North Shore Chamber To Honor 5 Women As Diamond Award Winners

DANVERS, MA — Salem resident Renee Connolly is among five distinguished women who will be honored as this year's North Shore Chamber of Commerce Diamond Award recipients for their contributions toward uplifting women in the regional business community.

The third annual Diamond Award winners were nominated by their peers and chosen by the Chamber's Selection Committee for being highly regarded in their professions, respected by their peers, and praised for their commitment and passion for leading with purpose, empowering women and serving their communities.

The Diamond Awards will be presented at the awards breakfast on Aug. 23 at 7:30 a.m. at the Kernwood Country Country Club in Salem.

Connolly is the Chief Diversity Equity & Inclusion Officer at Merck KGaA / Millipore Sigma.

The Salem resident leads the DE&I department of an organization of 66,000-plus employees globally. She is also active in her community and serves on the Board of Directors for the American
Cancer Society and Home for Little Wanderers. Connolly has also been involved in the American Diabetes Association and the MassBioEd Foundation.

A graduate of Ithaca College, Connolly is on the Board of Directors for the Mass Conference For Women and the International Mass Women's Forum.

The pther 2023 honorees are:

Mary Anne Clancy, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Institution for Savings

A Newburyport resident, Clancy served one term as mayor of that city and spent 10 years serving on the School Committee. She is active in numerous organizations in Newburyport, having previously served on the boards for the Firehouse Center for the Arts, the Anna Jaques Hospital Community Health Foundation, and the Newburyport Education Foundation.

She is a member of the North Shore Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is co-chair of the Chamber's Thrive initiative.

MaryAnn "Mo" Levasseur, President, Profile Research

Levasseur, who lives in Rowley, is a certified private investigator. Committed to mentoring and assisting others however she can, Levasseur is an active member, and former president, of North Shore Women Connect (formerly North Shore Women in Business). She is also a board member of the North Shore Chamber of Commerce and leads its Ambassadors Program.

Levasseur started a nonprofit, Solace for Stephanie, which helps individuals — both financially and emotionally — who have been diagnosed with cancer. Since 2010, Solace for Stephanie Foundation has helped 104 people with cancer and awarded 18 scholarships. Levasseur also serves on the town’s Personnel Advisory Committee.

Raminder Luther, Dean, Bertolon School of Business, Salem State University

Dr. Luther, a Winchester resident, was appointed dean of the Bertolon School of Business in February 2022. She had served as interim dean since May 2020, and prior to that, she served as professor of finance in the school for 22 years.

Before joining Salem State, Luther served as a manufacturing operations manager for a Fortune 100 company and a marketing engineer for a Fortune 500 company in India. She has a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Mississippi, an MBA in marketing from FMS, University of Delhi, and a BS in electrical engineering from Panjab University. Dr. Luther is also a member of the North Shore Chamber’s Thrive Advisory Council.

Mary Speta, Executive Director, Amirah Inc.

As executive director of the Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing exit and aftercare services to women who have experienced prostitution, sex trafficking, and commercial sexual exploitation, Speta calls upon her own lived experience. She incorporates her research to help shape policy and is a respected voice in the movement to dispel myths and misconceptions. Speta personally connects with clients, offering a supportive, empowering environment while mentoring women on their road to recovery.

Speta is a candidate in the Doctor of Law and Policy program at Northeastern University. She also holds a master's degree in arts and nonprofit administrative sciences from Boston University and completed her undergraduate studies at Gordon College. She sits on the Massachusetts Governor's Commission to Address Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking and serves on multiple legislative advisory and service provision committees throughout New England as a policy adviser and consultant on prostitution and intersectional issues.

To purchase tickets to the Diamond Awards, visit here.

Contact Cheryl Begin, director of marketing and sales, at cheryl.begin@northshorechamber.org, about sponsorship opportunities.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)