Chamber CEO Leaving for Job in Carlsbad

As her tenure with the Encino Chamber of Commerce draws to a close, Chief Executive Jan Sobel recalled that the office was quite a bit different when she came to work there nearly 10 years ago.

“There was no staff,” she said. “I was it.”

On July 5, Sobel will leave the chamber--and her native San Fernando Valley--to become CEO of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce in San Diego County.

“It’s kind of a dual feeling,” she said, explaining that while she’s excited about her new job, she’s also sorry to leave an organization that has grown dramatically in the last decade.

During her tenure, membership in the Encino chamber swelled from 200 to 650 and its annual budget rose from $78,000 to $400,000. Including Sobel, there are now five paid staff members.

“It’s the largest chamber in the Valley,” she said, adding that she’s especially proud of its increased influence in the legislative arena.

A Tarzana resident, Sobel grew up in Encino and attended Van Nuys High School and Cal State Northridge. She’ll be moving to Carlsbad early next month before assuming her new duties on July 15.

Before she goes, she’ll be feted at a luncheon and roast on July 2.

“I’ve lived here my whole life,” she said. “I’m hoping my roots will stretch at least 210 miles.”