Andrea Sala, El Camino College Foundation
This week, the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce will be featuring Andrea Sala, the Executive Director of the El Camino College Foundation, whose mission is to develop community relationships and raise funds to support students’ success in education and life. Sala has been in fundraising, development, marketing, and public relations for over 30 years. Prior to joining the team at El Camino College, she was the Executive Director of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Education Foundation. Then as the Associate Vice President for Advancement at California State University Dominguez Hills, Sala received the largest gift in the universities’ history for an endowed STEAM faculty member from the Annenberg Foundation.
When asked why the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce is important to Sala, she responded “As a member of the Board of Directors for the past four years, I have learned more about our community and the diverse business culture among us. Creating partnerships with local businesses, elected officials, and community leaders is an important piece of TACC membership, and all members are encouraged to join in the multitude of events the Chamber provides. The more you participate, the more you’ll get out of your membership. Being active in the Torrance Area Chamber Commerce has allowed me to engage with our local cities around El Camino College, where we are helping to develop the next generation of workforce for the South Bay. Developing internships and developing career pathway programs with local businesses is important to the success of our students.”
Serving on the Executive Board provides an incredible opportunity to meet influential, intelligent, and well-connected people. For Sala, “As a TACC Executive Board member, strategic planning and oversight of Chamber activities and outreach are a vital part of our work to ensure the TACC is regarded as one of the top Chambers in our region. As Vice Chair of Workforce and Education, I organized several Workforce Roundtables focusing on career and workforce needs in a multitude of industries such as bioscience, computer science, healthcare, aerospace, and manufacturing, and created a space where we discussed future workforce needs including recruitment, retainment, and staying competitive in a global marketplace.”
Sala has been actively involved with the Chamber for 11 years. She has served in multiple leaderships roles with the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce. Sala states, “I am humbled to be involved with the Torrance Chamber Board of Directors, helping to produce opportunities for businesses, schools, government, and nonprofit organizations, and working together to make Torrance a strong, diverse, competitive place to work and live.”