PEABODY — Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr. announced Monday that his Chief of Staff Chris Ryder has formally assumed the role of business and economic development liaison.
Ryder has served as a de facto business liaison since the post was left vacant in March 2020. He will continue to serve as chief of staff while carrying out his additional responsibilities.
“Chris really stepped up to fill a void for us and he has done a terrific job for the city,” Bettencourt said. “During the earliest days of the pandemic, many local businesses were struggling just to stay afloat. Chris played a key role in helping to target our pandemic relief efforts where they would have the most impact.”
Ryder said his vision for the position is two-fold.
“I see continuing to function in the more traditional role, the things like the ribbon cuttings, the public component, which I really enjoy,” he said. “But I’d like to expand that role of working with new businesses coming into the city and feeding off their excitement. I really want to help them internally at City Hall so they can spend less time at City Hall and more time on the actual business itself. Also, obviously I want to work with existing businesses as I have done on a de facto basis since Deb McGregor left in 2020. That vision resonated with the mayor and he liked what I had proposed.”
As a member of the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Ryder helped survey area businesses to determine their most pressing pandemic needs.
The survey data reflected a critical need for immediate cash flow to cover payroll and other operating expenses. Just weeks later, the Community Development Authority approved pandemic relief grants totaling more than $380,000 for 110 small businesses in the city.
As restaurants struggled with indoor dining restrictions, Ryder helped coordinate the logistics of Bettencourt’s outdoor dining plan, which enabled 18 restaurants to expand their seating capacity, increase their revenues, and hire back laid off workers. The City Council subsequently approved two outdoor dining extensions and is considering a permanent outdoor dining policy.
During the most tumultuous days of the pandemic, Ryder launched the Peabody Business Podcast to help spotlight struggling small businesses. As the worst effects of the pandemic eased and new businesses began to emerge, Ryder helped facilitate the arrival of Lifetime Northshore and Golf Lounge 18 at the Northshore Mall.
Last spring, Ryder oversaw Peabody’s entry into the North Shore Diversity Catalog, which helps encourage more equitable awarding of municipal contracts and provides a valuable guide to minority- and women-owned businesses on the North Shore.
Most recently, Ryder helped organize a networking forum with local restaurant owners and culinary program directors from Peabody High School and Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School.
“This is really the first step in an ongoing effort to connect business owners and educators,” said Ryder. “Our goal is to create an employment pipeline which provides culinary students with real-world experience and restaurant owners with workers who are motivated to grow and succeed within the food service industry.”
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
