New Chairman Named, Chamber Looks to Spur Networking Opportunities

Dilshanie Perera

The Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce announced at its monthly luncheon meeting that J. Robert Hillier, the current Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors, would become the Chairman of the Board in November.

Mr. Hillier (who is also a shareholder of Town Topics) looks to “keep the momentum of the Chamber going, despite the state of the economy.”

Praising Outgoing Chairman Lawrence Krampf for his leadership, and citing Chamber CEO and President Peter Crowley for his excellence, Mr. Hillier said he looks forward to continuing to work with them.

The Chair of the Board of Directors serves a two-year term, with the directors meeting between six and eight times per year to determine the Chamber’s course for the short term and long term. Mr. Hillier mentioned that they are currently in the process of developing a new five-year strategic plan, to be revealed later this year.

“The Chamber’s main vision is to support every business that it can in the region,” Mr. Hillier said, adding that despite the economic turbulence, the Chamber events remain well-attended and vibrant.

Over 1,100 people participated in the Mid-Summer Marketing Showcase, and membership luncheons have a regular attendance of 125 to 150 people, Mr. Hillier reported.

“Princeton is so rich in personalities that everyone wants to hear,” he said of the numbers that the luncheons draw each month, while also highlighting the “Breakfast Before Business” meetings which regularly bring together 50 people for a talk and question and answer session.

Mr. Hillier sees education initiatives and learning seminars as ways to help businesses get better, mentioning that the Board will have a planning session to chart the course for the seminars next month.

The seminars were characterized as having a more explanatory or strategic goal, with Mr. Hillier suggesting that something like “how to develop a marketing program” would fit under that purview.

Regarding the future, Mr. Hillier said he would like to further incorporate the Borough Merchants for Princeton “into the mix.”

“The Chamber is a regional chamber, and the more we can involve the downtown merchants and the merchants at the Princeton Shopping Center, the better,” he observed.

In addition, the new organization Hometown Princeton, which focuses on promoting local, independently-owned business, was labelled “terrific” by Mr. Hillier, who said that fostering connections and meeting new people are ways businesses can strengthen ties and weather the down economy.

Return to Previous Story | Return to Top | Go to Next Story