Springfield Regional Chamber wants to be catalyst for continued growth (Outlook 2019 Viewpoint)

Nancy Creed (Third-Party-Submitted)

By Nancy F. Creed, Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce

In the last year, the excitement around new projects in the region reached a crescendo. Businesses in Springfield began visible improvements in anticipation of the opening of the MGM casino in August - ahead of schedule. Work on the Interstate 91 viaduct was completed, and the restored Union Station, a landmark from Springfield's past, was unveiled.

You can't mention Union Station without acknowledging another point of progress for the region - the launch of the Hartford line, which expands rail service into Connecticut from Union Station to Hartford and New Haven, creating opportunities for jobs, business and tourism.

There is new energy in downtown Springfield. Sidewalks are filled with visitors and MGM employees, many of whom live downtown. Along Main Street, new businesses have launched and others are slated to open in 2019. MGM has put a spring in Springfield's step, and downtown has become a vibrant destination.

Further north, the Holyoke Community College MGM Culinary Arts Institute opened in the Cubit Building in Holyoke, and Mercedes-Benz of Springfield opened a new dealership in Chicopee.

With 2018 having ushered in the completion of so many anticipated projects, we might think that 2019 will be a bit anticlimactic.  Not at all.

This year will be a time of continued growth, as businesses look at the progress being made in the region and see opportunity here. It will be a time of collaboration, partnerships and a collective investment for the future of the region.

What will that future look like? I don't have a crystal ball, but the Springfield Regional Chamber does have a plan. The chamber recently embarked on a three-year strategic plan that is an ambitious blueprint for our role in the region's success and the continued success of the chamber, which has been connecting businesses and working for the prosperity of the region for more than 100 years.

The Springfield Regional Chamber is at the center of much of the work that is done in Western Massachusetts. We are fortunate to have a seat at the table for many initiatives both regionally and in Boston, where we advocate for the business interests of the region on legislative issues and public policy.

Over the next three years, the chamber will take a lead role in three key priority areas that are part of our strategic plan: convening leaders and influencers to get things done; championing business growth; and being a catalyst for thriving communities.

What does this mean? It means that when we convene leaders, we will continue our long-standing and effective advocacy work with our business partners across the state. We will drive pro-business initiatives that support regional growth and work to remove regulatory burdens that impede this growth. We will also be the voice of the business community across all of our region, we will identify the most pressing challenges facing businesses today and into the future and we will engage leaders and find solutions.

As an example, I was asked by the secretary of the state Department of Transportation to represent the business community of the region and join leaders from across the state to and serve on the advisory committee overseeing the feasibility study of an east-west passenger rail service.

It means that when we champion business growth, we will help businesses gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. We will connect small businesses with the resources they need to grow and thrive. We will foster the entrepreneurial spirit that is at the heart of our region. We will support and encourage the minority business community.

As one example, the chamber's new website will offer content and links to resources and articles to help small businesses and showcases their success stories, as well as offering connections to suppliers and partners.

As a catalyst for thriving communities, we will identify the priorities shared among us and create connected and collaborative communities. We will develop the next generation of leaders, create partnership opportunities with young professionals to develop their capacity.

Together we will create a shared vision for our region, and, in the end, we will have achieved our vision of being a leader for innovation and prosperity.

Our strategic plan is comprehensive. Incorporated into it is the alignment of priorities with those of our members and partners.  The strategies and tactics to achieve successful outcomes for each of our key priority areas are ambitious, but we believe that building on the momentum from recent economic development by highly engaged community leadership is the key to building on the momentum of the past and to create and even brighter and more successful future of our region.

Nancy F. Creed is president of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce. She may be reached by email to creed@springfieldregionalchamber.com. To learn more about the chamber and its work, visit the website, springfieldregionalchamber.com.

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