[SCV Chamber of Commerce] – The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber made history Friday as it installed John Musella as its Chairman of the Board of Directors. Musella became the first openly gay Chairman in the business organization’s 94-year history.

“This is just one more demonstration of how the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber is representing a diverse and growing business community,” said Musella. “We have created one of the most diverse board of directors in the organization’s history and I believe it positively reflects the changing community and world we live in.”

In addition to being a well-respected business leader in the Santa Clarita Valley, Musella has also made his mark on the LGBT community. He most recently served as the Chairman of Log Cabin Republicans California, the largest state-wide Republican LGBT organization in the nation. While at the helm, he is credited for the organization’s historic recognition by the California Republican Party and for amending the party’s platform to be more inclusive of LGBT community.

As well, Musella was actively involved with the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, which is the only program in the world devoted to preserving LGBT moving image media lost to deterioration and neglect. The UCLA Film Archive is housed in Santa Clarita.

Musella, who lives in Valencia with his husband, Ivan Volschenk, owns his own public relations firm, representing several high-profile businesses in the SCV and Los Angeles. His company, The Musella Group, is a full-service public affairs and corporate communications firm, serving a broad array of industries, with a core practice area of real estate land use development and entitlement support. The Musella Group’s offerings encompass media relations, community relations, government affairs, crisis communications, strategic planning, executive and brand positioning, event coordination and management and message development.

The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce has a growing presence in the SCV and is continuously reaching out to support businesses of all sizes through development, advocacy and networking. The Chamber is also helping lead the way in the development of future business leaders via its annual leadership academy and professional networking groups.

“Since I began as President and CEO of the Chamber, I’ve had the privilege to see John work tirelessly for our business community this year. He will be a great asset to the Chamber, the City and the entire Valley as its 2017 Chairman,” said Lois Bauccio, President and CEO of the SCV Chamber.

The Installation and Awards Gala was held at the TPC at Valencia. The event was sold out.