MILLENNIUM MOMENT

Ed Fawcett has acted as president and CEO of the Costa Mesa Chamber of

Commerce since 1992. During his tenure, the organization has evolved from

a somewhat unfocused entity with large debts to a leaner and greener

chamber.

Its outreach programs -- like the Partnering Education And Community

Program that helps at-risk students and the efforts to distribute

Thanksgiving food boxes to low-income families -- keep the organization’s

best foot pointed forward in the community.

Fawcett is a member of many local boards, including that of the OCC

Foundation. An Orange County native, he grew up in Santa Ana and spent

more than 20 years in the hotel industry in Costa Mesa before taking his

job at the chamber.

“I’ve never seen a good reason to leave,” he said.

* MILLENNIUM MOMENT celebrates the people who have made a major

contribution to the Newport-Mesa community during this century.