Tuesday, July 25, 2017

The National Association of Industrial & Office Properties Advocacy


Saturday, July 22, 2017

Babson College Improves Campus Wellness with NCAA Grant


An active member of the greater Boston area community, Roy MacDowell serves as principal of Baystone Development in Weston, Massachusetts. Roy MacDowell formerly sat on the board of trustees of Babson College, where he studied as an undergraduate. 

To encourage innovation, collaboration, and problem solving, Babson College strives to create a supportive, entrepreneurial environment. To augment these efforts, Babson recently received an NCAA CHOICES grant, which provides funding to the school’s Athletics and Recreation and Health and Wellness departments to improve alcohol abuse prevention on campus. With this funding, the two departments will work together to launch Project T.E.A.M., which stands for Team Engagement for Alcohol Management. 

Project T.E.A.M. will offer peer-to-peer education about alcohol abuse and wellness while also training student-athletes to become peer leaders. This approach emphasizes team bonding and community engagement, both of which speak to the larger entrepreneurial mission of the institution. While Project T.E.A.M. is being implemented through Athletics and Recreation, it will engage student groups outside of athletics as well.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

ADL New England’s Confronting Anti-Semitism Program


Roy MacDowell, the former president of the MacDowell Company, oversees strategic planning and business decisions at Baystone Development as principal. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Roy MacDowell maintains an active presence within his community and he serves as an overseer for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of New England.

The Anti-Defamation League of New England, an organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights of all individuals, maintains offices in Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Through these offices, the organization offers numerous programs, including the Rabb Family Confronting Anti-Semitism Program.

Established in 1988 in Boston, the Confronting Anti-Semitism Program focuses on three main goals: increasing awareness of anti-Semitism among Jewish family members and communities, strengthening Jewish identity, and developing skills for handling incidents of anti-Semitism. In doing so, the program hopes to dispel many of the myths and stereotypes that are anti-Semitic in nature. It also hopes to instill a positive association with the Jewish identity.

As part of its work, the Confronting Anti-Semitism Programs maintains several initiatives. The Family Awareness initiative provides students in grades seven and eight with educational workshops focused on the impact of anti-Semitism in schools, while the Words to Action initiative hosts workshops that prepare college and pre-college students for responding to anti-Semitism in a constructive way. Finally, the Confronting Hate and Anti-Semitic Incidents (CHAI) initiative hosts workshops for adults who are seeking resources and strategies for recognizing anti-Semitism in their community.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

The Boston Society of Architects Design Excellence in Housing Award




Since 2009, Roy MacDowell has served as a partner and the principal of Baystone Development, a company that invests in and develops real estate. In this role, Roy MacDowell is responsible for helping the award-winning firm determine its strategic direction. 

In 2000, Baystone Development received the Design Excellence in Housing Award from the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) in recognition of its work at Cronin’s Landing in Waltham, Massachusetts. Operated in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects, New York (AIANY) Housing Committee, which explores design and technology issues as they relate to housing developments, the BSA Housing Design Awards recognize projects that achieve excellence in functional, aesthetic, sustainable, social, or contextual design. 

Any architect or firm that currently operates in New York City or New England may submit entries of any housing type. Architects and firms based elsewhere may submit projects if those projects are in New York City or New England.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Frequently Asked Questions about Donating Platelets




Leveraging more than 40 years of real estate experience, Roy MacDowell is the principal of Baystone Development, a real estate developer in Massachusetts. Roy MacDowell is a former trustee of Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), which operates a platelet donation program.

Here are some frequently asked questions about platelet donation:

Question: What are platelets?

Answer: Platelets are cells in the blood that help the blood clot to prevent bleeding. The average platelet survives for approximately five days.

Q: Why donate platelets?

A: Platelets are used in the treatment of cardiac, cancer, and transplant patients. In particular, platelets serve a crucial function for cancer patients, preventing serious bleeding episodes in the month following bone marrow transplants.

Q: How does donation work?

A: Medical professionals use a platelet pheresis machine to extract blood, remove the platelets, and then return the blood via a single sterilized needle. The process lasts between one and two hours, and individuals can donate up to 24 times per year. Prior to donation, donors should eat a healthy meal and make sure they are well hydrated. Further, donors should avoid ibuprofen and aspirin for 72 hours before donating.