Progress April 2015

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CONTENTS APRIL 2015

LEADERSHIP

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Message from the CEO

COVER STORY

6

Stanislaus Green Team

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Chairman David Gianelli, Gianelli & Associates

10

Rasing Taxes is Not Reform

Chairman-Elect Eric Tobias, F&M Bank

STANISLAUS GREEN TEAM

Past Chairman Ralph Curtis, Curtis Legal Group

20

Vice Chairman, Internal Operations Patricia Gillum, Patricia Gillum, CPA

EDITORIAL

Vice Chairman, External Operations Brad Hawn, CHG

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Mission Statement

The Modesto Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to serving the greater Modesto Area, regional businesses and community prosperity through advocacy, collaboration, access to leaders, economic development, connectivity and business education.

Executive Committee

Vice Chair, Marketing & Events Laura Ward, Ward Promotional Marketing Solutions

Directors Jeff Burda, Wells Fargo Mid-Valley Commercial Banking Mike Garcia, Oak Valley Community Bank David Gingerich, TD Gingerich Insurance Solutions, Inc. Warren Kirk, Doctors Medical Center Craig Lewis, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Stephen Madison, STANCO Virginia Madueño, Imagen Public Relations Nate Miller, Grimbleby Coleman CPAs, Inc. Tom Nielsen, Beard Land and Investment Co. Peggy O’Donnell, Mid-Valley Promotion Steven Rank, Rank Investigations and Protection, Inc. Kole Siefken, DoubleTree Hotel Lucy Virgen, Bank of the West Jeremiah Williams, Oak Crafts by Jeremiah

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Publisher: Modesto Chamber of Commerce (209) 577-5757 • Progress@ModChamber.org www.ModChamber.org Graphic Design: Never Boring (209) 526-9136 • www.neverboring.com Printer: The Parks Group (209) 576-2568 • mike@parksprinting.com

No More Food Waste! COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Lemonheads Wanted NETWORKING & REFERRALS

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Chamber Calendar

Ambassador Corner

Advisors Keith Boggs, Stanislaus County Chief Executive Office George Boodrookas, Modesto Junior College David Boring, Never Boring Tiffani Burns, Modesto City Schools Kristopher Helton, Leadership Modesto Jim Holgersson, City of Modesto David White, The Alliance Melissa Williams, Modesto Irrigation District Carlos Yamzon, StanCOG Cecil Russell, President/CEO Modesto Chamber of Commerce CRussell@ModChamber.org

Keeps getting easier

I am Brad Blakeley, and I have lived most of my life in Modesto. I am thankful for the great people and the agricultural bounty that we enjoy here in the Central Valley.

BRAD BLAKELEY FINANCIAL ADVISOR

As an Ambassador for the Chamber, I enjoy meeting business leaders to inquire how the Chamber can better meet their needs. There are many services the Chamber provides to market, support and develop our local businesses. If you have not had a chance to look at the list of benefits available lately, give me or the Chamber a call. Let’s grow because Modesto does mean Business! Brad Blakeley Financial Advisor - Edward Jones Investments (209) 549-1005 brad.blakeley@edwardjones.com

Distribution: The Parks Group (209) 576-2568 Advertising Sales: Kristin Bowker Never Boring (209) 526-9136 • progress@neverboring.com © Copyright 2015 Modesto Chamber of Commerce. Some parts of this magazine may be reproduced or reprinted, however, we require that permission be obtained in writing. (209) 577-5757, Progress@ModChamber.org

PROGRESS MAGAZINE 1114 J Street • Modesto, CA 95354 (209) 577-5757 • Fax (209) 577-2673 www.ModChamber.org Progress@ModChamber.org

APRIL 2015

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PUBLI C A DVO CACY

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO By Chamber President and CEO Cecil Russell

April is the month we all “Go Green.” In Modesto we celebrate Earth Day every year and with it we try to draw attention to the many ways that we as a community can be successful environmental stewards in our homes and businesses. In this month’s issue of Progress we will also proudly “Go Green.” One of the many ways your Modesto Chamber of Commerce supports this stewardship philosophy is through our Stanislaus Green Team. We work with our partners on the CECIL RUSSELL Stanislaus Green Team to promote business CHAMBER PRESIDENT ecology and efficiency by focusing on being AND CEO environmentally and economically smart. Read the cover story on page 6 this month for more detailed information about our Stanislaus Green Team.

Winton-Ireland, Strom & Green Insurance Agency; TSM Insurance; Vintage Faire Mall; and Modesto Toyota. We’d also like to thank all of our Lemonade Day partners for providing donated services: Modesto City Schools; Stanislaus County Office of Education; Vintage Faire Mall; McHenry Village; Never Boring Design; Her Life Magazine; Modesto View; and The Modesto Bee.

There are many activities in Modesto this month. The Modesto Chamber has partnered with many agriculture-related businesses to produce our annual AG Aware luncheon on April 16th to benefit the Modesto Schools’ FFA programs. This terrific event has raised more than $160,000 over the past 20 years to support our local FFA students. This year’s event has been moved to the ACE Ag Pavilion at MJC West Campus where we can accommodate more supporters and be in an Ag-friendly environment. If you have not attended this event in the past, you will not want to miss joining us in celebrating these exceptional FFA students.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church....a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes.”

The AG Aware Luncheon is followed closely by a day full of “Going Green” through the Love Modesto event on April 18th, which brings a large portion of our citizens together to focus on cleanup projects throughout the city and its neighborhoods. On April 18th, Modesto celebrates its 26th Annual Earth Day at Graceada Park. Bring your recyclables to Earth Day and help raise money for the City of Modesto Adopt-a-Park program. Items being collected include CRV bottles, cans, plastic, scrap metal, e-waste, toner, ink cartridges, and cell phones; document shredding is available as well. This is always a well-attended community event at a great local park. Please mark your calendar for Lemonade Day on May 16th. We need you and your friends, family, and colleagues to visit one of the many lemonade stands run by children that day throughout the city of Modesto. Your purchase of a glass of lemonade supports the many junior entrepreneurs who are participating in a communitywide educational program that teaches youth the skills necessary to start, own, and operate their own business – a lemonade stand. Your Chamber is involved because we believe that it is crucial to help youth learn the steps and planning necessary to start a business. Through Lemonade Day, the children will learn valuable life skills such as leadership, collaboration, responsibility, and teamwork. With this FREE program they learn to set a goal, make a plan and work their plan to achieve their goal. The Lemonade Day program is designed for the participating children to experience a new level of confidence and see how the education that they are receiving in their schools tie into future possible careers. Through this program, we hope to impact the values of “spend more, save more, and share some” to apply to their net profits. We thank all of our Lemonade Day sponsors for their financial support in helping to bring this program to our youth: Data Path, Inc.; US Bank; Doctors Medical Center; Stanislaus Magazine; E&J Gallo Winery; San Joaquin Valley College; Oliveira Wealth; AIA/ Mid-Valley Promotions, Inc.; Garcia Insurance Agency/Farmers Insurance; Gianelli & Associates; Grimbleby Coleman CPAs, Inc.; Village Baking Company & Café; Wells Fargo Business Banking;

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Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS

There are many more worthwhile events happening in and around Modesto in April. Many of these events can be found on our website’s calendar at: http://www.modchamber.org/chamber-events/ The Chamber sends representatives to many speaking events that both educate and inform every month. This past month I had the pleasure to attend an event where our City Manager Jim Holgersson addressed the audience. At the end of his presentation he read the following quote by Charles Swindoll which I would like to share with you:

This is excellent advice and if we can all embrace it, we together can accomplish much for our community and help create a better quality of life for all. P


COM MUN ITY D EVELOPMEN T

LEMONHEADS WANTED!

