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Health & Fitness

Clarke of Winchester recognized for 20 years at Cummings Properties

Cummings Properties' annual event at the Hilton Boston/Woburn last weekend recognized Winchester resident Dennis Clarke for 20 years of dedicated service.

WOBURN, MA, January 24, 2013 – Cummings Properties, a local commercial real estate firm, recently held a major event at the Hilton Boston/Woburn for more than 300 employees and guests. This annual affair recognizes staff members celebrating milestone anniversaries with the Woburn-based company.

 

Among the 2013 honorees was Winchester native and current resident Dennis Clarke, who was celebrated for 20 years of dedicated service. A Harvard University graduate, Clarke came to the firm as an operations manager after working for a former Cummings Properties-owned newspaper. He has served as president and chief executive officer since November 2004.

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According to Clarke, he has seen the 43-year-old firm grow significantly over the past two decades. He pointed to the re-development of Beverly’s derelict United Shoe Machinery Corporation complex into the award-winning Cummings Center office and research park as a major milestone for Cummings Properties, as well as an exciting project with which to be involved.

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Clarke said, “The entrepreneurial spirit at Cummings Properties is unlike any I have seen.”

 

Clarke’s early years with the Company were influenced heavily by Cummings Properties’ late president and CEO, Jamie McKeown, who was also a Winchester resident and Clarke’s mentor. Clarke remembers McKeown’s unexpected death in 1996 as a pivotal time for the firm.

 

“The Company’s ability to rebuild and recover after such a devastating loss was a major accomplishment,” he said. “It displayed both professional and personal strength, as well as a great deal of resilience from the entire team.”

 

Clarke noted that, both then and now, his colleagues have made his job especially rewarding.

 

He said, “I cannot imagine a collection of people as diversely talented, dedicated, and genuinely kind.”

 

Clarke and his wife Alicia have three sons and one daughter. Active in the community, he has served as a director of Winchester Chamber of Commerce, director of Woburn Business Association, trustee of Cummings Foundation, and a corporator of Winchester Hospital. A former athlete, Clarke was a New England Golden Gloves boxing champion and a Boston Globe Football All-Scholastic designee.

Along with three other 20-year staff members, Clarke was presented with a designer watch in recognition of his landmark anniversary. In addition, Cummings Properties presented commemorative clocks to eight employees celebrating 10th anniversaries, including Charles Wollinger of Winchester.

 

A builder and craftsman, Wollinger is a carpenter by trade. He has served as lead carpenter on many complex buildouts for labs and offices. He also provides guidance to newer team members.

 

Since its founding in 1969, Cummings Properties has frequently promoted from within, and reportedly has never had a lay-off. With a portfolio of 10 million square feet of commercial space in the greater Boston area, the firm currently has a staff of over 350 from a variety of disciplines, including architecture, engineering, construction, sales, graphic design, accounting, and legal. It employs almost 200 specialists in building and construction trades.

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