LOS ANGELES, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern
California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced Denita Willoughby, vice president of supply
management and support services at SoCalGas will be installed as
Board chair of the Los Angeles Area
Chamber of Commerce (LAACC) at the Chamber's Inaugural
Dinner on January 30. Willoughby is
the first African-American woman to serve as chair since the
Chamber's inception in 1888.
"SoCalGas is proud to have such an outstanding member of our
team be recognized in this way," said Jimmie Cho, chief operating officer at SoCalGas.
"We are certain that Denita's tenacity, motivation and commitment
will shine through in her role as board chair of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce."
"In my role as board chair of the Los
Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, I plan to continue to help
move this great city forward, I want us to build on the strengths
of our city and tackle the weaknesses," said Denita Willoughby, vice president of supply
management and support services at SoCalGas. "One focus for me will
be the need to create sustainable and resilient communities but in
a way that is realistic for all Angelenos. Coming from SoCalGas,
where we provide millions of Southern Californians with a basic
necessity, it is important that everyone has affordable energy as
we move into the 21st century energy system."
Denita is a Chicago-native but
has lived in Los Angeles for over
two decades. She earned her engineering degree from the
University of Wisconsin and her Master
of Business Administration from Harvard
University. Denita currently serves as vice president of
supply management and support services for SoCalGas and previously
served as regional vice president, external affairs, where she led
the company's community relations, public affairs and media and
employee communications efforts.
Denita's role as vice president of supply management and support
services is crucial to SoCalGas' plan for a 21st century
energy system. The vice president oversees a team who ensures the
company has the materials and support needed to innovate and create
the technologies and systems for renewable energy as SoCalGas looks
toward the future of energy in California. Last year, SoCalGas announced its
vision to be the cleanest gas utility in North America with plans to replace 20 percent
of its traditional gas supply with renewable gas (RNG) by 2030 –
and five percent by 2022.
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of
Commerce works to champion the needs of the business community in
Los Angeles through its
nationally-recognized influence. The organization advocates for
economic prosperity and quality of life for the Los Angeles region by being the voice of
business, promoting collaboration and helping members grow. LAACC
currently represents more than 650,000 employees and businesses
from more than 35 industry sectors. Each year the LAACC delivers
more than 40,000 referrals to member companies, 120+ business and
professional development programs and more than 10,000 job and
internship opportunities for Los
Angeles youth.
"The Los Angeles Area Chamber
of Commerce is incredibly fortunate to have the bold leadership of
Denita Willoughby as our 2020 Board
Chair. This is truly an exciting time and I'm looking forward to
her partnership and support as we continue to chart the course to
inspire the change that the region needs, and to address some of
our most complex problems. We look forward to her leadership
to help create a thriving region for all," said Maria S. Salinas, president & CEO for the
Los Angeles Area Chamber of
Commerce.
"The Chamber has launched a new strategic plan to champion
economic growth, amplify Los
Angeles' position as a global center and enhance
opportunities for our entire community. This is a transformative
step for the Chamber as we re-imagine our role in bringing about
prosperity with economic growth that is inclusive and globally
competitive. Denita is the perfect partner to guide the Chamber as
we lead into a new decade."
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of
Commerce's Board of Directors is the principal governing body of
the organization. Membership is diverse, with more than 100
corporate and small business leaders serving on the board. The
leadership determines the Chamber's policy positions on business
issues and advises its members on strategies and
policies.
About Los Angeles Area
Chamber of Commerce
The Los
Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of
business in the Los Angeles
region. The Chamber's mission is to design and advance
opportunities and solutions for a thriving regional economy that is
inclusive and globally competitive. Founded in 1888, the Chamber is
the oldest and largest business association in the region. Its
member companies work together to promote a prosperous economy and
quality of life in the Los Angeles
region. For more information, visit www.lachamber.com.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los
Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution
utility in the United
States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and
increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million customers
across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern
California, where more than 90 percent of residents use gas for
heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Gas
delivered through the company's pipelines also plays a key role in
providing electricity to Californians— about 45 percent of
electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired
power plants.
SoCalGas' vision is to be the cleanest gas utility in
North America, delivering
affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In
support of that vision, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20
percent of its traditional gas supply with renewable gas (RNG) by
2030. Renewable gas is made from waste created by dairy farms,
landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also
committed to investing in its gas system infrastructure while
keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2014 through 2018,
the company invested nearly $6.5 billion to upgrade and
modernize its gas system to enhance safety and reliability.
SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an
energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more
information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with
SoCalGas
on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas)
and Facebook.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company