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The Nominating Committee of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce is pleased to submit a slate of Officers and Directors for terms starting January 1, 2024. Under our bylaws, additional names can be placed before the board through a petition bearing signatures of 75 members in good standing. Candidates will be presented to the Chamber’s Board of Directors at their November meeting.
Officers Chair: Joe Gratta, Atlantic Mechanical Contractors Vice Chair: Bonnie Simmons, Citrin Cooperman 2nd Vice Chair: David Robinson, Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, P.C. Treasurer: Stephen DiPrete, South Shore Bank Vice Chair: Ryan Bristol, Bristol Bros. Development Corp. Vice Chair: Denver Gibbs, Gibbs Software Solutions Vice Chair: Michelle Markowitz, Cardinal Cushing Centers Vice Chair: Jenifer Pinkham, Phifer Pinkham, LLC Immediate Past Chair: Rich Fernandez, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton For terms ending December 31, 2026 Jason Brown, Whisper Boutiques Nancy Curry, Abington Bank Ray DiPasquale, Massasoit Community College Nicole Hales, PR First Andrea Mansfield, Friendship Home Abby Parrilla, ARC of the South Shore Paul Sweeney, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Mass. Sarah Spatafore, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Jeff Poirier, Quincy Memorials For a term ending December 31, 2025 Pam Denholm, South Shore Food Bank For terms ending December 31, 2024 Darryl Elliott, Elliott Physical Therapy Kristina McCue, Mass General Brigham Cynthia Sierra, Manet Community Health Center
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 Congrats to all our members who were voted on as "Best of the South Shore". We'll be celebrating with South Shore Home, Life & Style again this year at the BOSS Bash on September 13 at The Weathervane Golf Club! It will be a not-to-miss event so be sure to get your tickets here! ENTERTAINMENT
Best Bowling/Indoor Games: Boston Bowl Hanover (runner-up) Best Golf Course: Granite Links Best Live Music Venue: The Music Circus (runner-up) Best Local Radio Personality: Rob Hakala WATD Best Marina: Marina Bay (runner-up) Best Place for Kid Parties (tie): Starland Sportsplex & Fun Park Best Radio Station – FM: 95.9 WATD Best Theater: The Company Theater FOOD & DRINK Best Restaurant Vibe: Alba on 53 Best Bloody Mary: The Tinker’s Son Best Burgers: Wahlburgers (runner-up) Best Date Spot: Tosca; Alba on 53 (runner-up) Best Family Restaurant: Stars on Hingham Harbor Best Fish ‘n Chips: The Tinker’s Son Best Deli: Previte’s Marketplace Best Gluten-Free Menu: Burtons Grill (runner-up) Best Happy Hour Spot: The Range Bar & Grill Best Irish Pub: The Tinker’s Son Best Local Brewery: Stellwagen Beer Company (runner-up) Best Margaritas: Lenny’s Hideaway (runner-up) Best New Restaurant: The Beth Kitchen & Bar Best Outdoor Dining: The Parrot Best Pizza: Mamma Mia’s Best Raw Bar: Trident Galley & Raw Bar (runner-up) Best Ribs & Barbecue: Sarcastic Swine BBQ & Catering Best Sandwich Shop: Previte’s Marketplace Best Scenic View While Dining: LOCAL 02045 (runner-up) Best Special Occasion Spot: Alma Nove; Alba on 53 (runner-up) Best Sports Bar: The Fours Bar & Grill (runner-up) Best Sunday Brunch: The Tinker’s Son Best Tapas/Small Plates: Galley Kitchen & Bar; Liv Creative Cuisine (runner-up) Best Vegan/Vegetarian: Liv Creative Cuisine Best Wine Shop: Bin Ends HEALTH & BEAUTY Best Dentist: Boynton Family Dentistry Best Hair Blowout: Charles David Salon & Spa (runner-up) Best Hearing Health Professionals: South Shore Hearing Center Best Home Health Services: NVNA & Hospice Best Med Spa: Powell Studio Best Physical Therapy Services: Elliott Physical Therapy Best Spiritual/Meditation Counseling or Classes: Scituate Salt Cave Best Women’s Hair Salon: Charles David Salon & Spa HOME & GARDEN Best Appliance Store: George Washington Toma TV & Appliance Best Landscaping Service: Seoane Landscaping Best Local Hardware Store: Hingham Lumber Company; Curry Ace Paint Hardware, Quincy (runner-up) Best Outdoor Furnishings: Chapin Sheds KIDS/FAMILY Best Private High School: Archbishop Williams High School Best Summer Camp: Holly Hill Farm; The Company Theater (runner-up) SERVICES & RESOURCES Best Auto Repair Shop: Sullivan Tire & Auto Service Best Coworking/Office Space: The Collective Co Best Dry Cleaner: Dependable Cleaners Best Financial Planner: Sandy Cove Advisors, LLC; W.H. Cornerstone (runner-up) Best Law Firm (Real Estate): Kellem and Kellem, LLC