1. About RAM

RAM has been the voice of the Commonwealth’s retailers for almost 100 years. Our knowledge of retail issues and our understanding of the challenges facing small businesses in Massachusetts today allows us to uniquely serve our members’ needs. We provide our members with valuable regulatory and policy briefings, money saving tools, and highly-effective representation on Beacon Hill. Learn more about how we can help your business. 

 

 

 

 Click here for a more detailed description of the area's we cover.

 

RAM Staff

 

Jon B. Hurst, President

Jon Hurst has served as President of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts (RAM) since 1990. As CEO of the 4,000-member statewide trade association, Hurst manages the member services, education and public affairs of the organization. RAM was organized in 1918 as the Voice of Retailing in Massachusetts, and today represents stores and restaurants of all types and sizes.

Hurst also serves as Chairman of the Board of the MA Retail Merchants Workers Compensation Group, Inc., a non-profit group organized by RAM in 1991. He also heads the Retailers Association of Massachusetts Health Insurance Cooperative, the first non-profit small business health insurance cooperative authorized in 2012 by the state.

Hurst has served on various state advisory boards, including current roles with the Economic Development Planning Council, the Statewide Healthcare Quality Advisory Committee, the Health Policy Commission Advisory Council, and the Workforce Competitive Trust Fund Advisory Committee. Hurst has served on numerous non-profit boards, including the Beverly YMCA, Beverly Main Streets, the National Retail Federation, and also served as Chairman of the National Association of State Retail Association Executives.

Prior to serving at RAM, Hurst worked in public affairs roles for the Hershey Foods Corporation and the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, as well as at the Ohio House of Representatives. Hurst graduated from the Ohio State University in 1981.

Hurst and his wife Jan have three grown sons and reside in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Bill Rennie, Vice President

Bill joined RAM in March of 2004 as Public Affairs Director for the Association. In May of 2007, he was promoted to Vice President, the position he currently holds.

Bill is a registered Massachusetts lobbyist advocating on behalf of RAM members before all branches of Massachusetts government. In addition to leading the Association’s government relations efforts, his responsibilities also include coordinating media and public relations.

He currently serves on two state advisory councils, sitting as a member on the Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s Advisory Council, and on the Massachusetts Health Connector’s Employer Advisory Council. He also served previously as a member on the Commonwealth’s Special Commission on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), on the Board of Directors for the Center for Economic Opportunity at the Pioneer Institute, and as a Massachusetts Delegate to the Implementing States Board of the National Streamlined Sales Tax Project.

Prior to coming to RAM, Bill spent nine years working in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, the last eight of those years serving on the staff of the House Committee on Ways and Means. He began his work on Beacon Hill first as a legislative aide, before moving into the role of Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. During his last four years at the State House, Bill served as the Legislative Liaison for the Committee.

Bill is a former member and Clerk of the Board of Health in the Town of Weymouth for eight years, is a former elected Town Meeting Member in Weymouth, and has worked on many successful election campaigns.

He graduated from Merrimack College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Political Science. Bill and his wife Kate live in Cohasset, Massachusetts, with their four daughters, Erin, Fiona, Maeve and Keira.

 

 

Andrea Shea, Membership Director

Andrea joined RAM in March of 2008, where she serves as the Membership Director. Andrea is responsible for membership communications and services that involve RAM members on priority issues by leading the Association's advocacy and grassroots efforts.

Prior to joining RAM, she worked for the National Federation of Independent Business in a variety of capacities starting in the Federal Governmental Relations Department in NFIB's Washington DC office. Upon relocating to Boston in 1995, Andrea assumed the role of Assistant State Director in NFIB's Massachusetts office where, as a registered lobbyist, she advocated on behalf of the Commonwealth's small business owners. In 2004, after a brief departure, Andrea returned to NFIB's Massachusetts office in the capacity of Membership and Grassroots Manager, where she worked throughout New England on numerous issue campaigns, member meetings and political activities.

Andrea received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She, her husband Tim, son Thomas and daughter Tristan live in Salem, Massachusetts.

 

Ryan Kearney, General Counsel

Ryan joined RAM in February 2011 as General Counsel for the association. As member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and a registered Massachusetts lobbyist, Ryan is responsible for advocating on behalf of RAM members before all levels of state government as well as ensuring association compliance with state statutory and regulatory requirements.  Focus areas include loss prevention, labor issues (minimum wage, overtime, leave requirements, and child labor), food/restaurant, public safety, and alcoholic beverages/tobacco/lottery.  Ryan is also responsible for the management of the association’s small business health insurance cooperative and serves as the staff representative on the association’s Loss Prevention Committee.

Before coming to RAM, Ryan spent five years working for the Joint Committee on Financial Services Committee within the Massachusetts Legislature. He joined the committee staff in 2006 as a policy analyst specializing in property/casualty and life insurance issues.

Ryan attended Suffolk University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and studied law at Suffolk University Law School, graduating in 2009 with a Juris Doctor degree. Ryan resides in Somerville, MA with his wife Meghan, daughters Bronwyn, Greta and June, and dog Simon.

 

Joe Barnes, Business Development Director

Joe joined RAM in January of 2016 as Business Development Director. Joe oversees new member acquisition and fostering the growth of product and service offerings to the Association’s members. He will be an active liaison between the Association and its members; holding meetings centered on membership recruitment, services offerings, education issues and grassroots support.

Joe has worked for 30 years in the financial services industry; namely involved with collections and accounts receivable management. He has headed up sales, marketing and client services departments during his career as well as having owned a local collection agency. In his various capacities Joe has worked with Fortune 1000 companies, national and regional financial organizations and federal, state and local government agencies and educational institutions. Joe is active in several charitable and civic organizations including; The ARC of Greater Haverhill-Newburyport, Massachusetts General Hospital Patient Family Advisory Committee and the North Andover Scholarship Foundation.

Joe received his B.S. in Economics from Gettysburg College and his M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. He lives in North Andover with his wife Nancy and their two daughters, Rachel and Rebecca.

 

 

 A'Diyanna Zeidel, Business Development Manager ~ Western MA

A'Diyanna joined RAM in May 2022 as the Business Development Manager. A'Diyanna will initiate association membership recruitment and association-offered benefits to the Western Massachusetts retail, restaurant, sales and automotive services industries. A'Diyanna serves as the contact that links the greater Boston area to Western Massachusetts.

Prior to joining RAM, A’Diyanna’s professional background included Finance Management, Debt Collection, Sales Management and Real Estate as a licensed Massachusetts Realtor. In her previous role as a Finance Director she continuously led the company to improvements in their financial health and overall success. Prior to her role in finance A’Diyanna worked in human services supporting special education and empowering young adults intellectual growth. A'Diyanna has also served in the military as a drill sergeant leading a team of recruits in all aspects of training.

A'Diyanna has received her Bachelor’s in General Studies with a minor in Entrepreneurship from Framingham State University. She lives in West Springfield with her son Kyden, their two birds Stars and Saturn, and dog Jake.

 

 

 Vanda Bernadeau, Business Development Manger ~ Metro Boston

Vanda joined RAM in September 2023 as a Business Development Manager. She will be primarily focused on the Greater Boston, South Shore and Metro West areas. She will engage with small business owners and their trusted advisors on RAM’s cost saving benefits and dedicated efforts legislatively to improve the business climate for not only RAM members but all retailers in the Commonwealth.

Vanda’s professional background includes experience in music and entertainment, non-profit administration, sales management and more. In her previous roles, Vanda has exhibited tremendous leadership experience as a results-driven multifaceted professional with 15+ years of expertise in customer service and client relations within the music, beauty and cannabis industries. In addition, her non-profit experience has helped fund education for students in Haiti as well as music programs in MA. Vanda has received numerous awards for her community involvement such as Boston Magazine’s “Boston’s Best” as well as Zeta Phi Beta’s Pearl Anna Neal award.

Vanda received a Bachelors in Communications (Journalism) and a minor in Theater from Pennsylvania State University. She lives in Brockton with her partner, their cat Leo and their dog Nipsey.

 

Linda Hein, Finance Manager

Linda Hein joined the RAM staff in December 2022.  As RAM's Finance Manager, Linda handles the day-to-day financial operations of the Association, including preparing monthly financial and annual tax reports.  She is taking over from Audrey Brienza, who is retiring early in the new year. 

Prior to joining RAM, Linda served as the Business Manager for a local church, and with a career as an office/operations manager and bookkeeper for non-profit organizations.  She is a certified paralegal who worked for many years in the bankruptcy and commercial law fields, before moving on to the non-profit sector.

Linda received her B.A. in English, Writing and Editing from North Carolina State University, and her Paralegal Certification from Meredith College. Linda lives in Arlington, with a rescue cat, and spends as much time as possible with her young goddaughter.  She spends free time handling legal and administrative work at the Tufts University Medical School, in the Tufts Comprehensive Family Evaluation Center, where she works to assist families with custody and parenting issues.