DEERFIELD — Jessye Deane, director of communications and development for Community Action Pioneer Valley, has been named the new executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.
Deane, who has served on the chamber’s board of directors since 2019, will assume the role in late June. Current Executive Director Diana Szynal, who has held the position since December 2018, is taking over as president of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce in July.
“I’m absolutely excited to get to work. I think there’s a lot of hard work and great opportunity ahead,” Deane said by phone. “Franklin County has so much potential. I’m excited to jump right in. … Diana’s done a fantastic job and I’m really looking forward to adding onto what she was able to build and maintain during the pandemic.”
Szynal said there will be a smooth transition to Deane, whom she described as a “Wonder Woman.” Szynal said there will be “some overlap” as Deane works with her through the month of June in this “really important” transition period.
“I’m thrilled,” Szynal said by phone. “Jessye has been a great board member and she’s a real champion of chambers. And being a business owner will make her so effective in this role.”
In addition to her role with Community Action, Deane and her husband, Danny, own and operate two fitness studios, F45 Training Hampshire Meadows in Hadley and F45 Training Riverdale in West Springfield.
Deane spent 12 years working with Community Action. Clare Higgins, Community Action’s executive director, said Deane has “been wonderful to work with” and her presence will be missed, but she knows that the chamber will be a great partner. In Deane’s time there, Higgins said she “supercharged our fundraising,” as the nonprofit’s private funding has increased by more than 1,600%.
As she prepares to take over, Deane said she is “honored to serve Franklin County in this role.”
“I live here, I’m raising a family here, these are my neighbors and I’m really committed to the work,” she said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to be as effective as possible in this role and to exceed expectations.”