Congratulations to Andrea Sala, executive director of the El Camino College Foundation, who will be honored with the prestigious Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce J. Walker Owens Volunteerism Award on June 16 during the organization's annual Installation and Impact Awards event. The award is reserved for the Chamber's most dedicated volunteers and recognizes those members who clearly demonstrate a selfless approach to volunteerism and a commitment to the Torrance Chamber mission.
Sala's longtime support of the Torrance Chamber includes serving on the board of directors since 2018, and on the executive board since 2019. She is currently the vice chair of workforce and education, where she has planned and hosted "Workforce Roundtables" for the past two years, highlighting different career paths and workforce development in the Torrance area. Each Zoom event featured four industry specialists from the South Bay, covering health care, engineering, bioscience, computer science, aerospace, and manufacturing.
At El Camino, Sala has served as the executive director of the college's foundation since 2015, focusing her work on developing community relationships and raising funds to support students' success. Under her leadership, the Foundation has raised over $11.5 million and has awarded over 5,000 scholarships that have helped students reach their educational goals. Through her 30-year career in fundraising, development, marketing, and public relations, Sala previously served as the executive director of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Education Foundation and as associate vice president for development at CSU Dominguez Hills. She is an active volunteer in other South Bay organizations as well, filling past board positions for Sandpipers, PTA, Peninsula Education Foundation, and National Charity League. She is currently a member of the Peninsula Committee Children's Hospital, raising funds for Children's Hospital Los Angeles.