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4 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Read about member business Temblor Brewing Co.
5 VIRTUAL HAPPY HOURS
Join the festivities with the Chamber and BYP during these at home happy hours!
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7 VIRTUAL WEBINARS
Sign-up today for our Rebuild & Renew webinar and join BYP for a tax preparation webinar.
8 BEAUTIFUL BAKERSFIELD
Learn more about the 2020 Education winner - Kern Urban Teacher Residency Program.
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12 SAVE THE DATE
2021
Join us on April 7 for our Virtual Leadership Forum.
Leadership Forum
13 MEMBER NEWS
Discover the latest news and happenings with other members.
Cover Thanks to the City of Bakersfield for helping keep our city safe and our businesses open.
Contact us
1725 Eye St. • PO Box 1947 Bakersfield, CA 93303 661.327.4421 bakochamber.com
SAVE THE DATE
12 Metro is the official publication of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber. This publication is produced and digitally distributed to the Chamber’s membership at the beginning of each month. Every effort has been made to ensure the information in this publication is correct and accurate as of the publication date. Metro does not warrant the accuracy or claims of its advertisers. The Chamber President/CEO has the sole right to refuse any advertisement. Please send any comments, questions, article suggestions or advertising inquiries to jscheiber@bakochamber.com. © Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Reproduction by any means of the entire contents portion of this publication without written permission is prohibited.
METRO | PAGE 3
Member Spotlight T
emblor Brewing Co. has weathered the COVID storm by focusing on parts of the business that we could enhance while losing other very important revenue streams. Mainly, the loss of the dining room and events has been devastating to say the least. The team got creative with our beers and outside distribution. We created numerous exciting new brands, including the Creamsicle and Dessert Kettle Sour Beer series and numerous other distinctive IPA seasonals like Dankersfield, The Golden Empire Strikes Back, and Soft and Fluffy – a Marshmallow IPA that won the U.S. Open Beer Championship Gold Medal in 2020 for the Specialty IPA category. We also began to distribute our beer throughout the Los Angeles area! Our patio was our other area of focus. We recently invested in a permanent expansion of our patio, which now comfortably seats about 70 customers. During the year, we added misters, new tables, additional heaters and new greenery. Our patio continues to operate for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. We have streamlined our food menu, while adding several new items like the Nashville West chicken sandwich and locally produced Wagyu beef for our burger setups.
Location: 3200 Buck Owens Blvd., Ste. 200 Hours: Sunday - Wednesday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Thursday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Website: https://temblorbrewing.com/ METRO | PAGE 4
The Temblor team is excited to see events come back this year! New and exciting beer releases will be our continued goal for 2021. Look for our new distribution van, which will be installed with tap handles and will be making appearances at future beer festivals. – Don Bynum, CEO of Temblor Brewing Co.
BYP Happy Hour Date: Thursday, March 18 Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: Zoom RSVP: HERE
At Home Happy Hour Date: Thursday, March 25 Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: Zoom RSVP: HERE
We plan to continue the St. Patrick’s Day vibes – so bring your green beer or golden champagne and network with us virtually! Join the festivities with BYP Councilmembers and other young professionals on Thursday, March 18. Relax and reconnect with us!
Take a break from all the emails and webinars and unwind with a glass of wine or beverage of your choice! Connect virtually with other business professionals while relaxing at home. Join Chamber Ambassadors Cepi Willingham of KGET-TV 17 and Jim Luff of Chosen Payments, as they co-host this fun and friendly happy hour!
Are you in compliance? order your
2021 Labor Law Poster HERE to order your poster.
click
Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor
& our Co-Sponsor
LLP
METRO | PAGE 5
Congratulations to the 2020 Business Person of the Year Winner!
B
eing nominated for Business Person of the Year was a complete surprise to me. Winning the award was a humbling experience. Receiving recognition for doing something that I am passionate about and enjoy is an amazing confirmation that others see that helping entrepreneurs is important work. I believe that each of us is born with unique skills, talents and character. A great challenge in life is finding a career that allows you to leverage these God-given gifts toward something you are passionate about. For most people, this leads to a job as an employee, whether it be in the private, public or not-for-profit sector. There is another path that is not for everyone, and that is to create your own company – to be an entrepreneur! In our community, too few are pursuing this path and my passion is helping create a better support system for these brave individuals. Helping entrepreneurs launch and scale new businesses is critically important because they create the jobs that will help diversify Kern’s economy all while allowing the founder to fulfill their true potential. At Kern Venture Group, we are helping make capital available to entrepreneurs. We also award a few $1,000 grants each year to bright people with an idea, who we just want to encourage; with no strings attached. Starting this year, we are also donating office hour time to coach entrepreneurs at Cal Poly San Louis Obispo. Another rewarding thing about our work is that we are investing in companies that are solving real problems. America’s free market economy is still one of, if not the most, creative and vibrant in the world. We love to see how companies are improving quality of life and creating jobs by developing innovative new products and services. Looking ahead, we have several exciting projects underway. First, we have just started raising our next fund, which we hope to close at $10 million by year-end, a five-fold increase from our first fund. For the first time, we expect to have investors from outside of Kern County participate and that will help bring new capital into Kern. Upon closing this second fund, we plan to hire our first full-time employee as well.
