Read without ads and support Scribd by becoming a Scribd Premium Reader.
See Premium Plans
 
• REPRESENTING BUSINESSTO GOVERNMENT• PROMOTING THE COMMUNITY
The Napa Chamber Foundation inpartnership with Mechanics Bank hostedthe 2011 Napa Valley Community Awardswith a luncheon at the Napa ValleyMarriott on Tuesday, May 24. For the pastve years, the Napa Chamber Foundationand Mechanics Bank have recognizedlocal community leaders, individuals andbusinesses or their outstanding leadership,contributions and/or achievements towardthe betterment o the communities o NapaValley with this annual award ceremony.Nominations rom the public are reviewedand selected by a panel o volunteersrom the Napa Chamber Foundation andThe Mechanics Bank. On Tuesday 230people turned out to applaud this year’scommunity heroes.Mindul o everyone’s busy schedule,the proceedings were orchestrated ormaximum eciency while allowingthoughtul time or award winners toacknowledge their honors. Awards werepresented in eight categories; nonprotemployee, public saety ocer, communitybooster, hospitality tourism proessional,healthcare proessional, teacher, student andnonprot organization o the year. All but thenonprot organization were announced priorto the event giving time or riends and amilyo the honorees to attend.Nonprot employee o the year, KristinaYoung, Executive Director o Arts CouncilNapa Valley, was introduced by ACNV Boardvice-president, Olivia Everett. Ms. Everettpraised Young or her boundless energy andcritical role in bringing art to the ore indowntown Napa and or breathing lie intosuch projects as Art on First, Napa ARTwalk,approval o a Public Art Ordinance or theCity o Napa; as well as last year’s inauguralNapa Valley ARTS 2010 celebration. “I amboth humbled and proud to be recognized, butthis really belongs to my whole team,” said
COMMERCE
June 2011 • VOL. 22 NO. 6 YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR BUSINESS.
NAPA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • CONNECTING COMMERCE TO COMMUNITY 
1556 First Street | Napa CA 94559 | 707.226.7455 | napachamber.com
2011
PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE 
PREMIERSPONSORSDIAMOND LEVEL SPONSORS
 Exertec Health & Fitness Napa Recycling & Waste Services
 Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Bank of Marin Republic Services
Travis Credit UnionGolden State Warriors Mark Coleman, State Farm
 Napa Planner Financial Group
 Markstein Beverage Company Redwood Credit UnionComcast Napa Valley Marketplace MagazineSilverado Resort and Spa
 Net-Flow Corporation Accelerated Marketing Group Infuence Internet
The Valley’s Daily News Source
EIGHT OUTSTANDING HEROES WORKTO UNITE OUR COMMUNITY
See
 
HEROES
on page 2…
• MIXER at Alkar Human Resources• Member Spotlight: Vista Broadband Networks, Inc.• Tony Rubleski Talks About Chamber Memberships• NCC Wins NBB BEST OF• Welcome New Members• NCC Partners with Qponomics
INSIDE
CalChamber ReleasesAnnual Job Killer List
See
 
JOB KILLER
on page 4…
Executive Director Cynthia Dempsey accepts theaward for 
Outstanding Nonproft Organization o 
the Year 
on behalf of CyberMill Technology Center.
The CaliorniaChamber o Commercerecently released itsannual list o proposedlegislation that threatensto hurt Caliornia’s jobclimate and hamper economic recovery.“The rst step in an economicrecovery program is to do no more harmto the economy,” said Allan Zaremberg,President and CEO o the CaliorniaChamber o Commerce. “Proponentso anti-business legislation who think Caliornia’s economy can withstandadditional pressure rom new regulatoryand legislative burdens are simply
 
