The Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County(CBICC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Vern Squier as the next president and CEO of the organization. Squier is currently senior vice president of Economic Development for the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce located in Overland Park, KS. He brings over 30 years of Chamber and Economic Development experience to his new position. At a meeting of the CBICC Board of Directors on Aug. 10, Squier was named to the post and is expected to start in his new position by mid September. David Wise has been filling the role of CEO since June of 2010 and will continue as Chief Financial Officer.
“We were impressed with Mr. Squier’s broad experience in both Chamber operations and economic development. We think he will be a great addition to the team we have in place.” Says David Capperella, CBICC board chairman.
According to Ted McDowell, CBICC vice chairman, “The CBICC is a strong organization which has done a great job over the past year retaining members, expanding program offerings and completing several large projects, the most significant of which is bringing Benner Commerce Park on line last October. Nevertheless, we felt that the time was right to add some national-level business experience to the leadership of the Chamber.”
Wise agreed, “While we have been able to maintain our business base, and support new initiatives, we would like to enhance staff and experience to conduct business recruiting on a major scale, and really work to add jobs and value to the County’s economy. We believe that Mr. Squier will bring us that experience.”
The Chamber’s previous President and CEO, John F. Coleman Jr. left the Chamber in June 2010 to serve as a commissioner with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Coleman served as the CBICC/CCIDC executive for 11 years. During Coleman’s 11-year tenure, the Chamber experienced significant organizational growth which resulted in becoming the largest business membership organization in central Pennsylvania. Under Coleman’s leadership, the Chamber received accreditation from the United States Chamber of Commerce and was nationally honored by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives on several occasions. Notable projects completed under Coleman’s leadership at the CCIDC include the creation of the Centre County Business Loan Program, the $2.6 million Technology Center expansion that houses 28 start-up companies in the CCIDC’s business incubator, and the new 217-acre Benner Commerce Park.
With over 1,000 members, the CBICC is one of the largest and most influential Chamber and Economic Development organizations in Pennsylvania. The membership of the organization is comprised of businesses ranging in size from large international corporations to sole proprietorships, and everything in between. For more information about the CBICC, visit www.cbicc.org or call (814) 234-1829.