METRO | PAGE 6
In addition, we will continue to expand our network of partnerships with other angel and venture capitalists, universities, accelerators and incubators, all with an eye toward bringing more innovation to our home. One such partnership that we are announcing is with Bitwise and their Innovation Lab and Founders Cohort programs. Through this partnership, we will be dedicating 10 percent of our second fund exclusively for investing seed stage capital into the top graduating teams. The future of innovation and entrepreneurship in Kern County is bright, even if right now the flame is small. I’m pleased with the progress of B3K and the fantastic group of people helping me lead the Entrepreneurship and Business Support workgroup. I believe that the plans which will emerge from B3K this year, will chart a new course for the communities of Kern. This workgroup is developing a strategy and action plan for the building out of a true “ecosystem” of entrepreneurial and small business resources. Our work at Kern Initiative of Talent + Entrepreneurship (KITE) is also advancing; this month we are launching a new online portal powered by Startup Space, which will connect entrepreneurs, mentors and resources in one place for the first time in Kern. Please visit gokite.org to sign up and learn more. – J. P. Lake
UPCOMING
Webinars Rebuild & Renew Webinar Date: Wednesday, March 31 Time: 8:30-9:30 a.m. Location: Zoom Register: HERE
J
oin us for coffee and hear from members who were inspired to rebuild and renew their businesses over the past year. We will be highlighting business owners who physically remodeled their business as well as those who have renewed their business paths to venture into something new. You will hear stories from Christina Springstead of Springstead Solutions, Heather Abbott of Bella, and Monica & Bill Jeffries of TelePERX about how they persevered through a challenging year. Speakers
Heather Abbott
Bill Jeffries
Monica Jeffries
Christina Springstead
Let’s Break to Educate – Tax Preparation with BYP Date: Wednesday, March 24 Time: 3-4 p.m. Location: Zoom RSVP: HERE
A
re you prepared to file your 2020 taxes? Better hurry – the deadline to file is fast-approaching! If you are overwhelmed and need some guidance, join Amanda DiGiacomo, owner of Atlas Financial Solutions, Inc., as she provides helpful tips on filing for both personal and business taxes. Learn how to find a tax professional who is a good fit for you, how to stay organized while filing, and whether the COVID relief bill could impact you as there were major changes to unemployment and child tax credits. There will be a Q&A at the end, so bring your questions to be answered. METRO | PAGE 7
Congratulations to the 2020 Education Winner! What does receiving the Education award mean to you and Kern Urban Teacher Residency Program (KUTR)? Receiving this award served as affirmation and confirmation that the program is making a difference. It represented the impact that effective teacher preparation and education has on the students in our community. Ultimately, the award celebrated the time, energy and heart that all of the program’s resident teachers, mentor teachers and faculty have put into making this program not only function, but thrive, so that our students in Kern County can receive the learning opportunities they deserve. Tell us about the program and how do you give back to the community? KUTR’s vision states, “The program is committed to ensuring that students in BCSD will be provided with the highest quality educational experience and become successful and productive leaders that will impact positive change.” This vision clearly represents, not only the goals of the program, but also the promise of what we will give back to our community and TK-8 learners. Our program is designed to prepare future educators, who are willing and able to serve high needs student populations through close alignment of the resident’s university coursework and clinical practice in the classroom. The residents receive a monthly stipend from the district to make the program and teacher preparation program affordable. We strive to tear down any possible barriers that might keep passionate candidates, especially those in under-represented populations, from earning a teaching credential and serving the students in our community. How did this program have to adapt last year and into this year? The program has had to transition all coursework and clinical practice into virtual settings in the past year. This shift was an extreme change in the dynamic of a program that is based on “field experience” or clinical practice in a classroom setting. Much of learning the art of teaching is typically done in experiential or face-to-face observation; however, the program leadership team has done a tremendous job training our mentor and resident teachers in educational technology integration to learn and practice teaching skills in a virtual space. This shift has allowed all program stakeholders to try new strategies, especially as it pertains to relationship building with our TK-8 students and learning to flexibly serve students’ variety of needs, behaviorally and academically, in a virtual setting.
