The North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of a new scholarship named in honor of Mr. David L. McKeehan, former President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. The $2,000 scholarship is named in honor of Mr. McKeehan for his commitment to the advancement of North Central Massachusetts and for his decades of dedicated service to the Chamber.

Mr. David L. McKeehan served as President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce from 1984 until his retirement in 2015. McKeehan led the merger of the Fitchburg and Leominster Chambers of Commerce, along with several smaller business groups, to form the North Central Massachusetts Chamber in 1984. Over the course of his tenure, he procured over $4.5 million in private sector funding and over $1 million in government grants for economic development programming in the region. He was instrumental in the creation as well as the saving of many jobs within North Central Massachusetts during his years at the Chamber. For his service, McKeehan has been honored by the New England Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Mount Wachusett Community College, Fitchburg State University and many other organizations. Preference for the David L. McKeehan scholarship will be given to a child or grandchild of a current Chamber member or an employee of a current Chamber member.

Last year, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation distributed nearly $50,000 in scholarships to local high-achieving high school students and has awarded over a million dollars in scholarships since the establishment of its scholarship program. Many of these awards are made possible through contributions from members of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and proceeds from the Chamber’s Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament. Scholarships endowed through the Chamber Foundation are often named in honor of prominent members of the North Central Massachusetts business community whose philanthropy and commitment to the community have helped shape North Central. For more information or a list of the named scholarships, please visit northcentrlmass.com.

 Students interested in applying for a 2016 scholarship through the North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation should contact their high school guidance department to submit an application. Deadline for applications is Friday, February 26, 2016. A limited number of scholarship applicants are submitted by each school in the Chamber’s service area each year and then reviewed by a committee of Chamber members.

The Chamber’s Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization focused on assisting in the betterment of the region through charitable activities. Funds raised by the Foundation are utilized primarily for education/workforce development initiatives and charitable activities in North Central Massachusetts, including scholarships to eligible applicants pursuing education and grants to support economic and community development projects.

For more information on the David L. McKeehan Scholarship or the North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation’s scholarship program, please call (978) 353-7600 or email .