The Cherry Blossom Festival announced Monday that Jake Ferro has been named full-time president and CEO of the annual event after serving the past five months in an interim capacity.

George McCanless, chairman of the 2013 festival, made the announcement Monday during the opening of the festival’s new store location on the first floor of the Library Ballroom, 651 Cherry St.

“In the last month or so, the board was analyzing the situation,” said McCanless, former publisher of The Telegraph. “(Ferro) has been doing a great job. He’s gotten a lot of positive comments for his leadership style from our staff. It was a pretty quick process. He got a unanimous vote from the executive committee.”

Ferro was named interim president and CEO in October after former president and CEO Richard Brewer stepped down after four months on the job to return to his family in Charleston, S.C. Ferro is a retired president and CEO of Bonsal American Inc., a Charlotte, N.C.-based construction materials company that was later acquired by a larger company based in Ireland.

“I love what I’m doing,” Ferro said. “The staff is great, and we work well together. I’m more than happy to do it.”

• In other festival announcements Monday, Ferro said 2013 Cherry Blossom Festival pins are now on sale. Buyers have the opportunity to win $5,000 or one of five $100 gas cards from Osan Petroleum.

• The Think Pink car window painting will take place Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at ACME Paint and Decorating, 1979 Riverside Drive.

• The festival received a Top 10 award from the United States of America Destination Marketing Agency and will be featured on its website, AmericaTheBeautiful.com, for the rest of 2013.

• Ferro said the festival is still looking for volunteers. Anyone interested should call the festival’s office at (478) 751-7429 or visit www.cherry­blossom.com.

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report.