By Mathew Mingrone, President/CEO, Visalia Chamber of Commerce

I am so very excited to be writing to you today as the new Visalia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO.    First, I want to thank the board of Directors for picking me for the position.  Secondly, I would like to thank my predecessor, Gail Zurek.  She has continued and improved upon the great tradition of supporting, empowering and promoting Visalia Businesses.  I know that I have VERY big shoes to fill.  

Very little is ever done by one single person.   I would like to recognize the amazing team that makes up the Visalia Chamber staff.  They may be small in number, but they are extremely strong in performance and results.  I am honored to be part of this team.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself.   I was born and bred in Western Pennsylvania.  I graduated from Kent State University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Business Administration.    I spent the next 32 years in the Casino Industry.   I have worked for 10 casinos, focusing mainly on Marketing and Sales.  For the past 14 years, I was employed at Eagle Mountain Casino.  First as the Marketing Director, and the General Manager for my last 9 years ending in December 2023.

In each jurisdiction where I have lived and worked, I was always involved in the community, not because of work-related duties, but because of personal beliefs.  Visalia and the Central Valley is the only place where I truly feel at home. 

I have been with my wife Ana for 12 years and we have 4 adult children.  We love traveling, cooking, watching sports and spending time with family.  I also pretend that I can golf on occasion.

My main goals as President and CEO to connect with as many businesses as possible, add value to Chamber memberships, and attract new businesses to increase membership. My commitment to listening to the needs of local businesses and fostering collaborative solutions will undoubtedly propel the Chamber forward.   I will always keep our members informed of everything going on that may affect our business community.

-Matthew Mingrone