Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce CEO decides to step down

Sandy Morales, the president and chief executive of the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce, announced she would be voluntary resigning through the Chamber’s online newsletter Tuesday.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the chamber as I had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people and do meaningful work in the Laguna business community,” Morales said Wednesday. “I had full support of my board, and they are an amazing group of people.”

Morales said she decided to step down after being recruited to be the director of corporate relations for a global nonprofit organization.

Paula Hornbuckle-Arnold, who formerly served as the Laguna chamber’s chief executive and is currently a member of its board of directors, has agreed to retake the leadership role on an interim basis while a search is conducted to fill the position.

“I think when I left the chamber as an employee a year ago, I said to everybody that my work was not done,” Hornbuckle-Arnold said. “I meant…I wasn’t walking away and have maintained involvement on the board level, so it was just natural for me to walk in and sort of get us through a transition of a new CEO.”

Hornbuckle-Arnold spoke to what she hopes to accomplish in the interim period.

“Obviously, what I would like to see is a seamless transition, however that happens,” she said. “Whether that’s a month to four months to eight months, it needs to be a seamless transition. We have come too far, the chamber, served our members really, really well these last three years, and I just don’t want to lose that traction.

“That’s really the goal. Whatever it takes, meaning whatever time commitment that is for me, I’m willingly taking that step.”

The State of the City luncheon is scheduled for March 1 at the Montage. The keynote speakers will be Laguna Beach Mayor Sue Kempf and Chamber Board Chairman JJ Ballesteros.

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