Chris Meissner, president and CEO, Meissner Filtration Products was installed as 2018 chair of the Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County’s board of directors at the organization’s 21st Annual Meeting. He is joined on the executive board by Oxnard Mayor Pro Tem Carmen Ramirez as vice chair and Peter Zierhut of Haas Automation, Inc., who is continuing as secretary/treasurer.
“As an executive leading a well-established local company, Chris brings first-hand experience and in-depth knowledge concerning the challenges and opportunities existing in our local business economy. He has served on our board for 20 years and has worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for business growth and workforce development,” said Bruce Stenslie, EDC-VC’s president and CEO.
An expert in his field, Meissner has received numerous awards, most recently, the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce’s Man of the Year for 2018. Other honors include Camarillo Waste Watch’s “Most Innovative Reuse/Recycling Program,” Start magazine’s 1997 and 2000 “Most Admired Manufacturers” and CSU Channel Islands Business and Technology Partnership selected Meissner as the 2015 recipient of the Community and Business Leader of the Year Award.
Ramírez was first elected to the Oxnard City Council in November 2010. She is currently serving her second term in office after being re-elected in November 2014. She was named Mayor Pro Tem in December 2012 and December 2016. Ramírez is a public interest lawyer who has served the Oxnard community since her graduation from the Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles.
An EDC-VC board member since 2012, Zierhut is a senior-level manager at Haas Automation, Inc. His role is vice president of outside operations. Responsibilities include government and community relations as well as the Haas Technical Education Center (HTEC) network, comprising more than 2,000 educational institutions around the world that use Haas products for educational purposes.
EDC-VC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a business-to-government liaison to assist businesses in Ventura County by offering programs that enhance the economic vitality of the region. For more information about the Small Business Development Center and loan, manufacturing outreach and international trade programs, contact Bruce Stenslie at 805-384-1800 ext. 24, or [email protected]. Or visit www.edc-vc.com.
