CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR GREATER PHILADELPHIA NAMES
CHELLIE CAMERON AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO

PHILADELPHIA – Following a national search for a visionary leader to attract new business to the region, expand opportunities for existing businesses and create new jobs, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia today announced that Rochelle “Chellie” Cameron has been selected as its new president and chief executive officer.  Cameron will take the helm of the Chamber on July 11, 2022.

Cameron currently serves as the chief executive officer of the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and the Northeast Philadelphia Airport, a system which generates $16.8 billion in spending, supports 106,800 jobs in the region and served more than 33 million passengers in 2019, before the pandemic. She also oversees the management of more than 800 Division of Aviation employees.  Cameron has been a member of the Airport’s leadership team since 2011. From December 2014 until her appointment as CEO in January 2016, she was the chief operating officer responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations. She began her tenure at PHL when she was named deputy director of Aviation, Finance and Administration in June 2011.

Previously, she spent 13 years with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) and served for seven years as an active-duty officer in the United States Air Force and one year as an Air Force civilian employee.

Susan Jacobson, chair of the Chamber board and co-chair of the CEO Search Committee, said Cameron is “a strategic, big-picture thinker” with deep experience advocating for business on the local, state and federal levels. “Chellie is a proven leader with experience convening a diverse set of stakeholders to advance a common goal,” Jacobson said. “As CEO she leveraged the Airport’s size and economic platform to operationalize many of the tenets of Recharge and Recover.  She is committed to evolving the program to meet the needs of our region and our membership into the future.”

Since assuming the role of CEO of PHL in 2016, Cameron has led the airport to new heights by expanding pre-pandemic passenger traffic to record-breaking numbers; attracting new carriers, routes and destinations to Philadelphia; and overseeing the transport of millions of tons of precious cargo – which was particularly notable during the pandemic when people relied on e-commerce more than ever.

She initiated PHL’s $1.8 billion Cargo Expansion Strategy, which will nearly triple its air cargo facility footprint, establish Philadelphia as a logistics center, drive the creation of thousands of new jobs, and support growing regional demand for air cargo and logistics in and around the airport – an economic boon for the City and the region.

“We sought a visionary leader capable of anticipating and addressing significant challenges and opportunities,” said CEO Search Committee Co-Chair Mike Innocenzo. “Chellie has clearly demonstrated those abilities by expanding carriers and service for passengers, leading the Airport through a pandemic-induced economic downturn and embarking on cargo expansion project that will have a massive economic impact on the region and position PHL as one of the most competitive cargo airports on the East Coast.”

The Search Committee prioritized diversity throughout the search process – starting with the composition of the committee which included Mike Innocenzo, president and CEO of PECO; and Susan Jacobson, chair of the Chamber and president of Jacobson Strategic Communications; Greg Deavens, president and CEO of Independence Blue Cross; Madeline Bell, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Craig Carnaroli, senior executive vice president at the University of Pennsylvania; Bret Perkins, senior vice president of External and Government Affairs at Comcast; Jami McKeon, chair of Morgan Lewis; Marc Coleman, president, founder and CEO of The Tactile Group; Pedro Ramos; president and CEO of The Philadelphia Foundation; and Dan Fitzpatrick, president of Citizens Bank, Mid-Atlantic Division.

The search mapped over 700 Greater Philadelphia region nonprofit CEOs and executives to identify diverse leadership; research identified nearly 300 national, regional, and local potential diverse candidates; and more than 200 were contacted. After evaluating eight final diverse candidates the Search Committee unanimously agreed that Cameron was the right person to serve as the Chamber’s next president and CEO.

Cameron said her first priority would be to actively engage with the Chamber’s members to understand their needs going forward.  She committed to being transparent and accountable in measuring and tracking results.

“I am humbled to be chosen to lead the Chamber and its great staff, and I am thrilled to be entrusted with this critical work,” Cameron said. “In my 11 years in Philadelphia, I have grown to appreciate and love the City and region, and I can’t wait to embark upon this journey to advance its businesses and people.

Mayor Jim Kenney praised Cameron’s service to the City of Philadelphia, and for her leadership in helping transform Philadelphia International Airport into a major economic driver for the city and region.

“I am especially grateful for Chellie’s critical contributions as a national leader in the travel and tourism industry, a consummate convener, and a strategic problem-solver, especially over the last two years when the pandemic wreaked havoc over the travel industry,” Kenney said. “I’m thrilled that she will continue to leverage her strengths and experience on behalf of the City and the region.”

Cameron holds a B.A. degree in Political Science with a special concentration in economics and philosophy from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Auburn University at Montgomery. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the Commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Virginia and a Certified Member of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE).

She serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Airports Council International-North America, and as Chairperson of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Economic and Community Advisory Council. Cameron is also a member of the National Policy Committee of AAAE, and the Boards of Directors for the U.S. Travel Association, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia.

A headshot for Chellie Cameron is available online for download.