Golden State Today

Maryam S. Brown, the incoming CEO and president of Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), has been appointed as the 2025 chair of the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Brown expressed her enthusiasm for the role, stating, “I’m deeply honored to take on this role and work alongside the Board and staff to champion California’s businesses and employers.” She highlighted her experience leading one of the nation's largest energy providers, emphasizing a commitment to delivering safe, reliable, and affordable energy.

Brown will lead SoCalGas in its operations across a 24,000-square mile area. Before assuming her new role, she served as SoCalGas' president for five years. Her previous experience includes working at Sempra as Vice President of Federal Government Affairs and holding senior staff roles in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

Joining Brown as officers on the CalChamber Board are John Stowell from The Walt Disney Company as First Vice Chair; Frank Washington from Crossings TV as Second Vice Chair; and Fiona Hutton from Fiona Hutton & Associates as Third Vice Chair.

The CalChamber Board also named three directors to serve as at-large members on its Executive Committee: Tom Hutchinson from Google; Rashmi Menon from Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co., Inc.; and Kevin Tilden from California American Water. The committee will include past chairs Janet A. Liang from Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Greg Bielli from Tejon Ranch Company, and Kailesh Karavadra from Ernst & Young LLP.

In addition to her new role with CalChamber, Brown serves on various boards including the U.S. Department of Energy National Petroleum Council and Stifel Financial Corp., while also being a Trustee for the American Gas Foundation.