Poway Chamber of Commerce installs new board
Nuno Pires, Ken Post, David Howard, John Couvrette (CFO), David Guzman, Linda Goycochea, Tony Rubino, Anil Patel (Board Chair), Cathy Peterson (Chair-Elect), Lisa Tate (Parliamentarian & Secretary), Kevin MacNamara, Anita Della-Rocco, Jack Cohen.
Not pictured are directors: Wendy Kaserman, Lindsey King, Linda Neumann, Brandon Thomas
The Poway Chamber of Commerce installed a new Board of Directors last month. About 30 percent are new members.
Anil Patel, the new board chair, is excited to take the helm.
Patel has a background in hotels. He and his wife, Hina, own a parcel in a Poway business park and are working to create a boutique hotel on the lot. Serendipity Hospitality, headed by Patel, is also planning a 39,290-square foot, 61-room, five-story hotel on a vacant 1.23-acre parcel at the northeast corner of Stowe Drive and Scripps Poway Parkway.
Patel has been a Poway Chamber of Commerce member for five years.
“It’s just a great group of people,” he said. “They asked me to be chairman and I said, ‘of course.’”
Patel said they are starting the fiscal year with a very diverse board. Some members have small businesses while others manage large enterprises
“They bring tremendous experience,” he said.
In the next year, Patel said the board will focus on leadership, advocacy, education and networking.
The Poway Chamber of Commerce has about 300 members. Of those, about 30 percent are from outside Poway in outlining communities, he said.
One new development that Patel is especially excited about is a nonprofit committee. It started recently and has already grown to 40 members. The committee meets every second Wednesday of every month for a meet and greet. It’s an opportunity for those in non-profits to network and also to solicit more volunteers, he said.
“It’s a great chance for volunteers to get information,” Patel said.
Patel also is looking forward to the Poway Fall Festival, which will bring the community together on Oct. 2. There will also be a Business Expo on Aug. 25 at the Mickey Calfagna Community Center.
The Chamber will host a candidates’ forum in October to help voters vet candidates. The timing and details of the forum have yet to be determined, Patel said.
The board was installed during the Business Star Awards on June 24.
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