Maria Nigro Di Stefano

Maria Nigro Di Stefano
Born and raised in Boston, Maria Nigro Di Stefano grew up in a mostly Italian neighborhood learning the English language at the age of five. As a young woman, she opened her own children’s consignment shop in Peabody, MA where she was proud to have employed eight working moms. After she sold her business, she went into banking for Bank of Boston where she routinely ranked tops in sales and earned her Series 6 and Series 63 licenses. As much as she enjoyed banking, she never lost her passion for small business.
In 2001, she was named Executive Director of East Boston Main Streets, where she increased fundraising by 600% and she spearheaded and led quarterly business networking breakfasts that were regularly attended by hundreds of local business leaders and elected officials. After five years as Executive Director, she was hired by the late Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to be the Neighborhood Business Manager of the Boston Main Street Program. As an expert fundraiser and talented social media maven, she was able to raise over $1M during her time in the program, assisted hundreds of local businesses, and made a long-lasting positive influence on the lives of countless numbers of residents.
In June 2015, Maria was appointed as the Northeast Regional Director of the Massachusetts Office of Business Development by the Baker/Polito Administration. The Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) is the state's one-stop source for businesses seeking to relocate to Massachusetts and businesses wishing to expand their current operations in the Commonwealth.
In 2020 Maria was given a citation for Outstanding Performance by Governor Charlie Baker and Lt Gov Karyn Polito. In 2023, Maria received the Commendation for Service to Women-Owned Businesses at the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Conference.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, traveling and volunteering in her community. Maria chairs the Rockport Parent Teachers Organization, sits on the Rockport School Council, is a Board Member of Rockport Youth Soccer and of the Sargent House Museum in Gloucester.
Maria holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration with a Certificate in City Management from Villanova University and was inducted into Pi Alpha Alpha--National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration.