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Valley 200 – 2024: Fred Thomas

Mayor, City of Simi Valley

Thomas was elected mayor of Simi Valley in November 2022. He started as a graphic designer before becoming a partner in a real estate marketing firm. He formed his current business in 1992, a national direct mail marketing firm. He also owns a commercial printing company. Thomas served for 20 years on the board of the Boys & Girls Club, four of which were as the board president. He has also served as a member of the Simi Valley Gang Task Force and Simi Valley Crime Prevention Task Force. He is currently an active member of the board of the Simi Valley Police Foundation.

Valley 200 – 2024: Henry Stern

Senator, California State Senate

A former educator and environmental attorney, Stern received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and earned his law degree at UC Berkeley. He was first elected in November 2016 and advocates for sustainable practices and the protection of California’s natural resources. Stern serves as the chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies, providing oversight to California’s carbon neutrality efforts and supporting climate infrastructure acceleration. He also serves as the Senate’s Ex Officio member to the California Air Resources Board.

Valley 200 – 2024: Chandra Subramaniam

Dean, Nazarian College of Business and Economics, California State University, Northridge

Subramaniam is dean of the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at California State University, Northridge. He was previously at the University of Texas at Arlington and an engineer for National Semiconductor in Malaysia. His research is focused on management incentives, executive compensation and corporate governance. He chairs the CSU Association of Business Deans and the International Board of Governors for Beta Gamma Sigma, an honor society. He was awarded the 2015 Meritorious Service in Accounting Career Education by the TSCPA, Ft. Worth Chapter.

Valley 200 – 2024: Ana Fonseca

President, Chief Executive, Logix Federal Credit Union

Fonseca is the president and chief executive of Logix Federal Credit Union, which serves over 247,000 members and boasts more than $9 billion in assets. Fonseca has extensive experience in the financial services industry. She has served as president and CEO of Logix since January 2019. Fonseca earned an MBA in finance from the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University and completed the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford’s School of Business in 2017. She is currently on the boards of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

Valley 200 – 2024: John Grace

President, Investor’s Advantage

Grace is the president of Investor’s Advantage Corp. in Westlake Village, a money management firm that he founded in 1979. IAC offers education and workshops designed to enhance financial literacy. Grace has been a registered principal for LPL Financial with over $1 trillion of assets under management since 2021, the largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S. Grace is on the board of Creative Steps, a program operated by the Aurelia Foundation. He’s also a former president and trustee of the Ventura County Council of the Boy Scouts of America and a columnist for Wave publications.

Valley 200 – 2024: Tamara Gurney

Founding President, Chief Executive, Mission Valley Bank

Gurney is the founding president and chief executive of Mission Valley Bank, overseeing the independent, locally-owned commercial bank. Headquartered in Sun Valley, the bank opened in 2001 and includes two branches and divisions focused on specialized lending and provides services to over 6,000 clients. Gurney is committed to community development and banking advocacy, serving on the board of the California Community Banking Network and as a member of the Federal Reserve Bank’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. She’s also on numerous boards.

Valley 200 – 2024: Lois Klavir

Vice President, Commercial Banker, JPMorgan Chase Bank

As a vice president and senior business relationship manager at JPMorgan Chase Bank in Encino, Klavir focuses on client relationships in the San Fernando Valley region, specializing in areas such as owner-occupied real estate financing, business loans, credit cards, lines of credit and deposits, along with merchant and treasury services. Klavir is also active in the community. She is the immediate past president of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles. Klavir is also a founding board member of the Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce.

Valley 200 – 2024: Bill Johnson

Chief Executive, Founder, Chair, Liberty Co. Insurance Brokers

Johnson founded his Woodland Hills-based company in 1987. It quickly became successful with Johnson continuing to lead the company as its chief executive until 2003 when he decided to step back from day-to-day management of Liberty to pursue his other passion of producing films. During the next 14 years, Johnson made more than 30 films including producing films staring Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie and others. In 2018, he decided to place his energy back into leading Liberty. He was a two-time All-American tennis player at California State University, Northridge.

Valley 200 – 2024: Lee Kleinman

Senior Vice President, Business Finance Capital

Kleinman serves as senior vice president of Business Finance Capital CDC in Sherman Oaks. BFC facilitates the second mortgage portion of the SBA 504 lending program to assist business owners in refinancing or acquiring commercial real estate. Kleinman is responsible for sourcing new lending opportunities and works to ensure that his clients’ lending needs are met. Prior to joining BFC, Kleinman worked at Wells Fargo for more than 30 years, serving in various roles, including most recently as senior vice president and senior commercial lender. Kleinman has been involved in hundreds of transactions totaling more than $1 billion in loan production volume. Kleinman is an L.A. native and routinely provides SBA 504 training to his industry partners.

Valley 200 – 2024: Mitzi Like

Chief Executive, Managing Partner, LBW Insurance

Like is managing partner and chief executive of LBW Insurance and Financial Services in Valencia. The firm, which has roots that date back to 1922, is an independent insurance agency that offers both personal and business insurance. In her role as chief executive, Like sets growth strategies for the firm, runs its daily operations and works on its book of business. Like, a resident of the Santa Clarita Valley since 1980, has more than 40 years of experience in the insurance industry and is licensed in all 50 states. She got her start at St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Co.’s claims department in 1977. She then founded Like Financial in 1978 with her dad. The company later merged with another firm to create LBW Insurance and Financial Services. LBW is an independent insurance agency offering insurance for both businesses and individuals as well as group benefits, qualified plans and financial planning services. The company, which does everything from auto insurance to worker’s compensation, is based in Valencia.

“We’ve been an independent, family-owned agency for 100 years and have no plans for that to change, ” Like previously told the Business Journal. She added that the company was, however, “paying close attention to developments in areas like cannabis, supply-chain disruption, AI and the metaverse. We have to stay on top of changing legislation and emerging risks. That’s how we’ll continue to be the best trusted advisors to our clients – and that’s how we generate growth.” Outside of work, Like is on the board of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corp. and Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital’s Foundation. She was appointed to the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital board last year. This year she was nominated for Santa Clarita’s Woman of the Year award by both the hospital and College of the Canyons.