Redding Chamber of Commerce names new CEO
Wendy Laros, who was born and raised in Redding, will start in January. She replaces Todd Jones, who held the position from 2024 until the end of last month.
The Redding Chamber of Commerce will report to new leadership as of Jan. 1, the organization shared in a press release on Friday.
The for-profit entity advocates for business interests, including tourism, and will hire Wendy Laros, who grew up in Redding and is the current president and CEO of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce in Hawaiʻi.
Laros has led the Hawaiʻi-based chamber for the last nine years and also worked for over 25 years at a diving gear rental company in Kona, according to her LinkedIn. She has a Master of Education from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa and is pursuing a master’s in business from Pennsylvania State University.
“Wendy brings proven chamber leadership, a business owner’s perspective, and a deep personal connection to Redding,” said Rob Lowes, chair of the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Laros will replace former Chamber President and CEO Todd Jones, who joined the chamber in 2024 and left the position last month for a role as interim dean of Economic and Workforce Development at Shasta College. During his tenure, Jones oversaw the establishment of the chamber’s Government Affairs Committee, which advocates for business interests during local elections, in part through endorsing candidates.
Laros will join another key female business and development leader for the region, Rebecca Baer, who is the president and CEO of the nonprofit Shasta Economic Development Corporation.
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Leaving Kona-Kohala on the Big Island for Shastanistan?
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:::boggle:::
The Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce fails to truly represent independent small business owners because its private, “pay-to-play” model inherently prioritizes the interests of its highest-paying corporate members.
Because chamber funding and leadership structures are dominated by major local employers, developers, and financial institutions, the organization’s lobbying efforts and policy platforms naturally tilt toward corporate agendas, macro-economic development, and commercial zoning.
This leaves micro-businesses, solopreneurs, and independent storefronts—who lack the budget for high-tier memberships or the time to attend formal mid-day networking galas—without a meaningful seat at the table, forcing them to navigate the gritty daily realities of rising costs and local regulations entirely on their own while the chamber promotes a corporate-first vision of the city’s economy.
The Redding chamber of commerce isn’t free from criticism, but…going by your post, you don’t have a clue how they work, their structure, or really anything.
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Maybe your criticism would be valid for an out of the area chamber of commerce, but it doesn’t work for our local chamber of commerce.
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I’m actually apathetic about our local chamber of commerce and they don’t have either my approval or disapproval. But when I know something isn’t true, I will point it out.