United Regional Chamber of Commerce??? 2017 ???Person of the Year???
The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce our 2017 Person of the Year Representative Elizabeth ???Betty??? Poirier.
Betty was first elected State Representative for the 14th Bristol District on June 1, 1999 in a special election and is now serving her 9th term in office. Since 2009, she served as the Assistant Minority Whip and in 2015 the Republican Minority Leader appointed her as the Minority Whip. In addition, she was appointed as a conferee of the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting, Foster Care Committee Caucus, House Committee on Ethics and was assigned to special commissions with the House Commission on Child Abuse and Neglect as well as the Shelter and Housing Study Commission. Betty was also honored to be appointed, by the House Speaker, as a State Director for the Women in Government and served a 2-year term (2009-2011???only 2 women in each state are chosen).?? She also serves on the Executive Committee of the House Women???s Caucus.
She has always been very involved at the local level as a community liaison for many school councils one of which was the committee to redesign the code of conduct manual for the high school, served as a board member of the North Attleboro/Plainville Chamber of Commerce (past Vice President), board member of the Downtown Associates of North Attleboro (past President), member of the Board of Directors for Madonna Manor and member of the Board of Directors of the Attleboro YMCA.?? Additionally, she was also the owner of a small business located in North Attleboro.??
Betty is a member of the Women???s Guild at St Mary???s Parish in North Attleboro and has coordinated the local Adopt-a-Family charity for many years in addition to being actively involved in the annual collection of Supply Sacks for foster children in our area. She has instituted a group called ???Betty???s Angels??? to benefit Lenore???s Food Pantry in North Attleboro of which the annual local Restaurant Day event contributes a portion of their funds to support the Food Pantry.?? She is also on the Board of Neighbors Helping Neighbors to benefit a local program to supplement local residents??? heating needs and has been at the forefront of a new charitable non-profit ???Make-a-Splash??? to save the WWII Memorial Pool.????
Her legislative priorities are:?? Public Safety, Local Aid, Health Care and services to help improve individual quality of life. She filed numerous pieces of legislation over the years i.e. to spearhead legislation to correct the Incest Statute in the General Laws (one which helped strengthen restraining orders) as well as legislation that required Council on Aging Directors and Outreach workers to be mandated reporters in cases involving elderly abuse. Other legislation filed included one that would prevent discrimination in employment of those currently serving in the armed forces and a bill to provide free tuition and fees for any Veteran attending a Massachusetts State University.
For complete information and details, visit The United Regional Chamber of Commerce???s website at www.unitedregionalchamber.org or call 508-316-0861.