The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation board of directors has announced the appointment of Peter A. Lombardi as JRC's new executive director. Lombardi, previously JRC's director of neighborhood initiatives, succeeds Jason Stronz, who accepted a post in the private sector.
While at the JRC, Lombardi has worked with several community partners to launch the Renaissance Block Challenge, a program that provides small matching grants to groups of neighbors to support exterior improvements. He has also worked on several "GROW Jamestown" initiatives to promote gardening and landscaping in the city, and serves on numerous planning and policy committees.
Lombardi, a Jamestown native, received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University at Buffalo and a master's degree in city and regional planning from Rutgers University, both with high honors. At Rutgers, he received the Outstanding Student Award from the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Lombardi is an adjunct assistant professor of urban planning at the University at Buffalo, where he served as senior research associate at UB's Regional Institute before returning to Jamestown in 2011. He is under contract with SUNY Press to produce a guide to Jamestown's built environment, due for release in 2013, and was recently elected to chair the newly formed Chautauqua County Land Bank Corp.
The JRC is a not-for-profit dedicated to the renaissance of Jamestown's downtown and neighborhoods through partnerships with businesses, foundations, the city, local organizations and community members. Dr. Lillian Ney and Mayor Sam Teresi, co-chairs of the JRC, stated, "Peter Lombardi is very well equipped to carry on the work of the JRC in its commitment to the revitalization of Jamestown. He has the background, experience and the capacity to build a strong team and further the mission, vision and goals of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation. We are fortunate to have such qualified and talented young professionals as Peter return to Jamestown."