By David Darmstandler, Lemonade Day City Champion, Co-Owner Data Path Inc. WHAT IS LEMONADE DAY?

BECOME A PAR TNER

Lemonade Day Modesto is a community-wide education program that teaches youth the entrepreneurial skills necessary to start, own, and operate their own business – a lemonade stand.

You can also become a Partner of Lemonade Day by providing a safe location for a stand, helping children to sign up, or simply to spread the word to the city of Modesto.

As they learn the steps necessary to start a business they also learn valuable life skills, such as leadership, collaboration, responsibility, and teamwork. They learn to set a goal, make a plan, and work their plan to achieve their dreams. In the process they experience a new level of confidence, and some, for the first time, see new possibilities for their future.

BECOME A MENTOR

Lemonade Day also teaches these youth three specific things: spend some, save some, and share some. They are taught to enjoy their hard work by spending some on themselves, saving some by creating a bank account and investing in their future, and lastly they are to share with an organization or charity of their choice. No matter how big or small their earnings, these three things are required.

SPONSORSHIP OPPOR TUNITIES

We need your help as a mentor to help children get up and going. Contact Lynda Jost at the Chamber to find out more about this opportunity. Get out and Drink Lemonade on May 16th! Most importantly, mark your calendars for May 16th, and go buy an ice cold cup of lemonade.

Registration is free for all youth to sign up. For more information visit our website at www.modesto.lemonadeday.org or contact the Lemonade Day Modesto City Director, Lynda Jost at 209-577-5757 or LJost@modchamber.org

© Modesto Irrigation District

Lemonade Day is a FREE event for children and this is why we are in need of sponsors: Sponsorships start at $250 to become a “Stand on the Map,” or you can become a premier sponsor for $5,000

The process of learning basic business principles, setting up a stand, picking a location and even making lemonade does not come naturally to all children. Our kids need mentors to help them through the process, and this is where you come in.

Lighting rebates

HVAC rebates

High efficiency Refrigerator motor rebates recycling program

APRIL 2015

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{ CO VER STO R Y }

By: Alex Cantatore

Sooner – not later – the State of California will come knocking on local businesses’ doors. The state will have one simple question: What have you done to go green? These kinds of proposals are already in the pipeline, or approved in some cases. Take AB32 – the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 – which requires the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. It’s a harbinger of things to come, regulations which could drastically impact local businesses.

“It’s creeping up on them. Those types of mandates are coming,” said Rikki Keenan-Schmeeckle, Stanislaus Green Team Director with the Modesto Chamber of Commerce. That’s why the Modesto Chamber of Commerce’s Stanislaus Green Team exists, Keenan-Schmeeckle explains: to alert businesses of upcoming mandates, to teach them how to become more green, and to ease the transition to an environmentally friendly way of doing business – before the state steps in. The Stanislaus Green Team’s general membership holds monthly meetings at the Kirk Lindsey Center in Downtown Modesto, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the third Thursday of every month. All are welcome – Chamber member or not – to learn about what it takes to be sustainable, and what other area companies are doing to go green. “We want to educate the attendees on what’s going on in our neighborhood,” said Linden Coffee, a sales representative with American Recycling Company, LLC and Chairman of the Stanislaus Green Team. Past presenters have represented Pacific Gas & Electric, the Modesto Irrigation District, and even Frito-Lay. Those talks – and the ensuing discussions – will hopefully inspire more businesses to go green. And when businesses want to go green, they simply need to call the Modesto Chamber of Commerce and ask for the Stanislaus Green Team. Keenan-Schmeeckle will schedule a free 30-minute REACON (Recycling Energy Air Conservation) Team visit to the interested business. The REACON Team, comprised of local environmental experts who have invested in making Stanislaus County greener, drops off a comprehensive, Environmental Protection Agencyapproved checklist. Fill out that Green Team Assessment, and the business becomes Green Sustainable Business Certified. It’s not a rubber stamp of approval. The checklist is seven pages long, covering everything from solid waste management to water conservation and energy efficiency. But, already, five local businesses have been certified as green. Those businesses run the gamut from a local law firm to internationally recognized manufacturers. Through it all, the REACON team is there to help businesses find answers, partners and resources to become more green.

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Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS


“We want to be a network for answers,” Coffee said, urging anyone with questions about going green to call. Like all Stanislaus Green Team programs, REACON visits are 100 percent free and fully sponsored by the Modesto Chamber of Commerce. Even better, those free Stanislaus Green Team programs save businesses money – even if they don’t complete the entire green checklist. “That’s the important part,” Keenan-Schmeeckle said. “The reduced cost of doing business.” Boyd Corporation’s Modesto factory is now saving $14,220 per year with a new recycling program, thanks to the Green Team. That’s amounted to $74,000 in savings since 2008. And recycling goes beyond bottles and cans; some local businesses like Frito-Lay are even recycling starch out of water. Not only does that sort of recycling reduce landfill and wastewater fees, it often creates a product that can be sold to other businesses. The greatest benefit of all might come in the form of public relations. Going green is great marketing tool, often bringing in new business and media attention. The REACON team conducts a green ribbon cutting at every Green Sustainable Certified business. Elected officials, employees, and the community are all invited to the ceremonies. For Crystal Creamery’s ribbon cutting, more than 70 people were in attendance – including the Mayor of Modesto, Garrad Marsh.

And there are other, more subtle benefits to going green. One local business said an auditor noticed their green certification hanging on the wall during an inspection, instantly changing the inspector’s mood. “It didn’t cost them a dime,” Keenan-Schmeeckle said. “It’s free.” The green certification is in such high demand that the Stanislaus Green Team has been invited to Merced County, with notable institutions like the Hilmar Cheese Company and the University of California, Merced seeking certification. It’s been a period of rapid growth for the Stanislaus Green Team, which was founded by the Modesto Chamber of Commerce in November 2012. In just a few short years, a place has been developed where the county, cities, local agencies, and businesses can come together to collaborate – and find solutions. And that collaboration might be the best part of going green. “It’s great to see the buzz catching on,” Keenan-Schmeeckle said. P S I D E BAR: C e r t i f i e d G re e n Bu s i n e s s e s | Bo y d C o r p o r a ti o n C r y s t a l C re a m e r y | F r i t o - L a y C o . , I n c . G i a n e l l i & As s o c . | N e s t l e ’ U S A, Mo d e s t o S I D E BAR N O. 2: R E AC ON Te a m Me m b e r s | Am e r i c a n R e c y c l i n g C o mpan y, LLC C r y s t a l C re a m e r y | S a n J o a q u i n Va l l e y Ai r P ol l u t i o n C o n t ro l D i s t r i c t | C o l l i n s El e c t r i c IT Solutions | | Currie

“Word is spreading fast,” Keenan-Schmeeckle said “The marketing is really paying off for companies.” Newspaper, magazine and television coverage comes along with green certification. That media coverage has drawn the attention of U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), who planned a special trip just to tour the Frito-Lay plant after learning about its green certification. It’s not only decision-makers who like hearing about businesses going green. Consumers are increasingly basing their purchasing decisions on a company’s environmental friendliness. “You’ve got to meet the market where it is,” Keenan-Schmeeckle said. APRIL 2015

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Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS


CO M MUNI TY DEVELO PMENT

RIBBON CUTTINGS

BELFOR PROPERTY RESTORATION 641 Glass Lane Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 577-1237 www.belforusa.com

MONEY

IN YOUR POCKET American AgCredit members earned $39 million in cash dividends for 2014, for a total of more than $250 million since 2006.

EXTREME PITA 2001 McHenry Avenue Modesto, CA 95350 (209) 236-1038 www.extremepita.com

Call 800.800.4865 today or visit AgLoan.com TACO FIESTA CATERING 1219 N. Carpenter Road, Suite 1 Modesto, CA 95351 (209) 505-6529

A part of the Farm Credit System. Equal Opportunity Lender.

