MAN OF THE PEOPLE
Bruce Flax takes the reins at the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce
Nowhere among the list of attributes on Bruce Flax’s CV will you see the word “misanthrope.” On the contrary, Flax’s life and work experiences include 36 years in the entertainment marketing and ticketing department at Foxwoods; former town council member and mayor for the Town of Groton; the happily married father of five kids; and now the newly appointed executive director of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce.
Flax, in other words, is at his best among other humans.
“I do like people,” Flax says in an interview earlier this week, shortly after leading Sen. Chris Murphy and a small entourage on a tour of Mystic businesses. “I realized early on at Foxwoods, where I dealt with so many people in so many departments — internally and also customers externally — that I love meeting and talking to people. If that’s part of my job, so much the better. And it feels natural here at the chamber to utilize those experiences and opportunities to explore new pathways.”
During his time at Foxwoods, Flax, 56, also represented the casino as chairman of the board of directors for the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce. When the chamber’s president, Peggy Roberts, stepped down last November after serving two years, Flax moved into the role in a non-paying capacity as an extension of his status as board chairman. Among his new responsibilities was to facilitate a search for a permanent executive director for the chamber.
Hey, why not me?
A week later, though, Flax was furloughed along with hundreds of others Foxwood employees. And over the next several weeks with the chamber, he began to seriously consider applying for the permanent chamber position.
“It dawned on me that I was really enjoying the work I was doing (with the chamber),” Flax says. “I have nothing but great things to say about my time at Foxwoods and with the tribe. I started there before I got married and was there through my wedding, five children, three dogs, and putting down our roots as a family in Mystic. I owe that all to Foxwoods, so to think about leaving wasn’t a decision made in a vacuum. It’s not easy to leave a job you love. My wife Kathy and I talked a lot about it, and ultimately, I called each of the four members of the chamber’s executive committee to formally express my interest in the job.”
Bruce and Kathy, who teaches and leads the math department at Ledyard High School, have lived in the same house for 25 years. Their children — Haley, Benjamin, Cassandra, Mae and Daimon, ranging from middle school age to recent college graduate — have
only known Mystic as home. The family, Flax says, feels inextricably and happily rooted in the community.
It was excellent news, then, that after numerous qualified candidates from across the country were considered for the chamber job, Flax was officially named to the post on March 9. He says he is humbled and gratified and believes his experiences in local politics and at Foxwoods have provided him with valuable background.
“If you think about it, a lot of it comes down to communication,” Flax says. “Really, there are very few situations I haven’t run into — from interaction with concert ticket holders and dealing with the handlers of entertainers to debates at town council meetings. And part of the appeal of the chamber is to use that experience in new and different challenges in my own community.”
New opportunities
Since March 2020, the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce cut expenses by 60 percent and laid off employees. But, as with all communities during the crisis, efforts have been creative at making the best of a horrible situation.
“Mystic is a tourist destination, and we’ve been an events-driven community in that regard,” Flax says. “With COVID-19, we’re forced to think about how to utilize our strengths in new ways, and to use a business-to-business approach that provides support even after the pandemic.”
Looking to impending tourist months that usually last into October, Flax says that they’re hoping to return as many events as possible within the realities of the virus. Last year would have been the 63rd year of the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival, and with the optimistic forecast, hopes are the event will take place.
“We want to keep the traditions alive of the art festival,” Flax says, “but at the same time we want to attract a younger demographic. We want to bring in some performing arts possibilities — everything from spoken word and dance to live music. The idea is to add dimensions to our events that weren’t there before.”
A newer event is Floatchella, which debuted last summer. Co-sponsored by the Downtown Mystic Merchants and the chamber, Floatchella was a masked, socially-distanced, pop-up paddle craft rally on the Mystic River that included live music and was such a success that Flax says they hope to stage two Floatchellas this year, one in June and one after Labor Day.
Hitting the ground running
Those would follow on the heels of last month’s different and very successful Mystic Restaurant Week — which is an excellent example of adjusting a popular and regular event to not only conform to pandemic guidelines but also involve local, non-dining businesses. Instead of participating restaurants relying solely on traditional discounts and/or special menus, the concept expanded beyond the culinary to the whole business community.
“We got chamber members who are not restaurants to donate prizes,” Flax says. “Customers dining at participating restaurants during Restaurant Week received a text-to-win/keyword. At the end of the week, a drawing was held, and several lucky diners won prizes that were donated from the non-dining businesses.”
The chamber also offered gifts to customers who spent a minimum of $75 on a takeout order; people could show dining receipts to the new chamber office on East Main Street to get a fleece blanket, wine tumbler or espresso cups.
“I think Bruce is a great addition to the chamber and the community. He brings great vision,” says Jeremy Socha, general manager of S&P Oyster Company. “What he helped us all do with the restaurant week was a way to make it work locally for guests and restaurants and local businesses.
“Plus, he’s been a local forever, and I can’t think of anyone better to take on this position. He has important connections through Foxwoods, and his children were raised here and have gone to school with my kids. He’s going to connect with so many local people and businesses.”
Looking beyond
The chamber is also reaching out to similar organizations in neighboring communities like New London as well as the parts of Groton and Stonington beyond just the boundaries of downtown Mystic. “Cooperation is so important, and we’re here with open arms,” Flax says.
In an email, Susan Fisher, executive director of the Mystic Museum of Art, says, “I’m delighted by Bruce’s appointment. He has a tremendous gift for working cooperatively and a love for the community that is palpable. After seeing GMCC through a transition in leadership during the pandemic, he is more than ready to welcome business and visitors back to a vibrant Mystic.”
Flax, always happy to talk — he likes people — apologies for cutting a phone interview short. There’s a Zoom meeting on the schedule. “Every time I meet someone, I think of 10 things I immediately want to do or 10 new people I want to meet. I love that.” He pauses.
“It’s strange. Three weeks ago Tuesday was the first time in 36 years I went to a paid job that wasn’t in ticketing,” Flax says. “The entertainment world is exciting, but already, working in Mystic and for Mystic gives me a charge that’s very similar to that other excitement.”