Robin Walton, a senior VP of external affairs and chief philanthropy officer at Inspira Health, was elected to serve as the chair of the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey Thursday night in Cherry Hill during its annual meeting.

Walton will be just the fourth female chair in the organization’s history – and first chair to be a person of color. She will serve a two-year term.

CCSNJ CEO Christina Renna was thrilled to make the announcement.

“Robin has been an active member of the CCSNJ for more than 14 years, serving in various leadership roles to help guide our organization and its work on behalf of the regional community,” she said. “We are excited to work with her in this new capacity and continue to move the chamber forward together.”

The event, which drew more than 300, was a celebration of the success of the chamber.

In addition to the naming of eight new board members in addition to Walton (see list below), the chamber also announced two new initiatives: A relaunch of the South Jersey Chamber Foundation and EmpowerU, a partnership with Rowan College of South Jersey that will offer six-week professional development training programs to CCSNJ members. (see complete stories here and here)

And at a time when many chambers are having challenges maintaining their membership, the chamber revealed its impressive organizational numbers, including:

• CCSNJ added more than 200 new members in 2024;
• CCSNJ has more than 1,200-member companies;
• CCSNJ has a retention rate of approximately 90 percent.

All of this enabled the chamber to hold 94 in-person events with approximately 7,000 participants – an increase of more than 2,000 participants than attended chamber in-person events in 2023.

The biggest announcement of the night was Walton.

Former CCSNJ Board Chair Joseph Devine, who also serves as chair of the organization’s nominating committee, said Walton has been incredibly impactful during her time with the organization.

“Robin has demonstrated tremendous leadership over the last five years as a member of the CCSNJ Executive Committee during a period of significant change for the organization,” he said. “From helping guide the team through a leadership transition, to navigating the pandemic, to helping to shape the organization’s strategic plan and DEIB work, Robin has dedicated her time and strategic vision to move the organization forward and will continue to make a profound impact for the region’s business community.”

Walton was one of eight new board members announced at the organization’s annual meeting. The following new board members will join those already serving:

• Vice chair of the board: Anthony DiFabio, CEO, Acenda Integrated Health
• Vice chair, finance and treasurer: Kimberly Brandley, Partner, CohnReznick, LLP
• Secretary: Liz Thomas, CEO, Thomas/Boyd Communications
• Vice chair, membership: Denise Monahan, EVP and president of PA & SNJ, Wilmington Trust
• Vice chair, special events & marketing: Anthony Bawidamann, VP of government affairs, Comcast
• Vice chair, government action: David Mayer, director of government affairs, New Jersey American Water
• Vice chair, education and workforce development: Michael Angulo, chief officer for government relations, Title IX & EEO, Stockton University.

Walton and the new board members showcase one other key aspect of the chamber: Its commitment to diversity.

The CCSNJ board of directors remains majority diverse – with 35 of 66 (53 percent) of directors being female or ethnically diverse. Its executive committee is the most diverse in chamber history with 9 of its 14 members (78 percent) being female or ethnically diverse.