APRIL 2015 AAC_ModestoChamber_Dividend_3.75x10.25_4c.indd 1

2/23/2015 9:19:51 AM

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G O VER NMENT RELAT IONS

RAISING TAXES IS NOT REFORM By Assemblymember Kristin Oslen

It seems like every time we turn around, there is another attempt in the Capitol to raise taxes. Such proposals punish hard-working Californians, kill jobs and slow economic growth. Nevertheless, Democrat lawmakers are at it again. This time it’s a $10 billion increase disguised as “tax reform.” Tax reform is needed in California. Under the current structure, personal income taxes account KRISTIN OLSEN for 66 percent of the state’s annual tax revenue. ASSEMBLYMEMBER This means that when the economy is booming, there is a lot of money coming into the state’s coffers. However, in bad years when Californians are making less money, revenue drops sharply. This volatile structure perpetuates the boom-bust budget cycles that hurt Californians. The tough budget years of the recent past required the Legislature to slash funding for education, infrastructure, and other priorities because tax revenue dropped by billions of dollars from one year to the next. It also led to a $6 billion tax increase in the form of Proposition 30. Something must be done to stabilize tax revenues and protect Californians from the cycle of tough cuts followed by tax increases. But the “reform” that Senator Bob Hertzberg, (D-Van Nuys) proposes in Senate Bill 8 is little more than a $10 billion tax increase. Senator Hertzberg’s proposal would simply extend the sales tax to services without cutting taxes anywhere else. Thus, in addition to the taxes we already pay, his proposal would tax us another $10 billion when we do things like sign our kids up for soccer, take the car in for an oil change, call a plumber, or get a haircut.

Saddling hard-working Californians with more taxes is the wrong move, especially when so many are still struggling to find good, stable employment. We should be finding ways for Californians to keep more of their hardearned money, not seeking to have government take more. Make no mistake – the State needs a more stable and predictable source of revenue, but creating stability does not require more tax dollars. We should consider changing how and where government collects taxes, and we should do so with a commitment to keeping the amount of revenue collected at the same level and, ultimately, reducing it. Last year, Democrats and Republicans worked together to help stabilize the budgeting process by creating a Rainy Day Fund that the voters overwhelmingly approved. This fund sets aside a portion of the tax revenue generated every year that can only be spent during weak economic times. This was a good first step toward stabilizing tax revenues. The next step is to enact tax reform that will protect Californians from years of deep budget cuts and higher taxes without taking more money out of their pockets. So let’s keep the issue of tax reform on the table for the upcoming session, but let’s work to develop a solution that will help grow our economy, stabilize revenue volatility, and not burden Californians with more taxes. P Assembly Republican Leader Kristin Olsen, R-Modesto, is recognized as a solutionfocused reformer. She represents the 12th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes portions of Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. Follow her on Twitter: @KristinOlsenCA

COMM UN ITY D EVELOPM EN T

ANNOUNCEMENTS More than 300 leaders and champions of women’s heart health will join the American Heart Association’s Modesto Go Red For Women Luncheon for a day of learning and empowerment against women’s leading health threats – heart disease and stroke. Delivering the keynote will be Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz, a decorated researcher and medical professional and a champion of women’s heart health who holds many distinguished titles Friday, May 8, the Modesto Go Red For Women Luncheon will take place from 10:00am – 1:30pm at the DoubleTree Hotel – Modesto and is presented by Gallo Family Vineyards. For more information about the event or to learn how to become a sponsor, call the local office at 209-477-2683 or visit http://modestogoredluncheon.ahaevents.org/. P

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Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS


CHAMBER CALENDAR APRIL 2015

MAY 2015

1 & 15

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

6 & 20

COMMITTEE MEETING*

Modesto Chamber of Commerce 1114 J Street Time: 7:30 a.m to 9:00 a.m

Modesto Chamber of Commerce 1114 J Street Time: 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

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BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS

Data Path 318 McHenry Ave. Time: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING*

CHAMBER U - IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONAL

INTELLIGENCE IN THE WORKPLACE

Modesto Chamber of Commerce 1114 J Street Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING*

CHAMBER U- CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS

Modesto Chamber of Commerce

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ASSOCIATION/PAID SICK LEAVE **

1114 J STREET

TIME: 9:00 A.M TO 11:00 P.M

AG AWARE

16

MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE ACE PAVILION

435 COLLEGE AVENUE

TIME: 11: 30 A.M. TO 1:30 A.M.

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STANISLAUS GREEN TEAM

1114 J Street Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

LEMONADE DAY

MODESTO.LEMONADEDAY.ORG

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THROUGHOUT MODESTO

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BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

Brenda Athletic Club 200 Norwegian Ave Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Kirk Lindsey Center 1020 10th Street Plaza, Suite 102 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

COMMITTEE MEETING*

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SHOWCASE YOUR BUSINESS

Modesto Chamber of Commerce 1114 J Street Time: 12:00 p.m to 1:00 p.m

Home Oxygen, LLC, 4301 NorthStar Way, Suite C, Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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STANISLAUS GREEN TEAM

Kirk Lindsey Center 1020 10th Street Plaza, Suite 102 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

AMBASSADOR/WELCOME

Modesto Chamber of Commerce 1114 J Street Time: 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

* MEMBERS ONLY MEETINGS HELD AT THE CHAMBER 1114 J STREET PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE **INFORMATION: WWW.MODCHAMBER.ORG

To become a member of The Chamber visit us at www.modchamber.org or call our Membership Director John Villines at 209-577-5757 APRIL 2015

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COMM UN ITY D EVELOPM EN T

meeting you where you are

Left: Brian Dugo, PCA/Farmer | Right: Chad Van Houten, CPA

When business moves fast, trust the professionals at Grimbleby Coleman to keep you on course.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Investing in relationships for 35 years, Central Valley Community Bank has focused on investing in local businesses and the community. Our success has been built by offering personalized “Relationship Banking” for our customers and delivering financial services they deserve. We stand behind the belief that by supporting the local community with a wide range of lending products and financial services, we will grow and succeed together. Now 21 branches strong within the Valley, we thank the region for believing in us and our promise going forward is to continue advocating and investing in relationships to help our communities thrive.

Contact us today at 209-527-4220 or gccpas.net. it’s the people behind the numbers.

HEALTH PLAN OF SAN JOAQUIN (HPSJ) CEO TESTIFIES ON HEALTH COSTS UPSURGE HPSJ CEO Amy Shin testified in February before the California Senate Health Committee hearing on “Making Health Care Affordable: What’s Driving Costs?” HPSJ serves nearly 300,000 Medi-Cal recipients in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. “It’s been increasingly difficult to control costs because the health plan has no control over two major costs -- inpatient services and pharmaceuticals,” she said. “Drug prices are going up, stretching already thin budgets for many local health plans covering low-income families. With a 27 percent increase in generic drug prices these last two years, Medi-Cal plans like ours are hit hard by high-priced specialty drugs.” The only public health plan CEO invited to appear, Shin attributed her invitation “to the perseverance and achievements of the entire HPSJ team as they work to keep costs low while maintaining superior health care for our growing membership.”

Please join us for the Golf for a Mission Tournament to benefit

Modesto Gospel Mission on April 20, 2015.

800-44-Mocse www.Mocse.org

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Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS

We will have a great day of golf at the beautiful Spring Creek Golf & Country Club in Ripon, CA. The event will include a 4-person scramble, box lunch and awards receptions following the golf. Check out some of our great prizes: Hole-in-One wins a car from Modesto Toyota. Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive Contests - Winners to receive two tickets to one of the following sports events anywhere in the US: NFL, NBA, NASCAR, MLB, NHL or PGA event. Four-Shot Shootout - $50,000! Register now at www.GolfForAMission.org and remember to invite your friends to play. Sponsorship opportunities also available at that website. P


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COMM UN ITY D EVELOPM EN T

PAID SICK LEAVE LAW IN CALIFORNIA WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU AS AN EMPLOYER?

