The Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce has hired Central Coast wine and hospitality veteran Sunni Mullinax as its new president and CEO, effective immediately.

Mullinax was most recently the director of retail and marketing for Paso Robles winery Adelaida Cellars for more than two years.

Before that, she spent two years as the Paso Robles chamber’s vice president of operations, after joining the group as its event coordinator. She has also worked as a consultant to wineries and retail stores and in event coordination at Zaca Mesa Vineyards and Winery in Los Olivos, The Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach, Justin Vineyards and Winery in Paso Robles and Meridian Vineyards, now called Cellar360, in Paso Robles. She has served as a member of the board of the chamber and as chair-elect.

The chamber said it launched a six-month nationwide search and vetted more than 50 candidates to fill the position, which was vacated by the retirement of Mike Gibson in July 2013.

Zoe Taylor, an experienced chamber of commerce executive who has worked in such positions up and down the coast, has been acting as interim CEO for the past year.

“When searching for a new CEO, the board focused on finding the right candidate who embodied aspects of a leader and a visionary but who also understood the unique needs of our area,” board chair Daniele Fresca said in a statement. “We are extremely lucky to have found the perfect successor to strengthen and carry forward all that the chamber has to offer.”

In her new role, Mullinax will focus on carrying out the chamber’s recently adopted business plan, the group said in a statement.

The Paso Robles group is the fifth-largest chamber of commerce in the Tri-Counties, with about 1,000 members.