Welcoming Six New Board Members

The Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) welcomed six new Board members from across the Hampshire County region at its first meeting of 2021 last month. The five women and one man come from diverse ethnic, racial, and professional backgrounds, bringing fresh, new voices and ideas to the GNCC Board.

“I am so pleased to see a broader representation of what our Greater Northampton community represents in our new, 24-member Board of Directors,” said Vince Jackson, Executive Director of the GNCC.

The new Board members are Anna Bowen, Logan Mary Ebbets, Scott Keiter, Felicia Lundquist, Abby Mae Stern, and Isolda Ortega-Busamante. “Together, this diverse group of new members brings experience in advocacy, social justice, entrepreneurship, business and education,” Jackson said.

“The new Board members that we are welcoming this year are incredibly experienced, passionate, smart and show a tireless dedication to their work and to their communities. I look forward to working with them side-by-side at the Chamber to support our greater Northampton businesses and community in the years ahead,” said Rich Horton, President of the GNCC.

Anna Bowen resides in Florence with her two children and is the Owner of Strada on Main St. in Northampton. A native of Oklahoma, Bowen is a graduate of Hampshire College and describes herself as, “an entrepreneur who is passionate about making people feel supported, creating opportunities for employees and emerging designers.” She has owned Strada since 1994, which has been voted a “Top Ten Shoe Store” and boasts over 8,000 clients. She is eager to support GNCC’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and advocate for the health and prosperity of business, non-profits and the community.

Logan Mary Ebbets, a Physician/Advanced Practitioner Recruiter at Cooley Dickinson Health Care, received her B.S. in Animal Science at the University of Vermont, her M.S. in Organizational Leadership from Nichols College, and is a Certified Physician/Provider Recruitment Professional (CPRP). Ebbets grew up in the Pioneer Valley and now calls Hatfield home. She brings a broad base of experience and expertise to the GNCC including process improvement, event planning, applicant tracking systems, and social media and marketing management. A member of the Downtown Business Association board, she is passionate about promoting the region as a great place to live and work.

Scott Keiter is the founder and president of Keiter Builders in Florence, where he resides with his wife and two children. Keiter holds a B.S. in Environmental Economics and an M.S in Resource Economics from the University of Rhode Island. He is pragmatic, analytical and is passionate about economic security in the region. He also supports diversity in the workplace, where he leads by example: 45% of Keiter Builders management is female. He hopes to bring to the GNCC his finance skills and unique perspective as a local business owner and resident of Florence.

Felicia Lundquist, who lives in Northampton, is the director of Multicultural Affairs and an adjunct faculty member at Springfield College. Lundquist double majored in Spanish and Sociology as an undergraduate, then earned her Masters in Higher Education all at UMass Amherst. She has developed and facilitated workshops, trainings and retreats in cultural competence, social change leadership, and navigating cultural differences. The GNCC is eager to tap into her leadership in creating constructive rapport in addressing social justice in our community.

Abby Mae Stern is a co-founder of the Hampshire Young Professionals Association. She lives and works in Hadley, serving as Executive Assistant to the CEO at Paragus Strategic IT. Stern earned her B.S. in Marketing at San Diego State University, and shortly after moved to western Mass., where she has been a leader in non-profit volunteering in Hampden and Hampshire Counties. She is eager to serve as a bridge between the young professional community and the GNCC, ultimately creating sustainable mentorship opportunities with young professional groups and GNCC members. 

Isolda Ortega-Busamante is the Director of Development for the Collaborative for Educational Services in Northampton. Ms. Ortega-Bustamante received a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and completed course work towards a doctorate in Political Science at the City University of New York (CUNY). Having worked in the Pioneer Valley for over 20 years, and a resident of Amherst, she is passionate about the impact of educational outcomes on the overall social and economic health of western Mass. stating, “The role of the business community is pivotal to the health and education of the community overall.” The GNCC welcomes Ortega-Busamante’s expertise in public policy research, writing, and fundraising.

Click here to see the full 2021 Board of Directors.