Chamber of Commerce unveils new mission at 155th annual celebration

The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the largest chamber on the West Coast, is focusing on the future with a new mission statement.

At the organization’s 155th anniversary celebration on Thursday, President and CEO Chris Cate unveiled the new mission to “champion business and empower leaders.”

“For 155 years, this chamber has helped shape the San Diego region; but today, we’re setting our sights firmly on what comes next,” said Cate. “With a renewed purpose to champion business and empower leaders, we are making it clear: we will lead, we will act and we will deliver.”

“We will be unapologetically pro-business, drive policies that produce real results, and bring leaders together to move this region forward,” he said. “We are not just preparing for the future; we are building it, together.”

Cate outlined the new mission before nearly 900 executives, elected officials and industry leaders meeting at the Manchester Grand Hyatt downtown.

The chamber noted that the new mission “comes at a time of both opportunity and challenge for the San Diego region, as businesses navigate evolving economic conditions, workforce needs, housing affordability and cross-border dynamics.”

As part of the celebration, the chamber also presented two distinguished awards to recognize outstanding contributions that have strengthened the San Diego region and economy:

• The Herb Klein Spirit of San Diego Award to Nancy Sasaki, former president and CEO of United Way of San Diego County
• The Moving San Diego Forward Award to General Atomics for its leadership in providing the primary U.S. contribution to the world’s largest nuclear fusion energy project

The chamber represents more than 2,000 businesses in the San Diego region.