June 2011 | COMMERCE | Page 2 | napachamber.com
HEROES
continued from page 1...
Lorena Hernandez, Regional Director of Community Investments for Comcastpresents Karla E Gomez with $1,000.Mechanics Bank Vice Chairman Michael Downer and NapaChamber Foundation Chair Randy Martinsen applaud the pastOutstanding Nonprot award winners.D.D. Felton, Chairman of the Board, MechanicsBank kicks off the event with opening remarks.Past Nonprot award winners were asked to come tothe stage for a surprise award and donation of $500 totheir organizations. Pictured L-R: Jennie Thayer, NEWS;Kathleen Dreessen, NV Community Housing; AdeleCotter, Napa Valley Hospice & Adult Day Services andJoelle Gallagher, Cope Family Center.
Young.Police Chie Richard Melton introducedthe public saety ocer o the year, OcerOmar Salem. Praised or his work withat-risk youth, Ocer Salem had created his“Hoops to Stop Youth Violence” event inhis rst year on the orce. Now a veterano more than three years, this New TechHigh grad has continued to show leadershipin the eld o youth work. Chie Meltonsaid, “He just hit the ground running. He’scommitted to working with the youth in ourcommunity; it just permeates who he is.”NapaLearns Board member, DorothySalmon, introduced Vineyard 29 proprietor,Chuck McMinn, as Booster o the Year.“Nothing short o a miracle worker” ishow Mrs. Salmon describes the McMinneect. Whether with his championing o theNapa Valley Vine Trail bike path, his work with NapaLearns bringing state-o-the-uture education to Napa, or undraising$34 million or St. Helena Hospital’sCoon Joint Institute, Mr. McMinn has haddeep, swit and meaningul impact on hisadoptive home o NapaValley. Mr. McMinnwas unable to attendbut had recorded avideo acknowledgmentor his award.Charles Henning,managing director o CIA in St. Helena,introduced ClayGregory, presidentand CEO o the NapaValley DestinationCouncil, as HospitalityTourism Proessionalo the year. Mr.Gregory was pleasedto report that Napa’sreputation in the tourism industry isgrowing by leaps and bounds as evidencedat the recent “PowWow” travel conerence.He thanked the ve valley communities orcoming together to support the concept o an umbrella industry organization and was“humbled to be in the company o all theother honorees.”The next award went to Adele Cottero Napa Valley Hospice. Previouslymanager o the Queen o the Valley BreastCare Center, Ms. Cotter is known or herextraordinary sense o caring and truecalling to the proession o nursing. Shehas navigated so many patients throughthe hardest o times; our community is thericher or having her. As i nursing in Napawas not enough, she hasalso returned requentlyto New Orleans toassist with post-Katrinarebuilding eorts. Shereceived the rst standingovation o the day as sheproceeded to thelectern and waseted with fowersrom radiologist,Dr. Andrew Nicks.Napa CountySuperintendento Schools, Dr.Barbara Nemkotook great pleasurein presentingthe OutstandingTeacher o the year, JennierCastelazo as someone who notonly teaches Chemistry, but haschemistry. The Vintage HighSchool teacher has brought hersubject up rom the lowest to thehighest pass rate in her school. Shehas introduced many teaching creativeinitiatives and when the unding was notthere she applied and won grants to bringChemistry to lie or the over 150 studentsa day that she teaches.True to the orm o agited teacher, Castelazosays, “The true rewardis when a student makesthe connection that hardwork brings success.”Dr. Edna Baehre-Kolovani, Napa ValleyCollege president,introduced the Student o the Year, Karla Gomez.Gomez has a remarkablesuccess story rising uprom a scarce 1.7 GPAon entering High Schoolto graduating with a4.1. From there she wasunstoppable and is now set to graduaterom NVC with a 4.0 GPA and a list o extracurricular activities and communityinvolvements that set her apart rom hercontemporaries. She has become a leaderin the Hispanic community and is a youthcoach with the LAYLA organization.Gomez brought the house to tears asshe thanked her mother or her strengthand support through it all. ComcastDirector o Community Investmentspresented Gomez with an award check or$1,000 in recognition o her outstandingcontributions.Interspersed throughout the awardpresentations emcee Barry Martinintroduced each nominated nonprotorganization, building excitement towardsthe nal surprise award o the day.Mechanics Bank Vice Chairman, MichaelDowner, announced an unprecedentedcelebration o the ve year history o theCommunity Awards by presenting each
See
 