Effective January 1, 2015 ALL employers must post a Paid Sick Leave Notice in their place of business. Effective July 1, 2015, ALL employers, both public and private, will be required to provide paid sick leave to all of their employees, with a few exceptions (unionized workers, home health care providers and airline flight crews). WHAT DOES AB 1522 MEAN FOR EMPLOYEES?

Under AB 1522, ALL employees who work in California for 30 or more days in a calendar year, will earn paid sick leave at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked! This accrual method begins as of 7/1/15 and employees must be allowed to use any accrued time after 90 days of employment. In the summer, the average student loses approximately one month’s worth of learning. Did you know that we have over 3,000 Clubs with summer programs? Open the Door for the Kids of Stanislaus County at http://bgc-stanislaus.org/

Your Benefits Plan...Your Way.

Employers will be allowed to limit an employee’s use of paid sick days to three (3) days per year. Another option to the accrual method described above is to give employees all of their paid sick leave up front. This has been called “front loading” “the lump sum method” or “granted leave”. In each case, employers are permitted to grant three or more days of paid sick leave at the start of the year to their employees to avoid the administrative burdens of tracking accrual and carry over. WHEN CAN EMPLOYEES USE AB 1522?

Employees can use AB 1522 to take paid leave for themselves or a family member for preventive care or care of an existing health condition or for specified purposes if they are a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. WHAT’S THE GOOD NEWS?

Employers are not required to pay out accrued sick time at termination. California Employers Association is here to assist you in navigating this new law. We can assist you in developing a Paid Sick Leave Policy that fits your company’s needs. By July 1, 2015 you will be informed and ready to address this new law with your employees and in your employee handbook. P Register for the April 14th Modesto Workshop at: California Employers Association www.employers.org 800.399.5331

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Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS


N ETW ORKIN G & REFERRALS

NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS ANDREA’S SKIN CARE & BODY THERAPY

HERITAGE FORD

Andrea Stein

2100 Sisk Road

4825 Stratos Way

Modesto, CA 95350

Modesto, CA 95356

209.524.5110

209.765.4967

www.hertiagefordmodesto.com

www.andreas-skincare-bodytherapy.com

Automotive Dealers – New & Used

Robert Ange

Skin Care

LYONESS INTERNATIONAL Commercial Lenders and Stanislaus County Branch Managers pictured (from top): Roxanna Smith, Elisa Luna, Mike Petrucelli, Ron Davenport, Susan Quigley, Julie Alves, Patrick Burda, Peter Brown, Cathy Ghan, Teddi Lowry, Sylvia Orozco, Dianna Bettencourt, Mike Garcia, Lupe Rodriguez, and Susan Hartless.

Come home to Oak Valley and experience community banking at its best ~ the perfect blend of old-fashioned personal service and technology-driven conveniences to meet your every need.

DEANGELOS JEWELRY

Bill Ames

Tom DeAngelo

5637 Sun Glen Dr

3900 Pelandale Avenue, Suite #70

Salida, CA 95368

Modesto, CA 95356

209.602.6219

209.545.0600

www.loyaltyprogram.com

www.deangelosjewelry.com

Business Couseling

Jewelers

ST. LUKE’S FAMILY PRACTICE

866.844.7500

ovcb.com

Oakdale • Sonora • Modesto • Turlock • Patterson Escalon • Ripon • Stockton • Manteca • Tracy

FARM FRESH TO YOU

Karin Hennings

Siobhan Lee

1700 McHenry Avenue

1900 Point West Way, Suite 198

Modesto, CA 95350

Sacramento, CA 95815

209-549-1057

916.802.1957

www.stlukesfp.org

www.farmfreshtoyou.com

Community Service Organizations

Food Products

APRIL 2015

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ECON OMIC D EVELOPM EN T

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE B-V Insurance Services, a Modesto based insurance agency, announced the promotion of Curt Zimmerman to Vice President. Curt has been a dedicated partner with B-V Insurance for nearly four years and has extensive experience in the commercial insurance business helping clients with liability protection, workers compensation and employee benefit programs. He has constantly CURT ZIMMERMAN surpassed sales goals and helped us earn a reputation as a trusted and reliable source to protect our clients throughout California. In assuming his new duties as Vice President, Curt will oversee the operations of the agency in addition to being responsible for training new associates. The wealth of knowledge and strategizing to help employers will continue to enhance our position as a leading insurance provider in California.

KELLY MANTEL

Kelly Mantel is a skilled creative strategist, passionate about customer success. He drives marketing efforts at Datapath , with responsibility in brand management, product development and strategic planning. Prior to joining the Datapath team, he spent nearly 10 years in the financial sector with roles in campaign ideation, brand development and lead generation.

Kelly also has agency experience where his innovative perspective allowed him to work with such brands as US Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Ocwen Financial, Avocados From Mexico, several municipal utilities and multiple regional mortgage lenders and credit unions. While he is passionate about creative and campaign development, Kelly also enjoys being involved in the community with efforts that impact arts and culture, economic empowerment and poverty alleviation. P

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Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS


YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY ENERGY CAREERS EXPERIENCE PROGRAM (ECEP)

Celebrating

50 Years!

By Rachel Cox, MPH Project Manager

In late 2012 the Great Valley Center (Modesto) and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) came together to develop an innovative approach to engage hard-to-reach and traditionally underserved utility customers. The plan was simple: leverage Great Valley Center’s long history of leadership development and PG&E’s numerous energy experts to create an internship program; the interns, with the right training and guidance, would become self-sufficient and capable of directing their newfound energy efficiency knowledge toward those customers. What started in early 2013 in Modesto and Merced with a focus on agriculture quickly grew to include Stockton and Madera by mid-year. The expansion to Stockton also spurred an effort across all locations to cross-train interns to serve small and medium businesses – customers which are so numerous PG&E often does not have enough account representatives to assign to each. By mid-2014 the program expanded to Fresno County and parts of Kings and Tulare, which are served by PG&E. By mid-year of 2015 the program will be in all eight counties of the San Joaquin Valley with plans currently underway to expand into Kern County. Since 2013 the program has trained 21 interns – all of which are paid positions. Together, these interns have already contributed over 12,000 hours to building relationships with agricultural customers and small businesses while assisting them to reach their energy goals. Their primary duties include performing no cost energy assessments for customers and providing information about rebates and other incentives. ECEP interns have also had the opportunity to participate in training events at PG&E’s Energy Training Centers and use the skills gained during the internship to fulfill larger roles. One intern is now a staff member with Rising Sun Energy Center’s Youth Programs in Stockton and two interns have been promoted to regular staff at Great Valley Center. After two years, here is what we have learned: These interns are really good at their job. Being new to the industry, they take the time to learn about the businesses they serve and how best to serve them. Whether it be through feeling out the organization to determine the person best suited to make decisions about energy efficiency, or simply triumphing through persistence, the interns have been invaluable. We have also learned that the program is like an old Mercedes engine: there are not many moving parts. It is simple to set up and scale, and it his highly efficient. The program runs year-round with recruitment occurring during the first few months of the year and ramping up to full staffing in the summer months. Many interns remain onboard into the following year to help train the next cohort of interns. Recruitment for the third cohort is currently underway in all eight counties of the San Joaquin Valley. P

Mobile

In Branch

Web

ATM

Personal & Business Banking the Way YOU Want It.