Best Photographer (General): Alexis Marie Photography + Designs Best Local Airline/Airport: Marshfield Municipal Airport (KGHG)/Shoreline Aviation Best Senior Living Community: Benchmark at Hanover; The Village at Duxbury (runner-up) SHOPPING Best Gourmet Food Shop: Previte’s Marketplace Best Shopping Center: Derby Street Shops WEDDING Best Formal Wear: Milton’s Best Reception Venue (Large): Granite Links Best Wedding/Party Rentals: Boston Backdrops MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM SHARES THEIR DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION JOURNEY AND STRATEGIES WITH SOUTH SHORE LEADERS Leadership South Shore, a program of South Shore Bank and South Shore Chamber of Commerce, hosted its third Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Day on March 15, 2023. We were fortunate to have Mass General Brigham partner with us on this special day. It was a full day focusing on creating an inclusive work environment through DEI initiatives and education. The morning began with Ciara Gogan, Senior Manager; of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging for CarGurus AND Leadership South Shore Steering Committee, introducing the DEI&B (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) concept and movement. Next, Jarrod Chin & Taylor Goyette-Frechette from Mass General Brigham led a multi-hour training, including conversations and exercises around cultural humility, workforce DEI implications, personal filters, and tools to implement in our businesses and life. Their section concluded with Carla Carten, Interim Senior VP and Chief DEI Officer at Mass General Brigham, sharing the health system “Journey to United Against Racism” initiative. Next was a moving panel discussion facilitated by Ciara Gogan Panelists:
Special thanks to Judi Vigna and her company Specialized Career Guidance for sponsoring lunch and to the South Shore Y, Laura Center of the Arts, for hosting our event. Let’s face it, the story of 2022 will be the Federal Reserve’s policy to combat inflation.
Inflation soared in 2022 as a result of a strong labor market, stressed supply chains, an abundance of low-cost capital and pandemic-related stimulus programs, all of which mixed to fuel furious growth. Rising rates, which we have not seen since before the Great Recession, along with an inverted yield curve, can signal headwinds – none more amplified than a possible recession in the coming year. After seven Federal Reserve interest rate hikes in a relatively short timetable, we find ourselves assessing and measuring not simply whether there will be more rate increases, but more importantly, what this means for the economic conditions and for commercial lenders and borrowers in 2023 and beyond. Higher borrowing costs historically hit the housing market first, as potential buyers have less borrowing capacity, which can put downward pressure on housing prices and values. However, this can still be offset by a strong labor market, along with low supply of housing, specifically in affordable housing. With potential demand high, sellers may be reluctant to reduce prices, while landlords can maintain or even increase rents. As developers see higher borrowing costs and municipal permitting processes limit new development or impose stricter conditions – such as affordability or green initiatives – volume and scale of new projects may slow. This will keep rental and housing unit inventories from rising too rapidly. While rising rates are impacting existing projects, many of which were started prior to or at the onset of the rate increases, the true impact will be on future development and financing of projects currently in the planning stage. How Will Asset Classes Respond? One of the biggest areas to watch will be the impact of rising rates on stronger asset classes, like multifamily housing. Multifamily housing has been a leader among all commercial asset classes and still has robust activity, due to the availability and diverse sources of equity capital that can partner with higher-cost debt. According to most sources, rents remain stable or are expected to increase in 2023, with vacancy rates continuing at low levels. Rents are reliant on a strong labor market, and although inflation and rates are on the rise, one of the primary causes is the low unemployment, which is a leading indicator for rents. Landlords may also see an increase in the pool of renters waiting out home prices, which some expect to decline in 2023. The capital markets will be watching employment numbers