Dulberger to resign from chamber post

The official is taking an
economic development
position in Tennessee.

YOUNGSTOWN — Reid Dulberger is resigning as the Regional Chamber’s top economic development official, effective March 1.

Dulberger is headed to Tennessee to be vice president of the Memphis Regional Chamber’s MemphisED Administration, a five-year, $63 million economic development program for Memphis and Shelby County.

Dulberger has been with the local chamber since its 1993 inception and now is executive vice president.

Tom Humphries, chamber president and chief executive, said he will conduct a search to find a replacement. In the interim, Walt Good will be the chamber’s executive director for economic development. Good now is team leader for economic development.

“Reid is irreplaceable, and his value to the community will be felt for decades,” Humphries said.

Frank Hierro, president of the Regional Chamber’s board of directors and regional president of Huntington Bank, called Dulberger’s talent and dedication “among the best I’ve seen in his profession.

Dulberger was co-chairman of Operation Save Our Airbase Reservists and was appointed by former Gov. Bob Taft to the All Ohio Task Force to Save Defense Jobs and the Ohio Tax Credit Authority. He also has served as interim president of Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp., which contracts with the chamber for staffing.

“There are a flood of memories, memories of good times and challenging times, helping build the Regional Chamber into the dynamic entity it has become and all our effort to help build the Valley’s economy,” Dulberger said.

Dulberger and his staff have assisted with 335 successful business assistance projects, resulting in the creation of nearly 15,000 jobs, more than 13,000 maintained jobs, $1.3 billion of new investment and 17 million square feet of building space constructed or absorbed.

His division also helped secure more than $270 million of state and federal funding for priority local infrastructure projects. The chamber’s economic development program has received 21 regional and national awards under his leadership.

Dulberger holds master’s degrees from Carnegie Mellon and Georgetown universities and is the Valley’s only practitioner to hold the status of certified economic developer.