By ED SALVAS
The Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce prepares to enter 2009 with record membership and a new full-time Executive Director.
On Jan. 1, Cindi D’Onofrio becomes Executive Director of the chamber after nearly two years as the chamber’s part-time Executive Assistant. D’Onofrio started working for the Chamber on March 1, 2007 when she took over management of the organization. At that time the chamber had fewer than 100 members. Today, there are 267 members representing a broad cross-section of the community, including business, professional, non-profit and the arts and entertainment fields.
Working from an office above the Sovereign Bank at 308 Main St., D’Onofrio has helped transform the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce into one of the area’s most active business organizations with monthly Business Card Exchanges that now attract an average of 100 people, up from about 15 two years ago. Each monthly meeting is held in a different location and is sponsored by a chamber member. She’s made recruiting new members a priority, although she says the business climate in Asbury Park has also changed.
“Asbury Park is hot right now,” she says, adding that “Asbury Park is selling itself .”
But she also makes it a point to return every phone call, because a potential member might be on the other end of the line.
D’Onofrio sees the job as more than full-time and admits the she’s always thinking about the Chamber. “I live here, work here, play here. I’m always working.” She has earned the support of the Chamber’s 17 member Board of Trustees and also from across the street at City Hall where Tom Gilmour, Director of Economic Development for Asbury Park, praises her accomplishments.
“Cindy D’Onofrio has played an integral role in the significant growth of the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce. Her determination to “right the ship” has positioned the AP Chamber as a strong and vibrant business organizations in Monmouth County. She is the face of our organization and certainly earned the promotion.”
Another supporter is Joan Flatley, the Chamber’s retired Executive Director and Lifetime Honoree who credits D’Onofrio’s success to “her personality, perseverance and organization.” A major part of the Executive Director’s job is to help organize the special events that are held throughout the year, including the annual Carousel Awards Dinner in April. Nominations for this year’s awards to be handed out on April 15th are currently being accepted.
Other up-coming events include the Taste of Asbury Park, a new event in May planned to coincide with “Cinco De Mayo,” the Oysterfest which was revived in 2008 and drew an estimated 15,000 people to downtown Asbury Park on a Sunday in September, and a Halloween Parade and Block Party in October. In addition, the Chamber organizes “First Saturday Asbury Park” held on the first Saturday of every month with a different theme for each month.
While she’s on the job nearly every day, D’Onofrio says her new position specifies time off for her other passion, Bruce Springsteen. She calls them her “Bruce Days,” and says that instead of vacation days she’s being given time off to follow Springsteen and the E Street Band as she’s done since 1973. She also worked for a time on the web site Backstreets.com, the Internet home of everything Springsteen.
Admitting to having attended 69 Springsteen shows since 1973, D’Onofrio has never met “The Boss,” who’s been known to occasionally show up unannounced in Asbury Park at the Stone Pony or Wonder Bar to jam with fellow musicians. But she thinks there’s a way to change that.
“Hopefully, one day he’ll do a concert in Asbury Park for the Chamber.”
D’Onofrio can be reached at the Chamber’s office at 732-775-7676. On the Internet at AsburyParkChamber.com.
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