Essex Heritage Addressing
Long Range Planning, Board Changes, Reaching out for Continuing Support and Salem State University

At the end month, the Essex Heritage Executive Committee met to hear a report from the Commission leadership on progress toward the established long-range planning goals. Since its inception the Commission has been assisted with an annual appropriation that has been offered through our affiliation with the National Park Service and the wonderful support of the Washington Congressional delegation. That appropriation has provided Essex Heritage the ability to develop and offer many programs that benefit this region. Certainly, in the future it will be important to develop new forms of revenue to assure that this regional effort continues to provide services to this area. The presentation that was made to the Executive Committee reviewed several new initiatives that are being considered to meet this goal. When the planning for these efforts are more detailed and has more substance we will share the information with the region.

In addition to the report on the long-range planning efforts a recommendation was made and approved relative to a new group of Trustees that will be elected in August 2010. Unfortunately, two long term Trustees who have served Essex Heritage for many years have reached the maximum number of terms that they can serve and in August will be elevated to Trustee Emeritus status. Julie McConchie and Bill Pickles who have both been long associated with the North of Boston Convention and Visitor Bureau will step down from our Board. Their service over the last nine years has been exemplary and the partnership that has been established between our two organizations has accomplished much for this region. They will certainly be missed on a day-to-day basis, but we will still be able to turn to them for advice and council in their new role as Trustee Emeriti. In addition to Julie and Bill we have also received a resignation due to a change in employment status of Greg Pronevitz who has taken on a new position with the regional library system.

The Executive Committee has approved a recommendation to fill the three empty spots with the following nominees.
• Mr. Jason Korb, Vice President of Acquisitions, Beacon Development
• Mr. William Piercey. Vice President, Chase and Lunt Insurance
• Ms. Anita Blackaby, Executive Director, House of Seven Gables

The nominees have been recommended to the full Board of Trustees and they will be elected and will begin to serve at the August 24, 2010 meeting. I want to note that Bill Piercey in addition to this role with Chase and Lunt Insurance in Newburyport also serves as the volunteer President of the North of Boston Convention and Visitor Bureau, so the special relationship Essex Heritage has had with that organization will continue into the future.

Essex Heritage Development Committee Meeting
In July, the newly established Essex Heritage Development Committee met for the first time. The meeting was held under the direction of Chairman Charlie Cullen of The Provident Bank in Amesbury and a number of issues were covered. The committee established goals for the group, and assignments were made to all members. We are confident that in the next several weeks the appointments will be made to speak to a number of regional corporate entities with the expectations that at those meetings a case can be made for support for Essex Heritage. A second meeting has been scheduled for September 20, 2010 and at the meeting progress towards the Committee goals will be reviewed and measured.

Congratulations to Salem State University
All of us at Essex Heritage were elated to hear that the legislative action that was needed on Beacon Hill has been completed and what was once Salem Teachers College is now Salem State University. This action that clearly was the result of years of attention and dedicated committed work by both the current administration and past school leadership is wonderful news for the City of Salem and the entire region. This new important designation for the Salem institution will shine an even brighter spotlight on the south Salem landmark and the region and the thousands of alumni who can be truly proud of this new designation.

In addition to a much broader use of the web site, Essex Heritage is also communicating using traditional methods like this monthly column and social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Linked in as well as using other non traditional methods like the Essex Happenings BLOG that I post information to three times a week that can be accessed at www.essexhappenings.blogspot.com.

Read more about the region from Tom Leonard on his blog.

Thomas M. Leonard is President Emeritus of the Essex National Heritage Commission, Inc., the nonprofit management entity of the Essex National Heritage Area, and can be reached by clicking here.