DEERFIELD — After announcing the move from its Greenfield location in early January, the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce is “settling in nicely” in its new home at Historic Deerfield.
“We like it here,” said chamber Executive Director Diana Szynal. “We’re really excited about it.”
Speaking in her newly furnished office on the second floor above Historic Deerfield’s museum gift shop, Szynal said the goal was to make the move as “seamless” as possible while the chamber works toward creating a visitors center to direct tourists’ attention to all the recreational opportunities in Franklin County.
“They’ve been welcoming and accommodating,” Szynal said of Historic Deerfield and the chamber’s new neighbors at the Deerfield Inn. “We’re really enjoying getting to know them.”
The chamber has completed the move to 79 Old Main St. in waves, with Szynal being the first to move her office to the building and Office Manager Marian Noga and Marketing Manager Lisa Davol following suit.
Although the chamber has left Greenfield, where it had an office on Main Street for 36 years, Szynal said staff have still been working closely with businesses in the city. “We’re still very much in Greenfield,” she said, “and supporting Greenfield businesses.”
Community Action Pioneer Valley, which has an office next door to the chamber’s Greenfield location, plans to expand into the now-vacant space.
The chamber’s move to Historic Deerfield was spurred by the idea that the Chamber of Commerce can contribute to the regional economy by creating a true visitors center at one of the region’s most popular tourist destinations. The chamber’s previous visitors center was located in the Registry of Motor Vehicles in Greenfield, which was reduced to appointment-only visits when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
In its current state, the new visitors center is a sparsely decorated room with stacks of boxes littered about, but in a few months’ time, it will be decked out with resources for tourists to learn about Franklin County.
“It’s going to be a real upgrade from what we have,” Szynal said. “It’s going to be so much better.”
Szynal thanked her coworkers and the chamber members who have been supportive during the move.
“It’s been a great group of people to make a move with,” Szynal said. “To pick up and move the office of a 104-year-old organization, it’s not easy.”