Words of encouragement in 2021. We can do this – but it can be done far better if we do it together! We can continue to add value and serve our community and learn new things KUTR Leadership along the way – even in the midst of chaos and a pandemic. Many of these shifts and new learnings will ultimately allow us to enter a new, more effective and efficient future where we can get things done in a variety of modalities. Let’s stay flexible and remain adaptive so that we can find “a new normal” that we can all celebrate. – Holly Gonzales Educational Coordinator, Kern Urban Teacher Residency CSU Bakersfield, Teacher Education
Cohort 1
Cohort 2
Cohort 3 METRO | PAGE 8
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Sponsorships
AVAILABLE NOW Saturday, April 17 Televised on KGET-TV 17 6:30-8 p.m.
Contact Sophia Gligorevic for more information sophia@kedc.com 661.862.5156 Thank you to our Sponsors
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Silver Bronze Become a 2021 Sponsor and join your business community in supporting economic vitality in Kern County! Click HERE to secure your sponsorship.
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2020 challenged us all, but one thing that didn't change is the Chamber's commitment to our members and their businesses. From pandemic specific resources, to virtually hosting big community events, to advocating for you at all levels of government - the Chamber has never been more important to local businesses. We wouldn't be successful without the steadfast support of our members, partners and allies. They truly are the foundation to building something better.
2021
Leadership Forum
T
his year, in lieu of our Annual Luncheon, we'll hold a virtual leadership forum on Wednesday, April 7 at 10 a.m. You’ll hear directly from the Chamber’s key volunteer leaders on our work over the past year and what we have planned for 2021. We’ll celebrate our members and our amazing community partners; we'll also try to inspire and motivate you. We know that our members are primed for success as our economy reopens and the pandemic fades. Registration is complimentary, look for details coming soon in our "Trending" email newsletter. Presenting Sponsor
Advance Beverage Company Adventist Health Bakersfield Aera Energy LLC AT&T California The Bakersfield Californian Bakersfield Heart Hospital Bank of America Barbich Hooper King Dill Hoffman Brown Armstrong Certified Public Accountants Bynum Inc. California Resources Corporation Carney's Business Technology Center Castle & Cooke California, Inc. Centric Health
Supporting Sponsors Chevron Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center Daniells Phillips Vaughan & Bock Deprigo, Inc. Dignity Health Management Services Dignity Health - Mercy & Memorial Hospitals Golden Empire Transit District Hall Ambulance Service, Inc. Jim Burke Ford Lincoln Kaiser Permanente Kern County Kern Health Systems Kern Medical KGET-TV 17
Klein, DeNatale, Goldner et al LeBeau-Thelen LLP Mid State Development Corporation Ordiz-Melby Architects, A Professional Corporation Pacific Gas and Electric Company Providence Strategic Consulting, Inc. Southern California Gas Company Stinson's Tejon Ranch Company Valley Children's Healthcare Valley Republic Bank Valley Strong Credit Union Varner Bros. Inc. Wonderful Orchards
Check out the Chamber's Business Directory! Looking for a certain product? Needing a specific service? Check out our Business Directory and partner with our members!