You Define Service. We Deliver It. Since 1965

For more information about the ECEP program, please contact Rachel Cox at rachel@ greatvalley.org or (209) 522-5103 ext. 101. This program is funded by California utility customers and administered by PG&E under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

bankbac.com

Member FDIC

APRIL 2015

17


GUEST COLUMN WHY JOIN THE REACON TEAM By Linden Coffee, American Recycling Senior Sales Representative

American Recycling has been a proud sponsor and member of Stanislaus County’s REACON Team since its inception in 2013. The goal of the REACON (which stands for Recycling Energy Air CONservation) Team is to promote lowering the cost of doing business in Stanislaus County through environmental stewardship. Ultimately, our team wants to visit as many businesses in the county as possible and award them with our Green Certification. LINDEN COFFEE AMERICAN RECYCLING SENIOR SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Being a sponsor of the REACON Team has several benefits. Representing the “Recycling” arm of the REACON Team, American Recycling has greatly expanded our brand awareness in the community. Our involvement in this outreach program has put us directly in front of the decision makers of the businesses the REACON Team visits. To be clear, a REACON appointment at a local business is NOT a sales call for American Recycling or any other sponsor on the team. However, every sponsor has the opportunity to exchange contact information with a person of influence within that company. This connection is invaluable!

BE RECOGNIZED BE ENTERTAINING BE COMFORTABLE BELONG. FIND OUT WHAT SENIOR LIVING WAS MEANT TO BE

Dale Commons Independent and Assisted Living Community

3900 Dale Road Modesto, CA 95356 209.526.2053 www.dalecommons.com RCFE #507004998

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Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS

In addition, the marketing opportunities for American Recycling are plentiful. Our name/logo is on the Stanislaus Green Team/REACON Team website, pop-up banners, and any signage that is associated with this program. When the REACON Team certifies a local business with its Green Certification, American Recycling has been there for the green ribbon cutting and the photo ops with the elected officials in our community. We could not ask for better recognition from a branding standpoint. American Recycling was a charter member of the San Joaquin REACON Team eight years ago and continues to sponsor that program. In addition, we were pleased to have an instrumental role in bringing a REACON Team to both Merced and Stanislaus Counties. Having our sales representatives be part of something this positive in our community has been beneficial for American Recycling. P


WORK IN

a series spotlighting some of our area’s most innovative and successful companies

BOYETT PETROLEUM: OIL, FA MILY, AND CHARIT Y By Alex Cantatore

It’s always been a family business. Dale Boyett, Carl’s son, is now the company’s president. He recalls a youth spent riding his bike to work at the family’s gas stations, and summers learning the business as a salesman on the road. If there’s been one constant through the company’s history, it’s their steady, constant growth. “One site at a time,” Dale Boyett said. “One customer at a time.” It’s been difficult to be an independent gas station at times, competing with the Chevrons and Exxons of the world. So Boyett Petroleum has employed several different sales tactics through the years. In 1953, the Boyetts gave away a Cadillac every three months.

Boyett parlays their operational knowledge to help the stations they sell to. The company processes back office transactions for 60 to 70 stations, and helped renovate three convenience stores.

When business is booming, advertising is the last thing on your mind. But when times get tough, an aggressive ad campaign becomes the last thing you want to spend money on. By maintaining an advertising presence through thick and thin, you can keep your business rolling, stay at the top of your customers’ minds and keep slowdowns to a minimum. Never Boring is an industry expert at creating unique, effective and affordable advertising. Find out how we can keep your business moving forward, visit us today at neverboring.com

And Boyett’s impact now stretches nationwide, through its CRUISE AmeriCard. The fleet fueling card can be used only for gasoline or vehiclerelated expenses at nearly any gas station, making it easy for fleet managers to track spending.

B r a n d i n g . S t r a t e g y. D e s i g n .

And that doesn’t begin to mention the more than 500 gas stations Boyett sells gasoline to. In total, Boyett sells 400 millions of gasoline a year – 2.5 percent of the gasoline sold statewide – to stations bearing brands like Arco, Valero, and 76.

The Boyetts find time to give back to the community, too, through their Make Dreams Real Foundation. Boyett Petroleum underwrites an annual three-site golf tournament that raises more than $250,000 per year. All proceeds go to an endowment fund, maintained by the Stanislaus Community Foundation, and 10 percent of the fund’s balance is awarded annually to Stanislaus County children’s programs. The grant funding sends kids to camp and supports about 14 local organizations.

The stigma of independent gas stations is mostly gone now. Carl Boyett notes that everyone’s gasoline is the same, made by the same refineries, and only differs in additives. Even those additives are the same, he says.

Carl Boyett won Robert J Cardoza Citizen of the year, the Chambers 101st Annual Gala Member’s Choice Award.

“They aren’t the same name, but they all do the same thing,” Carl Boyett said.

After 75 years of growth and increasing national relevancy, the company is still based in Modesto, right on McHenry Avenue. And there’s no thought of changing that.

So what sets Boyett Petroleum apart? What makes them successful? “That’s a good question,” Carl Boyett said with a smile. “We don’t know.”

(Courtesy of Never Boring)

MODESTO MEANS BUSINESS The Chamber stands by this statement. We practice it on a daily basis. As an organization, we use Chamber Members exclusively. We hope we can ‘count on you’ to practice using Chamber Members to meet all of your business needs. You can find new and current members online at www.ModChamber.org. Progress Magazine is the voice of the Modesto Chamber of Commerce, and the leading business publication in Stanislaus County. For more information or advertising info call (209) 526-9136. neverboring.com

The business got its start in the years following World War II, when members of the Boyett family became partners in several local gas stations. In the 1950s the family’s reach grew, as they became involved in the Barbour chain of gas stations. And in 1962, the Boyett family bought a chain of their own.

SERVICE WHEN YOU NEED IT

“That’s where we live,” Carl Boyett said.

“Our credit report says we were founded in 1940, so...” Boyett Petroleum CEO Carl Boyett says with a laugh.

Dale Boyett quickly lists the appeal of Boyett’s 55 gas stations: professional, clean, trustworthy service. It’s those traits that draw consumers to Boyett’s stations, most of which are known as Cruisers following a huge rebranding effort that Dale Boyett calls “the hardest thing we ever did.”

© Never Boring

It depends on how you count, a bit, but 1940 officially marks the 75th anniversary of Boyett Petroleum.

Visit www.makedreamsrealgolf.com for more information on the Make Dreams Real Golf Tournament. P APRIL 2015

19


ST AN IS LA US GREEN T EAM

BEING GREEN KEEPS GETTING EASIER By Anthony Presto, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District

As we celebrate Earth Day for the 45th time, the reason behind it becomes clearer with each passing year. However, we do need an occasional reminder of how important it is to be good stewards. Thirty years ago, businesses in the San Joaquin Valley were responsible for about 80 percent of our air pollution, while motor ANTHONY PRESTO vehicles made up only about 20 percent. Over SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY the past several years Valley businesses have AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT invested more than $40 billion to ensure they operate as cleanly as possible, and the result has been real, quantifiable improvements in our Valley’s air quality. Today the roles have reversed, with businesses producing only about 20 percent of our air pollution and motor vehicles about 80 percent. Yet, businesses still play a vital role in cleaning the Valley’s air. This is why the Valley Air District supports the Stanislaus Green Team and the entire Green Team concept for the San Joaquin Valley.

