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Connections
The newsletter for members and friends of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce
November 2011
Vol. 74, No. 5


859 Massachusetts Avenue
Holiday BAHsh
Save the date! As always, the CCC Holiday BAHsh will kickoff the holiday season in Cambridge the Thursday after Thanksgiving. This year that’s December 1! Mark your calendar and plan to attend this always fun and festive event.
New Staff Member
Amelia “Molly” Cole has joined the CCC staff as manager of business development, in charge of new member recruitment and membership services. Read more about Molly on page ten.
Kelly Elected to Regional Role
Congrats to CCC President & CEO, Kelly Thompson Clark, the incoming president of the New England Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (NEACCE), the governing body for chambers of commerce serving New England. NEACCE deals with regional & policy issues, industry activities on a national level, and professional development for chamber professionals. Kelly will be inaugurated on November 7 at a regional conference in Cambridge. She was elected in April by a vote of her peers and will serve through November 2012. She previously served as president of the Massachusetts Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.     ccc


Photo caption: Winners of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Business Awards posed with CCC President & CEO Kelly Thompson Clark and Board Chair William Sage from Sage Hotel Corporation (sixth and seventh from left): Kevin Mason from New Member of the Year MassPay; Ambassador of the Year Bob Folger from AFR Furniture Rental, Inc.; Brian Jurgens from Small Business of the Year W.T. Kenney Co., Inc.; Wendall Bourne and Anthony Galluccio from Nonprofit of the Year Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center, Inc.; Business Person of the Year Rachael Solem from the Irving House at Harvard; Andrew Curtis from Leading Edge winner Pfizer Cambridge; and Anne Marie Levins from Corporate Citizen of the Year Microsoft.

Excellence in Business Award presented
The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce presented the annual Excellence in Business Awards at the Cambridge Marriott on Wednesday, September 21, 2011. Over 300 business representatives gathered to celebrate achievements and community involvement by Cambridge-area businesses.

Following a festive cocktail hour, the formal portion of the evening began with a brief welcome by CCC Board Chair William Sage of Sage Hotel Corporation.
Cambridge Mayor David Maher delivered greetings from the city, saying that Cambridge is lucky to have such an active chamber of commerce and thanking the business community for all they do to make Cambridge a better place for all of its citizens. Mayor Maher emphasized that the City Council takes very seriously the input of the business community because they know how much it contributes to the success of the city. He congratulated the finalists and said, “You all epitomize what this city is all about.”

CCC President & CEO Kelly Thompson Clark spoke briefly about the Chamber, introducing the Board members and staff in attendance. She recognized the event sponsors Novartis, Amgen and Cambridge Trust Company and then thanked the membership for being involved and active.

Kelly presented the Ambassador of the Year award to Bob Folger of AFR Furniture Rental, Inc. Bob was selected by his fellow Ambassadors and the CCC staff in recognition of his consistent involvement and support of the Chamber. In receiving the award, Bob noted that being an Ambassador has been a truly unique and great experience for himself and his organization and it has been a “great way to get to know a lot of you as friends and colleagues.”
Kelly then honored City Manager Robert Healy for his 30 years of service to the city of Cambridge, saying, “Bob set the business climate in Cambridge. He does his best to partner with businesses whether they are looking to relocate to our area, expand or move within the city. He has always made himself available to the Chamber, sharing ideas, meeting with our members, making and taking suggestions.”

The CCC made a $5,000 donation to the Robert W. Healy Scholarship fund to mark the occasion and Bob said that he appreciates the symbolism of the award to the scholarship fund and he was honored to be in the city that he loves, was born in and grew up in for a short time. He recognized the City’s staff and said that they have made his dream come true of having Cambridge looked at as a professionally run city. He also thanked the business community for paying the taxes that make this possible.

After dinner, keynote speaker David P. Meeker, MD, newly appointed CEO of Genzyme shared a brief evolution of the company and its roots in Cambridge and spoke about the reasons behind Sanofi’s acquisition of Genzyme.

Dr. Meeker said that Genzyme was formed on the general premise of finding the best technology available to solve a particular problem and its founders had an incredible sense of purpose. Genzyme’s personalized, patient-oriented approach is the way that health care is going to go and among the reasons Sanofi wanted to acquire them were that the people, ideas and money that lead to innovation are here in Cambridge. 

Six awards were then presented to exemplary CCC members. CCC President & CEO Kelly Thompson Clark presented New Member of the Year award. Michael O’Connell, Vice President of Mount Auburn Hospital and Immediate Past-Chair of the CCC Board of Directors presented Small Business of the Year and Nonprofit of the Year. Margaret Chu-Moyer, PhD, Executive Director Research & Site Head from event sponsor Amgen awarded the Leading Edge and Corporate Citizen of the Year. Joseph V. Roller II, President & CEO of Cambridge Trust Company and last year’s winner, presented the Carl F. Barron Business Person of the Year award.

