Chamber selects new CEO
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Lisa Masotti

The board of directors of the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce announced last week that office manager Lisa Masotti has been chosen to serve as the Chamber’s new leader.

Masotti, 42, will take over the chief executive officer position vacated by Virginia Hayward a few weeks ago.

“We look forward to having Lisa lead the Chamber to new levels of service for the Moorpark community,” said Debi Aquino, chairperson of the 12-member board.

“She’s been with the Chamber for five years and has always been a real trooper,” she said, adding that Masotti is a proven hard worker who has good ideas for the Chamber.

Aside from having owned a business and understanding the needs of businesses in the community, Masotti, a 16year Simi Valley resident, served as distinguished president and director of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Susana.

She has received the Simi Valley community service award, the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District board of directors award, and a certificate of commendation from the Simi Valley City Council.

Masotti had expressed interest in the CEO position and has already come up with creative ways to retain and increase the Chamber’s membership, Aquino said. “She looked to us like she was a star–– she’s going to lead us forward,” Aquino said.

The Chamber has 335 members and two paid employees.

Prior to working with the Moorpark C h a m b e r , Masotti owned Sunrise Surprise, a unique home-based business that operated before daybreak, decorating people’s yards for special occasions.

As a new business owner, Masotti joined local Chambers of Commerce to promote Sunrise Surprise and make a connection with the communities she wanted to serve.

Before opening her business, Masotti was an operating room technician at Simi Valley Hospital. She grew up in a suburb of Cleveland.

Masotti is exploring the possibility of relocating the Chamber offices from the current location in the Ralphs shopping center on Los Angeles Avenue to a High Street building formerly used by the Moorpark engineering department.

The move could save the Chamber money as rental costs continue to rise, said Hugh Riley, assistant city manager of Moorpark.

The city has a contract to give the Chamber $20,000, but the organization hasn’t received the money because of an audit issue, said Riley. The Chamber and the city are working the matter out now, he said, and have discussed a possible lease arrangement.

Masotti is now planning the installation and awards banquet that will take place Fri., Jan. 26, and February’s Business Expo with the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce.