The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will welcome members to the W Hotel on April 16 for its annual Installation Gala and Awards Dinner. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is honoring members of its board for making outstanding contributions in the community during the 2025 Board Installation Gala and Awards Dinner on April 16 at the W Hotel Hollywood.

Richard Pink, owner of Pink’s Hot Dogs; Yuko Kaifu, president of Japan House Los Angeles; and Kathleen Rawson, president and CEO of the Hollywood Partnership will receive awards, and the chamber’s chief events officer Kaylee Kiecker will be recognized for 20 years of service. It marks the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s 104th Board Installation ceremony.

Pink will receive the Community Champion Award, which celebrates a member of the business community who goes above and beyond to make a positive impact. Pink’s Hot Dogs was started in 1939 by Paul and Betty Pink, who sold hot dogs from a pushcart near La Brea and Melrose avenues. It later expanded into the permanent stand on La Brea Avenue, now operated by Richard Pink, his wife Gloria and sister Beverly Pink-Wolfe.

The Pink family regularly holds promotions such as Chili Dogs for Charity that support community-serving organizations. After the wildfires in January, Pink’s offered a special hot dog with proceeds benefiting the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.

“It’s a tremendous honor and special moment in the history of Pink’s,” he said. “It’s especially meaningful because it honors our family’s legacy. It shows a humble hot dog stand can make a difference.”

Kaifu will receive the Catalyst Connector Award, a distinguished honor granted to an individual who exemplifies the power of connection and collaboration in the Hollywood community. The Catalyst Connector Award celebrates their visionary leadership and transformative influence in fostering partnerships that drive change in Hollywood.

Kaifu joined Japan House Los Angeles, a public diplomacy initiative launched by the Japanese government, in January 2016. Japan House Los Angeles is located on the second and fifth floors of Ovation Hollywood, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., offering exhibitions, cultural initiatives and public programming connecting Los Angeles and Japan. Kiecker said Kaifu has been instrumental in connecting people with local causes and helped secure donations for relief efforts following the wildfires in January.

Rawson, who will receive the Outgoing Chairman’s Award, joined the Hollywood Partnership in 2022, leading efforts to improve the Hollywood Entertainment District. The Hollywood Partnership manages the property-based business improvement district, using funds from property owners to provide services that increase cleanliness, safety and economic vitality.

“I am deeply honored to be recognized by [former board chair] Sarah Zurell with the Outgoing Chair’s Award from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce,” Rawson said. “It has been a true privilege to work alongside Sarah and the chamber board over the past year. I’m grateful for our shared effort to strengthen and celebrate Hollywood – every collaboration and conversation has brought us closer to that vision. I look forward to continuing this important work together.”

Kiecker said the chamber will also welcome its new board on April 16, led by 2025-26 board chair Jerry Neuman, partner at law firm DLP Piper. The installation and awards ceremony is invitation-only. For information on the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, visit hollywoodchamber.net.