The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce recognized five political leaders at a light-hearted awards ceremony in the Gaslamp.
The annual Legislative Lounge event took place before a crowd of 200 elected officials, their staff members, and business leaders at the Pendry Hotel on Thursday night.
“The chamber’s goal of making San Diego a great place to live and work depends on strong partnerships with our region’s elected officials and their staff who work hard to make our region the best it can be,” said Jerry Sanders, the chamber’s president and CEO. “In today’s increasingly polarized environment, taking a moment to say thank you and recognize the good work they do is much needed. We’re proud to do that here tonight.”
Each Legislative Lounge winner was presented with a personalized caricature as their commemorative award. This year’s awards went to:
- Bridge Builder — Coronado City Councilmember Bill Sandke
- City Hall Savant — Venus Molina, chief of staff to San Diego City Councilmember Jennifer Campbell
- Innovator — Omar Passons, director of integrative services for the Health and Human Services Agency at the County of San Diego
- Sunshine — Imperial Beach City Councilmember Mark West
- Staffer Who Gets Sh*t Done — Jessica Lawrence, director of finance policy and council affairs, office of Mayor Kevin Faulconer
The chamber is the largest local business organization on the West Coast, representing approximately 2,500 businesses and an estimated 300,000 jobs.