Editor’s Note – Bentley University President Gloria Cordes Larson was among three individuals and companies honored with Next Century awards at the AIM centennial gala on Monday.

Few individuals have left a more significant mark on the Massachusetts economy than Gloria Cordes Larson.

Her unique intelligence and energy has defined a career dedicated to the public interest – as a cabinet secretary, as a respected lawyer, as a senior Federal Trade Commission official, as chair of the authority that built the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and now, as president of Bentley University.

One of her greatest achievements was leading Massachusetts through a period of breathtaking economic growth from 1993 through 1996.