BACC held its Annual Meeting at Tuscan Kitchen

The Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) held its Annual Meeting at Tuscan Kitchen on Tuesday, November 29th. The sold-out night was just one of the more than 150 events held in the past year. The night provided a chance for members and non-members alike to network and celebrate this year’s accomplishments, and to hear what’s in the works for the upcoming year’s events and programs. With the election of three new board members, Rhiana Sherwood of Northeastern University Bouvé College of Nursing, Dave Adams of AFC Urgent Care, and Stephanie Cronin of The Middlesex 3 Coalition, the BACC strengthened its team in preparation for the future.

The night began with an address from State Representative Ken Gordon, who served as Guest Speaker. Gordon stated, “We could not do what we do in state government for Burlington's economic needs without the support and input of the BACC. They advocate for the needs of our local businesses while at the same time bringing in and recognizing importance of town government, education, cultural opportunities, charitable involvement, housing, and all that goes into making Burlington a wonderful place to live and work.”

Keynote speaker Peter Cronan spoke of how his career in football related to his career in the business world. Cronan was a linebacker for Boston College, Superbowl XVII Champion with the Washington Redskins, and is now an Action Analyst for WEEI Sports Talk Radio. Among the topics were: the importance of fear as a motivator, the self-awareness of identifying things you can and cannot control, and the concept of a team effort. This last topic was especially fitting for Cronan to include, as the BACC is a highly team oriented organization. Lisa Healey, a member of the BACC Board of Directors was particularly struck by this, stating that Cronan’s speech “showed me that the BACC members have these same values. I looked around the room as he spoke and realized how great the Chamber is and how it brings so many amazing people together to work as a team. We are blessed with such a great foundation that makes the BACC so strong.”

The meeting then delved into matters of Chamber business, such as the announcement of the BACC Charitable Partnership Program. This program will strengthen the BACC’s position as the conduit between the Burlington-area's business community and BACC non-profit organizations. The purpose of the program will be to facilitate relationships between companies and charitable organizations resulting in the fulfillment of both needs and philanthropic goals. BACC President Rick Parker said, “We see the day to day challenges that business organizations have in trying to connect to one another. This obstacle is not unique to for-profit businesses; the local charitable and non-profit organizations encounter this same concern. The BACC Charitable Foundation will work with the individual businesses to determine where their assistance can be best utilized in the local community.”

BACC Board members Bob Buckley and Kelly Pappas of communicated the accomplishments of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee. Highlighted were the Chamber’s role in economic development and partnering with the local and regional governmental agencies. “The Chamber works very hard to stay on top of issues that affect local business and our community. We have initiated several forums to bring legislators to our membership to have an open dialogue on pending legislation.” Buckley states, “The Chamber realizes that the solution to many challenges are found in a public-private partnership. We collaborate with local and state municipalities as well as a strong partnership with the Middlesex 3 Coalition and area educational institutions.”

The buzz continued after the event, as members networked with each other and BACC Directors. Christina Zichelle, Owner of Xtend Barre said, “Thank you BACC for putting together an amazing night. This was my very first annual meeting, and being a new business owner in the community, I left feeling inspired and motivated. It is comforting and reassuring to have the community, better yet the chamber team, by my side. As a young female small business owner in an area where every face was a new face, the support I receive from the chamber is priceless. In less than a year, the experience truly hit home for me at the meeting last night. To quote Pete Cronan, ‘passion IS powerful’ and you could see it all around you this evening.”