President’s Corner

I'm not sure who would ask for two years of me as President...but here I am. (Haha) In all seriousness, I'm so excited to be back as President for the Chamber. My first go-around was challenged by a pandemic, and while we are currently dealing with our fair share of issues, I'd much prefer the new challenges over those that we experienced throughout the pandemic.

I would first like to thank outgoing President, Randall Courtney, for his great work. He really put an emphasis around doing business within the community of Santa Fe Springs, to help the city with the appropriate taxes needed. It was something that needed attention, and I'm hoping I can continue to layer onto that.

I'm still undecided as to what I want to focus on during my term, but there is one thing I know for certain; our city is made up of amazing residents, businesses, and city officials. I believe individually that we can all achieve greatness, however I think we can create something even greater by coming together. Diversity and different perspectives can be such a resource that adds to the strength of our community. I think we need to embrace many various viewpoints and ideas to truly decide what is best for the city and the businesses. We all need to approach any obstacles with open minds and show a willingness to adapt and compromise. I hope to be a leader who can encourage this type of growth and incorporate these values within our chamber.

I look forward to what is to come thanks to my amazing board of directors:

President-elect- Bruce Lazenby (Rose Hills Memorial Park)

V.P of Public Affairs-Scott Summerfield (Cascade Pump Company)

V.P of Member Services- Mark Gutierrez (GILMAR Automotive Group)

V.P of Youth Enrichment Fund- Carlos Gallardo (Farmers and Merchants Bank)

Treasurer- Liz Buckingham (Friendly Hills Bank)

CEO- Kathie Fink (Santa Fe Springs Chamber of Commerce)

Board of directors-

Lisa Boyajian (Ansa insurance services)

Carolyn Corbin (Raymond West)

Diego De Lama (State Farm Insurance)

Patricia Kotze (Compliance Training Group)

Daniel J. McMillian (Stifel)

Wendy Meador-Kunert (Tangram interiors)

Jay Sarno (CJ concrete construction, inc.)

Darwin Vande Hoef (Coadvantage)

Raman Venkat (Lefiell Manufacturing company)

Debbie Wade (Tepeyac and Tequila Sports bar)

Tony Williams Raré (Global IT)

Sharon Wu (Roquemore, Pringle, and Moore, inc.)

I can't wait to see what we are able to achieve together.

Thank you,

Daniel O'Marah