Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kate Phelon. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS SUBMITTED PHOTO)
WESTFIELD – Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kate Phelon has announced her intention to retire in September, after more than nine years in the position.
Phelon has been instrumental in growing the Chamber to over 260 members and increasing program revenue. In addition to membership growth, she established public-private relationships that led to her appointment by Gov. Charlie Baker to the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative in 2016.
Also in 2016, her collaboration with Stefan Czaporowski, superintendent of the Westfield Public School system, created the Westfield Education 2 Business Alliance, which gained local, regional, and state recognition for increasing involvement by the business community in the schools through a mentoring program, Adopt-A-Classroom initiative, and High School Career Fair.
Phelon currently sits on the Economic Development Partner’s Committee working with economic development professionals from Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin ocunties, as well as regional employment boards, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, MOBD, MassDevelopment, and other chambers of commerce. She created and hosted Chamber Chatter in 2017 and still hosts the monthly radio show on WSKB, 89.5 FM showcasing a chamber member each month.
Phelon said she has been mulling over the decision to retire for more than a year, well before the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdown.
“This is awful. I didn’t expect to go out under these conditions,” Phelon said about the current situation, which has only made the decision harder. However, she said she has decided to stick to her previous plans.
Meanwhile, she will be working on the Chamber’s golf tournament at East Mountain Road Country Club, their largest fundraiser of the year, which has been moved to June 22. She said the tournament is in good shape, with more than half of the course filled, and only 60 more players needed. All of the sponsorships for the tournament are sold.
“We’re optimistic that will happen,” Phelon said. She said the Chamber is on a conference call with the governor every Friday at 1 p.m., and is following closely his plans to reopen businesses.
“I’m pretty hopeful that by then we should have some social gatherings, even with restrictions. I understand Governor Baker’s cautiousness, I get it. Western Mass is a little bit different than Eastern Mass. It’s frustrating,” Phelon said, adding that Connecticut’s golf courses are open and drawing some Massachusetts players away.
Also coming up is the Chamber’s fall breakfast which will be held on Sept. 18, one week before her retirement date of Sept. 22. “That’s going to be so hard for me,” Phelon said, but added, “I’m ready to go. There are other things that I want to do.”
For one, Phelon said she wants to get more involved in some of the boards she serves as a corporator, including Westfield State University and the Westfield Athenaeum. She is also a member of the Rotary Club of Westfield and an ex-officio board member of the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail.
“I have my passions; nature, the Rail Trail. I’m passionate about books,” she said, adding, “We’ll see.”
Board president, Dino Gravanis, general manager of Springfield Country Club, will be coordinating the search for the next executive director. Talking about what direction she would like to see the new Chamber director take, Phelon said a change in leadership is never a bad idea.
“My passion may be different than their passion. The bottom line is to understand the mission of a Chamber of Commerce. We are the voice of the business community, and we really should be doing more. I’m really hoping this new director can understand the power chambers can have as change agents,” Phelon said, emphasizing their ability to bring people together, and to be agents of change in the community.
“It’s really hard to do what you want to do sometimes. My hope is to empower the new director to see the big picture,” Phelon said.
For right now, Phelon continues to work full-time on behalf of the members and the community at large. “My focus right now is taking care of the Chamber and its members until I can turn over the keys,” she said.