closely in 2023. Overall, the multifamily sector continues to show strength and drive activity. Less can be said about other asset classes such as office or retail, already reeling from the pandemic. Office markets may see more stress in a slowing economy brought on by rising rates, and banks will be watching the sublease and rollover activity very closely. Negative trends in the office markets could further drive repurposing of office into lab or residential products. Surprisingly, retail has shown resilience, especially in grocery-anchored retail plazas, and as a result of lower inventory. With inflationary pressure on consumers, lenders will be watching credit quality of the retail tenants into 2023. Commercial and industrial borrowers entered this inflationary period buoyed by stimulus programs, such as the Paycheck Protection Program, providing liquidity and seeing robust economic growth post-pandemic. Many took advantage of stimulus funds to avoid layoffs, reduce debt and firm up balance sheets. Choppy Waters Ahead Looking ahead, banks will be paying close attention to income statements and looking for margin compression. Increased interest expense, specifically for working capital, is a leading cause, as the prime rate has more than doubled since the beginning of 2022. While companies report some relief in their supply chains of late, materials, upward pressures on labor expenses and healthcare costs will require more adaptation of cost controls and innovation with technology to keep bottom-line profits from decreasing. Although borrowing at higher interest rates, companies looking to expand still find a healthy lending environment and continue to have accessible capital from lenders. While rising rates themselves aren’t very popular, savings rates are being cheered by depositors, who are seeing returns on savings accounts held at banks, the likes not seen in over a decade. Many forecasts predict that the Fed could deliver a soft landing, even cut rates late 2023 or early 2024. Until then, lenders and borrowers will have to work closely to navigate the choppy waters ahead. In spite of these headwinds, there are reports of healthy backlogs and decreases in material costs, such as lumber, offsetting the higher borrowing costs in the short term. The year 2022 ended with many companies reporting strong profits, development soaring and an economy weathering record inflation and turbulent global conditions, which was a subplot to the Fed’s fight with inflation. Now 2023 starts out having us look back at 2022 and wonder, was that the “worst” best year we all had? Stephen DiPrete is chief commercial banking officer at Weymouth-based South Shore Bank.
How and when did the company get started? It was March of 1998 when Jim Farrell opened the doors to PRfirst. With a career that included editor and publisher of two weekly newspapers on the South Shore of Massachusetts, and vice president of a public relations firm, Jim’s solid reputation as a journalist and public relations specialist was well established. Starting with just a handful of accounts – several that remain as clients to this day – it didn’t take long for Jim to build a customer roster that represents a wide range of industries, from financial institutions to health services, property management companies to construction/architectural firms. What products or services do you offer? Public relations campaigns, comprised of strategies such as press releases, thought leadership articles, interview opportunities, organizational profiles, and events including ribbon-cuttings and anniversary celebrations. What’s the one thing your business is known for, over your competitors and why? Four of us came from the newspaper/journalism/ publishing world prior to PR, so we understand the difference between news and advertising – which greatly benefits our clients. We’ve been told by many writers and editors, “You really understand our industry.” Tell us an interesting and fun tidbit about your business. We work with a wide range of clients, which provides us the opportunity to help promote really good people making a difference throughout the South Shore and beyond. Additionally, we learn a lot of fun things about a wide range of industries and services along the way! Why did you decide to become involved with the Chamber? The chamber is completely dedicated to making the South Shore a better place to live, work, and play every day! That is a mission we are proud to contribute to and an organization we are proud to be a part of! 
