JANET LAMKIN BECOMES COUNCIL’S FIRST WOMAN CHAIR

We are very happy to report that Janet Lamkin, President of Bank of America California was unanimously elected by the Executive Committee to serve as Chair of the Bay Area Council.  She will serve a two-year term, from 2011 until 2013.  She is the 35th Chair since our founding in 1945 and … the first woman to hold the position.

“Janet Lamkin is one of the most well known and respected business leaders in the state of California,” said Jim Wunderman.  “She joins a long line of esteemed business leaders that have given their time to this organization, including most recently, Lloyd Dean.  As for being the first woman Chair of the Bay Area Council, all I can say is, ‘It’s about time!’”

The Bay Area Council has expanded rapidly in recent years, doubling revenue in the past five years, expanding internationally with an office in China, and significantly increasing clout and political influence.   In addition, the Council has recently undergone a significant reorganization to boost our policy making capabilities.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the Bay Area Council staff and my fellow board members as we tackle the critical issues facing our region,” Lamkin said. “For more than 65 years, the Council has provided top-flight policy making leadership on matters affecting the economy and quality of life in the Bay Area, from education, energy, fiscal policy and infrastructure development, to the international trade that really drives the region’s economy.”

Lamkin has worked for Bank of America in California for more than 15 years, and also served as CEO of the California Bankers Association. She serves on the boards of the California Chamber of Commerce and the Southern California Leadership Council. She is a member of the Advisory Council of the Milken Institute’s California Center and was named one of the 100 most influential businesswomen in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times in each of the last four years.