American International College President Hubert Benitez, Bay Path University President Sandra Doran, J.D., Elms College President Dr. Harry Dumay and SRA Commissioner Margaret Boyle were also in attendance.
The allocation was made possible through Congressionally Direct Spending (CDS) from the Department of Education. Congressman Neal included funding for this project in the Fiscal Year 2023 spending bill that was signed into law on December 29, 2022.
“The threats facing our nation at both the national and local level are significant, and having the cutting-edge technology capable of countering these threats is of the utmost importance,” said Congressman Neal. “Union Station has become a world-class intermodal transportation hub for the Greater Springfield community, and it will now serve as home to a state-of-the-art cybersecurity training center. This will give the brightest young minds in our region the resources they need to combat these threats, ultimately expanding the region’s skilled workforce and shoring up the resiliency of our cybersecurity in western Massachusetts and beyond.”
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno stated, “I want to thank Congressman Richard Neal, who once a mayor always the heart of a mayor, who continues to provide exemplary leadership for our Springfield and Union Station. This $3 million will support STCC and the transformative and dynamic Cybersecurity Center of Excellence at our historic Union Station, which supports my administrations workforce development objectives around cybersecurity initiatives by promoting diversity and supporting more of that good four-letter word, JOBS!”
“Congressman Richard E. Neal has again delivered, and STCC could not be more thrilled to partner in the launching of a Cybersecurity Center of Excellence for Western Massachusetts," said STCC President John B. Cook. "We are tremendously grateful for these federal dollars which provide a unique investment in students, community college and the workforce needs of a key sector. Thank you, Congressman Neal, for championing Union Station and helping build our local cyber resiliency.”
“The Springfield Redevelopment Authority congratulates STCC on their award and are excited to welcome the CCE here at Union Station,” said Amanda Pham, Executive Director of the Springfield Redevelopment Authority. “This endeavor would not have been possible without the support from our federal and state partners. We thank Congressman Neal for his continued support toward this effort by way of this transformative award. This center will strengthen cybersecurity resilience in Western MA while empowering our workforce to meet the needs of this evolving industry. Western Mass is home to many higher education institutions and we are encouraged by the collaborative partnerships being made - all to better the lives of our students and community at large.”
Funding will be used to establish the CCE, which will be developed and operated in collaboration with the MassCyberCenter, and serve as a regional CCE for western Massachusetts and beyond. The project brings together a consortia of area higher education institutions, business and civic leaders and facility professionals. The CCE will provide invaluable hands-on training and professional opportunities for students to develop a career in the burgeoning cyber workforce and will be an integral part of the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Consortium.
Under guidelines issued by the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, members of Congress requested CDS funding for projects in their state for Fiscal Year 2023. CDS requests were restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments, and eligible non-profit entities, were permitted to receive CDS funding.
This project is one of fifteen CDS projects submitted by Congressman Neal, totaling over $20 million in investments throughout the First Congressional District of Massachusetts.
