Jonathan Butler took over as the president of the Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 2.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshires as a whole needs to adapt to the "changing economic landscape" to attract the younger generation, according to Jonathan Butler.

 

Earlier this month, Butler took over as the new Berkshire Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer. Butler says it may be a broad term but economic development is his top priority.

 

"To me, it is at the core of everything. We need to continue to redevelop the Berkshires. We need to diversify our industrial base. We need continue to create jobs and adapt our workforce to the job opportunities that are here. We need to continue to modernize our infrastructure so we can truly compete with other areas in the Northeast as a place to live, work and do business," Butler said in an interview last week. 

 

"Ultimately, that's what it is all about and what it all comes down to. We need more economic development if we are going to curb our population loss."

 

Butler comes to the position after five years as the town administrator in Adams. There, he focused much of his attention on downtown revitalization. While he says he had success there, he's eager to work on a countywide level because "we're all in this together."

 

"I care very deeply about the future of the Berkshires. Population loss — it is supported with data — that it is a significant threat to the Berkshires. It is something we have to take seriously and have to solve the right way," he said. 

 

"I had the opportunity to work on challenges specifically to Adams, which was professionally satisfying having been from there. But coming here, I now get to approach these problems from a regional angle."

 

As head of the chamber, part of the regional economic development collaborative 1Berkshire, he said the organization can provide a lot of value to the economy. Whether it is helping existing businesses grow or helping developers and other entrepreneurs grow new ideas into companies, the chamber can provide insight, support and resources.

 

"I want this to be a place where businesses can come, where developers can come and they can leave here in a stronger position to be successful," Butler said.

 

To do that, the chamber needs to have a good understanding of local business needs and develop "relevant" programming such as job training to create the needed workforce. 

 

In recent years, tourism has become a driver of the economy, which is a change in dynamic from the past. So with a changing climate, Butler sees the chamber as an important role in redeveloping the economy.

 

"The days of General Electric and 30,000 [workers] are gone. The employers we are focusing on right now — along with helping our existing businesses — are small shops. Our new members are those small shops with five employees or less. They are looking to some day expand and we need to provide services to meet those needs," he said.

 

Population loss has risen to the top of economic concerns and the chamber has developed a task force to attempt to stem the flow out of the county.

 

"We need to continue to focus on the amenities in the downtowns that our 20- and 30-year-olds are seeking," Butler said. "There is a lifestyle that that generation is seeking and we have to strengthen that here."

 

Working with municipalities in their attempts to redevelop mills or other areas, Butler hopes to have a seat at the table to supplement whatever a developer would need and forge much stronger relationship with municipal leaders.

 

"Municipalities are developers. They become part of project teams and the chamber needs to be plugged into that. The needs in Adams are different from those in Lenox. The opportunities in Lenox or Great Barrington are different from the opportunities in North Adams, Adams, Lee or Dalton," Butler said. "We have to continue to deepen our understanding of that and we have to engage directly with the municipalities."

 

Being countywide, Butler said the chamber can help "connect the dots" and add value to any proposal. And, when federal or state policies affect the business community, the chamber can advocate for business-friendly policies or legislation. 

 

Butler said the chamber can also identify opportunities and bring those stakeholders together. He also hopes to develop a stronger relationship with the local chambers of commerce in the county. Butler says he wants to work with those organizations to see where they could supplement efforts and vice versa.

 

Butler admits he may be "a little biased" in his views on municipal government's role in economics but that's because he comes from the public sector. Working as a town administrator is very difficult for a number of reasons, he said, but that experience in Adams is where he learned the ins and outs. 

 

"You have to deal with complicated, detailed problems that have multiple solutions. You have to work with more than one stakeholder that might see things completely different from you. And the expectation from the public is that you will come up with the best solutions but the resources for the best solutions aren't always there," Butler said. "That's government and it has always been that way."

 

He now has a staff that focuses on agreed-upon issues — such as the down trending population numbers. 

 

"This is a building filled with very creative people, very energetic people and there are a lot of good ideas here. The three organizations — the Berkshire Chamber, Berkshire Visitors Bureau and Berkshire Creative — are really learning how to work together, how to share resources and how to diversify what we are doing by cooperating and combining out different areas of expertise," Butler said.

 

He calls the central station on Allen Street a "marketplace of ideas." He hopes to develop specific, attainable goals to improve the economy. But right now, he's still learning the people and organizations he'll be working with.

 

"I want to take a good three to six months to do a lot of listening and learn as much as I can. That's what I've been focused on," Butler said.