HEROES
on page 4…
 
 Lisa Batto
 ,
 ACE 
President/CEO, Napa Chamber of Commerce
C
hairman
 
 and
CEO F
OCus
 Ryan Gregory
 ,Vice President, Riechers Spenceand Associates2011 Napa Chamber of CommerceChairman of the Board 
In a world loaded with marketing optionsand inormation overload I’m oten askedby new and existing business owners or asimple, inexpensive way to increase their localvisibility and marketing eorts to producemore opportunities and sales. Without a doubt,I always ask a stunningly simple question,Are you a member o your local chamber o commerce? I get one o three answers:
1. Yes2. No, but tell me more3. We used to be a member
Now I know every person has opinionsbut I’d like you to take a moment to read thisbrie article to discover seven reasons whyI strongly eel that every business and non-prot organization should be a member o their local chamber regardless o the size o their organization, marketing budget, years inbusiness, or even i they’ve heard or possiblyhad a negative chamber experience in thepast. In light o the current challenges in theeconomy, this article is even more relevant thanwhen I rst wrote it two-years ago.
1. Visibility.
Yes, you’ve heard it said time andtime again, that out o sight means out o mind.This is not a smart strategy or any business,especially when times are good. A market canchange quickly. As Jim Collins says, good isthe enemy o great. This is a great statement,but I’d like to add to it as it relates to marketing.While good is the enemy o great, complacencyand short term thinking is the enemy o sustained marketing breakthroughs.Let’s look at a real world example o chamber complacency in action. Havingworked with hundreds o chambers throughoutNorth America, I’m simply bafed that withinmany communities how ew real estate agentsand automotive sales reps are either non-existent or barely active within their localchamber. In these two highly competitive andcrowded markets you’d think these olks woulddo anything to stand out rom the competitionand ully leverage the chamber to get an edge.Nope. It’s as i they have no idea the localchamber exists and how it can benet theirbusiness.
7 REASONS WHY YOUR BUSINESS SHOULD BE AMEMBER Of THE CHAMBER Of COMMERCE
2. Access.
Unless you’re crazy or likeconsistent rejection, no one enjoys makingcold calls all day long. It’s a painul, tediousprocess that oten wastes ar too much timeand mentally drains even the most upbeatand riendly person ater a while. When you join a chamber and actively get involvedyou’ll discover that meeting prospects whomay have an interest or who can reer youto key contacts you’re trying to reach, is ahuge benet o membership. From being oncommittees, serving as an ambassador, orattending specic events where prospects arelikely to be, you’ll nd yoursel in situationswhere you can identiy and meet decisionmakers ace-to-ace versus making cold calls.3. Ongoing training and education.Unless you have the luxury o a trainingbudget or can aord to bring in local, regionalor nationally known experts on dierenttopics, I rmly believe that there’s no otherorganization in America that delivers timelyprograms at such an aordable price as thelocal or regional chamber o commerce.By spreading costs among ellow membersthrough registration ees and sponsorships,members can stay updated, inormed andeducated at a bargain price.
4. Networking.
From seminars, leads groups,luncheons to business expos and variousbusiness and community committees, there’sabsolutely no excuse or not being able tomeet new contacts, reerrals and people whocan help you with ideas and additional waysto grow your business.The old adage, out o sight, out o mind,is so true when it relates to networking. Thechamber gives your several dierent venuesto meet new people. My entire career I’veutilized the power o networking in my homechamber’s ranging rom serving as co-chairo the ambassador league to sponsoring andspeaking at dierent events. The positiveoutcomes on the bottom line and great peopleI’ve met have been great. In addition, doingbusiness with ellow member who oerwonderul products, services, and ideas hasalso been a big plus.
June 2011 | COMMERCE | Page 3 | napachamber.com
See
 
7 REASONS
on page 4…
5. Low cost advertising opportunities.
As aras visibility at the local level, a chamber oersa wide range o aordable advertising optionsand sponsorship packages or just about everybusiness or non-prot, regardless o how bigor small their budget may be. I’ve bought andsold traditional media and I can tell you it’snot cheap. For the price o a ew ads within amajor media outlet, you can oten sponsor anentire program with the chamber, give a shortcommercial about your company, meet newprospects and ollow up with the list o attendeeswho may have a need or your oering. This isa wonderul way to hold your marketing dollarsaccountable and see them working hard rightbeore your eyes.A common area to get low cost or reeadvertising is submitting updates or news briesor possible inclusion within the chamber“Member News’ section o the newsletter oreletter. Amazingly, a lot o members do nottake advantage o this wonderul ree marketingopportunity provided with their membership.The chamber is always on the lookout ormember related news. I make it a goal to getover a small news update or announcementat least every two to three months to my localchambers because I know many times it will getprinted and read by key people in the businesscommunity.
6. Advocacy.
A oolish belie among largecompanies, especially national retail outlets, isthat they’re too big or not local enough to careabout getting involved or joining their localchamber o commerce. A ew things they shouldthink about: Are their employees and customerslocal? Are taxes and school systems importantto nding and retaining a high quality work 
This article recently came to our attention and we’d like toshare it with you. It’s written by Amazon.com bestsellingauthor Tony Rubelski.
Search
Search History:
Searching...
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
  • p.
    • Notes
    Load more