About the Partnership

The 495/MetroWest Partnership is a unique public-private collaboration among businesses, municipalities, and other stakeholders focused on creating an environment that prepares for and cultivates sustainable growth across our 36-community region. The Partnership accomplishes this by providing coordination, education, and advocacy for solutions to regional constraints and limited natural resources.

Mission: The mission of the 495/MetroWest Partnership is to lead the advancement of the 495/MetroWest region as an exceptional location for people, businesses, and communities.

Vision: Our vision is that the 495/MetroWest region will enjoy sustainable economic growth, well-stewarded natural and built resources, and diverse transportation and housing choices. Together, these assets make our region a desirable place for all to live and work.

Values: We consider our values as we decide how to best advance the interests of our region and our stakeholders.

• Collaboration and Innovation – The Partnership draws strength from the breadth and depth of our public and private sector stakeholders. We advocate for their common interests and work together in pursuit of innovative, thoughtful, shared solutions to regional challenges.
• Economic Development – Our approach to economic development holds that our region’s transportation, housing, water, energy, and workforce resources are key to supporting strong businesses and continued growth; we advocate for our regional needs on these key issues to foster a climate that is desirable for both businesses and residents.
• Equity and Inclusion – Our region’s increasing diversity is an asset. Anyone who chooses to live and/or work here should be treated respectfully and equitably, and be welcomed to participate fully in all of our 36 communities. The Partnership is committed, together with our stakeholders, to eliminating systemic barriers where encountered in our work.
• Complementary Growth – A skilled and educated workforce, affordable and workforce housing, accessible and reliable transportation, and effective management of resources go hand in hand. These are both economic development issues and quality-of-life issues.
• Stewardship of Natural Resources – We advocate for thoughtful utilization of water, land, and energy resources and reducing our vulnerability and contribution to climate change; these principles are critical to the health of the public and the economy.

Click here to learn more about the Partnership's 2022-2027 Strategic Plan. 

The key priorities that the Partnership addresses within the 495/MetroWest region are separate and unique, but operate as part of an interrelated network of regional needs. All areas of concern are important, and each one must be addressed in order to achieve the goals envisioned by the Partnership. These areas of focus include economic development, transportation, housing, energy and sustainable development, and water resources, among others. The Partnership maintains several issue-focused committees which address a myriad of regional topics and provide a forum for discussion, informational presentations, and coordination. These committees include:

• Transportation
• Energy and Sustainable Development
• Water Resources
• Housing

All committee meetings and events are open to all interested persons.

History

The 495/MetroWest region has long been an area primed for continued economic growth and development. However, despite the opportunities presented by the region, it was frequently overlooked by policymakers throughout its history, often seen as being on the periphery of other defined regions. In 2003, a group of visionary regional leaders worked together to create the 495/MetroWest Partnership to serve the region’s needs. As a public-private association, the Partnership is able to address a variety of needs for the region, and act as a regional advocacy organization focused on economic development, transportation, housing, and water supply issues that proliferate the 495/MetroWest corridor. Since its founding the Partnership has enjoyed great successes, and has been recognized by policymakers as a unified voice for a region crucial to the economy of the Commonwealth.

The Partnership’s Board of Directors is comprised of representatives of area municipal governments, businesses, environmental organizations, planning agencies, higher education institutions, chambers of commerce, and other stakeholders from across our region. Leadership of the board is shared equally between Co-Chairs, one each from the private and public sectors; Vice Chairs are apportioned in the same fashion. The board convenes quarterly to discuss issues pertaining to the activities of the Partnership, as well as to discuss strategies for upcoming efforts.  Members of the region’s state legislative delegation have an important role as members of our Advisory Council.

The Partnership is staffed by an Executive Director and a Manager of Policy and Planning. The Partnership is fortunate to be an active participant in Northeastern University’s Co-op program, employing two Co-op students during the course of each year (one in the Spring and one in the Fall). The Partnership’s offices are located in Westborough, towards the geographic center of our service area.

Service Area

The Partnership’s service area consists of 36 municipalities, which are home to approximately 1 in 10 residents of Massachusetts, 1 in every 10 jobs in Massachusetts, and 1 in every 10 payroll dollars. The region's annual payroll is approximately $25.2 billion. The Partnership’s service area has added 4 communities since its initial founding, demonstrating the success of our regional identity and organizational accomplishments, and reflecting our communities’ economic success and desirability.

The Partnership serves as an invaluable coordinating entity and advocacy voice for these 36 municipalities, who share many common traits, strengths, and challenges, but which are otherwise divided by county, Congressional District, planning council, RTA and Chamber of Commerce service area, and watershed. On the periphery of the Boston area but not quite Central Massachusetts, indeed an original impetus for the Partnership’s founding was the need for a unified voice for this unique region, and a vehicle to overcome jurisdictional boundaries.

For more in-depth information on our service area, check out our Information and Resources section.

At its meeting of March 2nd, 2022, the 495/MetroWest Partnership’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to adopt a five-year strategic plan for the organization. Click here to learn more about the organization's 2022-2027 strategic plan.