The results of the elections for the 2019 board of directors and officers were ratified at the December board meeting of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce this week.
“This year we had very strong interest from members of the community interested in serving on the board,” said Chamber CEO Genevieve Morrill. “There were a lot of really qualified people who put their hat in the ring for nomination. It’s a very positive reflection on the Chamber, what we have achieved and the role we play in the community. I look forward to working with this new group as we continue to grow and evolve our Chamber in 2019.”
The newly elected officers and board of directors are listed below. Per the organization’s by-laws four board seats are appointed by the chair and these will be announced in January. The list also includes the non-voting “affiliate” seats that, per the bylaws, are granted to the presidents, CEO’s and/or executive directors of organizations representing the interests of a unique set of businesses whose purposes are consistent with those of the Chamber.
Chamber Officers
–IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR – Keith Kaplan, Sotheby’s International Realty
–CHAIR – Nick Rimedio, La Peer Hotel
–FIRST VICE CHAIR – Fred Anawalt, Anawalt Lumber
–SECRETARY – Raja Sannidhi, Capitol Drugs/Power Zone
–CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER – Alexander Bazley, West Hollywood Gateway
–VICE CHAIR, GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS – David Dickerson, kitchen24
–VICE CHAIR, MEMBERSHIP – Tom Doherty, Café D’Etoile
–VICE CHAIR, EVENTS – Maxine Tatlonghari, Vanity Girl Hollywood
Board of Directors
–John Adler, Phyllis Morris Originals
–Ralph Barnes, Beverly Center
–Mylena Christina, Sotheby’s International Realty
–Michael C. Donato, Wells Fargo
–Rod Gruendyke, Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas
–Deborah B. Kallick, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
–Mark E. Lehman, Law Offices of Mark E. Lehman
==Lee Maen, Innovative Dining Group
–Carol Massie, McDonald’s
–Don Zuidema, LASC
Affiliate Board Members
–Tom Kiely, Visit West Hollywood
–Brett Latteri, Sunset Strip Advisory Board
–Madonna Cacciatore, Christopher Street West
Eric makes a good point. Chambers of Commerce, including in WeHo, are specifically designed to GENERATE INCOME for the member BUSINESSES belonging to that Chamber. Often, including in WeHo, the interests of local business compete with the interests of residents. Prime example……tall buildings being built on the South side of the Sunset Strip and blocking and obstructing views for residents (who own multi million dollar homes) halfway up the hill. These residents ALREADY PAID for their “views”…..and now, many developers are obstructing that. Another example is noise and nuisance complaints by residents all along Santa Monica Blvd……perhaps 2-3 blocks to… Read more »
When I was a kid growing up in Detroit, I often heard about this organization that would take protection money from businesses and influence the elected government, but they always helped out the neighborhoods with playgrounds, street repair, helping poor families, soup kitchens, etc. and do it anonymously. They were called the “Mob”
We have the same thing in West Hollywood called the Chamber of Commerce except the Chamber doesn’t help out the Community, only business interests.
I wrote a letter to Ms. Morill. I asked her if the Chamber of Commerce does anything that positively affects the Residents and she responded by saying the ….[the Chamber] “serves the interests of businesses which provide services to the Residents” Apparently, there is no direct benifit which the Chamber provides to the Residents except places for us to spend money. It should also be known that In order for a business to be a member of the Chamber, it’s has to pay an annual membership fee. So, they should have funds to put back into the community. The 2019… Read more »
The idea of you being a City Council Member is fighting with your complete lack of understanding while grandstanding, Mr. Schmidt. To compare the Chamber of Commerce to the Mod is strange into itself. However yes the chamber accepts membership from businesses outside of Weho, as it should. The chamber is a Business advocate group, not a resident needs based interest organization. They provide networking with other business owners, provide assistance and insights for new business owners, provide the data of Weho to business that are looking to enter the Weho market. They also assist with small business owners as… Read more »
Not wise to engage with wild animals!
Don’t worry. He hasn’t a chance of winning. Odds are he won’t even get as many votes as Tom Demille.
I respectfully disagree. There is no evidence that, as you put it: “…what this organization contributes to this community”. “If you know of any contributions that directly affect the Residents, please identify them. I do agree with you that the chamber is “a business advocate group, not a Resident needs based organization” That is my point. Since as you clearly point out the chamber does not advocate for Residents needs, they should not have so much influence in the operation of the city. It’s a conflict of interest. There should be a separation of The Chamber of Commerce and the… Read more »
Let me ask a few questions, where does the City get the revenue to create and operate programs for residences? How do does the City pay for all the related cost of running this City. How did the City create such a large budget surplus? Where does this money come from? Parking Tickets? Parking Income? Property Tax, which is collected and distributed by the county. I am willing to bet that Mr. Schmidt could not offer an informed awsner in how programs for the residences are paid form, non-the-less where the revenue comes from. The income this city generates in… Read more »