Ceo
Merrimack Valley Chamber Of Commerce
The mission of a chamber of commerce was Total Community Development. Ours was accredited, one of only 10% of chambers of commerce in the nation to be accredited. We grew by more than 500% during my 13 years there. We introduced total-quality-management teaching to the region with Dr. W. Edwards Deming. We created business-education collaboratives, including community policing, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, and juvenile diversion programs. We also developed job training programs in collaboration with government. A few highlights:--- We created an extensive Lawrence Business-Education Collaborative that included an Adopt-a-School program where all 19 schools were adopted, involving 54 businesses, 6 business groups, 11 educational institutions, 11 community organizations, and 7 local foundations.--- The collaboration also included an annual house-building program with the Regional Vo-Tech High School. Teachers and over 200 students from all building trades were involved, designing and constructing a house each year that was sold on the open market, giving kids real-world experience not otherwise affordable. --- We created an Academic Olympics program involving 70 organizations and providing 2,800 hours of academic coaching to more than 250 students from three high schools. --- We conducted a Read-Aloud program where 256 business and professional people made 1,800 annual classroom visits to K-3 classes to read books to the children.--- We managed a federally funded Retired Senior Volunteer Program with 325 volunteers who donated over 60,000 hours of service to area hospitals and other not-for-profit organizations annually. --- We were honored with a Citation, authorization to fly the E-Flag, and receipt of the top award in the President's Citation Program for Private Sector Initiatives for finding innovative solutions to public problems.