayor since he won a special election in July 2020. He previously served as the town administrator in Rutland, as an executive aide to former Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke, and as a substitute teacher in the Gardner public schools. He has a law degree from Suffolk University, a master’s degree in public policy from UMass Amherst, and bachelor’s degrees in history and political science from UMass Amherst.

Batista has worked in Worcester for more than a decade, in roles including chief of operations and project management in the city manager’s office. In 2019, he became director of the Office of Urban Innovation, and in 2021 he was promoted to assistant city manager. He spent the second half of 2022 serving as acting city manager, before being named as the permanent manager in December. He has an associate’s degree in architecture from the New England Institute of Technology, a bachelor’s degree in economics from UMass Amherst, and a master’s degree in business administration from Assumption University.