The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce announced that Casey Beyer has accepted the position of President/CEO for the Chamber, effective April 3, 2017. Beyer succeeds Bill Tysseling, who will retire after 11 years of service. Casey was selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants in a nationwide search.
“Casey is exactly the person we were searching for to be the next leader of the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce,” said Chris Maffia, board chair and member of the search committee. “His experience and vision will ideally position the Santa Cruz Chamber for the future, and Casey understands how government works and will continue to be a successful advocate for our businesses and community as a whole for years to come.”
Casey has served as Executive Director for the Santa Cruz County Business Council (SCCBC) since mid 2015 where his leadership was instrumental in creating the community collaboration that resulted in Measure D gaining 2/3 voter approval last November. He has worked on public policy issues at the local, regional, state, and national levels for members of Congress, U.S. Senate, California and Nevada state senators, and the California Secretary of State, including chief of staff for Tom Campbell in Congress who represented the Santa Cruz area from 1988 to 2000.
He has been the Senior Advisor to the President of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group since 2011, continues as a California governor appointee to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency since 2009, where he served as the Chair in 2015-16. The TRPA is the bi-state agency that oversees environmental protection and economic vitality of the Lake Tahoe basin. He is highly regarded by his peers as a consensus builder who seeks solutions to issues that impact greater Santa Cruz county business community.
“The Business Council wishes Casey the very best in his new endeavors as the CEO of the Santa Cruz Chamber. The council and chamber have been strong allies and the Business Council looks forward to collaborating with the Chamber on important topics that face our collective members working towards positive change for Santa Cruz County,” stated Rick Weiss, Chair of the SCCBC.
The Santa Cruz region’s business opportunities are enormous, its challenges complex, and its strategies for the future a mixture of long-held expectations and emerging visions. As Chamber CEO, Casey will have the opportunity to lead the Chamber and the business community it serves in addressing the challenges and opportunities created in this era of evolving communications, transformative technologies, and dramatic changes in the form and character of industries and enterprises. The Chamber Board is looking forward to continuing the collaboration between the Chamber and the Business Council and other regional organizations for the benefit of the business community.
In accepting the CEO position, Casey stated, “I am looking forward to leading the chamber staff and volunteers in partnership with elected and government officials to do great things in Santa Cruz County.”
The Santa Cruz Chamber will work with Casey to continue the Chamber’s commitment to serving businesses and the community, as the Chamber has done since 1889. Chamber resources provide the data, analysis, and local knowledge necessary to grow jobs, invest capital and thrive. The Chamber provides its members and the community information about public processes, policies and strategies and analyzes the forces, threats, trends, and opportunities that influence economic vitality in Santa Cruz County. The Chamber also provides its members with an array of marketing opportunities, regulatory assistance, and other business consulting services.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve our members and community for so many years,” said Tysseling. “I am looking forward to working with Casey to ensure a smooth transition and kick off the next era of the Santa Cruz Chamber.”
The Santa Cruz Chamber has been working to promote economic vitality and prosperity in Santa Cruz since 1889. The Chamber represents more than 15,000 employees at organizations throughout the County of Santa Cruz. The Chamber of Commerce provides marketing, networking, and educational opportunities to help large and small businesses in Santa Cruz County generate customers and revenue.
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For more information, please visit santacruzchamber.org.