Chamber to address impact of healthcare laws

The impact of new legislation regarding health care costs and the impact of those costs on local businesses will be the focus of Peter Straley's remarks as the featured speaker at the 44th annual meeting of the East Longmeadow/Longmeadow Chamber of Commerce on Friday, April 13 at the Elmcrest Country Club.

Straley is the president of Health New England and a member of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce Legislative Committee.

Russ Denver, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce will also review local demographic trends at the breakfast meeting.

Highlights of the meeting include the "surprise" award of Citizen of the Year to a local business person and the induction of three new members to the Chamber's Board of Directors.

New board members starting their first term of office on the Board are John Downs of Peoples' Bank, David Fuentes of Healthtrax Fitness and Wellness and Susan Halpern of Jewish Geriatric Services.

Chris Buendo of Reminder Publications will serve as chief greeter of the event.

Other members of the board include president, Dawn Starks of Acres Power Equipment; lst vice president, David Leslie of Glenmeadow Retirement Community; 2nd vice president, Tammy Bordeaux of Berkshire Bank; clerk, Edward Zemba of Robert Charles Photography; past president, Ken Spafford of Spafford Leasing; Rev. David Brown of First Baptist Church; Chris Buendo of Reminder Publications; Steven Graziano of Veritech Corporation; Tim O'Brien of LENOX; Greg Pytka of Hasbro Games; Barry Stephens of IRM Insurance Agency, Inc.; Jessica Szczpaneck of East Village Place and Deb Taylor, Realtor.

Current advisors to the Board are Joe Dilk, Sr. of Connecticut Valley Artesian Well; John Maybury of Maybury Material Handling; Lavada Mu oz of The Republican; Edwaard Costa, Superintendent of the East Longmeadow School system; Geri Gagnon of ELCAT; and Foy Miller of Foy Miller & Associatess.

For more information regarding the breakfast, please contact Dawn Starks at 525-3752.