Business Forward Females (BFF) Luncheon

If you heard the sound of another glass ceiling shattering on July 5, 2022, it was due to another historic moment in time for women everywhere! 

On September 13th, 2022, the Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce was proud to feature their BFF September Guest Speaker, Cara Rossi, the first female Police Chief for the Town of Ashland. She shared her personal story, accomplishments, and unique challenges she has faced in a traditional male dominated field. In the United States, only 8.3% of women are Chief of Police while 91.7% are men.

In January 1994, Cara Rossi and two other women joined the Natick Police Department, a rarity in MetroWest at the time.  Becoming a police officer, particularly a generation ago, could be intimidating for a woman because she was frequently the only female officer on duty.

Rossi was with the Natick Police Department for 28 years. She served in different capacities from patrol officer, patrol Sargeant, and as the Lieutenant and the Commander of the Operations Division for the last 11 years. Only 1% of police women reach the command staff level position – another great accomplishment for Cara!    

In her capacity as a Lieutenant, she wore many hats but her proudest work has been both with Natick 180 and the Opioid Task Force, along with empowering, mentoring, and supporting women in Law Enforcement.