Honoree: Maria S. Salinas
President & CEO
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Maria S. Salinas is president & CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the largest business association in Los Angeles County, representing member companies and serving the interests of more than 235,000 businesses across the Los Angeles region. She took the helm of the organization in August of 2018, becoming the first woman and Latina to lead the Chamber in its 132-year history. An accomplished businesswoman, entrepreneur and a determined community leader, Salinas’ business acumen and financial expertise provides her with the right experience to lead the organization.
Salinas, a steward of the Chamber’s new vision, “A Thriving Region for All,†has re-imagined the role of the Chamber. Under her stewardship, the Chamber looks to the future with a vision to build an inclusive economy and lead in three pillar areas of focus: advocacy work, global engagement and through community collaboration for economic growth and mobility. The Los Angeles region, which is the 14th largest economy in the world, and the Chamber membership represent a broad spectrum of industries, small businesses, corporations, academic institutions and nonprofits, which are all examples that the Los Angeles economy is diverse, dynamic and that business is a force for good.
Salinas is also an appointee to Governor Gavin Newsom’s Commission on the Future of Work and named to his Business and Jobs Recovery Task Force. She was appointed to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Committee of 100, a distinction reserved for the top 100 Chambers across the country.
She represents the Los Angeles business community in statewide policy initiatives with the Coalition of Regional Economic Association Leaders (R.E.A.L.). She is a member of the Board of Directors of Mobility 21, a regional transportation effort, and an appointee of Mayor Eric Garcetti to the MEXLA Commission, a foreign policy initiative between Mexico and Los Angeles. Salinas serves on the board of directors of The Music Center, Pacific Council, UnidosUS and Southern California Leadership Network, among others.