The new President for California Jewelers Association (CJA) is being elected. The association has elected Teresa Saldivar, of Teresa's Jewelers in Santa Ana, as president for 2009.
 
She succeeds Lexi Kern Hirst, of Churchill Jewelers in Santa Barbara.
Stuart Benjamin, of Stuart Benjamin and Co. Jewelry Designs, San Diego as president-elect; James Orloff, of Orloff Jewelers, Fresno as first vice president; David Hayman, of David Hayman Jewellers, Yorba Linda as second vice president; and Allen Kessler, of Kessler Jewelers, Burbank, treasurer are among the other officers selected.

Rossana Aguilar, CJA Executive Director and CEO said, “We are pleased to announce that Teresa Saldivar of Teresa's Jewelers in Santa Ana has been elected as President of the California Jewelers Association in 2009. She is the first Latina to serve in this capacity and only the fourth woman in the CJA's 76-year history to serve as president of this prestigious association."  Rossana stated this in a media release.
"Our goal this year will be to provide even more cost-saving member benefits to our membership in order to help them run their businesses more efficiently,". Teresa Saldivar said to the media.
 
Saldivar comes from a good jewelry experience. She was a two-term president of the Downtown Santa Ana Business Association and is an active leader in numerous civic and philanthropic organizations in Orange County. She joined the CJA's board of directors in 1997 and was elected as an officer of the CJA in 2006. She also heads one of the leading jewelry stores in Santa Ana.
 
The CJA is a 1200 member association which is affiliated to Jewelers of America (JA), the national trade association for retail jewelers. The CJA and JA cater high ethical standards, promote professional business and leadership skills, and offers education, certification, marketing and cost-saving programs to the members so that they can increase their standards and profits.