On the Town: Once a part-timer, now a Chamber alum
In 1990, a young woman who had recently left her position with a local hotel assumed a new role. The woman was Sheri Rang and her new undertaking was as a part-time information coordinator with the Burbank Chamber of Commerce.
Last month, after a 23-year career that saw her rise to become the chamber’s community relations director, Rang announced her retirement.
To honor her one score and three years of service, Rang was lauded by local elected officials, business leaders, co-workers and members of the chamber’s executive committee and board of directors at a retirement reception held at the Burbank Marriott Hotel on Aug. 21.
Having been a part of tremendous changes during her tenure, it puts things into a clearer perspective to be reminded that when Rang first started with the chamber, there was no need for her to provide content for its website. There was good reason for that.
There was no chamber website because, for all intents and purposes, there was no web. It would not be until the fall of Rang’s first year with the chamber that the world would see the creation of the first web server and page content, the foundation for the World Wide Web, which would still not be made public until the following year.
As time passed, Rang did become responsible for the chamber’s website, along with the monthly publication of the “Burbank Business Journal,” the annual “Guide to Burbank” directory and hundreds of Business Connection luncheons, galas, mixers and events including golf tournaments and the hosting of the annual State of the City presentation.
Through her committed service, Rang proved to be an invaluable member of not just the chamber staff, but the Burbank community.
“I once asked former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan how one could possibly run a city like L.A.,” Chamber President Gary Olson said during the reception. “He said it was easy. You just hire the right people and then let them do their job. That was the case with Sheri; and because of the dedication in which she did her job, she earned a lot of love and affection within the chamber as well as with the community-at-large.”
Among those in attendance to honor Rang were her husband, Bernie Rang, son, Gregory Rang, daughter, Catherine Fritz, Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy, Councilman Gary Bric, Councilman Jess Talamantes, Burbank Unified School District Superintendent Jan Britz, Chamber Chairman Barry Burnett and executive committee and board members including Mike Thomas, Eric Foster, Lee Worchner, Ernie Burger, Michael Cusumano, David Nos and Lisa Rawlins.
Promising to stay actively involved — specifically with the Burbank Business Partners, an organization dedicated to elevating the educational efforts of Burbank schools by developing broad-based, sustainable, multilevel support — Rang said she is also looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren.
“I’ll miss all of the wonderful people I’ve worked with and who so greatly supported me, especially when I was going through a health challenge 13 years ago,” Rang told the assemblage. “But I’m not going anywhere. I will still be very involved with the people who make Burbank the great community it is.”
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DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
