New Executive Director Starts at Chamber of Commerce in Old Saybrook, Connecticut

OLD SAYBROOK - The Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce is charting a course with a new executive director and a move to a brand new home.

Judy Sullivan became the new Executive Director of the Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 29 after being voted in by the chamber's board.

Previously serving as Acting Executive Director since September 2007, Sullivan took over the position after Lianne Lee went on medical leave.

At that time, Sullivan was a familiar face to many since she had worked as the chamber's office manager since March 2006 and grew up in town.

She is a graduate of Old Saybrook High School and successfully completed a college degree in mathematics.

Her family once owned the Schultz's Television and Appliance store in Old Saybrook on Middlesex Turnpike.

That was later sold to Shore Television and Appliance in 1998 after Sullivan's father passed away.

Sullivan said that as Executive Director, she oversees the day-to-day operations of a chamber that has 325 members, two paid employees, and countless volunteers.

These members include retail stores, doctors' offices, attorneys' offices, restaurants, non-profit organizations, hotels/motels, and a variety of other businesses.

"Members get out of the chamber, what they put into the chamber," Sullivan said.

While some members are located in Old Saybrook, others are in one of the other eight Estuary region towns which include Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Lyme, and Westbrook.

According to the Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce February 2008 newsletter, the newest members in the chamber include Essex Golf and Sportswear of Old Saybrook, Cornerstone Mortgage of Essex, and Mr. Fix It of Guilford.

"My goal is to grow the membership by having a wide variety of events including an educational series," Sullivan said.

Events sponsored by the chamber include the February Chili Cook-off, the July Liberty Bank Arts Festival, the August Summer Pops, the September Fall Foliage Cruise, and a new member reception every six months.

They also sponsor a "Business After Hours" function every three to four weeks.

The function is held at a Chamber member business and gives all Chamber members opportunity for networking, socializing, and winning prizes through raffle drawings.

The upcoming educational series will feature sessions regarding legal issues for employers, networking, and marketing strategies.

In addition to those programs, the chamber is expected to grow even more when it moves out of its small home in the back of the Community Policing Office in the Old Saybrook Shopping Center and into the new Village Gateway Center.

The Village Gateway Center, located at the junction of Main Street and Boston Post Road, is expected to double or triple current walk-in traffic and feature a staffed informational desk.

The desk will have town maps, guidebooks, historic walking tour brochures, and information about the many things to see and do around town.

"I hope it will be a hub for information," Sullivan said.

More information about the chamber, including their monthly newsletter, is available by visiting www.oldsaybrookchamber.com.