Contents

6 Welcome

8 Board of Directors

9 Mayor’s Message

10 Leadership Circle Members

12 Events Calendar

14 Board Member Spotlight

18 Business & Economic Summit

20 Pasadena Celebrates Route 66

22 Out & About

24 Make Real Change

26  Attorneys in Pasadena

28 Hahn & Hahn LLP

30  Tom Daly
Womble Bond Dickinson

32  Joseph H. Lee
Chang & Lee Attorneys

34  Don Schweitzer
Schweitzer Law Partners

37 Member Search

Welcome

Frank Girardot, Senior Communcations Director, BYD|RIDE,
Chair of the Board of Directors

Paul Little,

President and Chief Executive Officer,
Pasadena Chamber of Commerce

Thank You

To Our PASADENA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2025-26

Frank Girardot

Chair

BYD|RIDE

KATELYN BARCHOWSKY*

Immediate Past Chair;

Vice-Chair, Member Services

Storied Lane Marketing

JESSICA J. ALVARENGA

Chair-Elect, Vice-Chair, Legislative & Government Affairs

SoCalGas

PAUL LITTLE

President and Chief Executive Officer

Pasadena Chamber of Commerce & Civic Association

William (Bill) Ukropina

Treasurer

Coldwell Banker Commercial Pasadena

ISHMAEL TRONE*

Secretary

F&M Business Center

LYNNELLE BRYANT

Vice-Chair, Workforce Development Masbuild, Inc.

JOHN BURT

Vice-Chair, Economic & Business Development

JB Executive Coaching

JUSTIN TSUI*

Vice Chair, Technology

TeamLogic IT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2025-26

RAYMOND ASAD

Member

Fuller Theological Seminary

MICHAEL BELL

Member

Sotheby’s International Realty

THOMAS DALY*

Member

Lewis Roca

GEORGE FALARDEAU*

Member

Pasadena Media

CLAUDIA GOYTIA

Member

Kaiser Permanente

SEAMUS GRAY

Member

Pacific Premier Bank

RAPHAEL HENDERSON*

Member

Retired

ROGER HUANG

Member

East West Bank

JOHN LEANO*

Member

Bryan’s Cleaners & Laundry

EMILIO PADILLA-LARIOS

Member

Langham Huntington Hotel, Pasadena

HILLARY SCHENK

Member

Casa Treatment Center

DON SCHWEITZER*

Member

Schweitzer Law Partners

BRANDON STANSELL

Member

Athens Services

Nerissa Sugars

Member

Hollywood Burbank
Airport

STEPHANIE YAMASHIRO

Member

New York Life

EX-OFFICIO

David Klug

Member

City of Pasadena
Economic Development Director

PAMELA KNAPP

Member

Tournament of Roses Association

Rob McClinton

Member

Innovate Pasadena

Jens Weiden

Member

Rose Bowl Stadium

*Denotes former Chair of the Board

Mayor's Message

I originally wanted to talk about celebrating all of the great progress we’ve made and look ahead to the many exciting opportunities that await us, but it is admittedly challenging given the circumstances in which we find ourselves at this moment, when so many of our families, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and loved ones have lost everything in the Eaton Fire. My heart goes out to everyone affected by these fires.

This experience has required ALL of us to draw upon our inner reserves of strength, determination, and resolve. Together, we are Resilient Pasadena: and we are Rebuilding Our Community’s Future.

Pasadenans have long had a shared commitment of creating a community where all are welcome, respected, included, and able to work for the betterment of Pasadena. This has been evident and demonstrated time and again over the last year.

I am grateful for everyone that has come together since January 7 to help rebuild our community.

It may take some time, but it will happen — so long as we continue to work together — residents, businesses, and civic leaders — we can reach our collective goal of ensuring that not only will every resident have an opportunity to be a successful and contributing member of our community, but that Pasadena will remain the crown jewel of the San Gabriel Valley for generations to come.

At City Hall, we are making good progress towards these goals. Thank you to City staff, residents, and community partners for all you have done to help Pasadena be the great City that it is. Our resilience as One Pasadena gives me great comfort and confidence that no matter the challenges that lie ahead, together as a community we will rebuild and create an even better future for Pasadena.

In my fifth year as Mayor, and after nearly three decades serving our City, I am eager and ready to help rebuild our community’s future. As we reflect on the progress we have made, the challenges we’ve endured — and those that lie ahead — one thing is clear: working together we will rebuild a bright and resilient Pasadena for generations to come.

Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your unwavering commitment to our City. I look forward to all that we will achieve in the year ahead to rebuild Pasadena’s bright future. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your Mayor and I thank you for that honor and privilege.

Victor Gordo, Mayor

Leadership Circle Members

Events Calendar

Networking Events

1st Wednesday 11:30 a.m., Luncheon Alliance

3rd Wednesday 7:30 a.m., Breakfast Connection

4th Wednesday – Quarterly 5 p.m.
Chamber After-Hours Social and Young Professionals Mixer

Bimonthly

Board of Directors

Quarterly Board and Committees

Economic and Business Development

Legislative and Government Affairs

Member Services

Marketing and Technology

Workforce Development

Annual Events

March 2026

Pasadena Chamber Spring Soiree and Birthday Celebration

June 2026

Inaugural Gala

October 2026

Economic and Business Summit

December 2026

President’s Breakfast Honoring the Tournament of Roses

Board Member Spotlight

Brandon Stansell

Athens Services

Member,
Pasadena Chamber Board of Directors

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and the City of Pasadena

Presented the 2025 Economic & Business Summit

In October, nearly 200 people attended the Economic and Business Summit presented by the City of Pasadena in collaboration with the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce at the Brookside Golf Club. Guests were treated to lunch and engaging presentations and a panel discussion.

Pasadena Chamber Board Chair Frank Girardot of BYD|RIDE served as host and emcee for the Economic and Business Summit.

The keynote address was presented by Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation Vice President Veronica Pugin, who highlighted challenges to the local economy as well as some opportunities in the region.

Ms. Pugin noted challenges presented by the recent wildfires, trade volatility and tariffs, as well as federal immigration enforcement actions. Together, these have had a tremendous negative impact on LA County. Two thousand businesses were lost to the Eaton and Palisades fires. An additional 37,000 were affected, she said, stressing the importance of rebuilding with resilience in mind.

“Stay engaged, stay involved with those stakeholders to promote that recovery,” she advised, noting that economic recovery in the county is ongoing.

Despite these challenges, Pugin underscored the county’s strengths.
“LA County alone would be the 19th largest economy in the world as a country,” she said. Los Angeles County has a very diverse economy with industries ranging from bioscience and aerospace to trade, logistics, and entertainment provide buffers against economic shocks, she added. Recent state support, including a $24 million investment to grow life sciences, demonstrates continued confidence in the region’s economic capacity, she noted.

City of Pasadena Economic Development Director David Klug highlighted growth and development in Pasadena, and initiatives such as Dine Out Pasadena and the city Façade Improvement program grants that directly support our local small businesses.

Pasadena Chamber Board Chair Frank Girardot served as moderator for a panel discussion on the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. Panelists included Mike Ross, chief executive officer of the Pasadena Center Operating Company, Pete Siberell, special projects director for Santa Anita Park (the LA Turf Club) and Jens Weiden, CEO of the Rose Bowl Operating Company.

The Rose Bowl will host semi-final and final soccer matches during the Olympics, and Santa Anita Park will host equestrian events. Drawing excitement was the recent announcement that the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center would host diving during the 2028 games.

“Stay engaged, stay involved with those stakeholders to promote that recovery.”

- Veronica Pugin

Vice President

Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation

Pasadena Celebrates Route 66 & Colorado Boulevard

Established in 1926, U.S. Route 66 became one of America’s most iconic highways, stretching over 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica. Often called the “Main Street of America,” Route 66 played a crucial role in connecting rural communities to larger cities, fueling cross-country travel, commerce, and migration. Route 66 became a cultural icon, symbolizing freedom, opportunity, and the romance of the open road.

In Pasadena, Route 66 ran along Colorado Boulevard, embedding the city firmly into the highway’s storied history.

In 2026, Pasadena will be celebrating the centennial of Route 66 and the 150th anniversary of our main street: Colorado Boulevard. The yearlong celebration will feature events, activities and much more.

Help us celebrate the 150th anniversary of Colorado Boulevard and the 100th anniversary of Route 66 and its impact on California and Pasadena!

Some things to look forward to: Specials during Cheeseburger Week in January; The Great Race antique car rally finishes in front of Pasadena City Hall; a special Chalk Festival; informal car rallies; bar to bar beer runs and much more.

You can find information and links to activities and more at
www.visitpasadena.com/route-66.

