Chamber Connection (August 2020)

Catalyst. Convener. Champion.

Chamber Connection

SANTA M ARIA VALLE Y CHA MB E R MONTHLY NE WSLE T TE R | AUG US T 2020

Chamber Encourages Support of Santa Maria Valley Businesses to Help Keep Local Community Strong

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce has launched the "Support Santa Maria Valley" campaign to encourage the community to continue supporting local businesses. The bi-lingual campaign highlights local businesses through digital ads, radio and TV spots, and more.

When you support Santa Maria Valley's businesses today, you are helping ensure a strong local community tomorrow. That’s the message behind the “Support Santa Maria Valley” campaign launched by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought countless challenges to our local business community,” explained Glenn Morris, President/CEO of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. “Our organization felt it was critical to remind the community of the importance in continuing to support local businesses.”

The campaign features a variety of local businesses and highlights the many benefits of supporting local. The Chamber hopes community members will see the messaging as a friendly reminder to continue to patron local businesses in the Santa Maria Valley who need their support now, more than ever.

“When you shop at your favorite local business, you create a snowball effect,” explained Emily Kitts, Owner of Naughty Oak Brewing Company and featured in the Support Santa Maria Valley campaign.

“Local businesses keep much of their money in the community by working with

other local vendors, so your dollars end up supporting several local entities.”

Kitts and her husband Steve have owned and operated Naughty Oak Brewing Company for a number of years in Orcutt, and said community support for local businesses stretches beyond the single business you shop at.

“Local businesses are very inclined to invest in the community where they live and work. By shopping at your favorite local business, you help boost your local economy, supporting improvements to create a strong, Continued on p.2

WHAT ' S INSIDE : AUGUS T 2020 ISSUE

Support Santa Maria Valley Campaign p. 2

Leadership Santa Maria Valley p. 3-4

Chamber Month in Review p. 9

Continued - Support Santa Maria Valley Businesses Continued from p.1

Steven and Emily Kitts, Owners of Naughty Oak Brewery in Orcutt, say that the community's support of their business is now more important than ever because of the uncertain times and changing regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. safe and healthy community.”

Teresa Paredes, Owner of Maya Mexican Restaurant in Santa Maria, says she loves that owning her own business allows her to help support other local businesses.

“My business supports our local community by buying the majority of our ingredients and products from local vendors,” Paredes explained. “From my produce to seasonings to even meats. We also donate a lot to our community by hosting fundraisers and sponsor different local organizations for good causes.”

Sandra Dickerson, CEO of Your People Professionals, agrees supporting local is a win for everyone in our community.

“Local businesses provide the financial support for our community, through wages, taxes and community contributions,” she explained. “Supporting them supports all of us.”

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is encouraging more local businesses and community members to get involved in the campaign by using the hashtag #SMVOpenForBusiness when promoting local businesses on Facebook and Instagram, so the Chamber can share their content with the community. You can also find local businesses to support at the Chamber’s 2

online business directory at santamaria. com/list.

“The Santa Maria Valley community is strong because we have always been able to come together and help one another in times of need,” Morris said. “While continuing to practice good hygiene, wearing a mask and social distancing, we ask that our community come together and continue to

show their support for our local businesses.

Supporting local businesses will help ensure the Santa Maria Valley remains a great place to live, work and play.”

Learn more about the Support Santa Maria Valley Campaign by visiting santamaria.com/support-santa-mariavalley.

Shannon Seifert, CEO of the Santa Maria Valley YMCA, poses at their outdoor pool during a swim fitness class. Supporting local organizations like the YMCA means you are supporting businesses that employ your family and friends.

Leadership Santa Maria Valley Graduates Class of 2020 Terri Oneschuck, Program Director, Leadership Santa Maria Valley

Thank You to our LSMV Topic Day Lunch Sponsors A special thank you to the following sponsors, who generously donated lunch during our monthly Topic Days for the 2020 LSMV program:

Members of the 25th Leadership Santa Maria Valley class celebrated an outdoor, sociallydistant graduation in June 2020. The class of 20 members did a great job of adapting their programming during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is proud to announce the graduation of the 25th Leadership Class. This class began with a retreat last August and then started their day-long topic days with a tour of Vandenberg Air Force Base in September.

The usual format of Leadership Santa Maria Valley (LSMV) is to have 10 topic days where the class hears speakers and takes tours around a specific business sector each month. However, like so many other things in 2020, that format had to change in April due to the pandemic. Instead of the traditional topic days in April, May and June, the class held a series of Zoom meetings and invited speakers to share their expertise in the fields of Sustainability, Agriculture and Leadership, which would have been explored those months.

