Lee — Juggling tasks is nothing new for Alexandra Heddinger, who took the helm at the Lee Chamber of Commerce April 1 following the retirement of Kathy DeVarennes.
After earning a degree in stage management from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, a production internship with Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 1987 put her on the road to the Berkshires. At the program, Heddinger was involved in a myriad of technical aspects—overseeing lighting, stage crews, schedules, and production teams—as she climbed the ladder of success. “[Wearing] a lot of hats,” she said of the position.
From Becket, Heddinger went on to a career in theater production that took her near and far, always returning to her Berkshires home. Once children and a husband were in tow, however, she transitioned to a sector of the field that didn’t mandate evening work, ultimately settling in Lee where the family has resided for the past three decades.
Heddinger assumed an administrative role at Great Barrington’s Triplex Cinema before joining the staff at New Lebanon’s Darrow School, a 17-year career where she served in nonprofit management and communications She later served as director of admissions at the Berkshire Country Day School. Heddinger counts those positions as her “first act” before taking a position with Community Access to the Arts (CATA) in Great Barrington as she launched her own business as a Chopra Education-certified life coach, comprising her “second act.”
For Heddinger, her past experiences are intertwined, as she takes on her “third act” as a Chamber of Commerce official.
“A lot of the similarities boil down to building relationships and understanding what it is that people care about and helping them to understand the impact their support makes,” she said. “In admissions work, you’re building relationships with families, helping them to feel comfortable and secure and safe in this community … personal relationships and communication.”
Along the way, Heddinger picked up administrative skills and acquired business training through a national business accelerator program.
“As a business owner, combined with all of those previous skills, really made this the perfect position,” she said.
Heddinger will maintain her life coach sessions as the Chamber position is part-time. Along with one additional part-time employee who assists with communications and bookkeeping, the remainder of the staff at the nonprofit organization are volunteers.
“I love lifting people up, helping them to achieve their highest potential, and now I’m doing that with businesses here in Lee,” Heddinger said. “That’s what my vision is—to have businesses feel seen and heard and to help this town really thrive.”
Heddinger is looking forward to coordinating local events including A Taste of Lee/Founder’s Day and Restaurant Week and will help town officials and the Lee Youth Commission with the upcoming Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibition traveling to the town this summer.
“I feel like Lee is in this really nice upswing,” Heddinger said. “The businesses, everyone’s interested in raising the profile, everyone’s interested in growth, everyone’s interested in supporting each other.”
Calling DeVarennes “a really positive and present face of the Chamber,” Heddinger plans to continue her predecessor’s practice of “going into businesses, touching base with people, hearing what they had to say, observing what they were doing, sharing their information with other members.”
“As the face of the Chamber, [DeVarennes] was fabulous at communication and fabulous at presenting the businesses in a really positive way,” she said.
Moving forward, Heddinger intends to survey the local businesses to determine their needs and how the Chamber can be more supportive, with an eye toward providing a structured exchange of resources. That aid can be especially helpful for smaller businesses that may need assistance with training, technical support, or bookkeeping measures. The Chamber is also looking to offer workshops centered on grants or state products that could be of service to these entrepreneurs.
“And then, I’m a resource that can help them get what they need,” Heddinger said, adding that more local networking and mutual support opportunities exist. For instance, during Restaurant Week, other businesses can promote dining establishments participating in the program by pinning up a flyer in their offices or taking out staff to the eateries, she said, so “you’re getting that support from other businesses in town.”
Heddinger counts communication as her superpower in the executive director’s seat, with the attribute needed as she seeks to connect town businesses with resources that could add to their successes. “It’s a place where I’m relatively comfortable juggling a lot of balls,” she said. “I think I’ve always had to do that.”
