The Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce has announced the panelists for its 2nd annual UNITY In The Community: Embracing Our Differences event. 

Created by the MBCC Inclusion Committee, the event will be held via Zoom on Thursday, February 3, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. It will be co-hosted/moderated by Jill Dunn, Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman and Corporate Affairs at Chevron; and Tamala Lewis, AEG’s Senior Director of Community Relations and Foundation at Dignity Health Sports Park.

This year's panelists include Hildy Stern, Mayor of Manhattan Beach, Diana Skaar, Technology Executive for (Google) X and Community Organizer, Eliza Santarosa, District Counselor for MBUSD, Chidi Njoku, LCSW, Director for Behavioral Health for Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center, and Jae Requiro, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for AEG. 

UNITY in the Community is designed to explore important DEI conversations, highlight changes made thus far, and to be a catalyst for unity in the community. Each panelist will share their personal and professional experiences, hurdles, roadblocks and how they have embraced change in their day-to-day life.

Attendees need to register in advance to receive the Zoom link.

The event is sponsored by Chevron, Kinecta Federal Credit Union, Dignity Health Sports Park, Southern California Gas Company, Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center, El Camino College, and Skechers.

Chamber of Commerce Inclusion Policy

The Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce has made the following statement about its policy on inclusion: 

"The Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce, in both its values and practices, is committed to inclusion and excellence of all diverse people, irrespective of difference. This means that there shall be no barriers to participation in any activity of this Chamber on the basis of economic position, gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability. We recognize that diverse perspectives are important and necessary for responsible and representative decision-making. We believe inclusiveness is a fundamental principle of every organization that enhances its ability to respond more effectively to changing demographics and needs. We affirm our commitment to reflecting the diversity of Manhattan Beach, the South Bay and the members of the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce.

"The role of the Inclusion Committee is  to provide a lens of inclusion in all aspects of work, including communications, marketing, promotion, processes and events and to advocate for awareness of such within other organizations. They will work to identify opportunities to ensure Chamber programming and practices are fair and provide forward-looking recommendations to ensure that the MBCC is a leader in championing all sectors of the business community. We will encourage and provide leadership and resources to our association, businesses in the community, and chamber professionals so they can create inclusion programs and initiatives at their own organizations."

For questions about the chamber or the event, contact David Archer, President/CEO of the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce at [email protected] or call the chamber at 310-545-5313.