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Date: 8/8/2023
WESTFIELD — The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce recently appointed Amanda Waterfield its new executive director.
“It feels exciting, challenging, and very positive,” said Waterfield. “When I got a call from Dino Gravanis, president of the chamber’s Board of Directors, and he told me that the board had voted to offer me the job, I was over the moon.”
Gravanis stated, “Amanda is a fierce advocate for local business, with a passion for creating successful partnerships. She is the right person to help grow our organization while continuing to support the business community through creative promotions and events, and providing educational opportunities for our members in the nine communities we serve.”
Waterfield comes to the chamber with significant experience in corporate communications, media and advertising, having worked in the public affairs department of Ford Motor Company. Most recently, she was the publisher of West Springfield Lifestyle magazine and was also a textbook editor for over 20 years. Waterfield is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, lived in Westfield from 2011 to 2019 and now lives in West Springfield with her two children, Andrew and Laura, and their dog Queenie. She is member and a past president of the Kiwanis Club of Westfield and a member of the West Springfield Rotary Club.
In 2015, Waterfield had been the interim director of the East of the River Chamber in the Longmeadow area, and she loved it, but her children were still quite young at the time, and she needed more time at home. When she learned that the executive director position in Westfield was opening up, Waterfield decided it was a good time for her to pursue it.
Waterfield told Reminder Publishing that her strengths are developing relationships and making connections between parties who may not have thought to work together, or may not be aware of each other. She said she likes bringing people together where she sees a potential synergy.
One of the things Waterfield loves said she about Westfield is how many resources the community has. She sees Westfield as having both a lot of history and a lot of potential for growth.
“We have one of the most diverse business communities,” Waterfield said. “We have everything from a college to an airport to a children’s museum. We even have a baseball team! I just think it’s unusually rich in terms of what we have here to offer our residents and business partners. It’s part of what drew me to the job.”
Waterfield’s current and future goals as executive director focus on learning as much as possible about the needs of the chamber’s members. She has met with many members to educate herself on their businesses and to determine how the chamber can best serve them.
“We have a diverse range of businesses, from single owner-operators to companies with hundreds of employees, and the needs are varied,” Waterfield stated. “I would like every member to know that I am here to help in any way possible.”
Right now, Waterfield is working on increasing publicity through social media platforms and the organization’s newsletter, building the visibility of chamber members in the community. She’s also focused on growth, bringing in new members who can benefit from their offerings.
“The most fulfilling part of the job so far has been meeting with businesses to strengthen their connection with the chamber,” said Waterfield. “I am looking forward to great networking events this fall, and I’m excited about our potential for growing to serve even more members.”
Upcoming events include a breakfast on Sept. 22 hosted by the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base, and a legislative luncheon on Oct. 27 at Westfield Technical Academy, where city and state leaders will share updates. These events are open to both members and non-members, but advance registration is required. To buy tickets and for more information, visit westfieldbiz.org.
The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce serves as a networking group and advocate for the business community of Blandford, Chester, Granville, Huntington, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Tolland and Westfield.