North Shore Chamber of Commerce -
Public Policy Initiatives and Economic Development
Our mission charges us to "work to improve the economy and quality of life on the North Shore through public and private partnerships." We do this by raising our collective voice of 1800 members to address the opportunities and challenges faced by the Region.

Whether it is the revitalization of our cities and towns, improving our transportation systems, addressing environmental concerns, stimulation of our economy, those involved in the North Shore Chamber of Commerce readily cooperate, collaborate and contribute unselfishly. As issues arise, we are able to thoughtfully gain consensus and communicate the business point of view with reason and logic.

Directors of the North Shore Chamber of Commerce should plan to write letters, attend meetings and communicate with elected officials and others to ensure the voice of business is heard, so that together we can speak for the North Shore with one, powerful and respected voice in the halls of Beacon Hill and Capital Hill.

LINKS:
Massachusetts Business Resource Team
Mass. Alliance for Economic Development (MAED)
MassDevelopment
Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)
Massachusetts Office of Business Development
Doing Business with Massachusetts
The New England Council, Inc.

Regionalization:
The Chamber works to assist communities in promoting regional solutions to shared opportunities such as libraries, police and fire coverage, emergency medical care, uniform economic development approval processes and similar challenges facing economic growth on the North Shore. The Chamber supported the new regional court in Salem that is scheduled to break ground in 2007.

LINKS:
About Essex County
North Shore Community Profiles
Mass.Gov (Massachusetts State Homepage)
North Shore City Search

Transportation:
The Chamber will continue to be a leading voice for investment in the North Shore transportation infrastructure. Projects such as improvements to Route 128, Route 95, Route 1, the Blue Line extension to Lynn and Salem, and intra-regional bus service all can have a significant impact on economic development. Airport and seaport development are also crucial to the region.

LINKS:
Massachusetts Highway Department
Massachusetts Turnpike Authority
Massachusetts Port Authority (MASSPORT)
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)

Education and Workforce Training:
As the economy rebounds, workforce development will increase in importance. The Chamber supports both technical and professional training and educational programs at the secondary and collegiate level. We work closely with our community, state, and private colleges, and we are active in the North Shore Workforce Investment Board (WIB), and believe that private sector involvement with WIB is crucial to economic development. The Chamber supports the merger, with a new school to be built, by the North Shore Technical High School and the Essex Agricultural & Technical High School.

LINKS:
Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development
North Shore Workforce Investment Board
The Enterprise Center at Salem State College
Institute of Corporate Training & Technology at North Shore Community College
SCORE

AREA COLLEGES:
Salem State College
North Shore Community College
Montserrat College of Art
Endicott College
Gordon College
Merrimack College
Marian Court College

Diversity in the Workplace:
The Chamber is committed to a leadership role in diversity. Helping people understand and encourage diversity is simply good business - ensuring equal opportunities and contributions as well as working relationships that benefit the bottom line. We can’t realize our potential as a community until we embrace and acknowledge the contributions of people from diverse backgrounds

LINKS:
African American Chamber of Commerce
American Arab Chamber of Commerce
Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce
Hispanic Business Alliance
Minority Business Development Agency
North Shore Women in Business
The Indus Entrepreneurs
SOWMBA

Affordable Housing:
A trained workforce is only one important step. We also need to provide affordable housing to attract and retain that workforce. The current scarcity of affordable housing at many price ranges hinders the ability of employers to recruit qualified workers. The Chamber seeks to support projects and process which will lead to more such housing in our region, i.e. smart growth initiatives.

LINKS:
MassDevelopment
Mass Housing
Massachusetts Housing Partnership
Mass.gov - Housing Assistance Programs
Mass. Dept of Housing & Development

Health Care:
The rising cost of health care in a state renowned for its excellent hospitals and facilities continues to threaten the competitiveness of our region. Your Chamber is working at the state level to address this issue. In addition, we seek to strengthen the attractiveness of the region to the health care industry, especially the Biotechnology and Medical Device sectors, which hold the promise of economic growth and job creation.

LINKS:
Health Care for All
Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector
North Shore Medical Center
Northeast Health System
Lahey Clinic North Shore

Energy:
Safe, reliable, reasonably priced energy is vital to support our regional and statewide businesses. Our growing North Shore region will continue to benefit by having its own source of electric generation. The Chamber fully supports fuel diversity, energy reliability/ affordability and thus supports the continued operation of the Dominion Salem Harbor Generating Station. The Chamber also supports the development of additional supplies of natural gas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG).

LINKS:
Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources (DOER)
National Grid
Dominion Salem Harbor Station
Spectra Energy
SUEZ Energy NA
Excelerate Energy LLC

Innovation & Technology :
The North Shore Chamber of Commerce works with firms operating on the brink of new discovery in the fields of technology and innovation. Together, with collaborative thought, we bring leaders from various boards: workforce and industry, education/learning, and municipal leaders/government to promote answers and resolutions that will foster economic growth in this area on the North Shore. There is always a "smarter way" through out-of-the-box thinking and new technologies.

LINKS:
John Adams Innovation Institute MA
MA Biotechnology Council
MA High Tech Council
MA Innovation and Technology Exchange
MA Technology Collaborative
Massachusetts Life Sciences Collaborative
MA Technology Development Corporation

Environment and Clean Water:
With concerns being voiced about available/clean water, it will be important for business to have input into Environmental regulations that will dictate development by allowing communities to take a set amount of water from the Ipswich River Watershed, and the Saugus River. The Chamber seeks to ensure that all options are considered to assure clean water for our future.

LINKS:
Go Green Initiative
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
Ipswich River Watershed Association

Non-Profit Organizations contribute to the Economic Vitality of the Region :
For more information on non-profit organzizations/agencies that are members of the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, Please visit the links below.

LINKS:
A Better Chance Masconomet
American Red Cross Blood Services
Art Corps
Better Business Bureau, Inc.
Beverly Franco American Club, Inc.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay
Cerebral Palsy Association of Eastern MA, Inc.
Children's Friend and Family Services
Danvers Community Access Television, Inc. "DCAT"
Danvers Community YMCA
Daylight Communications, Inc.
Economic Stabilization Trust
Essex County Community Foundation
Essex National Heritage Commission
Foundation for Neurologic Diseases
Girl Scouts of Spar & Spindle Council, Inc.
Girls Incorporated of Lynn
Gloucester Adventure, Inc.
Granite State Development Corp.
Help For Abused Women And Their Children
Independent Living Center of the North Shore & Cape Ann, Inc
Ipswich River Watershed Association
Lynn Shelter Association
Martin & Company/The Netza Project
Mass Audobon's "Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary"
Massachusetts Motorcyclists' Survivor Fund, Inc.
New England Carpenters Labor Management
North Shore Arc
North Shore Community Action Programs
North Shore Music Theatre
North Shore United Way, Inc.
Northshore Youth Symphony Orchestra
Project Adventure, Inc.
South Essex Sewerage District
Symphony by the Sea
The North Shore Salvation Army
United Way of Massachusetts Bay