Chamber of Commerce President Jones leaves position

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce faces its seventh change in staff leadership since 2015 after the resignation of President Maneesha Jones.

The resignation of Jones, who joined the Chamber in March of 2021, became effective on April 7. The announcement was not made until Thursday, however, following the first Board of Directors meeting since Jones’ departure, said board member Kirk Skorpanich.

It was simply coincidental that that announcement was made two days before the Chamber’s annual Awards Gala, said Skorpanich. A news release described Jones’ departure as “voluntary.”

The news release stated that the Chamber “bounced back with vigor and demonstrated unprecedented growth” during the pandemic and that “Ms. Jones is leaving a legacy of successful service to the community." It also stated that “the Board of Directors will be using this change in leadership as an opportunity to innovatively and strategically restructure the Chamber to provide even better service to Chamber members.”

Asked for an explanation of the restructuring, Skorpanich did not provide details.

“We are looking at a number of different options,” Skorpanich wrote in an email to Menifee 24/7. “Right now, it would be premature to discuss these options since they are still in their formative stages. However, we know that simply doing what we have always done will not meet the needs of our members or our community.

“We want to distinguish ourselves and look at ways to provide service to Menifee differently. We hope to have more information over the coming weeks.”

John Pironti, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, was quoted in the news release as saying, “This is the right time to pivot for the future of the Menifee business community. The Chamber’s main commitment is to the business community.”

According to the news release, the Chamber office will maintain its 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. office hours Monday through Friday. Daniel Morales, marketing and communications director, continues to staff the office. Representatives can also be reached at 951-672-1991.