Jim Lofgren, an executive with more than 15 years in retailing, has been named to succeed Cristina Chianese as president of the Pelham Chamber of Commerce in January.
The announcement comes after Chianese announced in October she planned to step down after four years in the post.
Lofgren, a Pelham resident, is president and CEO of Nosto, a technology provider for stores, and before that, he spent more than a decade in the fashion retailing and retail technology businesses, the chamber said in a press release.
“I am honored to take on this role and continue the exceptional work Cristina and the chamber have accomplished over the past four years,” said Lofgren. “My goal is to build on this foundation and explore new opportunities to grow and scale the chamber’s reach. Whether it’s brick-and-mortar businesses, entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, corporate executives or the next generation of leaders, I want to ensure everyone in our community feels included, supported and excited about our work.”
Chianese, without a business of her own and coming from a background in media, marketing and sales, volunteered to become chamber president during the Covid-19 pandemic in summer 2020 to fill her time and combat the isolation. From the beginning, she worked to create marketing programs and events to boost Pelham’s businesses during the crisis. She started efforts like the MOMinate campaign for Mother’s Day and the now-annual Winter Wonderland.
During her tenure, the chamber of commerce and the Village of Pelham received $250,000 from Westchester County in the form of a downtown improvement grant that will soon be used to provide funds to local business owners to improve their storefronts.
“I am thrilled to hand the torch over to Jim,” said Chianese. “We have spent a good amount of time together, and I believe his impressive business background and kind, curious personality will serve him well. I look forward to supporting Jim as an advisor at large while he shapes his own vision for the chamber.”
In the coming weeks, Lofgren plans to meet with board members and the chamber membership to share his vision for the organization’s future, the press release said.
