Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce has interim CEO

The Santa Rosa Metro Chamber board of directors announced Friday that it has named Anana Sweet interim CEO. She replaces Peter Rumble, who announced last month that he would be leaving the chamber to become CEO of the Napa County Farm Bureau.

According to a press release, Sweet’s appointment is effective immediately and the vote was unanimous. It also stated that he will work with Rumble to ensure a smooth transition.

According to the announcement, Sweet has been with SRMC since November 2016 and served as the organization’s vice president of public policy and workforce development for nearly eight years.

“Ananda is a proven leader who brings a deep understanding of SRMC’s mission to the role of interim CEO,” said Chamber Board Chair Lisa Wittke Schaffner, CEO of North Coast Builders Exchange, in a release. “In addition to her knowledge of public policy and labor initiatives, she has built relationships with key partners in our community, including business leaders and elected officials at the local, county, state and federal levels. She has helped put the Chamber on the map with all of her successes.”

Rumble added, “I am so happy that the Board made this choice. Ananda has been one of my most trusted and caring partners during my time at the chamber. She is a wonderful leader, respected in the community and dedicated to the mission of the chamber. There truly could not be a better person to fill this role.”

The announcement stated that under Sweet’s leadership, benefits SRMC has brought to its members and the community have included:

– Creating an employee-supported childcare program to be used as a prototype by companies and organizations across the country.

– Developing a family policy toolkit and consultation system to support employers and employees during and after the pandemic.

– Lead the Chamber’s efforts to research, analyze and develop policy, in conjunction with the Board, on government issues and legislation affecting businesses and the community.

– Development of the Mike Hauser STEM Academy, which connects recent eighth-grade graduates with engineers and professionals from local companies.

– Directing the Leadership Santa Rosa program, which aims to prepare participants for leadership roles in the community.

“Our work for our members and community is absolutely critical, and I believe deeply and unwaveringly in our mission,” Sweet said in the announcement. “I am incredibly grateful to the Chamber Board for trusting me and supporting me through this transition. I am committed to providing continuity and support to our members and Chamber team as we continue the essential work of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber.”

Sweet earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley.

He also serves on numerous boards and committees, including the Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board, the US Chamber Early Childhood Education task force group, and is president of Our Kids, Our Future, an initiative aimed at improving the health and well-being of children in Sonoma County.

Last month, Rumble announced to the chamber’s board that “after nearly seven years of service to our organization, it is time for a change and for the chamber to have new leadership.”

The next day, he told the Business Journal that leaving “was a difficult decision that was not taken lightly.”