FRAMINGHAM, MA -- The MetroWest Chamber of Commerce recently announced that its current President and CEO, Jim Giammarinaro, will be stepping down at the end of the calendar year.

“Earlier this year Jim informed the Board that, due to competing family and personal commitments, he would be resigning as President and CEO at the end of the year. Although the Chamber will greatly miss Jim’s leadership and steadfast presence, we respect and completely support his decision to step back from the demands of a full-time leadership position,” said Steve Levinksy, the current Board Chair.

Since taking over as President and CEO in September 2019, Mr. Giammarinaro has done great things for the MetroWest business community. Most notable among his many accomplishments is the member-driven focus he and his team have cultivated through robust programming, maintaining a full calendar of events for our members, and participating in regular, one-on-one meetings with members.

Fortunately, Mr. Giammarinaro will continue his service to the MetroWest community by working part-time for the MetroWest Visitor’s Bureau as its Economic Development Director. “As partners, the Visitors Bureau and the Chamber share a common goal to stimulate the MetroWest economy. As our new Economic Development Director, Jim will be working closely with the Chamber and with businesses and municipalities throughout the region. I am thrilled that we all will continue to benefit from his wealth of experience and his dedication to serving MetroWest,” said Erin Lynch, Executive Director of the MetroWest Visitors Bureau.

In connection with Mr. Giammarinaro’s departure as President and CEO of the Chamber, the Board is extremely proud to announce that it has named Stephanie Hirshon and Towma Rastad as Interim Co-Directors of the Chamber heading into 2023.

Ms. Hirshon currently serves as the Chamber’s Deputy Director of Marketing & Programming and Ms. Rastad currently serves as its Deputy Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Membership Retention.

“Stephanie and Towma have done excellent work for the Chamber in their current roles, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work closely with them in 2023 as they transition to their new leadership roles,” said Brian Casaceli, the Incoming Board Chair for 2023. “It has been a pleasure to work with both Stephanie and Towma during my tenure as President & CEO. We have worked together in a team environment where they both have assumed individual leadership roles over a number of Chamber programs. We are in the final stages of transition and Stephanie and Towma will be acting fully in their new roles by the end of 2022. I am confident in their ability to lead the Chamber and take it to new heights,” remarked Mr. Giammarinaro.

The MetroWest Chamber is a regional, not-for-profit business association serving more than 500 member organizations ranging from sole proprietorships and small/mid-tier businesses to Fortune 100 enterprises, municipalities, and not-for-profit organizations in the Greater MetroWest region.

For more info about the Metrowest Chamber of Commerce, visit: www.metrowest.org

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Source: Metrowest Chamber of Commerce press release