Greenfield Welcomes Amy Cahillane as Community and Economic Development Director
GREENFIELD — Former Downtown Northampton Assoc. Executive Director Amy Cahillane will begin as Greenfield’s new Community and Economic Development director today, July 31. She will be replacing MJ Adams, who retired in April.
Cahillane graduated from Smith College in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in government. She then earned her juris doctorate in 1999 at Suffolk University School of Law before achieving a master’s degree in political science at the University of Washington in 2005.
Cahillane worked in a multitude of roles across the Northampton community. She was a board member from 2011 to 2013 and co-president from 2013 to 2016 of the Northampton Education Foundation. The volunteer board spearheaded fundraising efforts to procure private and corporate funds to support Northampton public schools.
As a participant on the Northampton Center of Arts from 2014 to 2016, Cahillane and other board members worked to provide affordable and accessible venues for a wide range of arts experiences, including performances, exhibits, arts education, and more. The board also partnered with the Northampton Community Arts Trust to reinvent 33 Hawley St. into a multi-faceted art space.
In 2016, Cahillane was hired as the first executive director for the Downtown Northampton Assoc. She guided the association and its volunteer board in initiatives to strengthen the vibrancy of the city’s economy and culture. Through strong partnerships with the local business community, city government, and downtown stakeholders, she produced various events, championed beautification efforts, and advocated on behalf of Northampton’s downtown community.
She also worked as the community liaison board member for the Northampton Jazz Festival from 2019 to 2023, which included engaging with municipal departments and local businesses during preparations for the festival.
“I am thrilled to be joining the city at a time filled with such positive momentum and economic opportunity,” Cahillane said. “The redevelopment of Wilson’s and the possibilities created by the rezoning of the Route 2A acreage are just two examples of MJ Adams’ legacy that I am so fortunate to step into, and I am looking forward to continuing to build on her great work.”
“My hope,” she added, “is to find ways to both support the incredible business community already here, while working to attract new employers; to balance increasing our housing stock while preserving the affordability that attracts people to Greenfield; and to celebrate all of the amazing people and places that already exist in a way that honors the character and uniqueness of Greenfield.”
