Wednesday August 8, 2012

WILLIAMSTOWN -- The Williamstown Chamber of Commerce has named a new executive director.

Jennifer Civello, who lives in North Adams, will take on the position formerly held by Judy Giamborino.

"I’m excited for sure," Civello said Tuesday. "Judy was looking to move on, and I was looking for a new opportunity to move into, so it ending up being perfect timing."

Civello will officially begin her duties as the organization’s new executive director on Aug. 20, but will ease into the part-time position over the coming weeks, according to a Monday news release from the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce.

Allen Jezouit, co-president of the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce, said that Civello clearly understood what it was they were looking for from the standpoint of leadership.

"I think we lucked out," he said. "She has great qualifications and is a great writer. She grew up in Williamstown and lived part-time in North Adams. She knows a lot of people in both communities."

One of the first things Civello will focus on as executive director is the Williamstown Cham ber of Commerce’s membership, he said.

"We want to focus on membership retention and growth," he said.

Civello will also play a visible role in community events that the Williamstown Cham ber of Commerce leads or strongly supports, including the Holiday Walk and Sum mer Sundays, he said.

"Certainly there will also be community

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meetings we’ll want her to attend and make sure that she meets with executive directors of other chambers of commerce," he said.

Civello said she and her husband, Nicholas, moved back to Berkshire County five years ago, and they very much want to be invested in the community.

"I thought a lot of the traits I used in other positions transition nicely into the executive director position, including the community orientation piece," she said.

Civello currently is an adjunct instructor at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, where she teaches psychology and sociology. She has a bachelor’s de gree in psychology from MCLA and a master’s degree in social policy from State Uni versity of New York Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. She has previously been the coordinator for the tobacco treatment program at North Adams Re gional Hospital.