With 2,400 members, Orange County”™s chamber of commerce is the largest in the region, but many of its members don”™t take advantage of the programs.
That”™s something incoming chair Donna Johnson hopes to change during her two-year tenure.
The mother of three owns DJ Consulting and joined the chamber in 2001 to help her with her own business.
“John D”™Ambrosio has always been one of my mentors,” said Johnson. “When he came to me several years ago and asked me to sit on the board and eventually to take a seat on the executive committee, I was thrilled and saw it as a real opportunity for me to grow not just my business, but to learn how the chamber can help its members.”
Now, Johnson plans to bring the skill sets she learned at the chamber to a broader base of members and get them on board for the many programs the chamber offers.
Â
“I used to work for a large company,” said Johnson, “but since becoming a sole proprietor in 1995, I gained a totally different perspective of day-to-day challenges business owners face. Since a large percentage of our members are sole proprietors or small companies, I feel I”™m going to be able to connect with them, as well as be a role model. You don”™t have to be a leader of a large corporation to play a leadership role.”
Â
Johnson is the first African-American woman to chair the chamber.
“What I hope it tells people is that our chamber is inclusive,” she said. “If it helps to bring more of our minority business people in, that will be an extra, but that is not what I am focused on. I”™m focused on helping those small business owners learn what”™s available to them as they start out or plan to expand. The business world is a different place than it was two years ago. As we go into this strange new economy, we need the feedback of the business community to learn what they are going to need in the future ”“ and not just the immediate future, but three to five years down the road and to tailor programs accordingly.”
“We want to be able to offer things to members now before the members realize they need the services,” said D”™Ambrosio. “In the last year, we”™ve held at least a half-dozen seminars on writing business plans. The education component is very important, and we”™d like to see more people taking advantage of these types of programs. We know it will benefit them in the present as well as in the future. I think Donna is going to be a great asset in getting the word out that the chamber is here to help its members make their businesses better in any way we can.”
Johnson will be working with her successor, Dave Cocks, president and CEO of Walden Savings Bank, side by side for the next two years. “Dave has the big business experiences, and I have the small business experiences,” said Johnson. “Together, I feel like we”™ll be able to help our members through these trying times.”
D”™Ambrosio says Johnson”™s has his full confidence.
“She”™s the best person for the job,” he said. “She brings excitement, thoughtfulness and as an entrepreneur; I think people will stand up and take notice. I believe she will show a more inclusive chamber to those who don”™t feel like they are a part of it. Our mission is to help our members and help their businesses. And Donna”™s going to do a fantastic job representing us all over Orange County.”
