Howard Messing

Howard Messing joined MEDITECH as a programmer in 1974 and soon after, decided to make healthcare technology his life’s work. Now Vice Chairman, Mr. Messing was CEO for ten years and brings four decades of experience in electronic health records to the helm; he has served on MEDITECH's Board of Directors since 2011 and works closely with Chairman A. Neil Pappalardo and Vice Chairman Lawrence A. Polimeno to guide the company's policies, business, and product direction.

Before his promotion to CEO, Mr. Messing was President and Chief Operating Officer, a position he held for almost eight years and for which he was unanimously appointed by the Board of Directors. Throughout his presidency, Mr. Messing has overseen MEDITECH’s steady growth, while maintaining the company’s uniquely supportive, family-oriented culture for which it is known. He was first promoted to vice president in 1985, and most recently served as executive vice president from 1995 to 2002.

Raised in Cambria Heights, New York, Mr. Messing’s lifelong interest in science and technology has fueled his personal and professional development. In high school, he started a computer software business providing custom statistical programming at the NYU Graduate School of Business Administration. Subsequently, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass., where he majored in electrical engineering. After attending graduate school for Computer Science at Rutgers University in New Jersey, Mr. Messing returned to the Boston area and began his career at MEDITECH. His devotion to science continues to this day — he serves on the Museum of Science Board of Trustees. He’s also an active alumnus at MIT, where he serves on the Dean of Science’s Advisory Committee.

A longtime resident of Westwood, Mass., Mr. Messing has held many volunteer leadership positions, including chairman of the Finance Committee and chairman of the Economic Development Advisory Board. In addition, he helped to complete and expand use of the town’s Geographical Information System as chair of the Information System Advisory Board. In 2011 he was awarded the Westwood John J. Cronin Public Service Award for his contributions.

Mr. Messing and his wife, Colleen, have two children and two grandchildren.