Members of the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce recently elected a new slate of officers and directors to lead the organization in 2022, including a new president in Ellen Dioguardi, who is director of events for The Express News Group, which includes The Sag Harbor Express. Dioguardi, who served on the Chamber’s executive committee this year as recording secretary, is also part-owner with her husband, David Gribin, of Hampton Services, a delivery and home services company based in Noyac.
“I’m honored to be stepping into the role of president of the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce,” said Dioguardi, who first served on the board in the early 1990s. “While I had been away from the board for a number of years, I’ve always kept up with all the Chamber has done and my connection to Sag Harbor has only grown stronger.”
Dioguardi will replace Gavin Menu, the publisher of the Express News Group, who will remain on the executive committee as treasurer. Attorney John Leonard on Monday was elected as vice president and Marilyn Holstein, who runs the local outlet of Discovery Maps, will continue her role as corresponding secretary.
Bill Evans (WLNG Radio), Nat Egosi (Sag Harbor Inn), Tara Fordham (Dime Bank) and Patricia Assui Reed (Matriark) remain as directors, and are joined by other veterans of the board who were re-elected on Monday night, including Dede O’Connell (The Wharf Shop), Kelly Dodds (Sag Harbor American Music Festival) and Jesse Matsuoka (Sen and K Pasa). Newcomer Robert Deery, a life-long resident of Sag Harbor and the general manger of K Pasa restaurant, was also elected to serve on the board.
“As president, I know I’m working with a team of dedicated, smart and caring people,” Dioguardi said. “Everyone who loves Sag Harbor is lucky we have the business community we do, with people who are willing to volunteer their time and expertise and energy to the Chamber of Commerce.”
The Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce, with more than 140 active members, brought back its September festival, HarborFest, in 2021, after a year off due to the pandemic, and hosted two successful Arts & Crafts fairs in June and September. The group also reported record-breaking turnouts for the Halloween Pumpkin Trail and the recent Tree Light-up event on Long Wharf.
“I’m very proud of the work the current board has done considering the difficulty of moving through the challenges of a global pandemic,” Dioguardi said. “The Chamber is why we have Christmas trees on Main Street, an information booth in-season at the Windmill, HarborFest and HarborFrost, and many other aspects of village life. Continuing to support those things that make Sag Harbor such a wonderful place, and hopefully building on all that to offer some new and exciting events to benefit our members, is something everyone on the Chamber board has pledged to work toward. I’m honored to help lead the way.”
Get up-to-the-minute details on the Chamber’s 2021 and 2022 initiatives by following @sagharborchamberofcommerce on Instagram and Facebook. Become a member at https://sagharborchamber.com/join.