January 4, 2006 GAC Update

The City Council held its inaugural meeting on Monday and elected Kenneth E. Reeves Mayor and Timothy J. Toomey Jr. Vice Mayor. The School Committee held its inaugural meeting Monday evening and elected Fred Fantini Vice Chair. The first regular meeting of the Council term will be held on Monday January 9.

GAC members are reminded about the Real Estate Round Table on January 11 and the Cambridge Leaders Event on January 25. You are also invited to attend Massachusetts BizBio Massachusetts BizBio: A Prescription for Growth and Maintaining Our Edge on Thursday January 12.

Upcoming GAC Events

The 2006 Government Affairs program is sponsored by Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research.

2006 GAC Program
I am in the process of scheduling GAC events for 2006. I am planning on holding luncheons in our Board Room in February, March, and April and having an Executive Speaker Luncheon in May. I am planning on inviting the new Mayor and/or Vice Mayor to be our guest at the February meeting once elected by the Council. The GAC will also co-sponsor an Executive Speaker luncheon in March with the Women in Business Committee.  Please contact me if you have suggestions for GAC programming by e-mail at tsmith@cambridgechamber.org or by phone at (617) 876-4213.

February GAC Meeting and Luncheon
The February GAC meeting and luncheon is scheduled for Tuesday February 28, 2006 at noon in the Chamber Board Room.  Guest to be announced

Other Upcoming Events

Real Estate Professional Roundtable January 11
The Chamber, in association with Robinson & Cole LLP, is sponsoring a series of Round Tables for Real Estate professionals.  The first roundtable will be held on Wednesday January 11, 2006 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the Chamber’s Conference Room at 859 Massachusetts Avenue.  The topic is The First Steps to Understanding Cambridge Zoning: The Ordinance, Maps, Districts, Policies, and Organizational Structure and the presenter will be Carla M. Moynihan, Counsel, Robinson & Cole, LLP. The cost is $10 for Chamber members, $40 for non-members.  For more information and to register go to http://www.cambridgechamber.org/chamber/viewevent.html?id=141

Massachusetts BizBio January 12
Chamber members are invited to Massachusetts BizBio: A Prescription for Growth and Maintaining Our Edge on Thursday January 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Omni Parker House Hotel Main Ballroom, 60 School Street in Boston.  The Chamber is co-sponsoring this event with national and local organizations in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries.  This event is free.  For more information and to register go to www.mabizbio.org

City Council Inaugural Meeting Janaury 2

The Cambridge City Council held the inaugural meeting of the 2006-2007 term this morning at 10:00 a.m. and elected Councillor Kenneth E. Reeves as Mayor and Councillor and State Representative Timothy J. Toomey as Vice Mayor.  Mayor Reeves will serve his third term as Mayor, having previously served during the 1992-1993 and 1993-1995 terms.  This is Vice Mayor Toomey’s first term as Vice Mayor.  He will remain a member of the State Legislature.

The first regular meeting of the new City Council will be held next Monday, January 9, at 5:30 p.m.

For a listing of public meetings, visit the Public Meetings link or the Public Meeting Notices area of the City of Cambridge Web site.