Out & About

The Pasadena Chamber supports our members with events and activities, such as our networking Luncheon Alliance and Connection Breakfast and our Chamber After Hours social and mixer. We also support our members’ activities by attending as well as organizing promotional opportunities and more.

Here are photos from some of our recent activities. Check out our online Calendar and Events menu at Pasadena-chamber.org and join us.

Real Change

Relaunched by Pasadena Chamber of Commerce Foundation

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce Foundation is relaunching the Real Change homelessness prevention effort in 2025. That program will collect funds to prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless in Pasadena.

Homelessness is a tragedy in our community. We can all help alleviate the impacts on our community and make the lives of local families better. Make Real Change is raising money to support homelessness prevention programs right here in Pasadena. Money raised will be donated to Friends in Deed and their Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance program.

Yes, we have too many people living on the streets of Pasadena. We also have too many families at risk of losing their homes. Your modest donation can help keep at-risk families in their homes.

Prevention is much more effective and much less costly than dealing with impacts. Your donation to Make Real Change in Pasadena will directly support keeping people in their homes.

The Chamber Foundation, a 501c3 charitable organization (Tax ID number 82-1823970) is asking for your contribution to help us support Friends in Deed and their Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance program. This is a proven and effective program dedicated to keeping at-risk families in their homes.

The Pasadena Community Foundation has pledged to match up to $25,000 in funds collected through Real Change by the Chamber Foundation. Your donation can have double the impact.

It is much less costly to keep a family in their home than to help once they become homeless. It is also much more effective. This year, give a local family the gift they need most: keep them in their home.

To learn more and donate,
visit www.pasadenachamberfoundation.org.

Want to donate? Simply click this box. You can give a set amount ($250, $500, $1000), donate as you are able, and even make a recurring donation.

You can also donate by check to:

Pasadena Chamber of Commerce Foundation

44 N. Mentor Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91106

Donations are tax deductible. (Though it is always a good idea to consult your tax professional.)

Please donate to Make Real Change in Pasadena.

Pasadena Chamber and the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce Foundation are stepping up to combat homelessness in our community.

YOU CAN HELP!

Pasadena’s Business Community can have a positive impact and help prevent homelessness.

Donate NOW to help alleviate
homelessness in Pasadena.

Be part of the solution.

Attorneys in Pasadena

The history of attorneys in Pasadena is closely linked to the development of local government and the establishment of long-standing private law firms and the growth and development of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association.

The Pasadena Bar Association was founded in 1917 and continues to serve the legal profession in the area with programming, educational seminars and workshops and more.

Pasasdena’s history includes a number of prominent attorneys, among them Attorney Herbert Hahn. Hahn was instrumental in the transitions of the Pasadena Board of Trade into the Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association of Pasadena.

Also noteworthy is one of Pasadena’s founders, Judge Benjamin Eaton. Eaton arrived from New England and became Los Angeles District Attorney in 1853 and subsequently served as county assessor in 1857. Eaton was a founder of Pasadena, then the Rancho San Pasqual, and later encouraged people from Indiana to migrate to the area in the land boom of the 1870s. One of Pasadena’s main streets, Fair Oaks, takes its name from Eaton’s home.

George S. Patton served as Pasadena’s first city attorney in 1877. He later expanded his practice to Los Angeles and was elected District Attorney of Los Angeles County in 1886. He was also the first mayor of San Marino and the father of General George S. Patton, Jr., the famous World War II military leader.

James McLachlan was another significant attorney who settled in Pasadena in 1888. He served as the Los Angeles County District Attorney and later represented Los Angeles in the U.S. Congress for five terms.

Firms practicing in Pasadena specialize in all forms of legal representation, from family law and intellectual property to criminal defense and employment law.

Prominent Pasadena Chamber member firms, in addition to those profiled here, include Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud and Romo; Barbaro, Chinen, Pitzer and Duke, LLP; Freeberg and Granieri; LA Fire justice; Lagerlof, LLP; Hunt Ortman Palffy Nieves Darlin & Mah, Inc. and Laquer, Urban, Clifford and Hodge, LLP.

Small, specialized boutique firms include the Law Office of Timothy Bowles; Erin Joyce Law; Hackler Flynn & Associates, APC; Larson & Gaston, LLP; Perez Legal Group; Romero Law, APC and the Sorell Law group.

Pasadena is also home to the Southern California courthouse of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals as well as one of the Los Angeles County courthouses.

