Last month, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce named its first female chief executive officer and president in the organization’s 130 year history. Maria Salinas, a financial consultant, will replace longtime CEO & President Gary L. Toebben. Salinas, 52, will take over as head of the chamber in August. In a statement, Chairman of the Board Michelle Kerrick, stated,
Maria has the unique combination of financial acumen and sound leadership skills paired with an entrepreneurial spirit that makes her the perfect choice to lead the chamber.
Salinas is currently the chair of the Board of Regents at Loyola Marymount University and runs Salinas Consulting, a finance and accounting project management firm. According the Los Angeles Times, Salinas says she plans to reach out to people and businesses that might not feel connected to the chamber, which include the Latino business community, young entrepreneurs and those in upstart industries. Salinas has not detailed specific policies or initiatives she wants to take on, but she did mention that the high cost of housing is a critical issue facing local companies. Hopefully, Salinas is able to reach out more to the Latino community as the head of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
