For over a century, the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce has been a cornerstone of support for local businesses, advocating for economic development, community engagement, and small business success. However, recent events suggest that this once-proud institution is now veering dangerously off course — and the blame lies squarely with its leadership.
At the heart of the controversy is the Chamber’s current Board Chairman, a figure who appears to have developed a troubling reputation for instability and mismanagement in other chambers before arriving in San Juan Capistrano. Instead of prioritizing the Chamber’s mission and bylaws, this Chairman seems more interested in consolidating power and shaping the organization to serve personal ambitions rather than the needs of the business community.
Since taking office, the Chairman has overseen the abrupt firing of the Chamber’s CEO, a move that stunned many within the City and sent shockwaves through the business community. Under his watch, multiple respected Board Directors have resigned — seemingly unable or unwilling to remain part of an increasingly toxic and dysfunctional environment. Their departures have cleared the way for the Chairman to fill the board with allies, undermining the integrity of a democratic process and sidelining voices of accountability.
Equally troubling is the Chairman’s apparent disregard for small business members, the very people the Chamber is meant to support. Instead of investing time, resources, and advocacy where it matters most — in the hands of hardworking entrepreneurs navigating a difficult economy — funds and attention have been funneled toward outside coalitions and associations. Not coincidentally, some of these groups are connected to the Chairman himself, raising serious ethical questions about conflicts of interest and fiduciary responsibility.
Concerns raised by Chamber members and stakeholders are routinely dismissed or ignored. Red flags are overlooked. Constructive criticism is brushed aside. What was once a thriving institution dedicated to collaboration and community impact now risks becoming a vanity project — a platform for personal influence rather than collective advancement.
This is more than just bad management; it’s a betrayal of trust. The San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce has the potential to uplift a historic and vibrant business community. Instead, its leadership seems determined to drag it into dysfunction, cronyism, and irrelevance.
It’s not too late to course-correct. But that will require the remaining members of the Board of Directors — and the broader Chamber membership — to demand transparency, accountability, and a return to the organization’s core values. The community deserves better. Local businesses deserve better. And the legacy of the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce demands better.
UPDATE May 2
News coming out of this post: the property manager, Jake, has resigned from the board.
AND SOMETHING NEW – read a scathing report on the SJC Chamber, click here:
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SJCChamberRisk-Report-4.18.25-1.docx
Executive summary:
This report identifies and assesses fifteen critical governance and operational risks facing the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce (the “Chamber”). These risks, if not addressed, could undermine organizational integrity, operational efficiency, and public trust, as well as indicate a breach of the Chamber’s board of directors’ fiduciary duties. The Chamber board of directors (the “Board”) is encouraged to review, prioritize, and initiate action plans to mitigate these risks in alignment with nonprofit best practices and legal obligations.
Can you give specific examples to bring these allegations to light? I’m a San Juan resident and don’t want local govt run like this nonsense. How can I help? If this is what’s happening it’s atrocious. Locally I won’t tolerate.
Look into it and share what you find. It’s all true. Research it your self.
a staff member and the chair of the board of directors managed to get an attorney who had previously been the Chamber Attorney to pre-sign a number of checks, that require 2 signatures, which allowed hin to present and cash the check with only one signature unbeknown to the CEO anytime he wanted to. The same staffer also used the paystub of the CEO to submit on a residential lease as the CEO stub showed greater income. FRAUD.
News coming out of this post: the property manager, Jake, has resigned from the board.
AND SOMETHING NEW – read a scathing report on the SJC Chamber, click here:
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SJCChamberRisk-Report-4.18.25-1.docx
Executive summary:
This report identifies and assesses fifteen critical governance and operational risks facing the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce (the “Chamber”). These risks, if not addressed, could undermine organizational integrity, operational efficiency, and public trust, as well as indicate a breach of the Chamber’s board of directors’ fiduciary duties. The Chamber board of directors (the “Board”) is encouraged to review, prioritize, and initiate action plans to mitigate these risks in alignment with nonprofit best practices and legal obligations.
Sorry Vern. This is just embarrassing.
This “Chairman” has a name. What is it?
How did Mr./Ms. X get to be Board Chairman?
What are the alleged “instability and mismanagement” issues at other chambers?
Who has resigned from the Board? Who are the replacements? They have names.
What is the mismanagement at SJC about and who is making the accusations?
Yeah, good questions… I didn’t edit this one like I usually do, the author should be here soon.
Whats embarrasing about it. You want to know the “Chairman” name look it up.
He became board chairman by being elected by board of directors as normal.
Not concerned about other chambers problems.
Who has resigned from the Board? Who are the replacements? They have names. Look them up on the website. I have.
What is the mismanagement at SJC about and who is making the accusations? Members are making the accusations. Did you want their namnes?
Why do I have to look up anything? If the poster can’t be bothered to give a damn about naming names, why should I?
My level of interest in SJC is low already. This post just makes it lower.
If your level of interest is SJC is already low then don’t worry about it and just write it off as an article you didn’t like. I obviously had a reason to leave out the names.
I didn’t “like” the article because it so completely useless.
Things were done by somebody, somewhere, somehow, sometime. People are complaining about something, done by someone, somewhere.
Some idiot calling himself “Jack Kemp” tell me to “look it up.”
You could have raised my level of interest and you failed completely.
Wow. I failed completely. The world is coming to an end. lol. nice chatting with you.
That’s what happens when you write a post about no one doing anything as reported by no one.
You know it can still be defamatory without names if you can figure out who it is.