John Leone retiring as chamber prez

Former Mayor John Leone's 17-year tenure as the head of the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce is coming to an end. He said he notified the chamber's board that he's going to retire at the end of 2008.

Here's what Leone had to say:
I recently informed the Chamber Board of Director’s of my decision to retire as President of the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce effective at the end of 2008.
I will have served in the position of Executive Director/President of the Chamber for over 17 years.
My decision to retire allows the Board and Officer’s the opportunity to select my replacement over the next year and give them adequate time to do a search.
Chairman of the Chamber, Jeff Sonenstein, has taken the lead, along with the Officer’s in identifying and interviewing candidates.
A Connecticut firm, Decision Point, will assist Jeff and the other officer’s with the task.
Over my tenure as President and Executive Director, I have been assisted with a dedicated staff, great Chamber Chairpersons of the Board, Officer’s, and Board members who have supported the organization and our community with their time, monetary support and ideas making our Chamber one of the largest in Connecticut.
We also have a tremendous group of members who understand by working together we can make a difference in our community and the region.
Over the last 16 years, we have seen many changes in our community, some were good, and others could have been devastating.
Together City and State elected and appointed officials worked with the Chamber to partner on improving our City and dealing with enormous changes we could not have predicted or controlled.
Over the last twenty years we have seen the erosion of our manufacturing base and the building of our service industries.
We have seen the majority of our retail move onto Rt. 6, with some big box stores added to the mix, including Wal-Mart and Home Depot.
We have become a tourist destination with Lake Compounce attracting 700,000 visitors a year and our city’s museums including the Carousel Museum of New England, American Clock and Watch Museum, Museum of Fire History, Imagine Nation Museum, Bristol Historical Society and the Plymouth Lock Museum adding an additional 100,000 patrons a year.
I have worked with four different Mayors, Frank Nicastro, Gerry Couture, Bill Stortz, and Art Ward and all have worked hard to grow our economy and make a difference.
I’ve worked with hundreds of Federal, State, and Local elected and appointed officials, including Governor Weicker, Governor Rowland, and Governor Rell.
Also, I have developed many friends in the Chamber world, and include the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce President Larry McHugh as a mentor and friend.
What I have learned leading our Chamber is there are a tremendous number of individuals who love our City and volunteer to make a difference.
Our Chamber members continue to make a financial commitment along with volunteering to support this community we call home.
They make a difference and do their part to improve the quality of life in Bristol.
Over the next year, we will focus on the downtown revitalization and economic development, with the Rt. 72 completion being a great catalyst for both.

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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com