Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Egan.
Lisa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I spent many years in publishing: first, as a product manager and editor at a high-tech textbook publisher in Boston, and later as a consultant still focused on the high-tech publishing space. After 10 years, I was looking for a change. While my kids were young, I volunteered to help update and renovate the playground at my kids’ elementary school. On that project, I worked with an active committee of neighbors and volunteers and together we raised over $50,000 for the playground.
Invigorated by that experience, I joined the Master Planning Committee for Sturges Park of Reading, which was a longer and more complex project. With other community volunteers, we raised over $10,000 for Sturges and improved that playground as well. Both experiences were very rewarding, and I enjoyed the working with and for my community.
After gaining the nickname “Leslie Knope”, a reference to the TV show “Parks and Recreation”, I saw the opening for an Executive Director for the Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce and thought it would be a natural fit as I could apply my publishing and project management skills and combine them with my interest in serving my community.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
At the outset, there were challenges, particularly because as the position had been open for a few months and there was a backlog of tasks. I learned quickly that we needed to update our business processes and better communicate the role and value of the Chamber.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization that focuses on supporting local businesses. I often think of myself as a personal concierge and connect business owners with partners and opportunities to help them grow and thrive.
Ultimately, I strive to create a community for business owners. People reach out to me for recommendations all the time, and I love recommended the right person. Having lived locally for 17 years, and given my roles in working with the town and schools, I developed many connections to leverage for the mutual benefit of the Chamber and my members.
Our Chamber is very active, and we are known for our varied calendar of events: from casual networking events to educational hands-on seminars on business topics. I strive to respond to any issues affecting employers. For example, we had a rash of break-ins in downtown Reading businesses and I pulled together a coffee meeting with business owners and the local police to address the issue within a week.
In North Reading, we are working to update the snow removal laws affecting businesses and the residents. Looking ahead, we are hosting a meeting next month about new legislation that will raise the minimum wage for the entire state. I work to ensure we represent both North Reading and Reading equally and balance our calendar with events in both towns. One point of pride for the Chamber is our annual Holiday Tree Lighting.
We have hosted the Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration over Thanksgiving weekend in Reading for 26 years and North Reading for 12 years. (They are held on the same day at the exact same time!). It is a beloved tradition that the Chamber plans and pays for each year. The afternoon includes ice sculptures, performances, live music and Santa illuminates the common at dusk.
In 2016 the Chamber invested over $7,000 to expand the electricity and lights on the North Reading Town Common which made a huge difference. The Holiday Tree Lighting Celebrations are our way of giving back to the community. This event is a family favorite and kicks off the holiday season for many.
Overall, I aim to provide a lot of value to my members. The job involves hard work, but it is also a lot of fun. I have met countless wonderful local residents and business leaders, including the occasional big-wigs. For example, I hosted Governor Charlie Baker at our 2017 Annual Meeting and former-NFL star Dan Marino when he opened Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza in Reading.
We had an event at Jordan’s Furniture’s IMAX Theater with Eliot Tatelman as my co-host, who we all know from Jordan’s ads. It’s been an adventure.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I really value having the independence to run the Chamber as I see fit, and I appreciate the entrepreneurial aspect of the being an Executive Director.
My Board of Directors has always been very supportive and empowered me to make positive changes, from updating our mission statement to overhauling our website. I treat the Chamber as my own business and am invested in its success.
That investment comes through in the careful planning, organization, listening to the community and engaging people in dialogue and networking.
Pricing:
- Chamber Membership is open to all businesses who want to grow their base in Reading and North Reading MA. Dues are valid for 12 months and the fee is based on the size of your business. We purposely structure the dues to ensure they are attainable for businesses of every size. With that in mind, consultants with no employees pay dues of $100 per year, and businesses with 2 – 9 employees pay $195. For larger corporations, the dues increase, and companies may apply right on our website at www.bit.ly/JoinRNRChamber.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 978-664-5060
- Email: info@rnrchamber.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReadingNorthReadingChamberofCommerce/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reading-north-reading-chamber-of-commerce/
Image Credit:
Peg Raciti
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