Hal English, president and CEO of the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, will retire later this year after more than five years leading the organization.
The Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce announced English’s planned retirement last week. He has served as president and CEO since January 2021 and is expected to remain in the role through June 2026 to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
The chamber’s board of directors is expected to announce details of a search for a new president and CEO in the coming weeks.
“When Hal English assumed the role of President and CEO of the Chamber, we were still in the midst of a global pandemic,” PMRC Board Chair Patrick L. Ryan said. “He deftly steered our organization through the crisis, and we emerged stronger because of his leadership.”
“Today, the Chamber is thriving with an engaged Board, strong support from our sponsors, and – most importantly – a thriving membership. We are grateful for Hal’s courage and determination, and we wish him the best in retirement,” Ryan said.
English said he is proud of the chamber’s accomplishments during his tenure, which included the return to in-person programming, the rollout of a new brand and customer relationship management system, and the launch of the state’s first Young Entrepreneurs Academy.
“I am extraordinarily proud of the work we have achieved together as a Chamber community in the last five years,” English said. “From the return to in-person events to the deployment of a new brand, CRM and member portal to the launch of the first Young Entrepreneur’s Academy in our state, the Chamber has delivered results for our members time and time again.”
“Though I am looking forward to retirement, I know I will miss the people — the board, the staff, and the members who make our chamber great,” he said.
English is also active in local government and community service. A Robbinsville resident for some 12 years, he lives in the Town Center section of the township with his wife, Diane.
He was originally appointed to the Robbinsville Township Council to fill an unexpired term and then won elected for a full four-year term in November.
Before leading the chamber, English served as Robbinsville’s director of community development and as a vice president at First Choice Bank in Robbinsville. He attended Mercer County Community College and Boston College.
English is an honorary commander at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and has served on the boards of Project Freedom, United Way, the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, the Trenton Downtown Association, and the Hamilton YMCA.
His community honors include the Community Service Award from Contact Mercer, the Humanitarian Award from Kidsbridge, the Community Quarterback Award from United Way, and the Legacy Award from Big Brothers Big Sisters.
