Medford resident assumes lead position at Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey
Meredith K. Lorrilliere will serve as Senior Vice President, Operations Special Events & Communications.
Joseph W. Devine, Chairman of the Board, Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, announced the retirement of the organization’s two top leaders, effective at the close of 2019, along with the announcement of new leadership for 2020.
“After more than two decades of outstanding service to the CCSNJ, Debra P. DiLorenzo, President & CEO, and Kathleen A. Davis, Executive Vice President & COO, will retire from the Chamber,” Devine said. “Their commitment to excellence, can-do attitude, and strategic vision are the hallmarks of their tenure. These two remarkable leaders built a strong team, created an unparalleled level of professionalism at the Chamber, and instituted operational excellence to best serve our members.”
Devine — who is also President of Jefferson Health New Jersey — announced that, following a rigorous four-year succession plan, Christina M. Renna has been selected to assume the responsibilities of President, effective January 1, 2020. Serving under Renna as second-in-command will be Meredith K. Lorrilliere as Senior Vice President, Operations Special Events & Communications.
“The incoming leadership is poised to continue the Chamber’s long tradition of serving southern New Jersey’s business community with distinction, and to fulfilling the needs of the region’s current and future business leaders. The CCSNJ’s Board and its Executive Committee have the utmost confidence in these two leaders,” Devine said.
Renna currently serves as the Chamber’s Senior Vice President. She has held several private sector positions, including a previous three-year stint with the Chamber beginning in 2007; and in the public sector, including working in the Office of former Governor Chris Christie. Renna currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs at Rutgers University-Camden, and on the Board of Habitat for Humanity of Burlington County and Greater Trenton-Princeton. She holds a B.A. in political science from Saint Joseph’s University and a M.P.A. from Villanova University. Renna resides in Mount Laurel with her husband, Michael, and three stepchildren.
Lorrilliere has nearly 19 years of experience working in various roles in Chamber management, serving in communications, special events, and operational positions. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Trustees for the South Jersey Young Professionals Association since 2015, and has served in the leadership role of Secretary since 2017. She earned a B.A. in Communications from Rowan University and was named one of South Jersey Biz’s “20 Under 40” in 2012. She resides in Medford with her husband Brent, and two daughters.
There have been many outstanding accomplishments under DiLorenzo’s and Davis’ leadership, including, but not limited to: the expansion of the South Jersey Summer Institute for Educators; establishing the Chamber’s statewide standing as the South Jersey business community’s voice in Trenton; earning ISO 9001 certification; and playing a key role in the defeat of the ballot question expanding gaming outside of Atlantic City, and in retaining New Jersey’s 40-year income tax reciprocity agreement with Pennsylvania.
DiLorenzo is a recognized leader in the State, serving on Governor Chris Christie’s Executive Transition Committee. Currently, she serves as a gubernatorial appointee to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. Davis, meanwhile, is also a recognized leader in New Jersey, having served on Governor Christie’s Privatization Task Force, Camden City Mayor Redd’s Transition Team, and the Courier-Post Editorial Board. Both DiLorenzo and Davis earned numerous awards for their CCSNJ leadership during their 20-plus years, including NJBIZ’s ICON Award.
“This is an exciting time of transition for our leadership as we continue to support CCSNJ members for many years into the future,” Devine said.