June is the traditional time for graduations and the LSMV graduation was held in late June. We also had to re-imagine what our graduation would look like. Taking a page

from the local school districts, we decided on a drive-though graduation, which took place on the top level of the Santa Maria Town Center’s parking structure. Instead of the traditional evening reception, the class members drove past a line of LSMV and Chamber board members and received a box of cupcakes, a gift certificate to the Historic Santa Maria Inn and their framed graduation certificate. As a final stop, they got out of their car and where photographed with their certificates. Thank you to Mayor Alice Patino for joining us for the graduation and being part of the photo op.

We are very proud of this class of 20 future leaders. They continue to work on their legacy project and we look forward to celebrating the completion of their project later this year. They have shown resilience and perseverance through this pandemic. It has been a pleasure to know them and watch them build their leadership skills.

Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | August 2020

• Celeste Coelho-Hudson • CoastHills Credit Union • Community Bank of Santa Maria • Cubanissimo • Diane Alleman-Stevens • Honda of Santa Maria • Jersey Mike’s • Marian Regional Hospital • Maya Restaurant • Moxie Café • Naught Oak Brewing Co. • New Life Bath & Kitchen • Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce • Senor Taco • Starry Sky Coffee Co. • The Law Office of Helen Weare • Toyota of Santa Maria • WAV Group ...your generosity made for some delicious Topic Days, and we thank you!

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Local Youth Needed to Illustrate Leadership Santa Maria Valley's Children's Book!

Leadership Santa Maria Valley Class of 2020 has authored a bilingual children’s book called, Strawberry Moon Says, Goodnight, as one of our Legacy Projects. We want to highlight the talent in the Santa Maria Valley and have agreed the book should be illustrated by kids in our community. We have been hosting an art contest with 4th through 12th graders through the generous efforts of Allan Hancock College, City of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks and several other organizations. With those efforts, we have handed out over 800 art templates for the contest. However, we have only received a handful back.

LSMV Class Member Diana Moffitt hands out colors supplies with art templates for their Children's Book, "Strawberry Moon Says Goodnight".

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Our request to you, as a leader in the Santa Maria Valley, is to ask the parents around you if their children received an art template. If they did and are still interested in being part of the contest, please ask them to turn it in at the Abel Maldonado Youth Center or at the drive-up window at any Community Bank of Santa Maria or Mechanics Bank in Santa Maria. With our schools going virtual in the fall because of COVID-19, we need your help now.

If by chance, the parents you know have kids in grades 4th through 12th, have NOT received an art template and would like to enter to be part of this book, please have them stop by the Abel Maldonado Center for a template. For more details, please read this article, written by The Sun, at bit.ly/ LSMVBook There will be a $100 Walmart gift card awarded to each of the 20 artists selected to be published in the book. Then, the winners will be entered into a drawing to win the Grand prize, a Nintendo Switch. **Please Note: Artwork must be drawn using only colored pencil and must be turned in with a parent release form.** For more information on the mobile observatory part of our project, please read here: https://bit.ly/LSMVObservatory If you have any questions about other ways that you can support this art contest, or the projects, please email us at artcontest2020@ gmail.com.

Thank You to our Chamber Investor Program Businesses:

American General Media Armando’s Autobody & Paint Inc. Babe Farms, Inc. Black Bear Diner - Santa Maria Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast CALM Certified Freight Logistics College and Career Readiness, Santa Barbara County Education Office Comcast Community Bank of Santa Maria Community Carpenters Diani Companies Family Care Network, Inc. Golden State Water Company J. Wilkes Wines Mega 97.1/La Buena Morris & Garritano Insurance New Life Painting/Bath & Kitchen/Restoration NKT Commercial I, LLC On the 101/ Beach Betty Creative PCPA - Pacific Conservatory Theatre Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC Phoenix Property Inspections Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. Plantel Nurseries Safran Cabin Santa Maria Safran Seats Santa Maria Santa Maria Bonita School District Santa Maria Country Club Santa Maria Joint Union High School District SCORE San Luis Obispo SESLOC Federal Credit Union Smith’s Alarms & Electronics, Inc. SM Tire SunOpta Terracore Operating Company Testa Catering Tileco Distributors, Inc. The Towbes Group, Inc. Trojan Petroleum, Inc. Urban Planning Concepts/ Rural Planning Services VTC Enterprises Walmart #2507 Wave Business Wells Fargo Bank Wine & Design Orcutt WSPA Xtreme Electronics The Y

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Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | August 2020

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Chamber Membership Corner Renewing Members: June 2020 The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is excited to recognize these partners who strive each day to create jobs, boost our local economy and build a community of which we can all be proud. Thank you for your continued membership with the Chamber.

