Commerce Chamber Gets New President

The new president and chief executive officer of the has noble plans for the city.

“I want to support school systems, encourage volunteerism and drive more business to Calabasas especially retail,” said Bridget Karl.

She started her new job on Sept. 1st, replacing Maureen Whalen, who left after just six months as president for another job.

Membership surge

Karl is not new to the chamber, having been its membership and marketing director from 2006-08. She left for a brief stint in the environmental sustainability sector, pushing for a wider use of organic products among businesses.

“She has a lot of energy and talent,” said Brenda Johnson, chairman of the board of directors and owner of the .

Johnson is looking forward to working with Karl as the chamber aims to gradually increase its membership from this year onwards.

“I know Bridget’s extensive background in sales and marketing will help us grow our membership base,” she said.

Currently almost 500-members strong, Karl is counting on an annual membership increase of 25 to 30 percent. “We want to reach out to mom and pop businesses, established companies and new enterprises,” she said, noting that the chamber is also open to non-Calabasas based businesses.

Karl’s outreach plan includes community and networking events. “We just want to stay active in the community and keep making those connections,” she said.

According to Karl, the chamber thrives on business referrals and it is something that she wants to continue. “There’s an incredible amount of fellowship and members reach out to one another,” she said, adding that the chamber also wants to support those who are looking for jobs.

Retail destination

Karl also wants to continue the push for Calabasas to be known as a shopping destination. The campaign theme has not been coined yet, but it will be along the lines of “Shop Calabasas,” she said.

With her additional experience in retail sales and independent consulting back in her days in Connecticut, the campaign is very much up Karl’s alley. She credits Carol Washburn, the president and CEO when she first joined the chamber, for taking her under wings.

“It felt strange walking in the office and not seeing her,” said Karl. “I have big shoes to fill.”

Rosy outlook

During some rare down time on the weekends, the mother of triplets likes to tackle the nearby trails with fellow businesswomen and moms from the Uphill Moms club.

“The trails in the Santa Monica Mountains are some of our favorite destinations,” said Karl, who moved to California in 2000.

As she goes on a different kind of trek as the new chamber president, Karl has nothing but optimism about the future. “The chamber members are the most giving, caring and involved people that I’ve ever come across in my entire business career,” she said.

“They just have this great community feeling amongst them and I just want to maintain that,” she said.