New Chamber Director is Now on the Job

Pikesville native Jessica Normington is now at the helm of one of this community's most influential organizations: The .

At age 34, she has worked in the advertising industry, including in Baltimore and Morristown, NJ. Most recently, she worked as an account executive in the marketing department of The Associated, and as the annual fund coordinator at the .

When asked what it felt like to be in the position, often considered "the mayor" of Pikesville, she smiled and she put her hands over to her mouth.

"I'm continuing to pinch myself," she said. "I can't believe it. If you had asked me when I graduated from college what I would be doing in 12 years, I wouldn't have guessed this."

Normington has already taken ownership of the responsibilities of this salaried, part-time job.

It's her first week in charge, and already she has brought resolution to an urgent situation: She found a new venue for the , a weekly chamber event that was asked last week to leave the parking lot in downtown Pikesville, because of .

She arranged for the market, held from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Tuesday, to be held in the parking lot, 1630 Reisterstown Road, beginning Aug. 2.

It will be held there through Oct. 25, the last day of the market season. "My first crisis solved!" she said in an email announcing the new location.

Next Tuesday the market will be held at its temporary venue, the Center, 110 Sudbrook Lane.

Normington replaces Sherri Becker, who retired last week after 10 years on the job, and is bringing a different environment to the chamber.

These days, Becker's once-full bulletin board is nearly empty, and Normington has placed her own iPhone docking station the floor next to the executive desk. "I have to have music," she said.

She's added a few appropriate connections to her LinkedIn social network and soon she'll be hiring a new assistant because longtime employee Anita Glick retired last week, along with Becker.

Marta Braverman will continue in her work with the chamber, Normington said.

Keeping businesses in Pikesville and growing chamber membership are the most important issues facing the chamber, Normington said.

"I would love to grow the organization and bring more members," and create more events for the members, such as the Miles That Matter 5K race held earlier this month, she said.

"Pikesville Chamber has been behind the scenes, and maybe I can put us on the map," Normington said. "I hope to bring new ideas and new energy."

The chamber currently has 300 members, Becker has said—twice as many as when Becker took the job.

Marcy Gorman of BB&T at Quarry Lake, was on the chamber's executive director search committee. She said the board unanimously approved Normington's hire.

"She has a lovely personality, she seems engaged and very personable," Gorman said. "She seems like a person who can take us to a new level and continue the work Sherrie has already done."

"It seems like she will grow within her role. We are excited," she added.

Normington is a 1995 graduate of St. Paul's School for Girls in Brooklandville, and a 1999 graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA.

She and her husband, Scott Normington, have two children: Lindsay, 5, and Charles, 1. They are members of , located in Pikesville, and reside in Reisterstown.

Normington is the daughter of Lisa and Allan Hirsh III, who reside in Pikesville.

Correction: The original version of this story listed the wrong residence for the Normingtons.