New Member of the Year—MassPay
This award, recognizing a business or individual new to the CCC who demonstrates outstanding commitment to the Chamber and the community, was presented to MassPay. Founded in 2004, MassPay is a payroll service provider that serves small to midsized companies. MassPay partner KC Commoss, who is a CCC Ambassador, was unable to attend the event so the award was received by Kevin Mason. In accepting the award, Kevin said that the CCC has been a tremendous source of not only clients, but referral relationships and education for MassPay. “We’ve grown 35% over the past three years and a lot of that is in Cambridge.” NSK Inc. and Skillman Video Group were the other finalists in this category.

Small Business of the Year—W.T. Kenney Co., Inc.
The Small Business of the Year award honors a company with fewer than fifty employees that demonstrates excellence and professionalism in its industry. It was presented to W.T. Kenney Co., Inc., a fourth generation family-owned and -operated firm that has provided commercial, institutional and residential painting, wallcovering and specialty finishes since 1939. W.T. Kenney’s Brian Jurgens accepted the award, speaking about the warm embrace the company has gotten and the business relationships and friendships he has formed through the CCC. “I love the Chamber,” he said and then he dedicated the award to his grandfather who is battling leukemia. AFR Furniture Rental, Inc. and PakCom Incorporated were also finalists in this category.

Nonprofit of the Year—Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center, Inc.
This award, which recognizes a Cambridge-area nonprofit organization that demonstrates superior performance, quality and consistency in the pursuit of its mission, was presented to the Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center, Inc. Hildebrand works to break the cycle of family homelessness one family at a time, with a goal of helping families to attain and retain their independence, dignity and self-sufficiency. This award was accepted by Hildebrand Board members Wendall Bourne and Anthony Galluccio on behalf of the staff, Executive Director Joyce Mathon Trotman and Board of Directors of the St. Paul AME Church, in which the organization has its roots. Wendall congratulated the other nominees and said that doing this good work is not possible without all of us working together and they are honored and humbled to be part of this community. The other finalists were Cambridge Family and Children’s Service and Child Care Resource Center, Inc.

The Leading Edge—Pfizer Cambridge
Pfizer Cambridge was honored with the Leading Edge award, which recognizes a business that demonstrates leadership and innovation in the technology or biotechnology industries. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Their diversified global health care portfolio includes human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as nutritional products and many of the world’s best-known consumer products. Andrew Curtis received the award on behalf of Pfizer. He commented that many of the previous speeches referred to relationships, community and innovation and emphasized that we all need each other and relationships are key to success. Pfizer has made a significant commitment to Cambridge and it is under the assumption that they are here as a community partner.

Corporate Citizen of the Year—Microsoft
The Corporate Citizen of the Year award, which honors a company that demonstrates significant contributions, involvement and distinguished community service, was presented to Microsoft. The Microsoft New England Research & Development (NERD) Center is a research and software innovation campus located in Cambridge, which employs 500. Giving and volunteerism play a pivotal role in Microsoft’s culture. Brian Burke, who serves on the CCC Board of Directors, was unable to attend so Associate General Counsel Anne Marie Levins accepted the award, saying, “It’s a real privilege for me to accept this award on behalf of Microsoft, especially on a night when Bob Healy is being honored for his 30 years of service.” When they were deciding to open their research campus in Cambridge, they noted, “It’s a really well-run city.” She thanked the Cambridge community for embracing Microsoft, especially the 60,000 people who have attended events at the NERD center, and added that 300 more Microsoft colleagues will be moving into the city.

Carl F. Barron Business Person of the Year—Rachael Solem, Irving House at Harvard
Named after Carl F. Barron of Putnam Furniture Leasing to celebrate his 75 years in business and as a Chamber member, the Business Person of the Year award honors an individual who demonstrates professional excellence and outstanding leadership in the community. It was presented to Rachael Solem. Rachael has been with the Irving House at Harvard for 21 years. They provide “friendly accommodations in the heart of Cambridge.” As President and General Manager, Rachael supervises a staff of 35 at Irving House and 12 at Harding House. She is the human resources department, marketing department, director of capital improvements & business development, bookkeeping and accounting department, director of community relations, and chief visionary officer. In accepting the award, Rachael said that she was honored to be involved in this circle inspired by Carl Barron’s good work. She added that as she looked around the room she saw the faces of so many people that she has worked with and learned from and most of those connections have come from involvement in the Chamber.

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible, lead sponsor Novartis and contributing sponsors Amgen and Cambridge Trust Company, as well as our hosts the Cambridge Marriott and photographer David Fox of David Fox Photographer.

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