PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual meeting this Friday, Dec. 17, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the Crowne Plaza ballroom. Themed "Leadership," the meeting will honor various community and chamber members..

Outgoing Board Chair Karen Zink, president of Berkshire Gas, will call the meeting to order at 7:30. The agenda will include the election of directors and officers, a salute to the outgoing chair and a welcome from the incoming chair Gerard Burke, president of Hillcrest Educational Centers, Inc.

The 2010 Esther Quinn Award, in memory of Esther Quinn, a former chamber volunteer and advocate for volunteer efforts, will be presented to June Roy-Martin, Communications and Business Development manager at Quality Printing Company. Former North Adams Mayor John Barrett III and outgoing state Rep. Daniel E. Bosley will each be presented with the 2010 Francis H. Hayden Award. The Hayden Award honors the memory of Francis Hayden, a two-term president of the Northern Berkshire Chamber who made significant contributions to the community as president and through his involvement with several other organizations.

This year’s annual meeting is sponsored by Berkshire Bank, TD Bank, Legacy Banks, SABIC Innovative Plastics, CornerStone, and Quality Printing.

The chamber’s 2010 members of the month will also be presented with certificates of recognition. The 2010 members of the month are Boys & Girls Club of Pittsfield, Miss Hall’s School, Charter Oak Consulting Group, Richard Fabozzi “Presents”, Berkshire United Way, Inc., Northern Berkshire United Way, Mission Bar + Tapas, Bascom Lodge, Pine Cone Hill; The Annie Selke Companies, and Bisque Beads & Beyond.

Tickets are $30 per person and include a breakfast buffet. The event is open exclusively to members of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce. To register, call 413-499-4000, e-mail choyt@berkshirechamber.com or register at www.berkshirechamber.com.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce celebrates Membership Month in March, and it encourages businesses in the region to join for marketing and promotion opportunities, education and advocacy efforts, and "the best networking events found in the region."

In addition to the benefits that traditionally come with membership in the Berkshire Chamber, the organization has added more than $1,500 worth of incentives for businesses that join in the month of March.

Jen Glockner, the Berkshire Chamber’s Member Relations Manager, said that with the support of more than 15 member businesses, the Chamber developed Membership Month with the small business and sole proprietor in mind. The following members will be offering discounts and/or freebies to new members: New England Newspapers (including The Berkshire Eagle, The Transcript, and The Advocate), Custom Business Solutions, Winstanley Partners, MacFarlane Office Products, BBE Office Interiors, CompuWorks, Berkshire Coupon.com, Berkshire Jobs.com., iBerkshires.com, Vox Communications (including WBEC, WUPE, WNAW, and WSBS), WJ Blueprint, Berkshire Print Shop, and Quality Printing Company.

The Berkshire Chamber recently was awarded a 4-Star rating by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The 4-star rating was given to only two chambers of commerce in Massachusetts and seven in the Northeast. This prestigious honor puts the Berkshire Chamber among the top 4 percent of chambers nationwide.

"The Berkshire Chamber is currently comprised of 1,100 member businesses and roughly 32,000 employees,” stated Michael Supranowicz, President & CEO of the Berkshire Chamber. "We hope to expand our reach by finding ways to get Berkshire businesses involved with their regional Chamber. We represent organizations and industries of every size and from every sector of the community to ensure that our membership is as diverse as the business-mix found here in the Berkshires."

The Chamber is encouraging its current members to get in on the recruiting action. The individual who recruits the most new members during the March wins a Spa Day or a Golf Day at Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club. The runner-up will receive a $50 gift certificate to Taylor’s Steak and Seafood.

Annual membership dues start at $255 for businesses with five employees or less. Applications are available  at www.berkshirechamber.com.  For more information, call 413-499-4000, ext. 17.