Jesse Bernstein Named New Chamber President

Megan Turnbow
September 28, 2006

David Parsigian, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce, announced Wednesday, September 27, at the Chamber's annual impact mi event, the appointment of Jesse Bernstein as Chamber President and CEO. Bernstein, President of Strategic Performance Planners, LLC will assume the position as Chamber President on October 1, 2006.

Bernstein has served as the Chamber’s Interim President and CEO since June after Sabrina Keeley resigned from the President and CEO position to accept the position as the Vice-President of Detroit Renaissance.

After conducting an extensive search, the Ann Arbor Area Chamber selected a long-time Ann Arbor resident with a strong track record of community involvement and business experience. “We are very excited to have an executive of Jesse’s caliber as our next President. As our Interim President, Jesse demonstrated his ability to combine his skills and experience with a strong desire to grow our Chamber and better serve our members.  We are confident that under Jesse's leadership, the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce will be become an even more vital part of our region,” stated Parsigian. 

Bhushan Kulkarni, Search Committee Chair and Chamber Board of Directors Vice-Chair said, “We are pleased that the thorough and diligent work of the Search Committee, with the support of the Chamber Board, has resulted in the selection of a President with the necessary skill sets and extensive knowledge of the community."

“I am honored that the Chamber Board has selected me to run this professional and well-respected organization. I am looking forward to working with our members, our sponsors, the Chamber Board and staff, and the entire Ann Arbor area community,” commented Bernstein.

Prior to his position at Strategic Performance Planners, Jesse was the Founder and President of Employee Assistance Associates, Inc. which provided human resource services to over 250 companies of all sizes and in many industries. Jesse held many Board positions including Chair of Child Care Network and Hillel of Eastern Michigan University, Arbor Hospice Board of Directors, Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Temple Beth Emeth Board of Trustees and numerous professional associations. Bernstein has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the State University College, New Paltz, New York and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan.

The Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in Washtenaw County with over 1,400 members. The mission of the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce is to support our members by promoting commerce in the greater Ann Arbor area through business advocacy and leadership in economic, political and educational development.