Gaughen Resigns as Cerritos Chamber's Executive Director

After serving nearly a decade as the executive director for the Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce, Catherine Gaughen announced today that she would be leaving her post to pursue a new opportunity as the Director of Public Affairs for Kaiser Permanente’s Los Angeles Medical Center.

"I have enjoyed my tenure here in Cerritos and I appreciate having had the opportunity to work with you," Gaughen said in a Tuesday afternoon email to colleagues, community members and Chamber members. "Thank you for the support, guidance, and encouragement you have provided me during my time at the Chamber. Even though I will miss everyone at the Chamber and in the Cerritos community, I am looking forward to this new challenge and to starting a new phase of my career.”

A political science grad from UC Santa Barbara, Gaughen, who spent seven years as the Government Relations Director for the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce before joining the Cerritos Chamber, said the decision to leave was not an easy one.

"This is an opportunity for me to grow personally and professionally," she said. "It has truly been an amazing 10 years, and I've loved every minute of it so this was a difficult decision ... in fact, I still have mixed emotions and while I'm sad that I'll be leaving, I'm very excited for the future."

Though her replacement has not yet been chosen, Gaughen said she would be attending the Board of Directors' meeting on Wednesday to offer her assistance as a consultant, until the right person has been found.

The Board will ultimately decide who will take over as excutive director.

Macerich/Los Cerritos Center Marketing Manager Megan Richardson, who currently serves on the Chamber Board, says Gaughen’s impact over the years is something that will never be forgotten.

“As a current member of the Board of Directors, I fully recognize the blood, sweat and tears she has poured into the Chamber and her departure is like losing a heartbeat. That said, because of all she has done to create a stable, well-oiled machine, I am confident that whomever is appointed in the interim or long-term will easily be able to pick up where she left off. Almost single-handedly she has created a true Chamber of Commerce,” Richardson told Patch.

Taking The Chamber from Struggles to Success

No stranger to taking on new challenges, Gaughen began working for the Chamber on July 30, 2002 -- during a period when the association was in dire straights, struggling with financial issues and instability with a high amount of turnover in the executive director role.  

“I remember when Catherine was hired. The Cerritos Chamber had been through some tough times and she had her work cut out for her, but she was ready for it.” said Richardson. “I have never seen anyone take charge so fast and with such passion. Within two years she had turned the chamber around, and over the course of her 10 years it has evolved into a very reputable organization.”

Today the Chamber has roughly 500 members with an outreach to over 1,800 regional businesses – one of the many accomplishments that Gaughen is proud to say she’s been a part of.

“Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to build the Chamber working alongside an amazing team, the Board of Directors, and of course, the community,” she said. “Together we've been able to establish a strong chamber and it's still growing.”

During her tenure, the association has flourished despite tough economic times.

“We’ve developed it into a regional chamber with members from 37 cities so we’ve expanded the borders while still promoting the city of Cerritos,” she said.

“I’m so proud of the foundation we’ve established, which focuses on business and education partnerships. We’ve also helped create great camaraderie and community spirit through the Chamber.”

Dr. Mary Sieu, deputy superintendent of the and former Chamber president, lauded Gaughen as a highly organized, energetic and creative professional.

"During my term as President last year, I learned a great deal about the business community in this region through the networking opportunities she developed with the Chamber. She has put into place structures with the Chamber that positively promote the cities of Cerritos to Hawaiian Gardens," Sieu said. 

Over time, Gaughen said the Chamber has also cultivated good relationships with local business owners, the city and elected officials, adding that, “We’ve also been able to increase our funding from local cities, and actually tripled our budget since I first started with the Chamber.”

But what she said she is most proud of are the opportunities, events and programs the organization has created to help support local businesses.

“It has been so wonderful to be able to watch small businesses in the community grow, move forward, expand and become an integral part of the community. I have really enjoyed watching people take their vision and turn it into something successful,” Gaughen said.

What She’ll Miss The Most

Never one to take all the credit, the statuesque powerhouse has always dealt with her leadership role humbly, publicly thanking her dedicated staff -- Jill Ovard (Operations Manager), May Peitzsch (Membership Benefits Coordinator), Susan Arthur (Community Relations), and Clarence Fuqua (Bookkeeper) --  at all Chamber functions.

“We have a wonderful team environment, and everyone works so well together,” Gaughen said. “But I’m just one piece of the puzzle, and they will move on without me. I’m sad that I’ll be leaving, because I’ve developed friendships with each of them. But they are all so capable and I know I’m leaving the Chamber in good hands.”

Aside from her staff, Gaughen said she’ll also miss the people she’s met and become friends with through the years.

“There are some really amazing people in this community, and I’ve been in many different cities, but there’s nothing like Cerritos,” she said.

As Lakewood resident, Gaughen plans to stay active in the community and will attend as many city events as she can, admitting that she hopes to one day call Cerritos home.

“I love this community and would love to buy a home here one day. Even though I’ll be working in L.A., I’m hoping to keep my roots down here.”

Gaughen’s last day with the Chamber is May 4, she will begin her new position with Kaiser on May 7.

“It's a new chapter in my life … I’ve spent 16 years in the chamber industry but now I’ll be delving into healthcare, where there a lot of exciting things going on. I don’t really know what to expect, but I’m excited about the unknown and the challenges that await me.”