BINGHAMTON, N.Y.—The Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) inaugurated its new chair, M&T Bank Regional President Peter Newman, during its 54th Annual Meeting Tuesday. Newman now begins his two-year term as chair of the chamber’s board of directors, replacing Joe Mirabito, president and CEO of Mirabito Energy Products, who guided GBCC’s success over the previous two years.
 
The GBCC serves as a vital force in supporting the success of local businesses and driving regional economic growth, and the chair of its board of directors plays a pivotal role in setting priorities and fostering a more business-friendly climate for the Greater Binghamton area.
 
“Each day, I’m driven to do everything I can to help local businesses grow, while helping our neighbors succeed and our community thrive. Serving as chair of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce is not only an honor, but also an opportunity to make an even bigger impact in a community I’m proud to call home,” Newman said. “Working together, we can build a greater Binghamton—I am excited to stand alongside the many members of the Chamber in pushing forward to achieve our region’s resurgence. Congratulations to Joe Mirabito on his successful and impactful term as chair.”
 
“I’m very proud of the work we did with the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce throughout my term as chairman. We accomplished some great things that will not only help sustain the Chamber’s success, but also support the growth of local businesses. The board brought on the new CEO, Jennifer Conway, in an effort to make the chamber more approachable for all sizes of businesses.  We believe this has worked as evidenced by our growth and look to continue this.” Mirabito said. “Serving as a voice for the business community truly is an honor. I’m happy to pass the gavel to Peter Newman, and wish him a successful chairmanship.”
 
 “Binghamton is fortunate to have dedicated, determined business leaders like Peter Newman, Joe Mirabito and each of our board members, who are willing to commit their time, energy and passion to the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce. Their work is instrumental in fostering regional economic growth,” said GBCC President and CEO Jennifer Conway. “There’s reason to be optimistic in Binghamton.”
 
During his term as chair, Newman intends to focus on three key local priorities:

• Business-friendly environment: Serving as a strong voice for businesses in Binghamton, the Southern Tier and across Upstate New York to support job creation and economic growth.
• Workforce development: Supporting programs and advocating for legislation that ensure the Greater Binghamton area’s workforce is talented, diverse and prepared for jobs in our evolving economy.
• Education: Ensuring young people have access to programing that will help them develop skills to become productive contributors to our community through the Chamber’s Greater Binghamton Education Outreach Program (GBEOP), because great schools, from kindergarten through graduate school, will attract families to the region and encourage businesses to locate here.

 
Newman, who also serves as co-chair of the Broome Talent Task Force, an effort lead by The Agency, is already taking action on the workforce development priority. He allocated sponsorship resources from M&T Bank to support the Chamber’s 2018 Greater Binghamton Job & Career Fair, which helps connect job seekers with in-demand career opportunities. It takes places June 15 at the SUNY Broome Ice Center.
 
Named M&T Bank regional president for Southern New York in 2011, Newman oversees 23 offices across 10 counties from the bank’s regional headquarters located at 68 Exchange St. in downtown Binghamton. He joined M&T in 1990.
 
In addition to his roles as GBCC chair and Broome Talent Task Force co-chair, his community involvement includes board positions and committee memberships with the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, UHS Senior Living at Ideal, Church of the Holy Family, Mercy House of the Southern Tier, and Broome Community College Foundation.
 
Newman currently resides in Endwell, N.Y. with his wife, Jacquelyn, and children, Peter, Andrew and Louis.
 
About M&T Bank
M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T’s principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Trust-related services are provided by M&T’s Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.
 
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