Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Jerry Wheeler plans to retire April 8.
Wheeler, 68, led the chamber through a period of growth. When he became president in June 2011, the group had some 600 members; it now has about 700. Members pay $345 to $1,000 to join, based on company size.
He also expanded sponsorship and attendance at the organization’s business expos by holding them in public venues.
“Under Jerry’s leadership, the chamber … restored and fortified its financial stability and operational integrity,” said Patrick Brenden, the chamber’s board chairman. “Jerry is leaving us in a far better condition than when he arrived.”
Before joining the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce Wheeler headed a chamber in Lake Oswego, Ore. He’s moving to Sacramento where his wife, Celia, who has led March of Dimes work in Orange County, has taken a promotion.
