200 Join Pasadena Chamber for Annual Inaugural Gala

Justin Tsui sworn in as Chair of the Board, new Board members Hope Hayman of Kaiser Permanente and Debbie Unruh of Elizabeth House join Elizabeth Dever of Fire Family Foundation in being inducted onto the Board of Directors

Parsons Corporation and Pasadena Senior Center recognized as Corporate Citizen of the Year for 2019; Scholarships awarded to three students

The Viennese Ballroom and its Terrace at The Langham Huntington Hotel were the setting for the annual Pasadena Chamber Inaugural Gala on June 28, 2019. 200 guests were treated to appetizers, a hosted bar and jazz by Art Deco Entertainment along with a silent auction beginning at 6pm.

At 7:30 guests were ushered into the ballroom for an elegant dinner and festive program. Dinner consisted of a salad course of Chino farm beets, wild arugula and goat cheese with Dijon vinaigrette followed by a sautéed beef medallion and California sea bass entrée with green lentils and lemon cream sauce. Dessert was a chocolate salted caramel mousse dome. The meal was accompanied by a selection of French and California wines.

Guests included U.S. Representative Judy Chu, State Senator Anthony Portantino and Pasadena Vice Mayor Tyron Hampton.

Other community and business leaders included Alice Juarez, region bank president of Wells Fargo, Maryam Brown, president of SoCal Gas Company, Hollywood Burbank Airport Executive Director Frank Miller and Lisa Maurath, senior vice president of Parsons Corporation. Former Pasadena Chamber Board Chairs Dennis Buckley, of Health Advantage Physical Medicine, Willis Chapman of Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Thomas Daly of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP, George Falardeau of Pasadena Media and Ishmael Trone of F&M Business Center joined current and former Chamber Board members at the event. Also in attendance were Christian Daly representing Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and Dominick Corey with Senator Portantino as well as future Tournament of Roses Presidents Ed Morales and Pamela Knapp.

The evening’s program began with the scholarship presentations. The Chamber’s Bill Bogaard Scholarship was awarded to

Tyara Lee, an emancipated foster youth who is graduating from Pasadena City College and will be attending University of LaVerne in the fall. Ann Wang and Thomas Daly of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie presented a scholarship on behalf of the firm to Wendy Lamas, also an emancipated foster youth who is graduating from LA City College and matriculating to CalState LA in the fall. The final scholarship of the evening was presented by Maryam Brown on behalf of Southern California Gas Company to Reginald (Reggie) Myles who recently graduated from John Muir High School and will attend UCLA in the fall.

The festivities continued as immediate past chair Robin McCarthy swore in Justin Tsui of TeamLogicIT as Chair of the Chamber Board of Directors for 2019.

Mr. Tsui then presented Corporate Citizen of the Year awards on behalf of the Chamber. The Pasadena Senior Center and

Akila Gibbs were recognized for more than 60 years of dedicated service to the Pasadena community, our senior citizens and the Chamber. Pasadena Vice Mayor Tyron Hampton, Jr., noted that the senior center has remained a beacon of caring and provider of needed support for the senior community in Pasadena. Parsons Corporation was recognized for its global reach, contribution to local projects including the design and construction of the Gold Line to Pasadena and the rebuilding of the Colorado Street Bridge, as well as the company’s commitment to excellence and ethical corporate behavior. In accepting the award, Lis Maurath of Parsons thanked the Chamber and reiterated Parson’s commitment to the community.

Mr. Tsui then swore in new and returning Pasadena Chamber Board members. New Board members Hope Hayman of Kaiser Permanente and Debora Unruh of Elizabeth House were joined by returning Board member Elizabeth Dever of Fire Family Foundation on the podium. Mr. Tsui then invited the Executive Committee to join him on stage where he swore in the Chamber Board leadership for the upcoming year: John Leano of BRYAN’S Cleaners and Laundry who will be chair elect and chair the Member Services Committee; Raphael Henderson of Wells Fargo who will serve as treasurer; Nerissa Sugars of Hollywood Burbank Airport who will serve as Board secretary; and Robin McCarthy of Ste. Marie Specialists who is immediate past chair. Also sworn in were committee chairs Don Schweitzer of the Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer who leads the Economic and Business Development Committee and Ishmael Trone of F&M Business Center, Workforce Development Committee Chair.

In accepting the Chair position, Mr. Tsui restated the Chamber’s dedication to members services and asked that his fellow Board members focus on membership building and member retention at their September Strategic Planning meeting. Mr. Tsui also thanked his family for their support and recognized the confidence that the Board has in his leadership of the Chamber for the next year.

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce Inaugural Gala was supported by Gold Sponsors Caltech/jet Propulsion Laboratory, Kaiser Permanente and Wells Fargo. Silver Sponsors were Athens Services, Hollywood Burbank Airport, Huntington Memorial Hospital, The Langham Huntington Hotel, Parsons Corporation and the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.