Michael Gombar Jr. has been named Chairman of the Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA) which oversees the operation of the Santander Center, the Santander Performing Arts Center and the Reading Royals. Mr. Gombar is a resident and appointee of the City of Reading. He has been a member of the Board since 2017 and Vice Chair since 2019. He will continue to serve along fellow board members P. Michael Ehlerman, Michele Richards, Michael Fiucci, Izzy Gonzalez, Rodney Ridley, and new board member Marilu Rodriguez.
This appointment comes after the announcement that P. Michael Ehlerman will step down as Chairman but continue to serve as a Board member. Mr. Ehlerman, who lead the efforts to build the Santander Arena (then named the Sovereign Center) and renovate the Performing Arts Center, has held the role of Chairman since 1996 except for a brief period in 2017 – 2018 when Carl D. Herbein served as Chairman prior to his untimely passing.
Said Gombar “I am grateful for the vote confidence and support of the Board in electing me to this leadership role. The BCCCA is proud of its achievements over the last 20 years and we look forward to continued success as an anchor to the revitalization of downtown Reading.
Additionally, the Berks County Convention Center Authority elected Michael Fiucci as Vice Chair, Michele Richards as Treasurer and Izzy Gonzalez as Secretary during its reorganization board meeting.
Long-time Board member John Ernesto also announced that he will be stepping down after 20 years of service to the BCCCA.
