LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced the company was presented with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce's Corporate Member of the Year award. SoCalGas was selected in recognition of the company's support of the Chamber's efforts to support economic prosperity in the Los Angeles region. SoCalGas co-hosted the first-ever virtual job fair which had over 1,000 registrants, supported the launch of ONE LA to assist small businesses in obtaining vendor contracts from companies like SoCalGas and helped engage and recruit highly skilled executive committee members. The Chamber's efforts were led by SoCalGas vice president, Denita Willoughby, who served as the organization's 2020 board chair. Willoughby is the first African-American woman to do so since the Chamber's inception in 1888.
"SoCalGas recognizes the need to champion the communities we serve and the businesses that keep these communities thriving, now more than ever," said Maryam Brown, president of SoCalGas. "We are proud of the work we did with the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce this past year and we are thrilled to receive this award. SoCalGas has been a longtime partner of the Chamber, helping to build a prosperous region for all Angelenos. We will continue to support those we serve, not only through our community partnerships, but by providing a clean and resilient 21st century energy system that is affordable for all."
"The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to honor SoCalGas as our Corporate Member of the Year. Throughout the past year, their unwavering partnership with the Chamber and our community has been the best example of leadership. We look forward to partnering with them in the year ahead as we all chart our course toward economic recovery," stated Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, president & CEO, Maria S. Salinas.
"COVID-19 has dealt a devastating blow to our workers and small businesses, the very backbone of our economic strength — and we all bear responsibility for ensuring our hardest-hit employers can survive this period of sheer uncertainty," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "We can only meet this moment through the power of partnerships, and we are proud to have leaders like SoCalGas and the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce stepping forward to help lift up local businesses, navigate our pandemic response, and prepare for the recovery," said Mayor Eric Garcetti.
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce works to champion the needs of the business community in Los Angeles through its nationally recognized influence. The organization advocates for economic prosperity and quality of life for the Los Angeles region by being the voice of business, promoting collaboration and helping members grow. The Chamber represents more than 650,000 employees and businesses from more than 35 industry sectors. Each year the Chamber delivers referrals to member companies, provides business and professional development programs and internship opportunities for Los Angeles youth.
SoCalGas has been a member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce since 1911 and has invested over $1.5 million since 2001 in the chamber and its affiliated centers of impact, including Southern California Leadership Network (SCLN), Better Buildings Challenge, LASER, Unite LA and LA Jobs PAC.
About Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of business in the Los Angeles region. The Chamber's mission is to design and advance opportunities and solutions for a thriving regional economy that is inclusive and globally competitive. Founded in 1888, the Chamber is the oldest and largest business association in the region. Its member companies work together to promote a prosperous economy and quality of life in the Los Angeles region. For more information, visit www.lachamber.com.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million customers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians— about 45 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.
SoCalGas' vision is to be the cleanest gas utility in North America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In support of that vision, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2014 through 2018, the company invested nearly $6.5 billion to upgrade and modernize its pipeline system to enhance safety and reliability. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.
SOURCE Southern California Gas Company