To view the directory, click HERE. We know that 2020 was a year of change for many of our members. If your company’s listing is missing any information or needs to be updated, please send your updates to info@bakochamber.com. We appreciate your understanding as we work to share the most up-to-date information on our members, so we may all continue building something better, together. METRO | PAGE 12
• The City of Bakersfield has entered into a contractual agreement with Fresno Community Development Financial Institution, DBA Access Plus Capital a California nonprofit, publicbenefit corporation (SUBRECIPIENT) to administer a loan to grant program ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. The loan to grant program is available to for-profit small businesses impacted by COVID-19, physically located and operating in the City of Bakersfield. The loan fund available for this program is $1,900,000. Applications will be accepted for calendar period from March 15, 2021 through November 30, 2021 or until loan funds are fully deployed. Applications must be submitted online at www.accesspluscapital.com • Now accepting artist applications for BMoA's Visual Arts Festival. This biannual juried exhibition of small works has been a BMoA tradition since 1989. This year's theme: Self / Society. Requirements: Open to artists age 18+, Artist must live in California, Application fee: $40 application for members / $50 for nonmembers, Application deadline is April 1, 2021., Due to the pandemic, this years VAF will be an online exhibition. Visit bmoa.org/visual-artsfestival for more information and to apply. • Our iconic property was originally built in 1952, at a time when our dining room sung with live piano music, our bar bustled with games and activity, and our pool was enjoyed by travelers soaking in the desert sun. At Cuyama Buckhorn, we are bringing these glory days back with a new glistening pool to splash into, a jacuzzi to warm up in on cool desert nights, and a sauna to take in our stunning sunsets! Come and discover The Hidden Valley of Enchantment of our resort retreat! https://www.cuyamabuckhorn.com/ stay
• COVID-19’s impacts on the economy have been widely reported. But there are still many who are eligible for Medi-Cal that need guidance. A generous grant from Health Net’s 2021 Community & Infrastructure Investment Program will ensure that our community partners can work on getting more individuals and families that are eligible for Medi-Cal signed up, as we continue to bridge the gap and pave the way for better access to health care for all Californians. Learn more: https://www.healthnet. com/content/healthnet/en_us/newscenter/news-releases/2021-02-15community-organizations-receivenew-funding-to-help-californians.html. • Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) offered energy savings tips and tools to help customers save money on their utility bills. During cold weather, like we’ve experienced over the last several weeks, it is possible to use three to seven times more natural gas than in summer months as your home heater responds to your thermostat settings and your water heater works harder to keep water hot. SoCalGas works to secure the best prices for the natural gas it supplies to customers. The cost customers pay for natural gas is what the utility pays. The utility also offers customer assistance programs that help people with bill discounts and provide free home improvements that help conserve energy and save money. To learn more about SoCalGas' energy-saving programs and services or for more information on how to more efficiently manage natural gas usage and possibly reduce monthly natural gas bills, customers with questions about their winter bill can go to socalgas.com or call 800-427-2200.
• The Guild House is now offering limited outdoor seating. They will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Menus can be viewed at www.guildhousebakersfield.org. • League of Dreams is having an in-person gala on Saturday, March 20! The event will be at the Salty's BBQ Event Center located at 6720 Schirra Ct. They are taking precautions, limiting the amount of tickets and spacing tables farther apart. They want to make sure that when they are able, they can get their athletes back on the field and to do so, they will fundraise! For those who cannot attend, the silent auction will go live online one week prior, so you still have a great chance to support League of Dreams and win some fun items! Some sponsorships are still available and event tickets are first-come, first-serve. Don't wait! Get your tickets now! For more information, visit https://www.ourleagueofdreams. com/events.php. • The Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference decided to move their 2021 conference to a fully online, virtual experience that will take place on Monday, April 26 through Thursday, April 29. They are excited that a virtual event makes it possible to broaden not only our learning and engagement opportunities, but the audience beyond Bakersfield as well. Attendees will have access to more conference sessions than ever before! In addition to their celebrity keynote speakers, attendees can now partake in as many BWBC workshops as they’d like (30+ options!) with early access starting Monday, April 26. Ticket registration is now open: http://bakersfieldwomen.org/.
METRO | PAGE 13
Welcome New Chamber Members We’d like to extend a warm welcome to the companies that have joined the Greater Bakersfield Chamber. Thank you for investing in our mission to Build a Better Bakersfield. Noel Alexandria Foundation 8200 Stockdale Hwy., Ste. M10-344 Bakersfield, CA 93311 661-379-7162 www.noelalexandriafoundation.org "We are a nonprofit organization serving Kern County to raise awareness and provide free educational, emotional and financial support to families affected by pregnancy and infant loss."
Potential Recycling Bakersfield 414 Yampa St. Bakersfield, CA 93307 661-448-8808 "We are a full-service recycling company serving recycling centers, waste haulers and businesses in Bakersfield and Kern County. We are a State of CA certified processor for CRV materials and provide top pricing and service."
For more information about joining the Chamber, please contact Cathy Albyn at calbyn@bakochamber.com.
REQUEST YOUR
Stay Open Signage The City and the Chamber have come together to provide COVID-related signage for Chamber members and other businesses and organizations in Bakersfield. We have created a couple of vinyl window clings. One of the window clings encourages customers to wear a mask or face covering when entering a business. The second promotes social distancing. We offer them in both English and Spanish.
