Connections is the newsletter of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce. The CCC reserves the right to edit submitted materials and is solely responsible for editorial content. Please address press releases and letters to Lisa S. Cohen.

Publisher:
Kelly Thompson Clark

Managing Editor & Ad Contact:
Lisa S. Cohen

Published by the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce
859 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 876-4100
www.cambridgechamber.org


Chamber Staff
Kelly Thompson Clark
President & CEO

Lisa S. Cohen
Director of Communications

Caryn Saitz
Director of Community Relations

Terrence F. Smith
Director of Government Affairs

Daisy Bowler Office Manager
Officers of the Board of Directors

Officers of the Board of Directors
Chair
William Sage
Sage Hotel Corporation

Treasurer
Arthur Spears
East Cambridge Savings Bank


Members of the Board of Directors

Alex Attia, Charles Hotel
Joseph Barrell, Acorn Realty
Carl F. Barron, CARU Associates
Robyn Culbertson, Cambridge Office for Tourism
Brian Burke, Microsoft
Dennis Carlone, Carlone & Associates
Sheldon Cohen, Community Mapping
John DiGiovanni, Trinity Property Management
Andrea Gabrielle, Neptune Web, Inc.
Sarah Gallop, MIT
Penny Garver, Sovereign Bank
Kathy Gram, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company
Kathleen Granchelli, Draper Laboratory
Skip Hartwell, Akamai Technologies
Jeffrey Lockwood, Novartis
Thomas Lucey, Harvard University
Norman McIver, Cambridge Trust Co.
Ellen McLaughlin, Tutoring Plus of Cambridge
Neal Mizner, Metropolitan Moving & Storage Corp.
Michael O’Connell, Mount Auburn Hospital
Amy Reilly, Biogen Idec
Rachael Solem, Harding House at Harvard
Ann Stanesa, Genzyme Corporation
William Zamparelli, NSTAR
James C. Hawkins, Director Emeritus


President's Viewpoint
As we head into the second quarter of 2010, we can’t help but feel relief that 2008/2009 are behind us, yet the light at the end of the tunnel is far from that of a sliver or consistently bright at any given time.

As you would expect, we at the Chamber are constantly talking to our members and area businesses about how things are going. For some it has been a battle to just maintain current levels but for most it has been an uphill battle to survive. Chambers of commerce are no different—they are businesses too.

While most chambers have had to eliminate or scale back their activities, the CCC has added to programming and offerings to make sure you stay connected to business opportunities and each other.

It has been no surprise that many of you have taken advantage of our FREE or low-cost programs. You asked for it and we are delivering programs that can provide direct results related to your bottom line or efficiency. At each High Tech & Science productivity program the room has been packed, later this month we are partnering with Google to offer our first 2010 business toolkit series program on April 21 and one of our newest initiatives, the Cambridge Young Professionals, kicked off last month with a sold-out event at Noir.

It’s simple, creativity must prevail in our approach. As we move through the year you will see the CCC offer some traditional pro- grams through non-traditional means. Yep, webinars and other online options need to be integrated into our current offerings. Dare I say it, our use of social networking must be expanded. I know, I know… that can be daunting to some but it really should be equally important to all of us, not just younger colleagues. Everyone is so busy these days and the option to “join in” when possible is just too attractive to pass up.

Of course these options must become a part of the bigger picture that has been created because of our membership and this incredible community. Your ideas and input are the inspiration for our content. We ask that you keep the ideas coming and please stay involved. Take advantage of the opportunities we provide; take advantage of us!

Best in business,
Kelly Thompson Clark