On Monday, October 20, the New England Council—the nation’s oldest regional business association—celebrated its 100th anniversary of its founding at their 2025 Centennial Celebration at the Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, MA. The gathering had more than 1,800 New England business, academic, non-profit, and government leaders in attendance to celebrate 100 years of connections and collaborations.
The highlight of the Centennial Celebration was the presentation of several awards recognizing various remarkable New Englanders. The Rising Star Award was presented to Rhode Island Congressman Gabe Amo who is shown in the photo with Dr. Marissa Ruff, VP of Seven Hills Rhode Island, Dr. Kathleen Jordan, President & CEO of Seven Hills Foundation, and Bill Stock, VP of Government & Community Relations for Seven Hills Foundation. The award was presented to Congressman Amo as someone who represents the next generation of leadership in the New England region.
Congressman Amo has spent most of his career in public service in Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. In the Biden White House, he served as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, where he worked as the principal liaison to mayors and local elected officials. In that role, he connected state and local leaders across the country with the federal resources made available to them through historic legislation like the American Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. He also coordinated responses to major national crises including gun violence, extreme weather, and public health emergencies.