Mayor Kos today announced that Community Development Director Michael Vedovelli will be leaving the City of Chicopee on May 19th to take a position with Eversource.
Vedovelli was hired by Mayor Kos in May 2015 to oversee the Office of Community Development. As the Director of Community and Economic Development, Michael was responsible for all aspects of the City of Chicopee’s Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership programs, identifying grant opportunities and assisting in their application, and acting as the principal point of contact for business retention and expansion activities.
In his time with the City of Chicopee, Vedovelli has worked to foster and build public private relationships with area business to help promote growth within the City. He has overseen the redevelopment of the former Uniroyal and Facemate properties while working with the EPA, MassDEP, ConComm, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help secure funding while working within state and federal guidelines. Michael also worked with U.S. Tsubaki during their plant expansion, Mercedes Benz in their site selection for a new Western Mass dealership, set to open later in 2017 off of Burnett Road, and Chicopee Hospitality, LLC as they work to convert the former Days Inn to a Tru Hotel by Hilton. The conversion of former Navy housing to a solar farm also saw Vedovelli working with ConEdison Development to complete work on the 21.6 acre site.
Working with other City departments, Vedovelli helped secure a Green Community designation in 2016 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which included a $367,160 grant for green energy projects around the City. He also worked with the Commonwealth to help Chicopee enter a Community Compact with the Baker-Polito Administration and to secure a $2.6 million Massworks Infrastructure Grant to help with the West End Development project.
“It has been an honor to work with Mayor Kos and his team,” said Vedovelli. “I was able to work on a number of projects that made this position exciting and helped move the City forward.”
“Michael brought a special level of expertise and professionalism to the position which greatly benefited our City,” said Mayor Kos. “We wish him well with the new opportunity. He will be missed!”
Vedovelli had been Senior Regional Director for the Massachusetts Office of Business Development under then Governor Deval Patrick from February 2008 to April 2015. Prior to that, he spent ten years as Accountant and Grants Compliance Officer for the City of Westfield’s Department of Community Development and Planning.
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