Business Leaders Connect
Date and Time
Wednesday May 3, 2023
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT
LUNCHOEN SCHEDULE
11:30 AM to Noon - Check-In
11:45 AM - Doors Open
Noon to 12:30 PM - Lunch / Presentation
12:30 PM to 1:15 PM - Open Networking
Location
Residence Inn
180 South State College Blvd.
Brea, CA 92821
Fees/Admission
$55 Members $85 Nonmembers
Deadline to register is Friday April 28th, Noon.
Description
About Gaddi H. Vasquez
Gaddi Vasquez most recently served as a senior vice president of government affairs for Edison International and Southern California Edison, one of the nation’s largest investor-owned utility companies. He led the company’s public affairs and government relations at the city, county, state and federal levels of government during one of the most transformative periods in the history of the energy industry. He led the Edison International political action committee and served as a member of the corporate philanthropy committee and the corporation’s executive management committee.
He is the descendant of migrant farm workers who instilled in him a strong work ethic and the value and reward of serving others. He was the first member of his family to earn a college degree and has been a lifelong advocate against world hunger, poverty, and disease.
From 2002 to 2006, Ambassador Vasquez served as Director of the United States Peace Corps and became the third longest serving Director in the Peace Corps’ 60-year history. During his tenure, the Peace Corps established the Peace Corps Global AIDS Program which resulted in the development of new country programs with a focus on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. He also led the opening of the first Peace Corps program in Mexico and directed the entry or re-entry into 21 Peace Corps countries.
From 2006 to 2009, Gaddi Vasquez served as U. S. Ambassador to the United Nations Organizations in Rome, Italy. His effective and decisive leadership prompted the Director of the World Food Program to name Ambassador Vasquez as a Champion Against World Hunger. He led major reforms at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and worked with leadership at the World Food Program to establish new safety standards and greater accountability.
His public service career includes service at the city, county, state and federal levels of government. He has served as an appointee of three California governors and was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to two federal commissions including the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships.
Vasquez served two terms as chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. He has been formally recognized by the County of Orange, the California Legislature, and members of the United States Congress for leadership and distinguished service as an elected and appointed official.
Ambassador Vasquez is the recipient of the Marine Corps Scholarship Fund Globe and Anchor Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Outstanding Alumni Award by the American Association of Community Colleges, the Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award, the Pat Brown Institute Global Leadership Award and has been named as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the United States on multiple occasions.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Public Policy Institute of California, the Board of Trustees of Chapman University, the Board of Governors of the Orange County Community Foundation, the National Advisory Board of the Salvation Army and chairman of the Advisory Board to the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program.
He is a graduate of the University of Redlands and is the recipient of six honorary doctorate degrees.
The Brea Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leaders Connect is a luncheon series designed to feature local and regional business leaders to provide learning opportunities for the broader business community. The series highlights Brea’s and the region’s most prominent leaders and provides a platform for these executives to share a brief cross-section of their expertise and business insights.
