Long Beach : Navy Admiral Chosen to Be Next President of Chamber
Rear Adm. John J. Higginson will retire from 34 years of naval service to take over as president of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, ending a two-month search for someone to lead the local business community.
Higginson, who has held seven command positions in the Navy, will surrender his present command at the Long Beach Naval Base in February and take over the chamber post April 1, chamber officials have announced.
“I have tremendous faith in the city’s prospects for quality growth and look forward to participating in the renaissance of Long Beach,” he said after receiving the appointment.
Higginson was in charge of logistics for NATO’s Southern Region and oversaw a $300-million annual budget for the construction of pipelines, airfields and the like in Greece, Turkey and Italy.
Locally, he has been a member of the chamber’s board for two years and also serves on the board of directors of the Long Beach Symphony Assn., the DARE anti-drug program in schools, Long Beach City College and the Long Beach Civic Light Opera.
He will replace Robert Creighton, who has served as interim chamber president since October while a selection committee interviewed candidates.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
