Williamstown Chamber Executive Director Departing
 Jennifer Civello, right, seen at a Williamstown Chamber event in July, is leaving as the chamber's executive director at the beginning of the year. |
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williamstown Chamber of Commerce is in the market for a new executive director.
Jennifer Civello notified the chamber's president earlier this month that she would be stepping down from the post she assumed in August 2012.
"I just feel like in the past 2 1/2 years, I've really helped the chamber transform into something great," Civello said this week.
"It's time for somebody else who wants to take that over to do so."
Williamstown Chamber President Jason Dohaney said the organization's executive committee will create a search committee that will identify candidates to replace Civello, who will stay on the job through Jan. 6.
"We are very grateful to Jen for her time and service to the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce," Dohaney said in response to an email seeking comment. "Her good work has resulted in growth and strength for the chamber and for the entire community."
Civello said her charge over the last few years has been to put the chamber to work for that community, not just the businesses that are the core of any chamber of commerce.
"At the [Nov. 12] annual meeting, we talked about the three constituencies that are most important to the chamber: business members, visitors and residents," she said. "The chamber does a lot of things that benefit Williamstown residents, including special events. The holiday decorations fall under the auspices of the chamber. We organize Holiday Walk."
 Civello introduces herself to the Selectmen in 2012. |
The 31st annual holiday celebration, the annual Fourth of July parade and the Summer Sundays street fair on Spring Street are chamber-driven enterprises that target all three of the group's constituencies.
One of Civello's points of emphasis in her tenure has been boosting the chamber's external communications. Twice during the last 2 1/2 years, the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce has redone its website. She also has used weekly email blasts and social media to help promote the town.
She also pointed to the chamber's role in working with the town's cultural institutions to create a Massachusetts Cultural District and maintain the seasonal information booth at the bottom of Spring Street in the summer.
Looking beyond the town line, Civello notes that Williamstown is not the only place where chamber-related services are in transition. In September, Veronica Bosley left North Adams' Office of Tourism. This month, Adams lost its first tourism director, Samantha Talora, after about eight months on the job.
"The time is ripe to talk about regionalization — particularly when talking about tourism," Civello said. "The three [Northern Berkshire] communities should look at why this is happening. Together, we're much stronger than we are individually."
Civello said she did not know if chamber consolidation was the solution, but she would not rule it out. Either way, she advocated for collaboration among the region's municipalities.
"We should be looking at shared resources in terms of looking at regionalization," she said. "That means looking at the role of 1Berkshire and the Berkshire Visitors Bureau in making these things happen."
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