The Valley Industry Association inaugurated new leadership Friday, giving chair Selina Thomas an emotional goodbye before swearing in the business network’s new board of directors.
The 2026 board installation luncheon featured speeches from Thomas and incoming chair Mark Shramek, as well as an induction ceremony, emceed by Santa Clarita Councilman Jason Gibbs, that brought a roster of local business owners onto this year’s board.
Thomas was presented with a gavel-embossed plaque to commemorate her two-year tenure as chair, as well as certificates of appreciation from several local leaders – including the Santa Clarita City Council and Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth.
Thomas thanked the board, as well as the wider Santa Clarita business community, for allowing VIA to “think really big” for the past two years.
“I couldn’t have done it without everyone in this room. I had a great executive board. I had so much support in our community,” Thomas said. “We had a chance to really kind of champion what business is like here and beyond, and that we can think really big, even though we’re smaller than most.”
As the immediate past chair, Thomas said she’ll maintain involvement in VIA to help Shramek adjust during his first year.
“It’s kind of like the benchmark now for this role, once you get into year one, you’re really just getting started,” Thomas said.
Shramek, a business consultant with Venture H.R., said he was clued into VIA by Thomas herself, and has been active at VIA events for the past couple of years.
“I’m a huge fan of the advocacy work that we do. I’m a huge fan of Connecting to Success. I really believe in helping students and kids enter the business world,” Shramek said. “This organization just really resonated with me from the get-go. And so I joined some committees, I was active in all of our events, and I’ve just grown to love it more and more.”
When it comes to his vision for VIA in 2026, Shramek told attendees that he wanted the organization to be known as more than just a networking opportunity or legislative advocate.
Specifically, he saw potential in transforming one of VIA’s key programs, Cocktails and Conversations, into an opportunity to make significant business decisions.
“Deals aren’t just discussed, they are closed and expanded on in these revenue-generating opportunities for our members,” Shramek said. “We want to facilitate the kind of connections that lead to direct contracts, new vendors and expanded market share for every member in this room. If you are doing business in the Santa Clarita Valley, the most profitable seat should be at the VIA table.”
