A Note from our President, Ellie Dote

I am completely humbled and thankful to step into this brand new year and this brand new season as the new president of our amazing chamber. It is not lost on me that this is a historic moment for us as well as for me with the first time our chamber has been led by a person from the transgender community, and as such, we are sending a message to our entire community and country that trans and gender non-conforming people are capable of leading, of operating a business, and existing as a contributing member of society. We are doing that together, and I am excited for the energy that this brings as we launch full speed into 2023.

In a time when many of us are still reeling from the last two years, I know that there are struggles that we still face in relaunching, rethinking, and reformatting how we do business. Some of us have had major life changes, and some of us — myself included — still live with anxiety due to compromised immune systems. Yes, there are lots of hurdles before us, but I am confident that we will rise to meet those needs and help to create a network of business owners in Long Beach and beyond that will grow stronger and more successful than before.

Some of you have connected with me in the past, and I am so excited about connecting with you again as your president. For those of you who I haven’t met yet, I look forward to meeting you and finding out how we can best serve you and your business in our community.