The Altadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association will be honored Friday as the 2026 Business Nonprofit of the Year for Los Angeles County’s 5th Supervisorial District, a recognition from the county’s largest business federation following the chamber’s expanded role in Eaton Fire recovery efforts that have drawn on partnerships with Pasadena city agencies, the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, and local professionals.
The award, part of the annual Bizzi Awards presented by the Los Angeles County Business Federation, known as BizFed, honors one business, one nonprofit, and one elected or appointed official in each of the county’s five supervisorial districts. The Altadena Chamber was selected in the 5th District nonprofit category, according to a newsletter distributed by the chamber. BizFed had not posted the full list of 2026 honorees on its website as of Monday.
The 5th Annual Bizzi Awards ceremony is scheduled for Friday, April 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chevy Chase Country Club, 3067 E. Chevy Chase Dr., in Glendale. Altadena, an unincorporated community directly north of Pasadena, falls within the 5th Supervisorial District, represented by Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
The recognition comes roughly 15 months after the Eaton Fire swept through Altadena on Jan. 7, 2025, destroying more than 9,000 structures and killing at least 19 people. The fire burned through 14,000 acres and forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 residents, according to published accounts. Commercial areas along Lake Avenue, one of Altadena’s main business corridors, were among the hardest hit.
In April 2025, the chamber launched “Back in Business,” a volunteer-driven program designed to help displaced Altadena businesses navigate recovery, find temporary commercial space, and access pro bono legal, real estate, and architectural assistance. The initiative was led by Pasadena Planning Commissioner Julianna Delgado with the backing of Pasadena Councilmember Rick Cole, according to the chamber’s website. The program partnered with the City of Pasadena’s Department of Economic Development, the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, and the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity, the chamber’s website states.
“Businesses are an essential part of a community,” Delgado said in a statement posted on the chamber’s website when the program launched. “Their return — through compassion, commitment, and cooperation — is at the very core of successful rebuilding.”
The Pasadena connection extends beyond program partnerships. The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association serves as the Altadena Chamber’s fiscal sponsor for wildfire-related donations, according to the Altadena Chamber’s website. The chamber also awards annual scholarships to seniors in the Pasadena Unified School District, the organization states.
BizFed, founded in 2008, describes itself as an alliance of more than 240 business organizations representing 420,000 employers and 5 million employees across Southern California, according to its website. The organization designed the Bizzi Awards to recognize companies, nonprofits, and public officials who advance policies and initiatives supporting job creation and regional economic vitality, according to its event page.
Founding CEO Tracy Hernandez, a former publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News who led BizFed for 17 years, departed the organization on March 31, 2026, to focus on the New California Coalition, a statewide business group she co-founded, according to a BizFed press release issued in October 2025. The organization had not announced a successor as of the date of the press release.
The chamber is led by President Judy Matthews, who was named the 2025 Woman of the Year for California Senate District 25 by Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena). During a March 2025 ceremony on the State Senate floor, Pérez said Matthews “has been a tremendous leader in the community working to help the Altadena residents and particularly its small business community get back on their feet,” according to a statement on the senator’s official website.
Matthews is a founding member of the National Congress of Black Women’s Los Angeles Chapter and served three terms on the Altadena Town Council, where she led the community’s first homeless count and worked on food insecurity issues affecting community college students, according to the senator’s office.
Incorporated in 1924, the Altadena Chamber operates as a nonprofit organization serving the community’s business interests. It holds open board meetings on the first Tuesday of each month.
BizFed launched the Bizzi Awards in 2022. Previous ceremonies were held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This year’s event moves to the Chevy Chase Country Club, a Glendale landmark founded in 1925, according to the club’s website.
The ceremony is open to ticketed attendees. Ticket and sponsorship information is available through BizFed’s website at bizfedlacounty.org or through the event page on Eventbrite.
2026 BUSINESS MAKES LA COUNTY WORK AWARDS “THE BIZZIS” Date & Time: Friday, April 17, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Venue: Chevy Chase Country Club, 3067 E. Chevy Chase Dr., Glendale, CA 91206 | Phone Number: 323-889-4348 | Website: https://bizfedlacounty.org/events/2026-bizfed-bizzi-awards/
