Bay State Savings Bank is Proud to Support the Worcester Regional Strategic Opportunity Fund March 7, 2024 On Thursday morning, The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the establishment of the Worcester Regional Strategic Opportunity Fund, a restricted fund to be utilized for strategic economic development and workforce initiatives housed within the Chamber’s 501c(3) foundation. Bay State Savings Bank is proud to be a corporate contributor of this new permanent restricted fund that’s purpose is to create an annual funding source for one-time initiatives, projects, or consulting services that would advance the economic development and/or workforce needs of the Chambers’s service region of Worcester and Central Mass. “Our vision for this permanent restricted fund is to utilize the interest generated by the fund to be available for one-time projects, initiatives, or consulting services as needed, said Timothy Murray, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. “This will allow us to be both nimble in pursuing economic development or workforce needs, but also fiscally prudent as it relates to the Chamber’s annual operating budget.” said Tim Murray, President and CEO. To date, the organization has received $2.386 million in contributions with the goal of raising $3 million by the end of 2025, the Chamber’s 150th anniversary. In addition to the announcement of the fund, it was also announced that the fund will be named the Linda Salem Pervier Permanent Restricted Fund in honor of the Chamber’s Vice President of Membership Development of Finance, who has served at the Chamber for over 50 years. “Linda walked through the doors of the Chamber in 1974 as a Becker College intern,” said Board Chair Dr. Satya Mitra. “The Chamber Board of Directors and WRSOF Directors found it only fitting to name this fund in her honor as someone who has touched the lives of so many here in the community.”