Jennifer Barrera

Jennifer Barrera is president and chief executive officer of the CalChamber. She took over the leadership position in October 2021 after serving as the executive vice president of policy for four years, in which role she oversaw the development and implementation of policy and strategy. Prior to that, she led CalChamber advocacy on labor and employment and taxation from 2010 through 2017. Before joining CalChamber, she worked at a statewide law firm, now Carothers, DiSante & Freudenberger, LLP, that specializes in labor/employment defense. She represented employers in both state and federal court on issues including wage and hour disputes, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, and wrongful termination. She also advised small and large businesses on compliance issues, presented seminars on various employment-related topics, and regularly authored articles in human resources publications. She earned a BA in English from California State University, Bakersfield, and a JD with high honors from California Western School of Law.