Lopiccolo leaves Chamber of Commerce director's position

By Doug Spoon, Editor

For months, state restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 virus have put a strain on small businesses in Menifee. Now comes the departure of the head of a local organization designed to help them.

Tony Lopiccolo, executive director of the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce the last three years, has left that position, Menifee 24/7 has learned. Two members of the Chamber’s Board of Directors declined to comment on the situation, but a source said it appears to have been a mutual parting of the ways.

As cities have struggled to provide support for local businesses during the pandemic, area Chambers of Commerce too have struggled to provide assistance. Requirements of social distancing have halted the traditional form of networking among business leaders, and helping restaurant owners and other business owners attract customers amid constantly changing health guidelines has been a challenge.

The Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce closed its office during the early months of the pandemic, reopening just recently. The organization focused on workshops by Zoom meeting, published notices of federal grants available to businesses, and created programs such as the new Bingo promotion to attract customers.

Lopiccolo started with the Chamber almost three years ago to the day. He previously served as a director and Executive Board member for 10 years with the Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce. He also worked previously for a consumer finance company and was branch manager of a large bank in Temecula.

Lopiccolo was the fifth executive director hired by the Chamber in the five years since Chamber CEO Dorothy Wolons left the position in early 2015. That list includes Janet Cook, formerly CEO of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce and executive director of the Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce, whose departure was announced two weeks after her hiring in 2015.

Lopiccolo replaced Timothy Dalton, a former Las Vegas marketing consultant who lasted less than eight months on the job.

No replacement has been named for Lopiccolo, who could not be reached for comment today.