Maria S. Salinas is the President & CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of

Commerce, the largest business association in L.A. County

representing member companies and serving the interests of more than

235,000 businesses across the L.A. region. Ms. Salinas took the helm

of the organization in August of 2018 and became the first woman and Latina

to lead the Chamber in its 132-year history. An accomplished business

woman, entrepreneur and a determined community leader, Ms. Salinas’

business acumen and financial expertise provides her with the right

experience to lead the L.A. Area Chamber.

Ms. Salinas, a steward of the Chamber’s new vision, “A Thriving Region for

All,” has re-imagined the role of the Chamber. The Chamber looks to the future

with a vision to build an inclusive economy and lead in three pillar areas of

focus: advocacy work, global engagement and through community

collaboration for economic growth and mobility. The L.A. region,

which is the 14th largest economy in the world, and the Chamber membership

represents a broad spectrum of industries, small businesses, corporations,

academic institutions and nonprofits.

Ms. Salinas is an appointee to Governor Gavin Newsom’s Commission on the

Future of Work and named to his Business and Jobs Recovery Task Force.

She was appointed to the US Chamber of Commerce’s Committee of 100, a

distinction reserved for the top 100 Chambers across the country. She

represents the L.A. business community in state- wide policy

initiatives with the Coalition of Regional Economic Association Leaders

(R.E.A.L.), she is a member of the Board of Directors of Mobility 21, a regional

transportation effort, and an appointee of Mayor Eric Garcetti to the MEXLA

Commission, a foreign policy initiative between Mexico and Los Angeles. She

serves on the Board of Directors of The Music Center, Pacific Council,

UnidosUS and Southern California Leadership Network among others.