New CEO Leaves Parting Words for Former Chamber

New Murrieta Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Patrick Ellis last week penned a note to the community he served for four years,

Ellis called it “the hardest notice I have had to write since arriving to Moorpark in December of 2000.” The email announced his resignation from the Chamber to its members.

Ellis, who headed the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce for four years, accepted a position as the president and CEO of the . He is set to begin work Monday.

Ellis’ wife and children will continue living in Moorpark—a city of about 34,000 in Ventura County—at least through the end of the school year. He said he plans to return on weekends.

Ellis said he hadn’t particularly been looking to move, but was contacted by a recruiter he knows who thought he would be a good fit for the bigger city of Murrieta. He wrote in his email that it is the right decision for his family at this time, though it was a tough decision.

“I’m going to miss everything. I love Moorpark. I truly, truly love Moorpark. I’m going to miss running the chamber, I’m going to miss all the different events and the people, especially. The people are just phenomenal,” he wrote.

Ellis said he’s proud of the state in which he’s leaving the Moorpark Chamber.

“I’m really proud of where it is legislatively and its advocacy level. I definitely want to see that continue,” he wrote.

And he believes it will under the leadership of the Chamber’s board of directors and oversight of the new director of operations.

Ellis said for the time being, the Chamber will not replace him with another CEO/president; however, the organization has hired long-time intern Abigail Sichmeller as interim director of operations.

In Murrieta, Ellis foresees a steep learning curve and plans to focus at first on getting to know the community in general and the business community, specifically.

“I’ll be getting to learn all the ins and outs of where the chamber has been, what its mission is and where the board would like to see it go,” he said. “I’d like to get a handle on all those things before anything else because the worst thing you could do is go in and think you have a great vision and realize after the fact that it’s completely opposite of what is needed.”

Though he’ll be living in southwest Riverside County, Ellis told the Moorpark community he doesn’t plan to ride off into the sunset never to be seen again. He plans to return for events he holds "dear to his heart," he wrote.

Ellis replaces Rex Oliver, of a chamber in Washington state.

Read the regarding the selection of Ellis.

The Chamber has plans to hold a reception for its new leader.