Hahn & Hahn LLP: Continuing its Legacy of Leadership

By Marc Sheforgen

For more than 125 years, Hahn & Hahn LLP has stood at the center of Pasadena’s legal and business community, evolving alongside the city it has long served. As one of the region’s legacy law firms and a certified Women Owned Business Enterprise, the firm today remains both an anchor institution and a modern, forward-looking practice committed to its clients and its community.

Founded in 1899, Hahn & Hahn has grown from a small local practice to a multidisciplinary firm representing businesses, institutions, entrepreneurs, family offices, charitable organizations and high-net-worth individuals across Southern California.

Its team of 23 lawyers, including 12 partners, advises on corporate, real estate, employment and financing matters, and handles litigation, eminent domain, bankruptcy and restructuring, estate planning and family law.

CEO and Managing Partner Christianne F. Kerns described the firm’s origins as inseparable from the rise of Pasadena itself.

“Our firm grew as the city grew,” she said. “We grew based on a vision of providing exceptional legal service rooted in integrity, professionalism and a deep commitment to our clients and community.”

That client-first approach remains the firm’s guiding principle across generations.

“From serving businesses, organizations, families and individuals, our legal services are centered on the clients’ needs first and foremost,” Kerns said. “We are proud and honored to serve our clients, generation after generation.”

Hahn & Hahn’s longevity, she emphasized, is the direct result of sustained relationships and a culture of shared purpose.

“It’s a testament to the enduring relationships we have built, both internally with exceptionally talented lawyers and staff and externally with our clients and community.”

Service to the broader community has become a defining part of the firm’s identity. Its lawyers contribute time and leadership to local, regional and national nonprofits, as well as to bar associations across multiple jurisdictions.

“We will continue to support our community and our profession with an enthusiasm that reflects our values, making our contribution to a better world,” Kerns said.

Looking ahead, Hahn & Hahn sees both continuity and opportunity.

“The legal profession continues to evolve, and we embrace new challenges with the same agility, spirit and dedication that has defined us for over a century,” Kerns said.

For Pasadena’s business community, that means a legacy firm still firmly rooted, still innovating and still shaping the region it helped build.

To learn more about Hahn & Hahn LLP, visit www.hahnlawyers.com.

“We are proud and honored to serve our clients, generation after generation.”

Thomas Daly • Womble Bond Dickinson

Draws on Degrees in Chemical Engineering & Law for Expertise in Intellectual Property Cases

By Glenn Stephens

Thomas Daly graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in chemical engineering and plans to follow in his father’s footsteps with a career in that field. But he soon found he wanted a further challenge and enrolled in night classes at the Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

A native of the Chicago area, Daly draws today on his law and engineering degrees for a practice focused on intellectual property cases. He was with a firm in Pasadena, and later Glendale, before a series of mergers led to affiliation with the Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Womble Bond Dickinson. The national and international firm has more than 1,200 attorneys, including over 45 in the Glendale office.

He maintains connections with Pasadena, where he is a past chairperson and current member of the Chamber of Commerce.

Specializing in Intellectual Property Cases

Daly’s specialty is patent law, dealing with intellectual property cases.

“I decided it would be a shame to completely lose all my knowledge of chemical engineering,” he says. “Patent law was an area that would allow me to use that background and understanding and still practice law.

“I help people get patents, trademarks and copyrights and to protect their ideas and creations. A lot of the work that I do involves medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

“If you came up with an invention and wanted to protect it and make sure you could commercialize it and make money off it or license it to others, I would handle it for you.”

Avid Reader, Fan of UCLA Football

Married and the father of an adult daughter, Daly describes himself as an avid reader and book collector, especially enjoying mysteries.

He also is a big fan of college football, with season tickets to UCLA home games at the Rose Bowl. He loves the tradition and charm of the stadium, surrounded by a golf course and grassy areas where fans tailgate, but fears UCLA eventually will move its home games to the more modern SoFi Stadium.

“I’ve been to SoFi, and it doesn’t seem to have a lot of the character that the Rose Bowl has,” he says. “It’s surrounded by a bunch of concrete parking lots, and it just looks kind of sterile.”

“It will be a real shame if they make that move.”

More about Womble Bond Dickinson can be found at Womble Bond Dickinson | International Law Firm, or see https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/people/thomas-daly.

“I help people get patents, trademarks and copyrights and to protect their ideas and creations.”

