Santa Maria Valley Chamber Welcomes New Strategic Initiatives Manager Yuliana Nelson

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is excited to welcome Yuliana Nelson as their new Strategic Initiatives Manager. As the Strategic Initiatives Manager for the Santa Maria Valley Chamber, Yuliana plays a key role in managing projects and implementing programs designed to support the growth and health of the local business environment. Yuliana also provides planning and implementation leadership for a wide range of events, partnership programs, and business engagement activities. Here’s a little more about Yuliana:

Tell us a bit about your background:

My family and I moved to the Central Coast in 2017, we sold our home in Bakersfield and purchase in Guadalupe. My husband of 11 years Craig Nelson works in SLO as a Correction Officer for the State Of California. I have 2 Boys ages 6 & 13 they both attend Catholic school in Orcutt. I have 7 brothers and sisters.

I started my career in banking in 2007 with most of my years at Chase bank. I’m also a part time Loan Partner for My sisterin-law, and I have a passion for helping people in any way possible.

What made you interested in the job at the Chamber?

The reputation of local Chambers is what really made me interested in the job. I enjoy working for organizations that help the community, and the Santa Maria Valley Chamber seemed like it could be a great fit.

What are you most excited about in this position, and what do you hope to accomplish?

I’m excited to make a difference in the community. I hope to one day say “I was a part of that.”, and “because of my involvement we accomplished this.”. I want to make a difference in people’s lives, and it’s exciting to have a job opportunity where I can do that locally.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love working around the house (cleaning, organizing, gardening). I also enjoy weight lifting – I consider it ”my me-time”. I also really enjoy the outdoors, and hiking is a common weekly activity with my family. My husband and I love to visit breweries in the area, and I enjoy watching baseball and visiting my family in Bakersfield.

What is your favorite thing about Santa Maria?

I enjoy all the different cultures and variety of foods available to us here in Santa Maria, and am excited to learn about and explore even more of what the community has to offer.

Any additional thoughts you would like to add?

I see so much potential in the city of Santa Maria and I want to be part of that growth and change. I’m excited to be a part of the team at the Santa Maria Valley Chamber, and look forward to what we’ll accomplish!

Yuliana Nelson can be reached at yuliana@santamaria.com, or by calling (805) 925-2403 x 814