Chamber Leadership in Transition

NEW BEDFORD, MA – Today, the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce announced that Roy M. Nascimento, the Chamber’s President & CEO, has accepted an offer to take on a new leadership position with another larger chamber in the state. Nascimento’s departure comes after eight years of distinguished service in which he helped advance the Chamber’s goals and helped strengthen the SouthCoast business community.

“Roy will be sorely missed.” said David Maher, Senior Manager at Lockheed Martin Sippican, Inc. and Chair of the chamber’s board of directors. “He was a great leader for our organization.  He consistently challenged our chamber and community to deliver on its potential.  His fresh approach, collaborative leadership style and professional management expertise helped transform our organization into one of the most effective chambers of commerce in New England.”

Maher added that the Board is beginning today to set in motion a search aimed at finding a strong new CEO for the near-thousand-member business organization.  “We have a very aggressive agenda dedicated to continue helping individual businesses, growing the region’s economy and enriching the communities across SouthCoast in the process,” Maher said. “We pledge to secure top new leadership that will take that agenda to a new level going forward.”

During his tenure, Nascimento is credited with stabilizing the Chamber’s finances and revitalizing the Chamber’s advocacy, events and communications programs.  He was the catalyst behind the regional effort to revive the Southeastern Massachusetts Convention & Visitors Bureau and led the effort to create the “Rail to Boston” Coalition of business and economic development groups to collectively advocate for the restoration of rail service to southeastern Massachusetts.  With the help of the talented chamber staff, other accomplishments included establishing the SouthCoast Young Professionals Network to help develop, connect and empower young professionals in the region as well as expanding the Chamber’s education, workforce and economic development initiatives.  Some of the new programs that were established under Roy’s watch include the Good Morning SouthCoast Executive Breakfast program; A Chance to Meet the Buyer Procurement program; the International Seafood Buyers Mission; the CHOICES Drop-Out prevention program; the Lemonade Day entrepreneurship program in the middle schools; the Health Insurance Cooperative; the SouthCoast CEO Roundtable; and the SouthCoast Legislative Luncheon.

“It’s been an exciting and rewarding eight years at the New Bedford Area Chamber,” Nascimento said.  “I am proud of the work the Chamber’s Board and professional staff at the Chamber have been able to accomplish during my tenure.  We have accomplished a great deal working together and I believe that our work will have a significant impact on the business community and quality of life for SouthCoast residents for years to come.”

Nascimento will leave his post on January 16th and move into a similar role at the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce serving the Fitchburg and Leominster region.  Maher said the Board will be appointing a committee to lead the search for the next chief executive officer of the New Bedford Area Chamber and to assure a smooth transition.

Leave a comment