How and when did the company get started? Our team is comprised of veterans of some of the world's leading marketing and PR agencies. Our team intentionally parted ways with those big agencies beginning in 2020 in order to be closer to our craft and more deeply embedded with clients as they tackle their most pressing challenges. What products or services do you offer? We are a one-stop marketing and communications agency offering unparalleled expertise across multiple disciplines. Our specialist-led offerings include media relations, crisis and issues management, video production, marketing strategy, social media management, and content development. What’s the one thing your business is known for, over your competitors and why? Comsint is a new kind of agency. Guided by the simple promise of providing clients with seasoned, world-class talent who deeply understand their business, our team of communications strategists is relentlessly focused on protecting our clients’ brands and driving business results. In fact, we built our business model based on interviews with more than 100 agency clients. From crisis communications to video production to full-stack marketing, Comsint brings the expertise of a global firm paired with the service and transparency of a boutique agency. Tell us an interesting and fun tidbit about your business. In today’s world, change is constant and complexity is ever-growing. Organizations need partners to provide senior counsel and data-driven solutions to protect their brands and drive business results. Comsint’s award-winning agency model was created to do just that. We bring the expertise of a global firm paired with the service and transparency of a boutique agency. Why did you decide to become involved with the Chamber? At Comsint, we strive to meet clients where they are and where we can provide the greatest positive impact. The Chamber provides our team an opportunity to understand the business environment holistically and to bring those learnings back to continually refine and improve our offerings.  Nicholas Puleo
 If you live, work or play in Southeastern Massachusetts, you know our region offers something wonderful for everyone. In a changing world, we must keep our economy strong to ensure our people and places are here for decades to come. That's why the Chamber's South Shore 2030 plan was created. South Shore 2030: Choosing our Future is our constantly evolving roadmap that guides smart, informed planning decisions. A local team of large and small business leaders, nonprofit leaders, elected officials, and policy experts are building and implementing a plan to promote our region's economic future. Our mission is to create the right environment and balance for our current and future businesses and resident workforce to thrive. Key Accomplishments
2022 HighlightsLearn more about how we drove economic development in the region. Release of South Shore 2030 Infrastructure Priorities Report
 How and when did the company get started? I started Empowering Athletes after spending six years touring with Broadway shows, including the Radio City Rockettes, Lord of the Dance, Burn the Floor, and Heart Beat of Home. Radio City closed their Rockettes’ touring cast in 2015 and it was time for me to start a new chapter. I began teaching at Dean College and did outreach at Dunleavy Boyle Academy of Irish Dance, South Shore Ballet Theatre, and South Shore Gymnastic Academy. Finally, in 2018, I opened up my own space and loved every minute of it! What products or services do you offer? Empowering Athletes offers one-on-one injury prevention, Injury evaluations, rehabilitation and sports specific training. Small group trainings focusing on sports specific needs for all athletes, including but not limited to, dancers, gymnasts, figure skaters and field players (soccer, lacrosse, etc.). We also offer group strength training and injury prevention classes for all levels and ages including adults. During individual treatment sessions, we may use modalities, including but not limited to, IASTM (Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization), Cupping, Blood Flow Restriction Therapy, Electrical Stimulation, Ultrasound, Theragun vibration therapy, Myofascial and Muscle Energy work as well as Normatec which is a graduated compression system for recovery. What’s the one thing your business is known for, over your competitors and why? My business is known for its individual attention to each and every client. I work with athletes at every stage in their careers and at every level of athleticism. The model behind Empowering Athletes is to be able to support you for all your needs as an athlete while teaching stretching, mobility and injury prevention techniques. Empowering Athletes does injury evaluations, injury rehabilitation and recovery, working with orthopedic doctors of Boston Children's Hospital and other healthcare providers. Tell us an interesting and fun tidbit about your business. Empowering Athletes trains and rehabilitates a large range of athletes from gymnasts, figure skaters and all forms of dancers to traditional sports such as basketball, soccer and lacrosse to equestrians (athletes who ride horses!) These athletes often find it difficult to find good sports specific treatment. I have worked not only with performing artists, but I spent two years working with D1 college athletes and have been a certified Athletic Trainer for over 15 years. Why did you decide to become involved with the Chamber? I am looking to network with other companies. I also want to get into the community more and see how I can help spread knowledge about youth and performing artist sports that are sometimes overlooked in traditional settings.   How and when did the company get started? Howard Stein Hudson started 1987 by Jane Howard and Kathy Stein in Dorchester. Now we are 100 employees located in 3 regional offices throughout Massachusetts. What products or services do you offer?
What’s the one thing your business is known for, over your competitors and why? Howard Stein Hudson (HSH) is a full-service planning and engineering firm that improves communities through inclusive engagements and creative solutions. Our collaborative approach with clients relies on sound technical, planning, and engineering expertise and combines it with knowledge of community/stakeholder issues and needs. Driven by our mission and underpinned by our values, we address engineering and planning challenges and aspire to deliver a better world. Tell us an interesting and fun tidbit about your business. HSH is a growing firm of recognized industry leaders in planning and engineering. We’ve cultivated a friendly and collaborative environment where experts can make a difference in the community. HSH encourages every employee to feel comfortable enough to bring their whole self to work. Our vision guides all of our work, our decisions, and our people. We strive to:
Why did you decide to become involved with the Chamber? Opening a Southeastern Massachusetts office.  South Shore Chamber Board members  South Shore Economic Development Board members |
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