Cohen
The Orange Chamber of Commerce has appointed Barry Lee Cohen as its newest executive director. Cohen has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of the chamber since July 1, including management of programs, membership engagement, business advocacy and strategic marketing initiatives.
Ted Novicki, Orange Chamber of Commerce president and director of regulatory affairs for Avangrid, said, “On behalf of the entire Board, we are extremely excited to welcome Barry Lee Cohen to our team. I am confident that Barry will utilize his decades of marketing expertise and business success to build upon the foundation left behind by former Executive Director Liam Ohlmann.”
“I consider us incredibly lucky to have someone with Barry’s experience, knowledge of the community, and knowledge of the chamber; and that is why I believe our chamber business members will be the beneficiaries of Barry’s leadership,” Novicki added.
Cohen said, “I am honored to be executive director as the chamber enters an era of growth with new offerings that will create value for our members and the region. Over the coming weeks, I will be closely collaborating with our board of directors, listening to, and supporting chamber businesses, and engaging local leaders and organizations.”
Cohen is a former global corporate executive, current business owner and community leader; he has worked on multiple municipal boards, industry and nonprofit associations. Since 2016, Cohen has been the president and managing director of Launch Communications, a strategic marketing, communications, branding and public relations firm primarily focused on business-to-business manufacturing and technology companies serving the industrial, automotive, aerospace, plumbing/hardware and electronics industries.
A former city councilman in West Haven, Cohen has organized or sponsored a diversity of business and association events, corporate functions and community volunteer initiatives.
“Public service, which includes serving our dynamic and vibrant business community, is a blessing that I will never take for granted,” Cohen said.
Cohen is a member of both the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and the Connecticut Economic Development Association. He earned his MBA in marketing from the University of New Haven and a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Hofstra University.