ANAHEIM : Chamber Hires New Executive Director

The Chamber of Commerce has hired a new executive director who will start work on Nov. 14.

Susan Klaren, 32, was chosen from a field of 40 candidates and replaces Alan Hughes, who worked as executive director for 11 years before stepping down in June.

Klaren was most recently the executive director of the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce in LaGrange, Ill., and has eight years of experience working with marketing and fund-raising for nonprofit organizations, said Jeff Farano, president of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce.

“She had a lot of good ideas and appears to be able to follow through with them,” Farano said.

Farano said one of Klaren’s biggest challenges will be to attract more businesses to the city.

“We consider now a very crucial time with a lot going on,” Farano said. “We’re trying to get business back up again and we see the chamber playing a crucial role in the economic development of the city.”

Klaren will be officially introduced to the business community at a reception on Nov. 16.