Chamber Camaraderie: Lisa Leger of Brookline Chamber of Commerce

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Introduce yourself! Who are you and what do you do at your Chamber of Commerce?

My name is Lisa Leger and I am the Executive Director of the Brookline Chamber of Commerce in Brookline, MA just outside of Boston.

In my role, I am responsible for the overall leadership of the Chamber and maintaining its mission to promote and advance the continued success of Brookline as a thriving community in which to live, work, and do business.

I joined the Chamber with over a decade in the Nonprofit Development sector experience, where I concentrated on Corporate Partnerships, Management, and Development. I have held nonprofit leadership roles with the JCC Greater Boston, Hebrew SeniorLife, GBH (PBS/NPR Broadcasting), American Cancer Society, and Harvard Business School.

What made you want to work for the Chamber of Commerce?

I was already very excited about the role, but I had the chance to meet the board during the interview process. I instantly felt welcome. I was enthusiastic about the position, but meeting everyone confirmed my interest.

In addition, I already knew I enjoyed working with entrepreneurial business leaders from my work in corporate fundraising. I love collaboration and a commitment to infusing fun, organization, and hustle into my work. I felt these skills would be helpful aspects of my work with the Chamber.

Lastly, once I was hired for the position, I had the chance to get up to speed by spending two weeks with the outgoing Executive Director, who was critical in helping me understand how to find success in the role.

I’m so honored to represent and support the business community in Brookline.

What do you love the most about the area where you live in Massachusetts?

I have felt very lucky to grow up in Greater Boston. I am a true Bostonian and I have lived here my entire life. I grew up in Newton, a suburb that shares a border with Brookline.

I spent a lot of time in Brookline growing up, and going to work in Brookline has always felt like I was visiting a family member. Not quite home, but very familiar.

The Boston area offers visitors and residents so much! Fresh seafood, beautiful harbor, access to great schools, and beautiful seasons. Brookline specifically is a dynamic community with passionate residents and business owners. Brookline is the largest town in Massachusetts and everyone cares so much about the community. Thriving business communities, great restaurants, exciting shopping, being on the doorstep of Fenway Park, historic homes/sites, and convenient transit make Brookline a wonderful place to visit and live.

It’s been so lovely to be a small part of what makes this town so great.

Why do you think it’s important for everyone to be a member of a Chamber of Commerce?

Networking within the Brookline business community is the most obvious reason. However, some of the other reasons could be more obvious.

You could expect increased visibility for your business, including social media and event visibility, inclusion in our monthly business blast newsletter and videos, or having a listing on our Chamber or Discover Brookline websites.

However, you might also have a chance to be a guest on our new Discover Brookline podcast, given a voice in town issues related to the Brookline business community (such as a recent proposed parking meter increase), and we often help our members with specific business challenges. We have an amazingly talented and active board. They are both highly skilled thought partners, but usually, if one business is experiencing a challenge, it’s likely one of our other businesses or board members also faces that challenge, and they might have an easy solution.

What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned throughout your career?

The ability to prioritize is critical. After working for over a decade in nonprofits with limited resources, I know you must be creative to complete everything. It’s also important to be realistic. If you are a small independent Chamber like us, you have a couple of part-time employees and one full-time ED. This means staff can’t do it all. You delegate, lean on your board, and all the wins become team wins. You can’t do this work in a vacuum; you must collaborate. The best part is your coworkers become the town or city you work within.

If you weren’t in your current position, what would your next dream job be?

I am a BIG Red Sox fan so working with the Red Sox would be a dream job for sure.

When you’re not working, what activities do you enjoy?

I have a bunch of personal interests outside of work. When away from the Chamber, I can be found hiking, swimming, attending concerts with my husband, walking on the beach with my twelve-year-old Greyhound Flash, or cheering on my beloved Red Sox!

Thank you for sharing more about yourself! Tell us how we can get in touch with your Chamber of Commerce or find it online.

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