Chamber Ambassador Committee
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber Ambassador Committee serves as the public relations arm of the Chamber. Chamber Ambassadors assist at Chamber functions and help promote the Chamber to prospective members and the community as a whole. Additionally, Chamber Ambassadors assist the Chamber in connecting with new and existing members so that they maximize their use of Chamber programs and other benefits and remain engaged with the Chamber.
In short, Chamber Ambassadors actively promote the Santa Maria Valley Chamber to the business community, connect members with others in the community who can help them build and grow their business.
Ambassadors are selected on an annual basis as part of our Chamber Committee selection process and serve a one year term (January - December).
Interested in serving as an Ambassador or joining another Chamber Committee? Chamber committee applications open the last quarter of the year. To learn more about Chamber committees and our application process, contact Molly Alves, VP of Operations & Membership, at molly@santamaria.com.
Questions about the Ambassador Committee? Contact Cara Martinez, Director of Member Experience, at cara@santamaria.com.

Ambassador Committee Members
Ambassador Leadership Positions
- Chair: Paula Fuller, Manager, American Self Storage Santa Maria
- Vice Chair: Terè Paredes, Owner, Maya Restaurant
- Chamber Staff Liaison: Cara Martinez, Director of Member Experience, Santa Maria Valley Chamber
- Lunch Meeting Coordinator: Sandra Sigala, Account Executive, CBS, FOX, & ABC
- Secretary: Emma Cavazos, Mortgage Loan Officer, Pacific Coast Mortgage Group
- BYB Sub-Committee Chair: Maria Elena Lopez-Camarena, American General Media & Realtor - Valley Hills Realty
- New Member Welcoming Sub-Committee Chair: Noemi Robles, Program Coordinator, Northern Santa Barbara County United Way
2025 Ambassador Committee Members
- Sylvia Cadena, President & CEO, Touching Hearts In-Home Care, LLC
- Emma Cavazos, Mortgage Loan Officer, Pacific Coast Mortgage Group
- Robert Cooks, Assistant General Manager, Best Western PLUS Big America
- Veronica, Dodd, Human Resources Consultant, BBSI (Barrett Business Services, Inc) Corporate
- Paula Fuller, Manager, American Self Storage Santa Maria
- Leslie Kasanoff , Health & Life Coach, Dr. Leslie K: Empowered Wellness
- Sally Lopez, Public Relations Coordinator, St. Mary of the Assumption School
- Maria Elena Lopez-Camarena, American General Media & Realtor - Valley Hills Realty
- Garret Matsuura, President, Friends of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad & Arclight Media
- Alma Reyes, Sales & Marketing, Central West Produce
- Noemi Robles, Program Coordinator, Northern Santa Barbara County United Way
- Sandra Sigala, Account Executive, CBS, FOX, & ABC
- Justin Vanderlinden, VP /Commercial Loan Officer III, American Riviera Bank