Page 5 - BusinessWest July 11, 2022

Diana Szynal says one of her priorities moving forward is making sure this region’s voice is heard on Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill.
Also on the list is creation of a new strategic plan — the last one was undertaken before the pandemic — and continuing and building upon Creed’s strong track record for not only keeping members well-informed, but making sure their voices are heard on Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill.
“Nancy was, and still is a great voice for this region,” said Szynal. “We need to continue to make sure that our voice is heard, and the way you do that is by engaging the legislators and forming good relationships with stage agencies. The legislative piece is really important, and that’s where the Springfield Regional Chamber has a leg up, because it spends so much time making sure that it has put together a solid legis-
lative agenda that supports what businesses need and makes sure that the voice at this end of the state is heard.”
Overall, Szynal takes the reins at an intriguing time for this chamber, and chambers in general. Indeed, she said that the pandemic provided
an opportunity for chambers to show their true value to members — and potential members — when it comes to not only providing needed information (although there was plenty of that) but for being a true resource for, and advocate for, the business community.
“I think there was a real affirmation of the value of chamber membership, particularly dur- ing the pandemic,” she said. “In Franklin County,
when we went into the shut-down and my phone was ringing, it was non-members who were reaching out. Members of chambers were get- ting a lot of information during that tumultuous time on matters such as the Payroll Protection Program, who qualified, and how the loans were processed.”
This ability to step up and elevate their game, if you will, resulted in chambers being able to
“The pandemic really did shine a spotlight on how critical it is to be part of that larger group and have that support and have that information that was so important.”
retain members and actually add new ones at a time of real challenge for businesses of all sizes and in every business sector, she went on, adding that both the Franklin County chamber and the Springfield Regional chamber have posted solid numbers the past few years, better than those from before the pandemic.
Moving forward, she said she plans to build off this momentum — and that’s what she prefers to call it — while also strengthening existing rela- tionships with both other chambers and other economic-development-related agencies.
For this issue, BusinessWest talked with Szynal about her new appointment, the state of the
Michael Lynch
Barbara-Jean Michael James Michael Henry "Hank" Joe Doug
Deloria Moriarty Montemayor Davey Downey Kulig
Gilbert
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