www.northboroughrotary.org
www.rotary7910.org
Today Northborough Rotary welcomed Barbara Clifford, Executive Director of the Corridor 9 Chamber of Commerce. Prior to her role with Corridor 9, Ms. Clifford spent 25 years working in the garment industry in New York City. After a rewarding career in that field, she sought a quieter place and found herself in a small town in Maine where she ran a local chamber of commerce. After running that local chamber and living for awhile in the slower pace that is northern New England, Barbara found it a bit too slow and thought she would seek a place that was a bit livelier and had more opportunity.
Timing is everything. As one would have it, the Corridor 9 Chamber was interested in hiring a new Executive Director and Ms. Clifford found the role interesting, but there was a hitch. Corridor 9 was not an independent chamber of commerce at the time and was subject to a hierarchy in Worcester that was not at all appealing to an effective manager and leader such as Ms. Clifford. The Corridor 9 Chamber agreed with Ms. Clifford’s concerns and decided that they would go independent from the Worcester chamber and under her leadership, did so in 2003, becoming an independent corporation.
Barbara Clifford’s leadership has benefited the Corridor 9 chamber greatly not just in terms of organization but also in sheer numbers. In her relatively short tenure as Executive Director the chamber has grown town affiliations from the ‘Boro’s to include over 54 towns from as far away as Shirley and Ayer, corporate membership has exploded and at any given membership breakfast one can find over 200 guests which run the gamut from sole proprietors all the way up to top executives of multi-billion dollar corporations such as EMC and Astra-zeneca.
Over the years, the Corridor 9 chamber has donated scholarships and awards in excess of $400k and is very involved with local community activities such as Northborough’s own AppleFest. As Ms. Clifford put it, “The Corridor 9 Chamber is an organization for businesses that tries to help businesses grow.” Northborough Rotary is fortunate to be a member of the Corridor 9 chamber and all members are encouraged to attend the chamber’s events.
Club Business
AppleFest- Ken Golden discussed booth sales saying that about 25% more booths had been sold compared to this time last year. He asked the club for 3-4 volunteers to help assist with all the vendors. Ken also mentioned that the town has a new health inspector and the inspector will be making sure that any vendor selling food has the required permits. If food is being donated, then there isn’t any need for a permit.
In other news, a Blood Drive is coming, and Jean Bianchi would like to stress that DUES ARE DUE. So please get your dues payments in. Finally Northborough Rotary will donate $1000 with a matching grant from District in order to help children who can’t afford the after school program to be able to participate.
Plea to Rotarians from DorisWalsh, Chairman of Drawing At the Applefest. We are having a drawing for 5 good prizes. Does anyone have any contact to get tickets donated for a Red Sox /Patriots orCeltics Game??? Please call Doris 508-662-1874
Barbara Clifford - Cor 9
Funnies:
Q: Did you hear about the dyslexic, agnostic, insomniac?
A: He lay awake at night wondering if there really was a dog.
Quote of the week:
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
Abraham Lincoln 1805-1865