Use this link to order your FREE signage: https://bakochamber.com/stayopensigns/
Renewing Members Thank you to our members who have reinvested in the Greater Bakersfield Chamber. Your continued investment helps the Chamber continue its mission to Build a Better Bakersfield. 8minutenergy Renewables, LLC – 2013 Bakersfield City School District – 1979 Bakersfield High School – 1998 Bank of America – 1920 Bank of the Sierra - California Ave. – 2017 Baymarr Constructors, Inc. – 1997 Bella – 2000 Benji's French Basque Restaurant, Inc. – 1992 California MENTOR – 2002 California Water Service – 1943 Cannon Corporation – 2004 Castle & Cooke California, Inc. – 1988 Chosen Payments – 2016 Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC – 1990 Core Chiropractic + Wellness – 2018 Dewar's Candy Shop, Inc. – 1994 Dignity Health Management Services – 1993 Eagle Mountain Casino – 2004 El Pollo Loco - California Ave. – 2015 Employers Depot, Inc. – 2014
Granite Construction – 1977 Greg's Petroleum Service – 2018 Health Net, LLC – 2019 Kisco Sales, Inc. – 1974 M & S Security Services, Inc. – 2011 Outlets at Tejon – 2014 Project Clean Air, Inc. – 2017 R & S Erection of Tri-County Inc. – 2018 Rival Technology Inc. – 2018 Southern California Edison – 2012 Southwest Contractors – 1993 State Farm - Keith Stonebraker Insurance Agency, Inc. – 2004 Tejon Ranch Company – 1956 The Links at Riverlakes Ranch – 2005 Tolman & Wiker Insurance Services, LLC – 2000 Walker-Lewis Rents – 1988 Westec – 2011 Whitley Enterprises DBA Edible Arrangements – 2008 Young Wooldridge LLP – 1993 Youth 2 Leaders Education Foundation – 2018
ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES Advertising in Metro and email blasts – it’s an exclusivity that only Chamber members enjoy. Regardless of your budget or needs, the Chamber offers competitive pricing to help you determine which advertising option works best for your company.
MARCH 2021
3.12.21
GRC Meeting 10 a.m. | Zoom
3.18.21
BYP Happy Hour 5:30 p.m. | Zoom
3.23.21
Ambassador Committee Noon | Zoom
3.24.21
BYP Tax Preparation Webinar 3 p.m. | Zoom
3.25.21
Happy Hour with the Chamber 5:30 p.m. | Zoom
3.26.21
GRC Meeting 10 a.m. | Zoom
3.31.21
Rebuild & Renew Webinar 8:30 a.m. | Zoom
MEMBER TO MEMBER EMAIL BLASTS Member to Member email blasts are paid advertisements that the Chamber sends out on behalf of our members. With a reach of more than 4,500 email contacts, it’s the perfect option to promote your brand.
METRO
A staple of news and informative for members, METRO is sent out monthly to more than 5,800 email contacts. This digital publication features Chamber programming and events as well as regulatory changes that can impact our members' bottom lines. All advertisements will link back to a your company's website.
For more information about any of our events, committees or councils, visit bakochamber.com.
For more information, contact Jean Scheiber at jscheiber@bakochamber.com. METRO | PAGE 15
CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE FOCUS
2021 EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman of the Board Derek Jeffery KGET-TV 17
Chairwoman Elect of the Board Kristen Beall Watson Kern Community Foundation
Vice Chair Public Policy & Political Action Rob Duchow Southern California Gas Company
Vice Chair Economic Vitality Andy Anderson Aera Energy LLC
Vice Chair Member Engagement Tasha Clayton Tel-Tec Security Systems, Inc.
Vice Chair Leadership & Workforce Development Denise Newton Pacific Gas & Electric Company
Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) is a support system for Kern County’s 47 school districts. It provides various programs, fiscal accountability, approval of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs), formulation of new curricula, staff development and training programs, direct instruction to Kern’s most vulnerable students, and collaboration with community partners for the benefit of local young people.
MAJOR INVESTORS
CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE MEMBERS
Member-at-Large Rick Jhaj Countryside Construction/ Countryside Markets
BYNUM INC.
General Counsel Mark Bateman Young Wooldridge LLP
CHAMBER STAFF Nick Ortiz | President/CEO Cathy Albyn | Membership & Business Development Manager Frances Klingenberger | Manager, Strategic Programs Hillary Haenes | Vice President, Member Engagement EVERYTHING FOR YOUR OFFICE
Kaelyn Peterson | Manager, Policy & Public Affairs Jean Scheiber | Vice President/ Chief Operating Officer
GET SOCIAL Stay engaged and connected with what's happening at the Chamber by following us on these social media platforms.
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