The Northside | North Shore Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Dominick Petrucci as our new Event & Communications Coordinator. A recent graduate of Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Arts in History, Dominick brings an impressive combination of event management, communications, fundraising, leadership, and marketing experience to the Chamber.
Throughout college, Dominick built a reputation as both a leader and a community builder. As the Founder and President of the Ithaca D.I.Y. Festival, he organized and promoted concerts and large-scale events, coordinated volunteers, managed budgets, developed marketing campaigns, and built partnerships with performers, venues, and organizations. His work culminated in a three-day music festival featuring more than 100 performers and attracting approximately 500 attendees, while generating nearly $20,000 to support the event.
In addition to his event planning experience, Dominick served as a manager for Ithaca College’s Phonathon program, helping lead fundraising campaigns that generated more than $200,000 for the college’s Annual Fund while supervising and training a team of more than 30 student callers. His experience also includes customer service management, public speaking, volunteer leadership, and internships with nationally recognized organizations in the entertainment industry.
At the Chamber, Dominick will oversee communications, marketing, and event coordination while supporting initiatives that promote economic development and strengthen the Northside business community. His enthusiasm for creating meaningful experiences and telling the stories of local businesses makes him a tremendous addition to our team.
We recently sat down with Dominick to learn more about his background, what inspired him to join the Chamber, and what he’s most excited to accomplish in his new role.
Can you tell us a bit about your career path and how your experiences have shaped your professional journey?
I graduated from Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School with a concentration in Filmmaking Design and Photography before attending Ithaca College, where I majored in History. Outside of the classroom, I spent much of my free time attending local concerts and community events. Those experiences sparked my interest in event management and inspired me to think about how events could grow in scale and impact.
Eventually, I organized the Ithaca D.I.Y. Festival, which featured more than 100 local bands performing across four downtown venues over three days. During college, I also worked in Ithaca College’s Phonathon office, where I built relationships with alumni and encouraged them to support the college’s annual fund. That role strengthened my communication, fundraising, and relationship-building skills.
What drew you to the Northside | North Shore Chamber of Commerce and to this specific role as Event & Communications Coordinator?
To me, this position combines everything I loved working on in college—design and visual communications, event planning, writing, research, and helping businesses grow. It felt like the perfect opportunity to bring all of those interests together in one role while making a positive impact on the community.
With your background in event planning and fundraising, what aspects of this position felt like the right next step for you?
My previous experience in event planning and fundraising is both extremely applicable and very different from what I’ll be doing at the Chamber. I learned the fundamentals of organizing events and building relationships, but I worked with very different audiences. I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned to networking events and business-to-business engagement while continuing to learn and grow professionally.
The Chamber’s mission is to Promote, Connect, and Support our business community. Which of those pillars resonates most with you, and how do you hope to advance it in your role?
While all three are incredibly important, I think promotion is often the most overlooked. I’ve learned that one of the biggest factors in the success of an event or business is simply making sure people know what you’re doing — and, just as importantly, how well you’re doing it. I’m excited to help tell the stories of our members and increase awareness of everything happening throughout the Northside.
What are you most looking forward to accomplishing during your first few months with the Chamber?
I’m really looking forward to running events — especially being there to help them operate smoothly from beginning to end. Seeing an event come together successfully is one of the most rewarding parts of the job, and I’m excited to be part of that process.
Are there particular initiatives—like NorthSide- Works! or the Northside Cultural Collaborative— that you’re especially excited to work on?
I don’t know if I’m sharing any insider secrets here, but the upcoming NorthSideWorks! Career Exploration Events seem incredibly exciting. They have the potential to make a real impact by giving people a firsthand look at industries that can often be difficult to enter. I hope to help make these events well attended because they provide such valuable opportunities for our community.
What role do you see your event planning and communications skills playing in promoting the Northside as a great place to live, work, and visit?
Since joining the Chamber, I’ve already discovered the incredible variety of businesses throughout the Northside that many people may not know about. By helping these businesses connect with one another and by sharing their stories more effectively, I believe we can strengthen the business community and make the Northside an even more connected and vibrant place to live, work, and visit.
What are you hoping to learn or grow into professionally through this new opportunity?
I’m hoping to become known as someone who is dependable, reliable, and responsive — someone that Chamber staff, members, and community partners can count on to deliver high-quality events and communications.
Finally, what’s one fun fact or personal tidbit you’d like our members to know about you?
This past summer, I volunteered at eight D.I.Y. music festivals, including the Northside Music Festival. Event management is more than just my job — it’s one of my biggest passions. If any Chamber members ever need an extra volunteer to help with an event, I’d be happy to lend a hand!
Please join us in welcoming Dominick Petrucci to the Northside | North Shore Chamber of Commerce. We’re excited to have him on board and look forward to the creativity, enthusiasm, and fresh perspective he’ll bring as we continue working together to support and strengthen our business community.
