HUNTINGTON – At the start of Wednesday’s Hilltown Collaborativ meeting in Stanton Hall, chair Andrew Myers of Chester announced that the new grant-funded position of economic development director had been filled.
(L-R) Andy Myers, chair of the HIlltown Collaborative with new economic development director Jeanne LeClair and Chester town administrator Patricia Carlino at meeting on Wednesday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Myers then introduced Jeanne LeClair of Haverhill to the group, which is comprised of representatives of the six Gateway hilltowns and partners. Myers said LeClair, who hails from a small town in Missouri, received her bachelor’s degree from Boston University, and master’s in community development from Brandeis.
“I’m excited to be a part of this project,” LeClair said, adding that she has told her friends that she’s found her “dream job.” She also said that her aunt and uncle live in Dalton, and she has long admired western Massachusetts.
LeClair will formally begin on July 10 and will have office space in Huntington Town Hall, although Myers emphasized that she will be serving the interests of the six Gateway hilltowns, including Huntington, Chester, Middlefield, Montgomery, Russell and Blandford.
Members and supporters of the HIlltown Collaborative met on Wednesday in Stanton Hall in Huntington. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Following LeClair’s introduction were updates from two tracks the Hilltown Collaborative has been following in its mission to promote shared services and economic development in the six towns.
Molly Goren-Watts of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission gave an overview of the IT analysis PVPC has done in each community. “Jamie Durand and I really enjoyed these visits, and enjoyed your hospitality,” Goren-Watts said.
She said the team reviewed workstations, internet connectivity, and software in each of the towns, and is working on a comparative analysis with an eye towards potential shared resources. Goren-Watts said they would not be telling the towns what to do, but making suggestions, such as creating a line item in the budget for information technology, something many towns have not had.
She said other recommendations will include specific technical upgrades needed in each community, and the potential for shared document storage and backup, another area in which some of the towns are lacking. Regarding shared personnel, Goren-Watts said she thought a shared part-time IT director to do ongoing thinking and long-term planning would be a great idea.
The second group to present was Elan, the design and planning firm that received a grant last year through the Community Compact to do an economic overview of the region and develop a strategy which will be the starting point for the new economic development director.
Susan Caruvana, senior planner for Elan Planning, Design, & Landscape Architecture shared an implementation matrix at the meeting designed to outline the initial steps of the strategy, and who would be responsible for taking them. The plan has been completed, and is currently being shared with the members of the Hilltown Collaborative.
“The last thing we want to do, after working on this for a year, is to have this sit on a shelf somewhere,” Caruvana said of the plan.
The steps in the matrix included project administration, community relations, tourism marketing, and economic development. Newly hired director LeClair was the logical choice to lead much of the effort, with the support of the Hilltown Collaborative and its representatives on each town’s select boards.
Other partners who were present at the meeting and offering their support were Michele Kenney, president of the Jacob’s Ladder Business Association, Dave Christopolis, executive director of the Hilltown Community Development Corporation and Patrick Beaudry, community relations at PVPC.
While much of the strategy focused on promoting tourism in the region, Myers said increased tourism is only one part of the goal of the Collaborative.
“Tourism is a piece of the puzzle – not the whole puzzle,” Myers said. He said promoting existing local businesses, new growth and investments in the region are also necessary. “(We need to) come up with ideas and solutions for an economically justifiable future,” he added.
Also part of the plan developed by Elan is identifying available space and strategic sites, and recruiting businesses to the region. The final version of the report will be issued this week.
