Anaheim’s scandal-ridden Chamber of Commerce pulls a surprise U-turn

Anaheim’s scandal-ridden Chamber of Commerce pulls a surprise U-turn

The backstory

The chamber had been embroiled in a corruption-and-fraud scandal that resulted in former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu being sentenced to two months in prison. And the chamber’s former chief executive, Todd Ament, is awaiting sentencing.

It appeared that the business group might not survive: Earlier this month, the chamber’s president and chief executive emailed staff with the news he was resigning immediately and the organization would shutter by the end of April, a development first reported by the Orange County Register.

What happened next?

But the chamber issued a statement this week saying that the board of directors voted unanimously to stand their ground and take “a new approach and a new direction for the Chamber.”

Who will be in charge?

“For the first time, millennials are now leading the chamber,” according to the press statement.

Local business owner Dara Maleki will take over as president and CEO, while Michael Johnson was installed as head of the Board of Directors. Johnson serves on some boards in the city, including Anaheim Family YMCA.

“Let me be absolutely clear: The Anaheim Chamber of Commerce is not closing. Instead, we are forging ahead to be a leading Chamber of the 21st century,” Maleki said in the statement. “We are entering a period of renewal — rebuilding trust, listening to our community, and creating a Chamber that works for all of Anaheim.”

Sorce: Google News