Photo/submitted
Westborough — After nearly 30 years at SALMON Health and Retirement, Ben Colonero is retiring the company recently announced.
Colonero’s career with SALMON started with Danny Salmon, who he knew, he said, from growing up in the Blackstone Valley.
At a baseball tournament that both their sons were playing in, “we started talking, and Danny mentioned that if I was ever looking for a job, that I should reach out to him,” he added.
From there, Colonero’s expansive career with SALMON began.
“My first position at SALMON was as a controller, more commonly known as a financial officer, in 1992,” Colonero said. “My office was in Beaumont at Westborough, and at that time, we only had two campuses—Westborough and Northbridge.”
After a little over two years in this role, Colonero was offered a position as Executive Director for The Willows at Westborough.
“I was surprised,” explained Colonero. “I had never considered that type of job before, but Danny recognized my abilities and had confidence in me—I’m so glad he did, because it was fantastic; I absolutely loved the job.”
Colonero was the Executive Director in Westborough for almost 25 years; during this time, the campus expanded with the addition of Whitney Place.
“I thoroughly enjoyed working with the Residents,” he said. “They had accomplished so much in their lives, and I learned a lot from them. I had the opportunity to get to know each Resident personally, and it was great.”
Colonero’s own mother became a Resident at Beaumont at Westborough in February 2020. Nancy Colonero was the first Resident to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in SALMON’s communities.
“Seeing her receive the vaccine was incredible,” he said (click here to read more about that).
A legacy also as a community leader
During his time as an Executive Director, Colonero became increasingly more involved with the surrounding town communities.
Colonero served as the chair for the Corridor Nine Regional Chamber of Commerce and also as a board of trustee member for the chamber’s Scholarship Tournament, which awards graduating high school seniors scholarship money.
“During my time as a board member for the Scholarship Tournament, we raised a total of about $300,000,” he said. “I enjoyed working in the community and meeting so many people while also still being a part of SALMON.”
He also served as a board member for the UMass Memorial Hospital in Marlborough and a board member for the Westborough Bank.
Colonero expects to stay active in the community in his retirement and has plans to visit Italy in the coming years.
CEO Matt Salmon said, “We wish Ben the best in his retirement. We thank him for all of his years of service and dedication to our organization—we’ll miss him.”
For more information visit the Salmon Health website or call 508-898-3490.
