The Big E Trust granted local organizations $351,742 in June.
Reminder Publishing file photo
WEST SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield plans to take a deep dive into the 30-year Big E Trust to “ensure it continues fulfilling its original charitable purpose for future generations,” according to a press release.
Mayor William Reichelt, along with Town Council President Michael LaFlamme, announced the formation of the Big E Trust Strategic Advisory Committee on Aug. 5.
The release states that Reichelt “believes that, after over 30 years in operation, it is appropriate to undertake a comprehensive review of the trust’s governance, operations, community impact and long-term stewardship.”
A partnership between the town of West Springfield and Eastern States Exposition created the trust in 1995, which provides assistance to a number of local businesses and organizations each year.
ESE donates 1% of its annual gross operating revenue each year, tied directly to The Big E’s success. It has contributed over $6.1 million to West Springfield, with $351,742 this year alone.
Reichelt appointed Town Councilor Brian Griffin to serve as the committee chair. Griffin will oversee committee work, engage with the public and develop recommendations regarding the future administration and governance of the trust.
LaFlamme will appoint another member of the Town Council and Reichelt will appoint three West Springfield residents based on recommendations from the committee’s Town Council members.
“The Big E and the town of West Springfield have enjoyed an extraordinary partnership for well over a century,” Reichelt said in the release. “The Big E Trust has now been serving our community for more than thirty years, and I believe it is appropriate to take a thoughtful look at how it has operated during that time and consider whether there are opportunities to strengthen it for the future. I appreciate Councilor Griffin’s willingness to chair this effort and look forward to reviewing the committee’s recommendations.”
Griffin said in the release that he intends the committee’s work to be open, collaborative and focused on preserving the trust’s long-term value to the community.
“This is an opportunity for us to help shape the future of one of West Springfield’s most important charitable assets,” Griffin said. “We want to hear from people who care about our community, appreciate the role the Big E plays in our success and want to contribute to a thoughtful and transparent process.”
Griffin told Reminder Publishing that the committee’s review isn’t because the town thinks something is wrong with the trust, but because it’s been 30 years since its creation.
“The mayor and I, and others within leadership with the town, have a responsibility to understand the creation, evaluation and what has been accomplished so far with the trust, and then determine how we can best preserve and strengthen it for the next generation,” Griffin said. “That’s the crux around it. This isn’t a criticism of the individuals who created or administered the trust. It’s actually respecting what they created enough to make sure we protect it for another generation.”
He said there are questions that need to be solved, such as how the town and the Big E have changed, if residents are aware of what the trust does and if the trust’s governance structure is still working and appropriate.
“I think there are opportunities from the city of West Springfield and the Big E to improve transparency and community impact,” Griffin said. “Maybe there’s other impacts we can look at. It really is a lengthy study, and I applied [ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy] … he didn’t believe this was a bad idea either. I mean, this is a 100-year partnership that we’re talking about.”
The committee will begin work this fall and include opportunities for the public to participate in its review process.
Residents interested in being one of the three citizens on the committee can submit an application at tinyurl.com/BigETrustCommittee. Submissions are due Sept. 4.
