Executive Director’s Report

By Kelly Devine

 

Hello BBA Members,

 

My name is Kelly Devine and I am your new Executive Director. I began my term the first week of December and what a week to begin. We had the Holiday Social on December 6th. The event gave the BBA the chance to celebrate Nancy Wood, your Executive Director since 2003. The turnout was fabulous. Thank you to all who supported the event, who came to it, and who helped make it a special evening for Nancy. It was a touching moment to witness how well Nancy is loved and respected by this organization.

The event was also an opportunity for me to meet many of you for the first time. Thank you for your kindness and warmth. I can already sense that I have become a part of a unique organization, one that is deeply dedicated to the Burlington Community.

While I am relatively new to the Burlington area, I moved here in 2005, I came because of my own search for community. I lived in Burlington for a year while I worked on what would be my family’s new home in Charlotte. My family and 12 others together conceived of and created a new residential community in Charlotte that is focused on energy efficiency, strong community connections, and land preservation. It is a co-housing neighborhood of 26 homes clustered on 10 acres and surrounded by 116 acres of land we conserved. I spent two years

managing the construction and development of this project where 17 families now live.

This project has solidified my belief that one’s quality of life is greatly enhanced by how much one gives to their community. So when the opportunity was offered to me to serve as the Executive Director of the BBA, the job fit well with my desire to help the City of Burlington retain its wealth of assets and meet its needs in the future.

There was also one other reason the job interested me. My education and experience are focused in the areas of business strategy, entrepreneurship, and growth. I have a Master’s of Business Administration from Babson College, a business school that focuses on and excels in the teaching of entrepreneurship. Following graduate school I worked for many years as a consultant to folks starting and running small businesses. For the past two years I have served as the Finance Instructor for the Women’s Small Business Program here in Burlington.

I come to the BBA at a time when the organization is strong. One of my goals is to maintain the BBA’s current strengths. That means retaining and increasing membership. It also means understanding the issues that affect the Burlington business community and serving as a liaison to City Hall and other key organizations. It means working with the many committees of the BBA and helping to forward their ideas and goals. And finally it means being a strong voice for the BBA in the many venues where that

voice needs to be heard.

It is a tall order. I am up to the challenge, but I cannot do it alone. To meet this challenge I will need the support of the BBA Board of Directors and of so many members who dedicate their time and energy to the BBA. I will also need the support of every BBA member; for the BBA is a team.

Burlington today is a living example of how a vibrant cultural community combined with a healthy business community and an engaged residential community supported by local government can create a city that is a great place to live, work, and be. And we get to experience it all in one of the most beautiful spots on the planet.

I look forward to giving my best to Burlington through my work at the BBA. I hope to learn from all of you in the    process.

Feel free to call or e-mail if you’d like to talk about the BBA. Let me know how I can help the BBA to better serve you. Let me know about issues that interest or concern you. Let me know how you’d like to help. I look forward to hearing from you and I look forward to serving you.

        - Kelly

~ Kelly