MINORITY BUSINESSES

Chamber Leader: James Ramsey, an insurance agent at Mutual of New York and a former production manager at Hughes Aircraft in Fullerton, has been elected president of the Black Chamber of Commerce of Orange County.

Ramsey, 39, says his goals include hiring a paid executive director to run the day-to-day affairs of the 4-year-old chamber, which has 106 members and operates an office in Santa Ana.

In his one-year term, Ramsey said, he hopes to work more closely with other minority business groups.

“It’s a challenge,” Ramsey said when asked why he took on the volunteer position.

“There’s a need for a full-fledged black advocate for businesses.”

Ramsey says the chamber will hold its first breakfast mixer Aug. 16 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Nordstrom’s cafeteria in the Main Place Mall in Santa Ana.