NEW CASTLE, Pa. – Albert “Chip” Abramovic will soon become the new chief executive officer of Forward Lawrence.
Abramovic will succeed Ben Bush, who joined the Allegheny Conference in September as vice president of public affairs.
Abramovic, who will begin serving in the role Feb. 3, will lead the Lawrence County Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Lawrence County Economic Development Corp., which comprise Forward Lawrence.
“I’m excited by the opportunity to join Forward Lawrence,” he said. “My plans are to focus on growth and making Lawrence County an even better place to live, work and play.”
Abramovic most recently served nearly three terms as a Venango County commissioner and is past president and current board chair of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. He also serves as board chair of the Northwest Commission and Northwest Workforce Development and is vice chair of Economic Development and the Rural Action Caucus for the National Association of Counties.
He serves as board chair of the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute of Politics Economic Development Committee and the Innovation Institute for Tomorrow/PA Rural Robotics. He is also a special adviser to Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute.
Abramovic earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a finance concentration from Robert Morris University in 2007. In May 2025, he completed a Strategies for Inclusive Growth certification from the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education.
Abramovic is a graduate of Penn State’s Rural-Urban Leadership Program. Before his tenure as a county commissioner, he served as president of PennNorth Investments, a boutique investment firm, and continues to be involved with Sleepy Hollow Golf Course, which is owned and operated by his family.
In Venango County, Abramovic focused on economic development, human services, workforce development and agriculture and worked with an operating budget of $70 million annually. He led initiatives to create workforce-focused development in the agriculture sector, increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and develop new strategies to lower recidivism in the county.
He said he believes Venango and Lawrence counties share many characteristics.
“I come from a transitional rust-belt county now moving into a growth phase by capitalizing on the expansion of emerging technologies in southwest Pennsylvania,” he said.
Pictured at top: Albert “Chip” Abramovic.