Pacoima : Interim Leader Plans Chamber Comeback

The Pacoima Chamber of Commerce, which moved from its offices at a city-owned recreation center in August because it could not afford to pay rent, is poised for a comeback, says newly elected interim President Edward Kussman.

“Our No. 1 priority is letting people know we’re alive and well, even though we haven’t had an office for six months,” said Kussman, who agreed in December to take over for former chamber President Joe Gray.

Kussman will serve as interim president until an election is held in July, he said.

Kussman, a builder and land developer who served as a director of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California under former Mayor Tom Bradley, said the Pacoima Chamber suffers from a lack of local business support.

The chamber moved from its offices at the Pacoima Recreation Center because there was not enough money to pay the $600 monthly rent. The chamber’s office equipment is now sitting in storage in a building owned by Kussman, who said he plans to reinstate the chamber in the community center within the next month.

“We’re supposed to have about 275 members,” Kussman said. Of those members, only about 35% pay their dues regularly, he said.

The chamber’s last major project was the annual Pacoima Christmas Parade in December. “We dropped everything to do that,” Kussman said. “We felt it was too important to the morale of the community.”

Kussman said his major task will be “getting the entire community to support us. . . . We’re going to try to win back the confidence of businesses and start providing services again.”

Businesses can use the chamber to network and create opportunities with other members, and can use the organization as a resource to find low-interest loans, government grants, financing and tax information, Kussman said.

For more information, call the chamber’s answering service at (818) 899-7401.