Incentives throughout the Valley, geared toward saving energy and water, and reducing pollution, help make being “green” easier than ever. In addition to saving money by adopting air-friendly practices, businesses are also more competitive, demonstrating to customers and colleagues a true commitment to helping the community and protecting public health. The Valley Air District has several incentive programs to ensure that Valley businesses have resources to help upgrade equipment, switch over to cleaner vehicles, and retrofit devices to speed up pollution reduction and in turn provide for a better quality of life for Valley residents. Although Earth Day is celebrated just once a year, we can all be making decisions every day to improve air quality and in turn the quality of life for Valley residents. For more information about Valley Air District grants visit www.valleyair.org. P

REACON Team Investors

Radiators • Aluminum • Scrap Appliances Tin • Stainless Steel • Scrap Iron • Copper Brass • Cardboard • E-Waste • Batteries MODESTO JUNK CO. Recycling Center 1425 9th Street Downtown Modesto

209-522-1435 Se Habla Español

Green Sponsors

www.modestojunk.com

StanislausGreenTeam.com For more information contact Rikki Keenan Schmeeckle at 209.577.5757 or at RKeenan@ModChamber.org

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8am-4:30pm • Sat. 9am-3pm Free bins and hauling for commercial and industrial customers. 20

Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS


Prime Shine Car Wash presents:

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY ...a series spotlighting entrepreneurial achievement

Name: James Dempsey Business: IT Solutions|Currie

Do you have any particular history that has contributed to helping you achieve your goals?

What is the history of IT Solutions|Currie?

I had the good fortune of working for the original owners of ComputerWare – David Sahl, and Gary and Jeanette Robinson. Their original business ethics and values were instilled into me very early on, and still represent the foundation upon which ITSolutions|Currie operates. Furthermore, my first business partners, Glen Davis and Jeff Sacchini (founders of Piranha Produce), set superb examples for how one was to behave and carry oneself as a business partner. I had very good mentors.

ITSolutions|Currie sprung to life 35 years ago within a bedroom at David Sahl’s home, operating under the name ComputerWare. At that time, the company was focused on selling and supporting computers, printers, and software, and the internet as we currently know it did not exist. In 1987, ComputerWare hired me, James Dempsey, as the resident snot-nosed kid who could type like the wind. Little did they know that I would come back in later years and become one of the senior partners. As the years passed, the tech industry changed dramatically and we began doing business as ITSolutions, focusing our attention on what we were best at – consulting and helping businesses leverage technology. In 2009, Dave and James met with Chris Currie, a successful local competitor of 15 years, and ITSolutions|Currie was born. A few of years ago, sales guru Melissa Barry became the 4th pillar in the ownership team. For 35 years, ITSolutions|Currie has remained one of the largest and most successful technology consulting, sales, and implementation companies in the California Central Valley. How does the company differ from when it started? We thrive in a fascinating industry that seems to evolve and change daily. While our core values have remained the same – integrity, service excellence, respect, reliability – we have completely reinvented the methods used to deliver services and technology repeatedly. Currently, we leverage remote asset monitoring, automated, scripted issue resolution, and cloud services heavily. Much of the actual technical work we do can be accomplished remotely using advanced tools. Likewise, our sales consulting and project teams are light years ahead of where we began. 35 years ago, many of these tools simply didn’t exist. How many employees do you have? Are there any other family members involved, and if yes, what are their roles? We currently have 28 employees and though not blood related, we are like family. We have people that have worked here for 30 years. Are you originally from this area? If not, where are you from and how did you come to the area? My family moved from the big city, or so San Jose seemed at the time, to Modesto in 1981. My parents thought my brothers and I needed to experience country life, so at the age of 15 I found myself milking goats twice a day – quite a change from sprinting across Capitol Expressway daily to get to Jr. High School. I attended Ceres High School and graduated in 1985. When you were younger what goals did you set for yourself and why? I did not attend college. My brothers went into the military, and I went to work. I learned quickly that a good work ethic, integrity, and a little competence can carry a person far. My early life was less about structured goals and more about just wanting to be a good person who worked hard and supported the people around me.

What challenges have you had to overcome in your professional life? How did you do so? In 2009, we merged two companies with dissimilar cultures, moved both into a newly purchased and renovated office, and implemented entirely new line-ofbusiness software and business processes. Any one of those things can put a business at risk if not closely managed. To make things more interesting, that same year, 2009, also represented the beginning of what we all recognized as financially challenging times. A lot of competitors closed their doors for good. We tightened our belts, worked closely with our clients and employees, many of whom were also struggling, and weathered the storm by keeping a firm, steady hand on the management tiller. What is the single biggest reason you have achieved the level of success that you have? The measure of a man (or a company) isn’t how they react during smooth sailing and in public, it is how they react during difficult times, and when no one is looking. We take ethics very seriously. Our mission is to make our clients as successful as possible and, through their success, be successful ourselves. What do you like about your job? There is nothing static about technology. The highly dynamic nature scares some people, but I love it. That said, it is the people that make it all worthwhile. Because we tend to form close business-to-business relationships with our clients, I get to interact closely with a lot of very smart folks. What advice do you have for business people when it comes to achieving their goals? If you are a local business, then get out there and get involved in the local community. These are the people you are doing business with, after all. If your client’s businesses are strong, then yours will be strong in turn. We all support each other. Maintain high standards, and never waiver from your ethics. What do you like about doing business in the Modesto community, and why do you think it is the Land of Opportunity? I love this community. My family and my company have called it home for many, many years. I can’t count the number of people and organizations I have seen grow and prosper here. My partners and I believe in supporting local businesses. Spending money locally helps all of us. We believe in working together to support our community. We believe that this it the perfect place for families to raise children, prosper, and live their lives. We believe in Modesto and the Central Valley.

Prime Shine Car Wash is proud to present The Land of Opportunity. Each month this series provides a forum in which to showcase the entrepreneurial achievements of a Stanislaus County business owner. Prime Shine Car Wash is proud to recognize the entrepreneurʼs ability to overcome obstacles and to honor their successes in their industry and in the community.

For information on how The Principal can help give you an edge, contact the Modesto Business Center. ®

Peter Adamakis . . . . . . . .0C26584 CA LIC Joel Balam . . . . . . . . . . . . 0F12164 CA LIC James Barton . . . . . . . . . . 0634809 CA LIC Mark Cook . . . . . . . . . . . 0558996 CA LIC Laura Corona . . . . . . . . . OD9482 CA LIC Angelo Giannosa . . . . . . . 0B50859 CA LIC David Gingerich . . . . . . . . 0F58373 CA LIC Morgan Gregg . . . . . . . . 0H07200 CA LIC Robert Hicks . . . . . . . . . .0C53145 CA LIC

Financial Services Representatives 800-458-1257 www.principal.com/northerncalifornia

Tyler Johnson . . . . . . . . . . 0J01921 CA LIC Vicky Johnson . . . . . . . . . 0E97436 CA LIC Mark Kleiderlein . . . . . . . 0538946 CA LIC Morgan Kleiderlein . . . . . 0I95002 CA LIC Daniel Murphy . . . . . . . .0C89776 CA LIC David Reynolds . . . . . . . . 0E60154 CA LIC Sandy Sutton . . . . . . . . . . 0553201 CA LIC Nick Tidwell . . . . . . . . . 0H50805 CA LIC

©2015. Principal Financial Services, Inc.Insurance products from the Principal Financial Group® are issued by Principal National Life Insurance Company (except in New York) and Principal Life Insurance Company. Securities offered through Princor Financial Services Corporation, (800) 247-1737, member SIPC. Principal National, Principal Life, and Princor® are members of the Principal Financial Group, Des Moines, IA 50392. AD2071-08 | t14062702ka APRIL 2015

21


We Make the Connection the right: PEOPLE the right: SKILLS the right: JOB

209.527.7878

WE’RE SOCIAL...

FOLLOW US ON YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES • HR CONSULTING • EXECUTIVE SEARCH • TEMPORARY STAFFING • DIRECT HIRE • TEMP TO HIRE • HEALTHCARE STAFFING

Stanislaus Business Alliance &

The Stanislaus Business Forum present

Cyber Security: Protect Your Business From Cyber Threats Keynote Speaker David M. Nelson

FDIC Examination Specialist

© neverboring.com

Washington DC

David is an innovator in cyber intelligence, cyber threat analysis, and risk management. He will be speaking about cyber security and financial fraud protection and how it relates to your business.

