Message from the CEO

A Message From The President & CEO

Education, arts and culturE

By Trish Christensen

Can you believe the “new” school year is in its third month already? Here we are, well into fall. We have autumn colors, cooler temperatures, crisper air, and shorter days surrounding us. Park and school fields have soccer practices and games taking place throughout town. Marching band practices can be heard around our high schools. Football stadiums have stands filled with laughter, cheers, music, and school spirit during football games. It is a fun time of year for our students.

This year, November also marks the end of a robust election season. Leading the Modesto Chamber alongside our Executive Committee, our Government Relations Council leadership, and our Modesto Political Action Committee through such an energetic election was a true learning experience for many of us involved. I’d simply like to say: I am proud of the work we did. This group of current leadership and staff came together and invited the candidates who ran for Modesto Irrigation District seats to in person interviews. We invited the candidates that ran for State Assembly, State Senate, and City Council to participate in our Candidate Forum held jointly with Opportunity Stanislaus.

We invited the above and those running for our new Congress districts to participate in our written interviews. We shared responses in print here last month and on our website. I found all candidates and measure advocates to be passionate about their causes and perspectives.

They were also protective of our community and willing to invest of self to make a difference for their various stakeholders and constituents. We weighed in on Measure H and Measure L, made endorsements, and made contributions. It was a heavy lift of work to add to our usual list of tasks and I feel we accomplished it all positively, professionally, equitably, and respectfully. This fall season brought us fully back to events season! There were returns of longstanding events, some with new twists, and new and unique events were launched. First Friday’s have been in full swing downtown. Our galleries have been open and visited, musicians have been seen and heard around town. Our theaters have full slates of performances on the books, and our theater companies are playing, singing, dancing, and performing for audiences in person. In other words, there has been plenty of opportunities to stay busy and to socialize.

The Boys and Girls Club, for which I proudly hold a board seat, opened its doors for a Central Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce mixer. At its new location on Sunset Avenue, they celebrated Hispanic Heritage month with a wonderful variety of food choices and a beautiful performance by Danza Aztecs Kuauthli dance group. Leaving that event, I saw many children of various ages at the top of the Dryden Golf course. They are all participants of First Tee of the Central Valley. I recently learned they serve children in four counties: Stanislaus, Merced, Mariposa and Tuolumne. Such a fun sight with so many kids out there swinging clubs. First Tee and Boys and Girls Clubs of Stanislaus County will be partnering on some shared activities for kids in their programs at that location very soon.

If you have free time and want to get out for fresh air, consider getting a group of family or friends together for a bike ride or walk on the Tuolumne River Trail, Virginia Trail, Dry Creek Trail, or visit any of our other wonderful parks to toss a frisbee or fly a kite on a breezy day. My encouragement to you is to enjoy the season while it is here with us. I wish you and those who matter most to you, a very Happy Thanksgiving~

With warm regards,

Each member of the Chamber is important, no matter the size of business. We desire for local businesses and organizations to succeed and thrive. To reach this goal we provide exposure, opportunities to engage with Regional Electeds and community partners, as well as networking with businesses and organizations across industries. We work to better our community by providing up-to-date education and training, certifying qualifying businesses as Green, and providing advocacy on City, State, and Federal levels. The Chamber is a family of dedicated professionals striving to make a difference in their business and way of life. Whatever your business needs are, we invite you to join us.

To execute our adopted mission we have developed an acronym that helps keep us focused. That acronym is “CARES: Community, Advocacy, Relationships, Education and Service.”

C - Community At its heart, the Modesto Chamber is a community of like-minded business owners who share the vision for enjoying a thriving economy and creating and maintaining our community as a vibrant place to live, work and play. With over 100 years of history and experience in the Greater Modesto Area, we understand what it means to be a business owner and customer in our community, with featured events such as local and regional forums, Ag Aware, Harvest Luncheon, and Family Day. Chamber members get the opportunity to actively engage in and influence the community they live and work in.

A - Advocacy The Modesto Chamber supports local businesses and is an active advocate for the common interest of its members. The Chamber has an Economic Development Committee and a Government Relations Council. These advocacy committees are dedicated and proactive in representing our members and community. They work to address business initiatives and relieve the regulatory burdens businesses face may face. The Chamber is also honored to certify local businesses and organizations through our California Green Business Network Stanislaus Program. Through this we create more conscientious and sustainable ways of life while lowering the cost of doing business for our community and future generations.

R - Relationships The Modesto Chamber of Commerce specializes in building relationships and serving as the nexus to businesses, nonprofit organizations, and governmental agencies. With over a dozen Committees, Programs, and Events in which our members can participate, the Chamber offers ample opportunity to meet and connect with other business owners in our community. As a relational organization, the Chamber works with its members to ensure the opportunity to connect and grow in every niche and industry to help build and cultivate long-lasting relationships among business owners and community partners alike.

E - Education The Modesto Chamber of Commerce values education and offers members the opportunity to stay on the leading edge with new and emerging information and training that will set your business apart from the rest. In partnership with Modesto Junior College, the Chamber is pleased to offer an assortment of trainings applicable to any business or industry for credited completion through our Chamber University platform. Our Chamber also works with members to provide a platform to speak to their own industry expertise and invite other members to learn from those leading our local industries.

S - Service The Modesto Chamber of Commerce offers its members a wide range of opportunities to promote and engage their business across industry and community lines. The Chamber Weekly E-Blast, Website, and our Progress Magazine provide opportunities to advertise and promote your business, keep up to date with articles about local businesses in our community, and stay in the loop about up-and-coming Chamber and community events. Our Chamber also offers indemand materials, such as Member contact list, Federal and State compliance posters, export document services, and so much more. Chamber members can also personalize their business profile within our website and have access to our Member-Only Information Center, where members can connect with other members, boost their social media presence, promote job postings, public events, and member-to-member discounts.