The Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Samuel J. Thrush as the newest member of the Chamber of Commerce team to lead Downtown Chambersburg Inc. (DCI).
Thrush joined the Chamber staff in mid-July as president of DCI and has spent the past five years serving on DCI’s Board of Directors as well as volunteering at events and participating on committees. He formerly served Franklin County as a Planner III and has over seven years of experience in land use planning and community development.
“I have always seen downtown as the heart and core of our greater community, and I’m eager to capitalize on my experience for this new position,” said Sam Thrush, president of DCI. “Our downtown offers people a sense of place, a crossroads of culture and transportation as well as opportunities for mixed use development, city living and traditional store fronts. I look forward to this new opportunity to work with the community and its stakeholders.”
Thrush recently graduated from Leadership Franklin County Community and in 2018 achieved the premier planning certification from the American Institute of Certified Planning. In 2016, Thrush received the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award for his outstanding service in the community.
“We are excited to have Sam on board to focus on business development in the downtown region as the leader of DCI,” said Stephen Christian, president of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce. “His work ethic, enthusiasm and dedication to downtown is exceptional, and we are fortunate to have such a strong leader join our team to facilitate growth in our community.”
In addition to serving with DCI, Thrush has spent time volunteering with the Borough of Chambersburg, Franklin County Cyclists, North Square Farmers Market, United Way’s Stream Cleanups and Healthy Franklin County. Prior to serving Franklin County, Thrush worked for Bradford County, Pa. He is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a degree in Geography-Land Use and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems. He is a native of Chambersburg and prior to graduating from Chambersburg Area Senior High School, Thrush earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.
In his spare time, you can find Thrush with his family and friends, at the Chambersburg YMCA, cycling throughout the countryside and in-town, hiking, watching baseball or playing his musical instruments. He and his wife, Jeana, have two children.
ABOUT DOWNTOWN CHAMBERSBURG, INC.
DCI is a non-profit focused on downtown revitalization through implementing the four points of the Main Street Approach: Design, Economic Vitality, Promotion and Organization. An affiliate of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce, DCI recently completed a downtown visioning and master planning process that provides a framework for DCI and its partners to leverage the existing cultural, historical, retail and natural assets located in the downtown. For more information, visit DowntownCburg.com. To contact Thrush, please call 717-264-7101 ext. 204 or email sthrush@chambersburg.org.