Medford Chamber names Bill Cummings Citizen of the Year
Michelle Visco writes about Bill Cummings, his deep roots in Medford, and the foundation he and his wife created.
On Tuesday, April 29, the Medford Chamber of Commerce held its 97th Annual Installation and Awards Banquet at the Great American Beer Hall at 142 Mystic Avenue in Medford. The highlight of the event was when the Citizen of the Year Award was presented to Bill Cummings, a real estate developer, philanthropist, and author.
Cummings founded Cummings Properties in Woburn with his wife Joyce in 1970. Together, they started the Cummings Foundation in 1986 to give back to communities where Cummings Properties operates and where staff and clients reside. The foundation has given hundreds of millions of dollars to support organizations, such as the veterinary school at Tufts University and a hospital and medical university in Rwanda.
Cummings started his first business, which was a fruit-juice beverage company, in 1964. Then, with the million-dollar proceeds from that business, he founded a suburban Boston commercial real estate firm. Cummings Properties has since grown from one small building to more than 100 buildings today. The Cummings Foundation has awarded over $600 million in grants to nonprofits in the Boston area. In 2018, Cummings published his autobiography, Starting Small and Making it Big.
Rick Caraviello, who was last year’s Citizen of the Year, presented the award to Cummings.
“I believe we have not disappointed this community as we have been able to select a person of the highest caliber to this honor,” Caraviello said. “Tonight, we gather to celebrate an individual whose impact reaches beyond his own achievements, a leader, a visionary, and an inspiration to us all."
Caraviello said the title of Citizen of the Year is not given out lightly and is reserved for those who amplify excellence, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to make a difference. Bill Cummings, he said, meets all those qualifications. Cummings has shaped communities and uplifted those around him, he said.
Cummings grew up in Medford and attended Medford High School and Tufts University. He succeeded, Caraviello said, through hard work and determination. Caraviello referenced Cummings’s book, which was circulating around the Beer Hall during dinner, and said that reading it will tell you all you need to know about Cummings.
Caraviello said that when he met Cummings for the first time about a month ago he asked him what accomplishment was closest to his heart. Cummings said that his friend, Dr. Paul Farmer, was instrumental in delivering quality healthcare and resources to areas of Africa. Farmer asked Cummings to help establish a hospital in Rwanda. After Cummings built the hospital, they discovered they didn’t have any way to fill the hospital, so Cummings and his friends also started a medical school in Rwanda so the facility would have doctors, equipment, and training. Cummings and Dr. Farmer worked to improve healthcare in the developing world.
The Cummings Foundation started in Medford, Cummings said at the beginning of his speech. Medford will always hold a special place in his heart, he said, because that is where he bought his first business. The Cummings Foundation now has about $5 billion in assets, most of it north and east of Boston.
Cummings said his children and grandchildren respect what he and Joyce do, but they are doing their own thing.
“They're doing what they want to do,” Cummings said. “It doesn't have to be real estate or fruit punch, and they respect what we do. They're very supportive."
Cummings said he was appreciative of receiving the honor of Citizen of the Year and grateful for everyone in the room.
“I’ve been so impressed with everything I’ve seen here,” Cummings said, “particularly this facility, the food, etc. But the other thing I am extraordinarily impressed with is the organization management. To the officers, directors, to Rick, thank you all, and I wish you all a great summer.”