Joseph H. Lee • Chang & Lee Attorneys

Son’s Diagnosis Altered the Life
of this Pasadena Attorney

By Glenn Stephens

Joseph H. Lee has served as a minister, a school teacher and administrator, and an attorney handling civil cases.

But the focus of his life and an emphasis of his legal practice changed in 2011 when his son was diagnosed as autistic. Since then, Lee has educated himself on the intricacies of protecting special-needs individuals and their families.

“When my son was diagnosed, I was looking for someone to write the documents we needed for our family,” Lee says. “And I thought, if there isn’t anyone who does this I’m going to learn to do this for myself. So I did.”

The New Jersey native handled insurance and other civil cases before moving from the New York area to California in 2002. An ordained minister with a master’s degree in divinity from Princeton University and a law degree from Seton Hall University, Lee started a church in the Los Angeles area. He also served churches as youth minister and in other capacities.

Protecting Special-Needs Individuals

He returned to the law, and began to research how to protect special-needs individuals and their families after the autism diagnosis of his son, who is now 21.

Once a child turns 18, they are considered an adult in California, even if they are disabled, unless the parents get a conservatorship. Without it, the child can decide where to live, whether to sign contracts and how their money is spent.

“We create special needs trusts to protect the benefits as well as assets that a disabled child may inherit,” he says. Otherwise, the child would have no limits on how an inheritance was used, and Medi-Cal would deny benefits if the person’s assets exceeded $2,000.

“We work with other professionals to try to set up plans where the kids have someone who takes care of them so that no one’s taking advantage of them, making sure that there’s a plan in place so that someone is caring for that person –- medical needs, who are their friends and other things.

“We put plans together so that when the parents are no longer able to care for their children with special needs, someone can step in to ensure that no one is taking advantage of the special-needs person.”

Lee says this kind of work accounts for about one-third of his law practice. He also specializes in probate cases, which involve the passing of assets at death, and conservatorships and guardianships.

His law practice merged in 2020 with that of Grace Lea Chang to form Chang & Lee Attorneys. There are four attorneys and six staff in the firm, which handles family and business law and civil litigation.

For more information about Chang & Lee Attorneys, visit http://www.changleelaw.com.

“We put plans together so that when the parents are no longer able to care for their children with special needs, someone can step in to ensure that no one is taking advantage of the special-needs person.”

Don Schweitzer: Schweitzer Law Partners

His Background as a Police Officer and Prosecutor Led to a Law Practice

By Glenn Stephens

Don Schweitzer has seen the criminal-justice system from many sides. He was a homicide detective, a prosecutor, a defense attorney and an expert in handling domestic violence and other civil cases.

The founder of the firm Schweitzer Law Partners describes his careers in all those areas as a quest to serve and protect other people.

“That’s why I think I was able to make the transitions that I did from being a police officer to a police detective, to a deputy district attorney to private law practice,” he says. “The goal is always the same – to protect people who are going through very difficult times.”

A native of the Chicago area, Schweitzer was a
law-enforcement officer there for two years before moving to California and spending six years as a policeman. He turned in his gun and badge at age 29 and earned a law degree from Southwestern School of Law. He then went to work for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, “My first assignment in the DA’s office was with the family support unit, where I prosecuted people who weren’t paying their child support,” he says. That lasted about a year, and he was assigned to criminal cases, working his way up to senior trial attorney.

Managing Partner of a Firm With 10 Attorneys

He put together Schweitzer Law Partners, which consists of 10 attorneys, all involved in civil cases, including two handling probate matters and estate planning.

“We do everything from divorce, domestic violence, modifying child support, elder abuse and conservatorships,” Schweitzer says. This diversity in the practice gives the firm an advantage because it provides quality representation due to the crossover aspect of many cases.

Schweitzer says that while he does mostly civil cases, he is well versed in defense law because of his background in law enforcement and as a prosecutor. He describes being involved in a DUI case for one of his clients and a domestic violence case.

“I really enjoy domestic violence cases because of my trial skills and my love of the courtroom,” he says. “I love going in there and protecting people.”

Schweitzer and his wife, Maria, have been in the practice for 23 years. She serves as business manager. They are the parents of three adult children and are involved in many law and community organizations, not to mention their passion for pickle ball.

To learn more about Schweitzer Law Partners, visit www.pasadenalawoffice.com.

“The goal is always the same -- to protect people who are going through very difficult times.”