Tonya McKenzie of Sand and Shores was honored as Chamber Ambassador of the Year

Easy Reader News Article on June 16, 2018

It was a surprise and an honor to be named as an Ambassador of the Year for the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce. I was not expecting it and it was not even on my radar. With so much change taking place in the organization, the only thing that has been on my mind is continuing to raise and elevate our service to the business community and our members. I was also inducted by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi into the Board of Directors for the Chamber.  The entire board for this year was sworn in and ignited on a journey to use this upcoming year to make an even more dynamic impact on the South Bay business community.

As the first African American woman inducted onto the Board of Directors for Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Bureau, it gives me great pleasure to bring a diverse perspective to the board and hopefully some new programming and activities that we can sponsor or put on to increase the visibility of the Chamber and grow the membership.

People like Doug Hardcastle, Bruce & Jane Connelley, and Steve Nosanchuk were some of the first to help me understand the importance of a chamber of commerce in the cities that we live in. As business owners, they were clear about their needs of a membership organization such as this. They not only told me but showed me how it is all connected to a bigger picture that had to be connected to volunteerism and service to said community. I was nominated, elected and served on the Oakley Chamber of Commerce as a Director and would later go on to chair the annual Almond Festival. It was great. We turned a profit and energized our Bay Area community. There was nothing like watching the adults rock out at the main stage while the kids ran around with the various stations that we had set up for them.

I am a self-professed HABITUAL COMPLAINER. But I am also somebody that will roll up my sleeves to work on solutions to those problems. I am grateful to the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce for this honor and look forward to whatever comes next. With the group that Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi installed on Friday, June 15th, it is sure to be a successful year.

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