©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com
The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce is involved in a search to replace its president and CEO, Michael Bittel, who has announced his retirement from the organization.
Bittel retired in June.
“It has been an honor to love and serve our great region for the past four years,” Bittel said of his tenure Our community is so wonderful because of our greatest asset, our people.”
The ARCC board of directors of hired Bittel in 2018. He took the reigns from Marti Burnley, who was named interim president after Tori J.E. Riley left the position in September of 2017.
“I have been spoiled to work with a great team at the ARCC who will carry on the torch of loving and serving our community,” said Bittel, expressing thanks to the ARCC Board and his staffers Paricia Rogers, Amanda Blanton, Carol Ann Conover and Karen Mattison.
“I have worked extremely close with Michael since his arrival at the Chamber in 2018,” said Marc Monahan, ARCC board chair and regional executive vice president of NBT Bank. “From day one, Michael showed up ready to work and connect the Chamber with our entire business community. Throughout his tenure with the ARCC he has shown a passion, drive and desire to help all of our members and supporters.
“Although the past couple of years have been extremely challenging as we navigated the constant pressures of the pandemic, we are stronger today than ever before”
Monahan said the ARCC team “is committed to continue to collaborate, educate, connect, and advocate during this transition. We are already hard at work to find a new leader for the ARCC. The next person will certainly have big shoes to fill, but we are confident we will find the right person.”
During Bittel’s time he was instrumental in increasing revenue, supporting and partnering with an outstanding ARCC team, and utilizing his past business experience and relationships with local elected officials to advocate for the business community and greater region.
He has served on the Glens Falls Civic Center Coalition, the Glens Falls Business Improvement District (BID), the USDA Farm Service Agency, the Greater Glens Falls YMCA board, the Saratoga/Warren/Washington Workforce Development Board, Warren/Washington County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), the Warren County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Advisory Committee, the Reopen Washington County Committee, and the Warren County Economic Development Task Force.
Prior to joining the ARCC, Bittel was COO at Hometown Healthcare and prior to that co-CEO of The King Arthur Flour Co. in Norwich, Vt.
He joined Clifton Park-based Hometown Healthcare Inc. in 2016 as its COO where he was responsible for human resources, operations, customer service, sales, marketing, insurance payer and government relations, and new business development.
Bittel has also served on the Board for the March of Dimes New York, the Glens Falls Hospital board of governors, and the Northwest NY Salvation Army board of directors.
He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and government from Skidmore College.
Founded in 1914, ARCC is a membership-funded organization representing more than 23,000 people predominantly in Washington, Warren, Essex, and northern Saratoga counties.
The ARCC is a nonprofit corporation, governed by volunteer board of directors, and does not receive any funding from local, county or state governments. Its mission is to help regional companies succeed, grow, and thrive and expand economic opportunity throughout the region. The ARCC focuses on the four pillars of advocacy, education, connection, and collaboration.