By: Donna Duperron
This past Monday, I had the opportunity to travel to the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce for a meeting with Jennifer Barrera, President and CEO, of the California Chamber of Commerce. Barrera has been part of the CalChamber team since 2010 and stepped into the top position after serving as CalChamber executive vice president, overseeing the development and implementation of policy and strategy for the organization, as well as representing the CalChamber on legal reform issues.
It was important for the Torrance chamber to attend this meeting surrounded by other invited CEOs to listen, to learn, and to share. It had been announced earlier that the CalChamber has created a Small Business Policy Center, a new effort focused on mobilizing the power of small businesses in grassroots advocacy at the State Capitol. With Torrance chamber membership more than 60% small businesses, advocating on behalf of small businesses is critical for the chamber.
“California needs to equip small businesses for success so our entire state economy can succeed. I’m excited to be leading an effort that will give a larger platform and more seats at the table to our small business employers. Consistently providing lawmakers with input on the realities of doing business in our state and the impact that more regulation can have on the day-to-day workings and profitability of a small company will be a key focus of the CalChamber’s Small Business Policy Center. Our job is to be sure the lived experience of California’s small business owners is understood at the State Capitol,” stated Nick Ortiz, vice president of small business advocacy.
The Torrance chamber will continue to partner and collaborate with the CalChamber in order to provide the most updated information available to our members.