FLORHAM PARK BOROUGH, N.J. (Morris County) – The Morris County Chamber of Commerce has appointed Thomas J. Loughman, president and CEO of the Morris Museum, and Ashley Asdal, owner of Riamede Farm, to its board of directors, effective immediately. Both will serve two-year terms.
Loughman returned to his native Morristown in May 2023 to lead the Morris Museum. An internationally recognized arts leader, he previously served as director and CEO of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut, and associate director of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. From 2017 to 2023, he co-chaired the U.S. National Committee of the International Council of Museums alongside Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch.
A published author on European art, sculpture, and architecture, Loughman holds degrees from Georgetown University, Williams College, and Rutgers University, where he earned his doctorate in art history.
Asdal leads Riamede Farm in Chester, one of New Jersey’s first pick-your-own apple orchards, opened to the public in 1974. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, she previously served as a naval officer, commanding units of more than 300 personnel on carrier strike group deployments worldwide and earning numerous honors.
“We could not be more pleased to have Tom and Ashley join our board,” said Meghan Hunscher, president of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce. “The Morris Museum is one of the region’s premiere historical and cultural institutions and a keystone of Morris County’s nonprofit community. Riamede Farm is a linchpin of Morris County’s agribusiness sector, which last year saw more than $337 million in local sales. Having these two leaders serve on our board adds invaluable expertise.”
Loughman said, “The Morris Museum is our region’s premier engine of curiosity and wonderment, presenting meaningful experiences with the visual and performing arts, science and design. Like the chamber, we serve as a convener and connector for everyone. My aim within the chamber board is to help bring the collective work of the culture sector forward, and integrate the arts into conversations about making this region an even better place to work, live and play.”
Added Asdal, “I am pleased to be able to represent the farming and tourism industry here in Morris County.” She emphasized Riamede Farm’s longstanding commitment to agricultural innovation and sustainability, adding, “I’m honored to represent local agribusiness on the chamber board and look forward to building bridges between our farms, businesses and residents. Riamede has thrived for over half a century because we cherish our local partnerships and believe in cultivating opportunity – both on the land and within our wider community.”
The addition of Loughman and Asdal reflects the chamber’s ongoing effort to strengthen connections among the business, nonprofit, and cultural sectors, Hunscher said. Their expertise in the arts, public service, and agriculture will help advance the chamber’s mission to promote economic growth and community engagement across Morris County.