Thursday

March 26th, 2015 8:30am - 10:30am

Brenden Theater 1021 10th Street Modesto, CA 95354

Register

http://bit.ly/1B5utyX

AllianceSBDC.com | 209.567.4910 | HogwoodP@StanAlliance.com

The ALLIANCE Small Business Development Center is an affiliate of the UC Merced Small Business Development Center regional Network and is partially funded by: Stanislaus Economic Development & Workforce Alliance; University of California, Merced: and the U.S. Small Business Administration. This is a partnership program under the current Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the University of California, Merced. Reasonable accommodations will be made, upon request, for handicapped individuals.

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Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS


ED ITORIAL

NO MORE FOOD WASTE!

By Tiffany Abend, Corporate Sustainability Manager of Crystal Creamery with help from Wendi Shaf ir, Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Materials Management Coordinator of the US Environmental Protection Agency I recently saw a statistic on Twitter that really has stuck out in my mind, “It takes three weeks for Americans to waste as much food as we donate to food banks all year.” But yet, 1 in 6 people in America are food insecure*. Can we challenge ourselves to balance out this equation and just how can we do that?

The Challenge follows the Food Recovery Hierarchy (pictured). First and foremost, prevention of food waste is shown as the most preferred method followed by donation of wholesome food. Food scraps that cannot be donated for human consumption can be considered for animal feed, industrial uses such as anaerobic digestion, or compost. These diversion tactics are all more favorable from a social, environmental, and (in most all cases) an economic standpoint than sending that food waste to a landfill. In 2013, FRC participants diverted over 375,000 tons of unwanted food from landfill, including 98,293 tons of donated food. There are also many things that all of us can do as consumers to prevent food waste such as grocery meal planning and ensuring that food is eaten before the expiration date. Also, be knowledgeable about “sell by” versus “expiration” dates for food items in your home. P For more tips I encourage you to visit the Food Recovery Challenge website: http://www.epa.gov/foodrecoverychallenge/

FE E D HUNG RY PE O PL E FE E D ANI MAL S INDUSTRIAL USES COMPOSTING INCINERATION & LANDFILL

L ea st Prefer red

The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s has created the Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) to address these issues. The program challenges organizations such as restaurants, grocery stores, institutions, sports and entertainment venues, hospitality businesses, and food producers to reduce the food waste they generate and to donate or compost any excess food or food scraps. It provides participants with valuable resources such as: educational webinars, technical tools, advice, and recognition. Crystal Creamery has reported for the last two years and we encourage other San Joaquin businesses to do the same!

SOURCE REDUCTION

M ost Preferred

By making small changes in food management practices, companies can reduce climate change impacts, feed hungry people, and save money—a triple bottom line sustainability success story! TIFFANY ABEND

FOOD RECOVERY HIERARCHY

M O RE FACTO IDS F o o d w a s t e n o w re p re s e n t s t h e s i n g l e l arge st c at e go r y o f m a t e r i a l s s e n t t o l a n d f i l l s i n t h e U . S. Gl o bal l y, n e ar l y o n e - t h i rd o f t h e f o o d p ro d u c e d f o r h u man c o n su mpt i o n i s l o s t o r w a s t e d , w h i c h w o u l d b e e n o u gh t o fe e d a p p ro x i m a t e l y 2 b i l l i o n p e o p l e w o r l d wi de , an d ac c o u n t s f o r 6- 10 p e rc e n t o f h u m a n - g e n e r a t e d g re e n h o u se gase s. A l o t o f f o o d t h a t w e t h ro w o u t i s s a f e , w h o l e so me f o o d t h a t c o u l d p o t e n t i a l l y f e e d m i l l i on s o f Ame r i c an s. Mo s t u n e a t e n f o o d g o e s i n t o l a n d f i l l s , w h e re i t ro t s a n d g e n e r a t e s m e t h a n e , a p o t e n t g re e n h o u se gas. It i s e s t i m a t e d t h a t 40% o f t h e f o o d i n t h e U n i t e d S t at e s go e s u n e a t e n . T h a t a m o u n t s t o 20 p o u n d s o f fo o d pe r pe r so n e v e r y m o n t h , a n d e n o u g h f o o d t o f i l l a n e n t i re c o l l e ge f o o t b a l l s t a d i u m e v e r y d a y.

*Food insecurity is the term used to describe those individuals that lack reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food

APRIL 2015

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C O M M U NI TY D EVELOP MENT

MEDIA DAY

By Maria Lopez, Center of Human Resources

Leadership Modesto’s Media Day started off strong with a visit to Never Boring Design on 14th Street, Modesto. At Never Boring we were greeted by Julie Orona, Leadership Modesto Day Chair/Steering Committee Member and co-owner of Never Boring Design; Alex Cantatore, Never Boring’s Copywriter; Kit Lloyd, Never Boring’s Marketing Director; and the owner and MARIA LOPEZ founder of Never Boring Design, David LEADERSHIP MODESTO Boring. Through the wisdom of Never 14-15 Boring’s Staff, our class was presented with information about the collective channels of social media, branding and marketing. Did you know that one out of every six minutes is spent on social networking? This was among many things we learned. After considering all the information presented to us, we were put to the test. Our leadership class went through a group activity to develop a marketing gimmick for Google’s driverless car. My group came up with “Drive-time Redefined.” Clever, right? David Boring also shared his journey to establishing Never Boring Design and how it has become a successful business that assists the community with branding and design, marketing, advertising and public relations, film and multimedia, social media and more.

Perception was a consistent topic and eventually led our leadership class to a discussion on the new show “American Crime ,”based in Modesto. We had a great conversation on what impact this might have for our community. Next, we went to The Modesto Bee where we met with Ken Riddick, Publisher and Joe Kieta, Editor. They both spoke to how the Modesto Bee is keeping up with our digital world. Joe stated that the Bee has a project underway that will focus on really understanding how their customers get information. They will continue to strategize and make the best use of their resources. To wrap-up our time with Ken and Joe, they challenged us to a group activity. We were presented a series of headlines and asked to determine the top five. The top selected headlines were going to form part of Saturday’s Modesto Bee line-up. Media Day ended with a visit to iHeart Radio where we met Greg Cobb, Advertising Sales Manager and Lisa Gotelli, Senior Account Executive. iHeart Radio is one of the largest broadcasting companies in the world—bringing in around 245 million listeners cross-country. In the end, two of our very own, Christina Postma and Samantha Wookey, were put in the “hot seat” and interviewed by Trevor Carey, Power Talk 1360am/1280pm Radio. It was a great day! P COMM UN ITY D EVELOPM EN T

We also got to meet Carlos Rodriguez, the man behind Central Valley TV (which is a great source for keeping up on local breaking news). Carlos shared his goals for selecting topics to report. He indicated his main focus is customer service and maintaining his responsiveness to the communities of Stockton all the way down to Merced, as well as highlighting the positive aspects of each community. Carlos would like to expand his reach utilizing other methods and is developing an app that will push notifications; this is in the works with finalization in summer 2015. You can find him on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and at http://centralcalleytv.net.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Community Hospice Foundation presents their annual gala, Kentucky Derby, at the home Dr. and Mrs. Darius and Carla Naraghi, Saturday, May 2, 2015. Cocktails: 5 p.m. Dinner: 7 p.m. The event features live music, dinner, hosted bar and dancing. All proceeds will benefit the patients and families of Community Hospice. Community Hospice Foundation, established in 2001, raises funds and awareness for Community Hospice, fulfilling the mission of providing care and support to those in need, regardless of their ability to pay. Since 1979, Community Hospice has provided compassionate care, comfort and support to terminally ill patients and their families. Today, Community Hospice provides care to over 240 patients every day in private homes, skilled nursing facilities and in the Alexander Cohen Hospice House. To reserve tickets or for more information please contact Community Hospice Foundation at (209) 578-6370 or visit www.hospiceheart. org/events. Tickets for the gala are $150 per person. Sponsorship opportunities available.

