Our 2025 St. Patrick's Day breakfast is not to be missed! Join us March 14, 2025 at Westfield State University's Scanlon Hall from 7-9 am. Tickets are $40 per member, $45 for nonmembers and tables of eight are $300.

This year we will welcome Irish dancers from Cassin Academy of Dance and local bagpiper Roger Bernier as our morning's entertainment. Our guest presenter is Dr. Kevin Hearn, Westfield State's Vice President for Enrollment Management & Student Affairs. Reserve your tickets now! Click here to register.

CAREER FAIR VENDORS NEEDED

Give local students a glimpse at what work in your industry entails. Take part in the WE2BA Career Fair to meet students who just might end up as your colleagues!

WE2BA Welcomes Interested Businesses

The Westfield Education To Business Alliance (WE2BA) holds its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Feb 26 at 8 am at Westfield High School. Businesses are needed to provide job shadowing, classroom adoption, internship, and other career experiences for students from preschool through 12th grade.

JOINT NETWORKING WITH WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER

The always-popular After 5 collaboration with our colleagues in the West Springfield/Agawam chamber is only a few weeks away. Join your neighboring businesses for networking, apps, and connection. All are welcome! Register here.

CHAMBER EVENTS IN FEBRUARY & MARCH

Mark your calendar and sign up for these Chamber events in the next few weeks:

• Thursday, February 27 -- Morning Brew at Shortstop Bar & Grill, 8 am
• Wednesday, March 5 -- Mayor's Coffee Hour at Amelia Park Children's Museum, 8 am
• Friday, March 14 -- St. Patrick's Day Breakfast at Westfield State University, 7 am
• Tuesday, March 18 -- Joint After 5 Connection with West of the River Chamber, at Shortstop Bar & Grill, 5 pm
• Thursday, March 27 -- Morning Brew at Shaker Farms Country Club, 8 am
• Thursday, March 27 -- WE2BA Career Fair at Westfield State University, 9:30 am

Register for these events at www.westfieldbiz.org/events

JOIN US FOR A GREAT DAY OF GOLF!

The Chamber's primary fundraiser, our annual Golf Tournament, is taking shape. Join us for a terrific day of golf, networking, and fun! We'll be at Tekoa Country Club on Monday, May 19 (please note NEW DATE and LOCATION). Our Event Sponsor is Westfield G+E. Be a part of this terrific event by signing on as a golfer or sponsor (or both). Or donate a raffle item from a local business.

JOANNE PAPADIMITRIOU

EARNS REAL ESTATE AWARDS

In addition to keeping the Chamber's administrative affairs running smoothly, Joanne is known in the Westfield area as a busy realtor. For 2024, she was named to Coldwell Banker Realty's Diamond Society, representing top 8% of all agents worldwide. In addition, the Real Estate Association of Pioneer Valley awarded her the Gold Excellence Award for Production. Joanne has been helping our neighbors buy and sell homes in Massachusetts and Connecticut since 2005.

Reserve your seat now by calling 413-568-4087.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce:

It’s Time to File Beneficial Ownership Reports

The Corporate Transparency Act's (CTA) beneficial ownership reporting requirements are back on.

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What happened: A federal court has lifted the injunction that stopped the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) from enforcing Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirements under the CTA.

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Why it matters: After numerous delays from pending legal challenges, certain small businesses now have to file their paperwork starting as early as March, according to an update FinCEN shared:

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For the vast majority of reporting companies, the new deadline to file an initial, updated, and/ or corrected BOI report is now March 21, 2025. FinCEN will provide an update before then of any further modification of this deadline, recognizing that reporting companies may need additional time to comply with their BOI reporting obligations once this update is provided.

What we’re doing: Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed a one-year delay for small businesses from having to report their beneficial ownership information under the CTA. We are working to get this much-needed small business relief passed by the U.S. Senate.

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Learn more:

Stay up to date with the U.S. Chamber’s User Guide on the CTA.

For additional info, refer to this report from the Journal of Accountancy.

NO FOOLIN'! FILL THE FOOD BANK RETURNS

The six Chambers of Commerce of Hampden County are joining forces again this year to fill the Food Bank of Western Mass. Building on 2024's successful networking night and food drive, we are working together to fill the shelves of the food bank on the evening of April 1. Join us as a sponsor, or attend as a guest. Please come bearing donations of peanut butter and jelly. Either way, it's a great night of community impact. Register here.

Amelia Park Arena Holds Second Annual “Canned Food Drive to Shutout Hunger”

From February 9th-16th, Amelia Park Arena held a “Canned Food Drive to Shutout Hunger”. The food drive was first launched in 2024 as part of Amelia Park’s Community Give Back Initiative. The drive includes a unique aspect, as the rink’s backup Zamboni is brought into the lobby for a whole week, with the goal of filling it to the brim with non-perishable items for the Westfield Soup Kitchen.

Members of the hockey community came together for a second straight year to ensure the

drive would be a successful one. Large donations from Amelia Park’s core programs helped fuel the mission. Westfield High School, Westfield State, Southwick, and Pope Francis Girls, all made significant contributions. Donations from Westfield Youth Hockey, Men’s League Teams and loyal patrons also came flowing in.

The end result of the drive was over 40 full bags of food dropped off to the Soup Kitchen. That makes over 90 bags of food donated from the drive the past two seasons. Amelia Park Arena General Manager Billy Fellows is looking to build off the momentum from the 2024 Community Give Back Initiative “Last year was awesome, we found multiple ways to give back to the community that has so graciously supported us for many years. As a non-profit organization, we can’t survive without our community’s support. So, our goal is to continue to find ways to return the favor and help our great town thrive any way we can.” Said Fellows.

President of the Westfield Soup Kitchen Board of Directors, Katie Chicorka, was once again taken back by the drive’s results, “We are so grateful for Amelia Park and the generous goods donation from this fundraiser. It will fuel meals through the remaining winter months and help ensure we can continue feeding our community in Westfield.” Chicorka said that there are other ways for the community to get involved and help the soup kitchen, “For folks looking to donate in additional ways, we are currently filling new Board of Directors positions and are in need of individuals or groups that are willing to volunteer in the kitchen.” For more information you can email contact@westfieldsoupkitchen.org

CHAMBER COMMITTEE OPENINGS

Would you like to have more input on Chamber happenings, initiatives, and growth? Let your voice be heard by joining a committee. Our BCAC (Business Community Affairs Committee), Marketing, Events, and Membership committees are always looking for members. Each committee meets once a month by Zoom, though we will be shifting some meetings to in-person at the Chamber office. Join us and make a difference! Email amanda@westfieldbiz.org for more info.

Meeting times are as follows:

BCAC: First Tuesday of the month; 8 am via Zoom

Marketing: Second Thursday of the month; 9 am via Zoom

Events: Third Tuesday of the month; 9 am via Zoom

Membership: Fourth Tuesday of the month; 9 am via Zoom