Staff
MEET THE TEAM
Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce is serving member companies and affiliate members with upwards of 200,000 employees throughout the East Bay. The focus of the Chamber staff is building a strong economy, representing business to government and enhancing the quality of life in the Oakland region
Barbara Leslie
510.874.4800
President/CEO
In 2014 Ms. Leslie became the first woman President and CEO of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce in its 112-year history. She has represented the Chamber on a variety of civic boards including the Oakland Thrives Initiative, Oakland Safety Impact Table, Oakland Promise Advisory Board, Oakland Small Business Task Force, and the Oakland Dialogue. Ms. Leslie has served as a political appointee to the Measure X Strong Mayor Task Force, Chair of the Oakland Workforce Investment Board, Board Member for the Oakland African American Chamber Foundation, the Youth Employment Partnership as well as the Hayward, Walnut Creek, Oakland and Berkeley Chambers of Commerce.
Ms. Leslie has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, including former service as an Assistant to the City Manager during the Brown Administration and more than a decade directing External Affairs and philanthropy for AT&T in the East Bay. Ms. Leslie has also held key public policy positions with the Oakland Association of Realtors, the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and the Port of Oakland.
Barbara Leslie joined the Port of Oakland Board of Port Commissioners in December 2018. She was elected President of the Board in July of 2022 and was reelected in July of 2023.
Ms. Leslie holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Economics and a Master’s in Public Administration. She has been a resident of Oakland for the past 25 years, where she and her husband have raised two children.
Holly Baumbach
510.874.4800
Chief Administrative Officer
Holly has over 10 years of experience in online and print media. After spending many of those years with The Chicago Tribune, Holly joined the Chamber team in the Spring of 2022. During the pandemic, her role as a journalist became critical in providing services to help small businesses in Chicago convey current information to the public. This passion for small business aided in accepting her role with the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Holly manages the Chamber’s digital strategy, including social media and website management. She collaborates with Chamber members, advertisers, local media and community stakeholders to communicate stories about the Oakland Business community.
Robin Hayes
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Membership and Event Operations Director
Robin previously worked as a supply chain professional with more than twenty years of application engineering experience in the industrial automation industry. She provided creative material handling solutions from design engineering through project management and installation. Her projects implemented technologies including carton and tote conveyor systems, pallet handling, high speed sortation, automated storage and retrieval (ASRS), pick to light, pick to voice, pick modules, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), robotic systems, safety and ergonomic equipment, order routing, WCS, WMS, and custom automation. She worked extensively in the food and beverage, automotive, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and warehouse distribution industries.
Robin graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. While serving in the Air Force, Robin worked at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center as a Propulsion Systems Engineer and an Executive Officer for a senior military official.
Oliver Gutierrez
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Small Business and Workforce Manager
Oliver grew up in the East Bay, raised by a single mother who immigrated from Nicaragua in her teens. He saw firsthand the challenges people of color face in accessing resources, education, and support, and knew he wanted to make a difference.
He started his career in the grocery industry, working his way up to store manager. During that time, he realized and gained the confidence to begin his next chapter. He began volunteering in Mayor Libby Schaaf’s office which led to an internship. After a few years working at a Silicon Valley startup, he returned to Oakland and began working for Mayor Schaaf full-time. This experience led him to become the Director of Public Affairs for Argent Materials, Inc. where he eventually participated in the 2024/2025 cohort of Leadership Oakland. Several months after graduation he joined the staff at the Oakland Metro Chamber as the Small Business and Workforce Manager.
In his free time, he enjoys hiking, MMA, spending time with friends and family, and watching movies. He’s passionate about making a difference and helping others achieve their dreams.
Josephine Guzman
Public Policy Manager
Josephine Guzman is a first-generation Latina, proud daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, and a native of Deep East Oakland. Her career has been rooted in equity, civic engagement, and uplifting historically underserved communities, such as the one in which she grew up. Josephine began her public service career as a District Representative for Oakland Councilmember Treva Reid (District 7), where she supported initiatives focused on education and youth advocacy, housing, and economic development. She later served as District Director for Council President Pro Tempore Noel Gallo (District 5), where she deepened her work in
community engagement, neighborhood improvement, and small business development in one of Oakland’s most diverse districts.
Prior to her roles in City Hall, Josephine championed youth advocacy, food equity, digital justice, and postsecondary access through partnerships with key organizations, including the League of Women Voters Oakland, HOPE Collaborative, the East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC), and the Oakland Youth Commission. She played a vital role in advancing
transformative initiatives, including Oakland Youth Vote, and expanding digital equity for East Oakland families.
Currently, Josephine serves as the Public Policy Manager at the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, where she leads advocacy efforts focused on economic development and responsive government. In this role, she works to bridge the public and private sectors to strengthen Oakland’s business landscape and promote inclusive, community-driven policies.
Josephine is a proud Mills College alumna and is currently pursuing her Master of Public Policy (MPP) with an emphasis on nonprofit management, philanthropy, and social change, deepening her commitment to equity and her ability to shape sustainable, people-centered systems at the intersection of policy, government, and community.