55 Years: Far Western Tavern, Inc.

21 Years: M & M Restaurant Supply

50 Years: Pacific Gas & Electric Company

20 Years: Diane Alleman-Stevens

43 Years: Moss Levy & Hartzheim

16 Years: Air Pollution Control District American Legion Post 534 Cowboy Flavor LLC Images Screenprinting

40 Years: Galloway & Associates Industrial Medical Group of Santa Maria Valley Jay Cee Trophy Co., Inc. Portable Johns, Inc. Speeds Oil Tool Service, Inc. The Murray Group - Morgan Stanley Tileco Distributors, Inc. 36 Years: Your People Professionals 30 Years: Pacifica Commercial Realty Urban Planning Concepts 29 Years: S. Lombardi & Associates 28 Years: KSBY Law Offices of Kim Mistretta Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum 26 Years: Righetti Specialties, Inc. 25 Years: Brandman University Matthew P. Lane, DDS Vivid Financial Management 24 Years: Boone Printing & Graphics Inc. Dottie Lyons KTAS TV Telemundo Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling 23 Years: Carpets Unlimited Colortile

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15 Years: Pacific Eye Surgeons 14 Years: Pacific Realty - Esther Acosta 13 Years: Glenn Burdette, Inc. Orcutt Veterinary Hospital Subway The Cloud Company 12 Years: Blast 825 Brewery Kelly Moore Paint Co., Inc Sims Physical Therapy, Inc 11 Years: SeaCrest OceanFront Hotel 10 Years: Green Business Program of Santa Barbara County Solarponics 9 Years: Gold Coast Senior Options/Dementia Care Associates Integrated Industrial Supply, Inc. Verdin Marketing 8 Years: California Pro Painting, Inc. CALM Nipomo Swapmeet & Mini Storage Santa Maria Men's Club Santa Maria Royal Family KIDS

7 Years: California Hot Dog Co. Cugini's Pizzeria & Trattoria 6 Years: J & E Cleaning Service The Atrium Santa Maria VAFB - 30th Space Wing Public Affairs 5 Years: Jack's in Old Orcutt Shepard Family Trust Shred 2 You, Inc Softec Troesh Recycling dba Roxsand 4 Years: (Mob Armor) Solve-It! Companies, LLC Santa Maria Cemetery District 3 Years: Amara Apartments Coastal Recovery Solutions Digital West Grand Canyon University Parable Candle Company Tony Cravello Insurance & Financial Solutions UnitedAg V. Lopez Jr. & Sons General Eng. Cont. Inc. 2 Years: Echo Group Hans Duus Blacksmith, Inc. Mexi-Thai Roll 1 Year: Armando's Autobody & Paint Inc. Cool Hand Luke's Cultural & Creative Arts Center of the Santa Maria Valley AKA ''Corazon del Pueblo'' Great Business Marketing Louie's Central Coast Movers Old Town Cups and Crumbs Coffee Shop and Homestyle Bakery Phoenix Property Inspections Stability Studio Sunrise Security

Chamber Event Spotlight: Virtual Mixers While events look a little different during COVID-19, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber continues to offer opportunities for members to get together and network in a virtual format.

One of those opportunities is their virtual mixer, held once a month from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. The event is free for Chamber members to attend.

While the virtual format is a little different than a traditional Mixer, it still offers opportunities for local business professionals to network, an opportunity for a local business to talk about their products and services, and fun prizes and games.

"I like the virtual mixers because there are focused breakout groups where each member of the group gets to introduce themselves, their business and what they do," explained Julie Chudak of Lifelong Nutrition and Fitness. "The mixer format allows you to network with you people you may never connect with otherwise."

Though they are virtual for now, Mixers are still well attended by a variety of Chamber Member businesses.

"Connecting with people, while many of us are working remotely, has been especially important during this time on both a personal and professional level," explained Allison Borja of Morris & Garritano

Chamber Mixers provide an opportunity for local business professionals to hear from business leaders and network with one another.

Insurance Services. "The Chamber keeps the mixers fun and engaging and allowed everyone to participate in both large group and small group settings. If you’re new to networking or a networking pro, I highly recommend joining us at the next SMVCC mixer to reconnect or connect for the first time with other Chamber members and businesses. It’s a lot of fun and who knows, you may win a raffle prize!"

The next Chamber Mixer will take place August 20th. Learn more and RSVP by visiting www.santamaria.com/events/.

New Members: June 2020 The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome these new members joining the Chamber. We appreciate their vote of confidence in our ability to add value to their business and to create a strong local economy together.

