Chamber of Commerce gets new president, changes its name

By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Alex Soteras, president of the Agoura/Oak Park/Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce, passed the gavel to first vice president Louis Masry last week.

"His ability to reach out to the residents and businesses and bring people together will make him a good president," said Soteras, who’ll continue to serve on the board and represent the Chamber on the government affairs committee.

To more accurately reflect the Chamber’s growing membership, the board of directors also changed the name to the Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Both changes will be officially implemented at a reorganization meeting in January.

"I’ve never seen such a thriving and successful Chamber as this one," said Calabasas Councilmember Barry Groveman. "Alex is like the Bill Gates of Chamber leaders. He’s taken something from nothing and made it the best there is," Groveman said.

Soteras served as president of the Chamber for four years and was on the board of directors for four years before that. He was also a Chamber member for ten years prior to serving on the board.

While promoting business in Agoura Hills hasn’t always been easy, the Chamber’s membership grew from 150 members in 2000 to 959 today, partly because membership is not restricted by geographical boundaries. Businesses throughout the Conejo Valley are encouraged to join.

Soteras made the growth possible, said Masry. "As president, Soteras spent a great deal of his time developing memberships throughout the community," he said.

Many businesses joined the Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber because Soteras uses a personal approach, walking into local businesses and finding out what their needs are and how the chamber can help.

Chambers play a vital role in the community. They advocate for local businesses and provide networking opportunities between businesses and the community at large, said Groveman. "I don’t know what the magic is, but the Chamber is providing quite a service," he said, adding that when the Chamber thrives, people learn about local businesses and they stay in the region to shop and eat out. "The chamber provides a constant barrage of exposure for these venues," said Groveman.

"We did this through many of our events," explained Soteras. Aside from organizing popular mixers that focus on the members, the Chamber also honors teachers in Oak Park and Las Virgenes school districts and recognizes the efforts of Lost Hills and Ventura County sheriff’s deputies annually.

In order to grow, the Chamber also maintained low membership fees and minimized administrative expenditures.

While most chambers have several staff members, the Agoura Chamber has only one employee. Soteras’ mother, Patricia, has been manning the office on her own for several years.

Soteras also developed a program within the Chamber, linking nonprofits throughout the region with the business community, said Masry.

The Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber encouraged local nonprofit organizations to join for $1 per year. This partnership connecting charity organizations, homeowner associations and the business community has been fruitful and benefits the community overall, said Soteras, who’s a mortgage broker in Agoura Hills.

As a Wellness Community partner, the Chamber organizes a yearly casino night to benefit the organization, which supports cancer patients and their families.

But volunteering is not new to Soteras. "My father has been active in the community for many years," said Soteras, who grew up in Malibu and graduated from Pepperdine University. He’s an active board member of The Wellness Community, the Southeast County YMCA corporate board, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Pepperdine University. He also serves as a director representing the Agoura Chamber on the United Chambers of Commerce, which represents 25 chambers from Sherman Oaks to Ventura County. The United Chamber provides funding and grants for businesses, said Soteras.

Masry wants to continue the work that Soteras has begun. He believes the Chamber should be part of the community, and said the relationship between the business community and residents is important.

To reach out to the community, Masry plans to send out a quarterly newsletter to Conejo Valley residents to let them know how they can help businesses and how businesses can help them, he said.

Masry also hopes the Chamber will support his idea to fund the "Every 15 Minutes" young driver education program at Agoura High School.

Masry is a Moorpark resident, but most of his family lives in Agoura, he said. They believe strongly in community service. Masry’s father, Ed, whose law firm handled the case featured in the movie "Erin Brockovich," is currently serving on the Thousand Oaks City Council.

Louis Masry and his wife, Dianne, have two young children, Edward, 5, and Nicholas, 2½.

"Louis is a good choice and he’s going to be very effective," said Groveman.