Rising Stars: Meet Lacy Schoen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lacy Schoen.

Hi Lacy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I went to school to be a Kindergarten school teacher. My father passed away before my education was finished so I had to get a second job to help pay for the remainder of my schooling. I got a temporary job at a nonprofit and quickly realized that nonprofit work was the job for me. Within seven years, I was the Executive Vice President of that organization, which was the California Glass Association, a trade association for architectural and automotive glass manufacturers, distributors, installers, and all the related fields. In that job, I earned the reputation for being able to grow membership, even during an economic downturn. From there, I went to the California/Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association, serving the drinking water industry. In this role, I built the first western-region vocational training center for drinking water professionals with college credit attached to each course. From there, I went to the National Forest Association (previously the San Bernardino National Forest Association) and developed my fundraising skills, bringing large corporations into the organization to fund environmental education programs, elementary school programs, interpretive programs, and facilities management of visitor centers and recreation facilities. In this role, I managed over 2,000 volunteers in four different programs. I also developed training for other US Forests to learn how to expand their capacity via working with a partner nonprofit and building funding bases through corporate sponsorships. After that job, I went to the League of California Cities and became the Executive Director of the Orange County Chapter of the League of Cities. In that role, I lead local public policy efforts to maintain local control and partner with business, higher education, and nonprofit communities to build better communities in partnership with local elected officials.

From that role, I strung the opportunity to found and launch a new nonprofit strictly focused on collaborative public policy. I founded the Association of California Cities, Orange County, and the organization enjoyed great success crafting workable and pragmatic policies that had the broadest possible positive impact, crafted by coalitions of various stakeholders. In 2016, I left ACC-OC to pursue coaching and to become an advisor and eventually a consultant for the California State University Fullerton, College of Business and Economics Women’s Leadership Program. Through my role, I was able to influence a shift in the program to focus on helping women overcome barriers they are likely to face to their career advancement. After six years of involvement, the program was studied and proven to actually help graduating female students advance more quickly than their peers. In 2022, I left my consulting position with CSUF and accepted a position as the President and CEO of the Brea Chamber of Commerce, where, among many other programs, I was able to launch a version of the CSUF Women’s Leadership Program for working women, called the Women Rising Leadership Academy. Through this role, I’m able to utilize my content creation and fundraising skills to help the advancement of women within the business community. As well, I am working at the Brea Chamber to increase financial resources and programming to help the Board of Directors meet and exceed their goal of increased relevance locally and regionally.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Over the course of my nearly 40-year career, there have been many challenges, not the least of which was not having very good mentors until very recently in my career – over the last 15 years. But the most significant challenge was also a course of events that allowed me to demonstrate to myself that I can overcome any obstacle. That challenge was the founding and launching of the Association of California Cities, Orange County. To make a long story short, political forces from up and down the state of California were against the founding of a new, collaborative public policy organization in Orange County. I tell the detailed story of the events that unfolded in 2010/2011 in my book, Advancing Through Influence, Using Your Five Innate Female Strengths to Break Through Power Barriers and Advance Your Career, which is available on Amazon. For me, the biggest tool I had in my toolbox to overcome the various iterations of attacks and setbacks to found ACC-OC, was my ability to build relationships, read and understand people, and work with them creatively to create mutual value. That is how I sold so many elected officials and city administrators on the idea of founding the organization. I got creative and put my head down to focus on the work, knowing that failure was not an option. I overcame the opposition to found the organization in just six weeks. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I’d do it all over again because it proved to me there is no adversity that I cannot overcome.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m known for growing things…growing programs and value within member organizations and nonprofits. From my very first nonprofit job, I began to build my reputation as someone that can increase membership and funds during the hardest of economic times. I’m known for building connections and drawing people toward a cause. I can sell and I can close, but the most important part of all of that is that I never sell or attempt to close on anything that I don’t firmly believe in. I believe that people that know me well trust me. I take great pride in that. I commit myself to people, and in return, I’ve found they will commit themselves to my initiatives, regardless of the organization I’m working for.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m a huge fan of Brendon Burchard and Tony Robbins, both top gurus in the personal development, and personal improvement space. I’m a Shark Tank addict because I always want to be on my business game, and I learn from every episode something new about being creative, running a business successfully, and making good business decisions. I belong to an executive women’s group that shares resources and conducts workshops for each other to help us all continue to elevate our game. I am an avid Audible listener on my one-hour commute to and from work each day. Some of the books I’ve listened to over the last year are Beyond Leaning In, The Power of Perception: Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and the Gender Divide, Burnout, Who Are You When You Are Big, Hardball for Women, Athena Rising, Who (an awesome book on hiring only A-Players), Atomic Habits, and 8 Habits of Love. My husband is a great coach for workplace and teamwork issues, and I lean on him a lot for advice and counsel to bring my best leadership to my work. I have a spiritual practice and a spiritual coach to help guide and center me to live and act on my highest values.

Contact Info:

• Website: breachamber.com
• Instagram: brea_chamber
• Facebook: Brea Chamber of Commerce
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lacyschoen/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE_Hj2tAzEzpHBvNaDibSAA
• Other: https://womenrisingleadershipacademy.com and https://www.amazon.com/Advancing-Through-Influence-Strengths-Barriers/dp/1735657948/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1P1HFI8NFAXB6&keywords=advancing+through+influence+lacy+schoen&qid=1698709364&sprefix=%2Caps%2C398&sr=8-1

Image Credits
Some of these photos were taken by Frank Salas.