Ex-910th commander taking helm at regional chamber next year

BOARDMAN

The colonel is back in town – except this time, his title won’t include colonel.

James Dignan’s new title will be chief executive officer of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.

Tom Humphries announced Thursday at the chamber’s annual meeting that he will retire as CEO Dec. 31.

Dignan was previously commander of the 910th Airlift Wing in Vienna. After about four years on the local base, last October, Dignan moved on to a new assignment as the Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the director, Mobilization Global Force Management and Readiness at the U.S. Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Then opportunity came knocking here in Youngstown, and he answered.

“I looked at a number of opportunities,” he said. “This just [was] an excellent opportunity for me and the family.”

Dignan will start at the chamber in June as the chief operating officer. He will work with Humphries before he retires and learn the structure of the chamber and find its strengths and weaknesses. His ultimate goal is to grow the chamber.

Read more about the change in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.