Bill Ukropina [photo credit: Bill Ukropina Facebook]
Ukropina, of Coldwell Banker Commercial, will be installed as board chair of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association for the 2026-27 term at the organization’s annual Inaugural Gala, taking the lead of a 138-year-old institution that represents more than 1,150 member businesses. He inherits the role a year and a half after the Eaton Fire reshaped the region next door — a fire that, according to figures cited in the Chamber’s Pasadena Perspectives magazine, destroyed 9,418 structures and burned 14,021 acres, with the heaviest damage in neighboring Altadena.
In the fire’s aftermath, the Chamber extended free memberships to businesses in Altadena’s hardest-hit 91001 ZIP code, an initiative announced at the 2025 gala. Ukropina, who said Pasadena itself lost a little more than 200 structures, cast the move as a statement of identity.
“The fire had a devastating short-term effect on all the residents of Pasadena,” he said in an interview. He added of the membership offer: “It shows that we’re a community that cares about each other.”
He brings a broker’s optimism to the post. Demand to lease and buy commercial property in Pasadena, he said, is “brisk.”
“We’ve seen a tremendous rebirth,” he said, citing housing starts and construction jobs. “There are many companies that want to be in Pasadena,” he added, naming Caltech, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Rose Bowl and the Rose Parade among the city’s draws.
Ukropina currently serves as Chamber treasurer for the 2025-2026 term and joined the board in 2023. His civic record reaches beyond real estate: he has served on the City of Pasadena Parks and Recreation Commission, twice served as president of the Pasadena American Little League, coached youth soccer for 11 years, and sat on the board of the Cancer Support Community. “You meet the greatest people on volunteer boards,” he said, “because these people are working, they’re raising families, and they’re taking the time to make the community better.”
The gala will also honor outgoing chair Frank Girardot of BYD|RIDE, who announced the fire-membership initiative a year ago. The program will include the installation of new officers and board members, the Chamber’s Corporate Citizen of the Year awards, and Bill Bogaard Scholarships — named for the former Pasadena mayor — for emancipated foster youth.
Need to Know: The Inaugural Gala takes place Friday, June 26, 2026, at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena, in the Viennese Ballroom, 1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue. A hosted cocktail reception and silent auction begin at 6:00 p.m., with dinner and the program following at 7:30 p.m. Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are the presenting sponsor. Complimentary valet parking will be provided. Registration is available online or by contacting Paul Little at 626-795-3355 or paul@pasadena-chamber.org.
