Hispanic chamber in search of new executive director

The Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is looking for a new executive director after the departure of Joe Aldaz Jr., who left last month after a year in the post.

While Aldaz worked full time at the Hispanic chamber, his replacement won’t.

“What it comes down to is the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is really not in the financial position to afford a fulltime chamber executive, so right now we’re in the process of identifying somebody that can do this on more of a parttime basis,” said Ken Barela, chairman of the Hispanic chamber’s board of directors.

Aldaz has moved on to a new job: director of a United Service Organizations center planned at Fort Carson.

“It was kind of a mutual agreement,” he said of his departure from the Hispanic chamber. “There were no tensions or anything like that.”

As the chamber’s chief executive, Aldaz inherited an organization with financial challenges, Barela said.

“We’re always looking for ways to bring the organization into a positive cash-flow situation, and I think Joe was making good progress toward that,” he said.

Still, things remain tight, Barela said. He stressed, however, that the organization is not in financial trouble.

“If we continued with a fulltime person, then we would put ourselves in a position where we would be in financial trouble,” he said.

Under Aldaz, membership climbed from 123 to 187. The chamber’s annual gala in January was the largest in its history.

“Although Joe is missed and he did a super job, we’re not going to miss a beat,” Barela said. Chamber events such as monthly luncheons are still moving forward.

The board of directors has always been a working board, Barela said, and he and others on the board will step up even more now. The chamber will also work closely with the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber to make sure members’ needs are met, he said.

The Hispanic Chamber recently joined with the Colorado Springs Black Chamber of Commerce and the much larger Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce to form an alliance called the Greater Colorado Springs Partnership.

The Hispanic chamber isn’t the only local chamber seeking a new leader. Last week, Will Temby announced he is stepping down as president and chief executive officer of the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0272 or bill.radford@gazette.com