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Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS

P


N ETW ORKIN G & REFERRALS

{ MARCH } B U SINE SS

BEFORE H OURS

Business Before Hours hosted by: ROBERT HALF

{ MARCH } BUSINESS

AFTER H OU R S

Business Before Hours hosted by: DALE COMMONS

Dale Commons Robert Half

Dale Commons

Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm. Founded in 1948, the company currently has seven divisions, including: OfficeTeam, the world’s leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled office and administrative professionals; Accountemps, the world’s first and largest specialized temp agency for accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals; Robert Half Finance & Accounting and Robert Half Management Resources, for temporary, full-time and senior-level project professionals, in the fields of accounting and finance; Robert Half Technology, for information technology professionals; Robert Half Legal, for temporary, project and full-time staffing of attorneys, paralegals and legal support personnel; and The Creative Group, which specializes in placing design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals.

Dale Commons is dedicated to offering a true sense of belonging to seniors and their families. It’s a feeling you’ll notice the moment you’re invited to “make yourself at home” and continues through every thoughtful, personal detail. As part of the WESTliving family, they understand the importance of world-class service. In fact, they even have a name for it: WESTclass service. They hire carefully and train extensively. The result? Team Members who are empowered to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those they serve. They are inspired to anticipate your next need – before you even know you have a next need. P Business Before Hours, Business After Hours and Showcase Your Business, call today to book yours! 209.577.5757

Robert Half currently has over 400 locations worldwide and celebrated more than 15 years on Fortune Magazine’s list of “Most Admired Companies”. P

Our Gears are always spinninG

The Parks Group has many “gears” to help power your projects. We provide everything in-house — graphic design, web & mobile development, branded merchandise, printing & bindery, wide format, mailing, fulfillment & warehousing. Multiple solutions from a single source!

The

PARKS GROUP 209.576.2568 theparksG.cOm Modesto: 209.576.2568 1515 Tenth Street, Modesto, CA 95354 Stockton: 209.466.9026 445 W. Weber Ave, Suite 124A, Stockton, CA 95203

APRIL 2015

25


N E TW OR K I NG & REFERRALS

PRESIDENT’S CLUB CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE

PLATINUM LEVEL

SILVER LEVEL

English Oaks Nursing &

Prompt Staffing

E. & J. Gallo Winery

AT&T

Kaiser Permanente

Acme Construction Company, Inc.

First Choice Physician Partners

Rabobank

Walmart

American Chevrolet

Flowers Baking Co. of Modesto, LLC

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

American Medical Response

F & M Bank

Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. Rocha Transportation

Walmart Neighborhood Market

Rehabilitation Hospital

D.B.A Courtesy Staffing

Aramark Uniform Services

Gabriel Fine Jewelers

DIAMOND LEVEL

Atherton & Associates, LLP

Galletto Ristorante

Rogers Jewelry Company

Beard Land and Investment Co.

BIAlytics

Gianelli & Associates

San Joaquin Valley College

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

Gilton Solid Waste Management, Inc.

Smile Shine Family Dental

Brandman University, Chapman

Grimbleby Coleman CPAs, Inc.

Seven Up Bottling Corporation

Grover Landscape Services, Inc.

Solecon Industrial Contractors

Capax-Giddings, Corby, Hynes, Inc. Doctors Behavioral Health CenterDMC

University System

Doctors Medical Center-DMC

Brunn & Flynn

Harris Moran Seed Company

Solar City

Frito-Lay Company, Inc.

California State University, Stanislaus

Heald College

Solid Networks, Inc.

Central Sanitary Supply Co.

I.J. Larsen Pumps, Inc.

Stanislaus Distributing

Modesto & Empire Traction Co.

Central Valley Ag Grinding

Infiniti of Modesto

Stanislaus Food Products Company

Pacific Southwest Container

Central Valley Autism Project Inc

Institute of Technology

Physician Referral Service-DMC

Central Valley Automotive

International Paper Company

Central Valley Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge

JS West & Company

Central Valley Nissan

Kaplan College

5.11, Inc.

Central Valley Volkswagen Hyundai

Lion Fusion Express

Bank of the West

Central Valley Medical Group

Mercer Foods

Crystal Creamery

Central Valley Specialty Hospital

Mike's Knock Out Burger & Rays

DoubleTree Hotel

Children’s Hospital Central California

Bar-B-Que

Evergreen Nursing & Rehabilitation

Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino

Mocse Credit Union

Clark Pest Control

Modesto Commerce Bank

Fiscallini Cheese Company

COIT Services Inc.

Modesto Toyota

Flowers Baking Co. of Modesto, LLC

Collins Electrical

The Modesto Bee

Memorial Medical Center

Comcast

Oak Valley Community Bank

Modesto Irrigation District

Comforcare Home Care Services

O’Brien’s Market

Modesto Nuts Professional Baseball

Concordia Claims Managers

Pacific Gas & Electric Company

RACOR, Division of Parker

Covanta Stanislaus, Inc.

Panelized Structures Inc.

MedAmerica Billing Services, Inc.

GOLD LEVEL

Care Center

Damrell, Nelson, Schrimp, Pallios,

Papa John’s

Save Mart Supermarkets

Pepsi Bottling Group

Seneca Foods, LLC

DeAngelos Jewelry

PMZ Real Estate

Sysco Food Services of

Del Monte Foods

Post Foods, LLC

Delta Sierra Beverage

Prime Shine Car Wash

Hannifin Corporation

Central California

Taco Bell

Pacher & Silva

Stanislaus Surgical Hospital Storer Coachways SunOpta Aseptic, Inc. Sutter Gould Medical Foundation Turlock Irrigation District Union Bank US Bank Uno Chicago Grill Valley First Credit Union Valley Lexus-BMW Vintage Faire Mall W.H. Breshears, Inc. Warden’s Office Products Center Warden’s Office Furniture Outlet Winton-Ireland, Strom & Green

Insurance Agency

Yosemite Meat Company, Inc.

The Eberhardt School of Business

Celebrating Over 50 Years Of Quality Care * Registered Nurses 24/7 * Long Term and Short Term Quality Care * 175 Bed Skilled Nursing Facility * Pleasant Environment * Inviting and Stimulating Social Activities * Inpatient & Outpatient Physical Therapy * Inpatient & Outpatient Occupational Therapy * Speech Therapy * Respiratory Therapy

26

Modesto Chamber of Commerce I PROGRESS

* Specialty Dining Menus * Pharmaceutical Services * Intravenous Therapy * Incontinence Service * Wound and Skin Care * Medicare Part A & B * Medi-Cal * Other Insurances Welcome * Family Owned & Operated for over 50 Years

Engaged in your Care & your Life 209.577.1055 2030 Evergreen Ave. Modesto, CA 95350 www.evergreencare.com Fax: 209. 550. 3615


WE’VE MOVED! Valley Heart Institute is now conveniently located across from Doctors Medical Center, in the heart of Modesto.

Visit our new offices at:

1540 Florida Avenue Modesto, CA 95350 209-577-5557

cial r our offi Join us fo ing and tt ribbon cu e on s o h open u rting at ta s , April 29 6:00 PM

For physician referral call 888-284-6641, or to find out your risk for heart disease, visit valleyheartinstitute.com


ACTUALLY, GETTING LOTS OF EMAILS CAN LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE. Our members can email directly with their doctor’s office, which in turn allows them to spend more working time in your office.

DISCOVER A BETTER WAY kp.org/choosebetter


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