This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

Foster City Chamber Welcomes New CEO

Chris Messina named to head Chamber of Commerce.

After an extensive search following the resignation of former CEO Mae Heagerty-Matos in June,  The Foster City Chamber of Commerce appointed Chris Messina the new CEO.

Messina joined the Foster City Chamber as the new president/CEO on September 7 and brings extensive experience in the business and non- profit sectors to the new role.

"I have broad experience in team and committee building and also in helping build consensus between myriad teams," Messina said.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Messina's goals will primarily be to increase the benefits and services of the Chamber of Commerce to its current members and to grow Chamber membership. The Foster City Chamber currently has an annual budget of nearly $400,000 and about 300 members. The organization intends to expand its membership and increase its profile.

"One of my primary goals is to build the ambassador team who liaison with the current members for retention and reaches out to new members for inclusion. We plan to expand the number of ambassadors from nine to fifteen. These people will act as the champions and product specialists of the chamber," added Messina.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The Foster City Chamber of Commerce is a membership-based non-profit business organization whose mission is to promote local business, educate members, interact with local government and enhance the quality of life in the community.

Messina is a graduate of the Western Association of Chamber Executives and holds a certificate as a Certified Downtown Professional from California State University  San Bernadino.

"I am developing a 100 day work plan and I intend to have a one on one meeting with every chamber member in the next few months. I have also been enrolled into a leadership program that the San Mateo chamber facilitates," said Messina.

In his prior position, Messina worked as the Advocacy Council Manager for the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, he was the Executive Director of Santa Rosa Main Street, a non-profit working to revitalize downtown communities.

He has extensive volunteer experience and has worked as president of the Sonoma County Farm Trails. Messina also has rich experience as a board member for numerous non-profits such as the Shakespeare on the Green and The Windsor Downtown Association.

He has led several successful community events and fundraisers, and played a significant role in bringing the AMGEN Tour of California to downtown Santa Rosa.

"We plan to reach out to home based businesses, retail and trade and services including manufacturing businesses via specialized ambassadors," said Messina.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?