Meet the Staff

Norris Pearson worked at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for 29 years. For the past 23 years, he served in operations roles at RPI, where he managed a 6,000-seat arena and oversaw event staffing, box office operations, public safety, and emergency services associated with events. His work has included negotiating contracts, collaborating with other campus departments on revenue strategies, overseeing capital improvements, conducting risk assessment, and managing a staff of six full-time and 30 part-time staff members. He also worked closely with the City of Troy on code compliance and emergency protocols. He brings decades of experience as a community connector with expertise in convening a diverse set of stakeholders to advance a common goal. He has a passion for our region and our business community. His high level of energy, positions our organization well for growing our membership and expanding programming.

Norris has been involved with the chamber for many years and was a member of the inaugural class of the Leadership Institute in 2006. He is a member of the YMCA of Troy Advisory Council and is a past recipient of the YMCA’s President’s Award. He is a former member of the Troy BID Special Events Planning Committee and the RPI Community Relations Committee. He also is a member of the International Ticketing Association, the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors – International, and the International Association of Assembly Managers.

Norris and his wife, Marguerite Pearson, who is the director of marketing and communications at the Mohawk-Hudson Humane Society, are longtime residents of Troy, having lived in the city for nearly 30 years.

Judy is a valuable member of the Chamber team, assisting in all day-to-day executive duties, including scheduling, correspondence, in-house projects and board-related responsibilities. Judy’s organizational skills were honed during her years as a legal secretary providing administrative assistance to multiple attorneys, coordinating electronically-filed court documents, updating voluminous client files and maintaining attorney calendars and docketed deadlines. She has more than 10 years working in the legal field. Her professional and friendly manner make her a welcome presence to Chamber members and to staff.

Lucas joined the Chamber team in June of 2023 as the Events Coordinator. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from running his own event promotions and celebrity/athlete services business. He will be responsible for developing, organizing, and executing member only and community inclusive events. Lucas loves working with people and fully embraces the power of networking.  His passion to help others and his never settle attitude will be instrumental for the re-development of events post COVID-19.

Orion was brought on to the Chamber team in June of 2023 as the Membership Manager. As the Membership Manager he will work to grow the Chamber, while maintaining great relationships with current members. With his experience in the banking industry and a bachelor’s degree in political science from John Jay College, he knows how important businesses, and the hardworking people in those companies, are to their communities. Being a native of Brooklyn, he is excited to meet more of these amazing people and continue to build the Chamber community to its fullest potential.

Elizabeth is a recent graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego, where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, complemented by her minor in Sales. She is very excited to be interning with the Chamber and hopes that the skills she learned during her time at Oswego will help the members of the Chamber, by promoting their businesses across various media platforms. She is excited for all the experiences and connections that she will gain throughout this internship with the Chamber!

Jennifer Tedesco joined the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce in September 2024 as Administrative Assistant.  Jennifer is quite pleased to be part of the Chamber where she can use her organizational and professional skills developed while she was employed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for the past 35 years.  Jennifer is well known by many in this area. She is a long-time resident of Troy and is very passionate about the city and the surrounding region.

Ty’ejiah joined the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce in October of 2024 as an Administrative Support Specialist. She is a recent graduate of Lansingburgh High School and will be a vital asset to the Chamber due to her technological expertise. She also brings some knowledge and experience from running her own photography business. She was introduced to the Chamber through the Rensselaer County Youth Employment Program where she was welcomed with open arms. She will be responsible for helping executives, managers and employees perform their daily tasks and clerical responsibilities to help the office run more efficiently. Ty’ejiah’s happy-go-lucky personality and ability to work well with others will help to elevate herself and those around her. Ty’ejiah is very excited to see what this opportunity brings as well as expand her experience, knowledge, and connections. 

Perry joined the Chamber in June 2023 as the Marketing & Communications Coordinator. He is responsible for the promotions, social media, graphic design & communications. He has a great understanding of the power of digital media in the local economy and is excited to help the members grow their businesses through that medium. Perry learned his skills through starting his own band and growing it into a successful small business in three years by utilizing digital media and growing personal relationships with his clients. He is excited to build new relationships with Rensselaer County.