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Planning to succeed - Because you asked, we acted!
Early this year, your Board of Directors embarked on a project to develop a Strategic Plan to help guide the Chamber through the coming years. We enlisted the aid of a facilitator who help us through the process which included interviews with current and past members, non-member businesses and area officials. We held two planning retreats using that information with input from the attendees and we conducted an email survey to solicit opinions on a host of Chamber priorities, goals and activities.
As a result of our research and your input and advice, we successfully completed the Strategic Plan in June and are deep into the process of implementing the plan throughout the remainder of this year and into 2011. There are three purposes, or goals, that we are very excited about, are attainable and we plan to carry them out to completion which will result in the Chamber being better able to aid our members in operating their businesses.
These goals are:
- A comprehensive Membership Investment Package that delivers value perceived as greater than membership dues.
- A Leadership Role where the Chamber is a knowledgeable and formidable presence at all meetings on issues relating to commerce.
- Creating a Partnership to become a central source of promotion, support and an intermediary of business and our communities.
The Board thanks all for your contributions so far and is happy to receive any additional input. Planning groups are continuing in their efforts to attain these goals and are working hard to bring them to fruition. Our Strategic Plan can only result in a stronger and more effective Chamber of Commerce for our members and a successful business climate throughout the Greater Easthampton area.
Eric Snyder, Executive Director
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| Member Spotlight - WHMP/WRSI | |
Deb Hamel records an ad for a client  |
These two radio stations are notable on Pioneer Valley airwaves due to their degree of local control and personality. WHMP's morning show with Chris Collins is one of the few remaining local live talk shows. The station's other shows are also relevant to current issues. WRSI's listeners and DJs are engaged and committed to shopping locally.
Account Executive-Marketing Consultant Deb Hamel describes her job at WRSI/WHMP as building excitement, and she loves it. While her job is to sell ads, she also likes being on the air and recording ads. "People don't realize radio advertising can be affordable," she says. "My job is to customize a package to help clients achieve goals within a budget." One way that ads can fit into a smaller budget is through the "Valley General Store," where businesses barter gift certificates for time on air.
Chris Collins and Deb Hamel announced Easthampton 225th parade  | Both stations host community events throughout the year and staff members are involved in fundraising for local groups. When Deb heard about Celebrate Southampton, she sought business sponsors for an ad campaign to get the word out about that event. WHMP sponsored Easthamton's 225th Anniversary Celebration, Deb was one of the organizers, and she and Chris Collins announced the parade live. "Everybody here cares about the stations and the community," she says.
The value of the Greater Easthampton Chamber, according to Deb, is that it supports the businesses that do so much for the community. "The city and businesses have a shared history, and the Chamber is where they meet." She notes that Easthampton businesses were some of the station's first advertisers in the 1950s. "Easthampton has been a part of WHMP since the beginning."
Would you like your business to be featured in a future Member Spotlight? Contact the Chamber office and we will put you on the list.
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Member News - The Williston Northampton School Welcomes New Head
Robert W. Hill III, 19th head of The Williston Northampton School  |
The Williston Northampton School formally welcomed its new head of school, Robert W. Hill III, in an investiture ceremony last month. No stranger to the Pioneer Valley, Hill was born in Boston and spent much of his childhood in Amherst. He taught at Westminster School in Simsbury, CT, and St. Paul's School in Concord, NH, and most recently was associate head of school and principal of the Upper School at Carolina Day School in Asheville, NC.
Hill told the Daily Hampshire Gazette that Williston's "atmosphere of excellence" was what attracted him. He intends to grow the school's Williston+ Program, which takes advantage of the resources that abound in the Five College area, allowing the school to "provide a college preparatory experience that few, if any, independent schools can match," according to Hill.
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Area News - Lighting the Town
Gazebo on the common during the 2009 holiday stroll. Photo by Pat Brough  | Chamber and community members are working behind the scenes to ensure that downtown Easthampton will again be lit and festive for the holidays this December. Fundraising will begin with the 10th annual bowl-a-thon on November 6, and donation letters will soon go out to Chamber members and past donors. Also, look for details about an event at Venus and the Cellar Bar on November 8. Last year's donation cans were very successful, so expect to see collection cans at businesses around town, and drop in some change.
Fundraising for holiday lights brings together many members of the downtown Easthampton community. While the committee is led by Chamber board members, non-member businesses and individuals also participate generously. All this effort will culminate in the Holiday Stroll on December 3 and the Holiday Dinner Dance on December 16.
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