Luna moving on from Brawley Chamber
BRAWLEY – Katie B. Luna will be ending her five-year run as chief executive officer of this city’s Chamber of Commerce effective March
19, she confirmed in a phone call Thursday.
On March 22, Luna will begin her new job as executive director of the Imperial County Local Health Authority.
Luna joined the Brawley Chamber of Commerce in December 2015. In a release issued Thursday, the chamber credited her with enhancing the chamber’s financial stability, while setting a strong strategic plan forward.
Among Luna’s accomplishments as chamber CEO was championing the city’s community traditions and growing the Cattle Call Jamboree to serve more than 35,000 people over its 10 days. Other accomplishments included graduating from the W.A.C.E Chamber Academy in 2020, serving on the California Chamber Emerging Leader Council and being named as one of ACCE’s 40 Under 40 in The Chamber Industry.
But probably the most critical component of her work, the release said, was launching the Imperial Valley Business Recovery Task Force in April 2020 to assist Imperial Valley businesses impacted by COVID-19 closures.
“The IVBRTF has worked diligently to bring health and economy closer together to mitigate COVID spread and support reopening of the economy,” the release said.
Luna herself said her work with the task force made her last year with the chamber particularly meaningful and made the decision to leave all the more difficult.
“For more than five years, I have had the genuine pleasure of working alongside Katie Luna at the chamber,” said Dr. Kathleen Lang, the chamber’s board president. “She came to the chamber at a time when we needed to right the ship and she has done a fantastic job of doing just that. I have witnessed her hard work turn the chamber around, both fiscally and operationally, increasing membership and member benefits in meaningful ways.”
Lang continued: “Throughout the past year, she has positioned the chamber as a convener, catalyst and champion – perhaps most meaningfully in her communitywide leadership role. The board is confident that Ms. Luna will amplify this work in her new role and we wish her well in this new journey.”
Current Director of Communications and Marketing Ramiro Urias has been named interim CEO and will oversee chamber operations.
“Although I am saddened to see Katie go, I am fortunate to have learned so much from Katie and have tremendously benefited from her leadership,” Urias said. “I am confident that I will continue to move the chamber forward in the right direction and fulfill our role as a convener, catalyst and champion.”