MetroWest chamber begins search for Biocchi's successor
Staff photo
MetroWest Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bonnie Biocchi addresses scholarship recipients at a recent awards event held at Staples Inc. headquarters in Framingham.
The search is on to find a successor to Bonnie Biocchi, who has led the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce for five years.
The position has been advertised, and the chamber has reached out to the Massachusetts Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives for help with advertising the job, said Biocchi, who is helping with the transition. Biocchi is leaving to take a new role with Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester in mid-August.
Biocchi said she doesn’t anticipate a shortage of qualified candidates for her job. A committee that will vet the applicants is looking for someone with executive-level experience; experience working at a chamber is a plus, but not required, she said.
The MetroWest chamber serves nine towns surrounding its Framingham base and has 700 members, larger than many others in the region. That’s why Biocchi said a bit more business and regulatory acumen is required.
“That narrows the field a little bit,” Biocchi said. “But I think we’ll have a lot of qualified candidates.”
Biocchi came to the job with experience working on economic development initiatives at the state level. She was formerly regional director for the Massachusetts Office of Business Development in the Patrick administration. Prior to that, she was executive director of the Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce, based in Devens.
Heading the MetroWest chamber is more than just acting as the “face of the chamber,” Biocchi explained. The organization has historically been involved with regulatory processes and infrastructure initiatives, and the position requires skill in program development, she said.
A 'growth phase'
For her part, Biocchi said she’s proud to have sat on the Governor’s Economic Development Council, giving the MetroWest region a strong voice in the creation of a statewide economic development plan.
She also launched the chamber’s signature event, “The Taste of MetroWest,” at which local restaurants and food vendors showcase their best dishes and treats. That event, Biocchi said, has put the region’s restaurant industry on the map.
“I think this was real growth phase for the chamber,” Biocchi said.
In 2014, the chamber completed a review of its strategic plan, and Biocchi said her successor will be charged with carrying it out. Lemonia Mironidis, chairwoman of the chamber’s board of directors, said in a statement that Biocchi has aptly carried it forward so far.
“Although Bonnie is leaving, the board and the organization are in a good position to continue that strategic plan. Our vision as a chamber has been to be the premier chamber in the region. We have accomplished that by becoming the only 5-Star accredited chamber (designated by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce) in the region, providing a high level of advocacy for our business community, contributing to the nonprofit community through our partnerships and collaborations and establishing relationships with our municipalities and universities to assist with workforce development and increased marketability,” Mironidis wrote.
Meanwhile, Bing Yeo, a newcomer to the MetroWest chamber’s board, remarked on the sophistication of the chamber’s programming under Biocchi’s leadership. The owner of urgent care franchise Doctors Express in Marlborough and Natick, Yeo said the chamber is unique because it advocates for some of the state’s largest companies, as well as small and mid-sized businesses, and Biocchi has served and brought them together astutely.
“Not only is she very hands on, she’s just everything that the chamber exemplifies,” Yeo said.
Staying in a 'thriving region'
Biocchi is leaving with mixed emotions, but she said she’s excited to work for Habitat for Humanity because of the organization’s mission of helping people become homeowners.
And she said she expects to maintain many of her contacts in that role. While the MetroWest/Greater Worcester chapter has just one office in Worcester, Biocchi said a MetroWest office may be in the works.
“I’ve loved my time here and I’m glad that I’m still going to be in the MetroWest region continuing to work for Habitat, because it’s really a thriving area,” Biocchi said.
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