Printer Friendly Version - Lazarus to Leave Shoreline Chamber of Commerce

Ed Lazarus, shown here promoting Chamber "bucks" to assist area merchants during the 2015 holiday shopping season, has announced he will step down as Chamber president on Oct. 4, following ten years at the post.Pam Johnson/The Sound

Ed Lazarus, president of Shoreline Chamber of Commerce (SCC) serving Branford, North Branford and Guilford, is stepping down from the post he's held since 2007. His last day leading SCC will be October 4, according to a notification issued today, September 14, from the Chamber Board of Directors.

The announcement, emailed to members with the subject line "Resignation of Chamber President," reads: "We write today to share with you the news. Ed Lazarus, our leader for the last ten years, has decided to step down from his role as the President of the Shoreline Chamber. Over the last decade he has worked tirelessly on our behalf. He was instrumental in guiding us through the merger of the Guilford, Branford and now North Branford Chambers. His commitment and loyalty were instrumental in the success of the organization. Ed's energy, enthusiasm and his kind sense of humor will surely be missed.

Ed leaves us in the strongest condition the chamber has seen in years. Membership is strong and at an all-time high, community interactions and planned events continue to be successful and growing, we are financially the strongest we've been since the merger and the strategic wheels continue to move forward.

We wish Ed nothing but best wishes and success with his next journey. We can't thank him enough for all that he has contributed to the organization. Please join us wishing him nothing but the very best for what the next chapter of his life has in store.

Ed has agreed to stay on until October 4th to help us have as smooth a transition as possible.

Lazarus guided the growth of the Chamber since the day he was hired to lead the former Branford Chamber of Commerce in 2007, following a 28-year managerial career among three universities. Prior to joining the Chamber, he was senior vice president and vice president for Student Services at Post University in Waterbury.

In January, 2014, Lazaurs oversaw the transition of the former Branford and Guilford chambers merging to form SCC, following a merger decision voted in by members of both chambers. In June, 2016, Lazarus helped usher in North Branford as the third town represented by SCC, creating a tri-town chamber.

Shore Publishing Newspapers/Zip06 featured Lazarus as a 2015 Person of the Week, see the story here