Evolve Retirement Plan Solutions 613 S. Main St., Templeton (805) 369-6020 www.evolveretirement.com

Walpole & CO., LLP 2243 S. Depot Street #101, Santa Maria (805) 569-9864 www.walpolecpa.com

Laurel Wrapz & Signs 2015 Preisker Ln. Unit A, Santa Maria (805) 868-8817 www.Laurelwrapz.com

ZenBusiness (844) 493-6249 www.zenbusiness.com/form-llc/california

Santa Maria Counseling 1505 S. Shepard. Dr. #204, Santa Maria (805) 268-5317 www.smcounseling.com Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | August 2020

Chamber Board of Directors: 2020-2021 Executive Committee Chairman: Edgar Gascon, Hacienda Realty Chairman-Elect: Danny Deveraux, CalPortland Vice Chairman: Janet Silveria, Community Bank of Santa Maria Vice Chairman: Laurie Tamura, Urban Planning Concepts Past Chairman: Jean-Luc Garon, Radisson Hotel Santa Maria Board Members Mark Allen, Marian Regional Medical Center Ron Cossa, Tolman & Wiker Insurance Sandra Dickerson, Your People Professionals Donna Farrell, Santa Maria Town Center Karen Fothergill, Andre, Morris & Buttry Doug Janzen, The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center Emily Kitts, Naughty Oak Brewing Company David LeRoy, Toyota of Santa Maria Butch Lopez, V Lopez Jr. & Sons General

Engineering Contractors David Merlo, Glenn Burdette Tere Paredes, Maya Restaurant Era Polly, Era Polly Real Estate Shannon Seifert, Santa Maria Valley YMCA Michelle Shipman, Searchlight Properties Kevin Walthers, Allan Hancock College Tim Williams, Digital West

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst for business growth, a convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion for a stronger Santa Maria Valley.

Learn more about the Chamber by visiting www.santamaria.com.

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Help Shape the Future of the City of Santa Maria Imagine what the City of Santa Maria will look like in the future. Where will things be, what will people be doing, how will people be getting around, what will the City look like? If you were to imagine your own Santa Maria – what would it look like?

The City is beginning a multi-year process to determine what the answers to these questions will be - and encourages residents to share how they would imagine Santa Maria in the future.

The process includes updating the City’s General Plan. The General Plan is a “blueprint” or guiding document that outlines policies which will determine how the City will be built into the future (think year 2050). It is approved by the City Council and involves a lot of input from the community to help the City Council answer these questions. It includes “elements” which will discuss land use, transportation, open space, environment, recreation, housing, and economic development.

Where will the City build more housing?

What types of amenities does the City need

The City of Santa Maria is seeking community input on updating their General Plan and addressing priorities like housing, land use, transportation, open space, recreation and more. to provide for its residents? What is the City missing today?

The City of Santa Maria needs your help to make sure the General Plan reflects the community’s priorities for the future. To learn more about the project and how to get involved, please visit www. imaginesantamaria.com.

On the website, you will find updated information about the City’s General Plan as well as a contact button to get on a mailing list.

The City also encourages residents to take online surveys to share their visions and priorities for the future. Visit www. i mag i nesa nta ma r ia .com/com mu nit ysurveys.

Questions may be directed to the Community Development Department at (805) 925-0951 x 2369 or email rhostetter@ cityofsantamaria.org.

COVID-19 and the Workplace: Protecting Yourself at Work With COVID-19 continuing to spread in our community, it is now more important than ever that community members remain proactive in helping slow the spread of COVID-19. Workers should take the following steps to protect themselves at work: • Follow the policies and procedures of the employer related to illness, cleaning and disinfecting, and work meetings and travel.

• Stay home if sick, except to get medical care.

• Practice social distancing by keeping at least 6 feet away from fellow coworkers, customers, and visitors when possible, even when in or around • break rooms, water coolers and/or non-work areas.

• Wear cloth face coverings, especially when social distancing is not possible. Cloth face coverings are intended to protect other people— not the wearer.

• Workers should inform their supervisor if they or their colleagues develop symptoms at work. No one with COVID-19 symptoms should 8

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be present at the workplace.

Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing noses, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.

• Use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

• DO NOT use any hand sanitizer that contains methyl alcohol due to its high toxicity.

Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth.

To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails (to the safest extent possible), etc.

Where possible, avoid direct physical contact such as shaking hands with people.

Minimize handling cash, credit cards, and mobile or electronic devices when possible.

Avoid all non-essential travel.

Sick workers should follow CDCrecommended steps to prevent the spread of

COVID-19. Workers with COVID-19 who have stayed home can stop home isolation and return to work when they have met one of the sets of criteria found here.

Workers who use public transportation, ride sharing, taxis or carpooling to travel to and from work should protect themselves.

Always remember to use face coverings, practice social distancing where applicable, and wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after using such transportation.

Additional information can be found in the State of California's COVID-19 Employer Playbook.

It’s no secret that finding housing on the Central Coast is difficult. And for many, buying a home here seems like an unattainable goal.

The Dana Reserve is looking to change all that.

W OR K A ND P L AY C L O S E T O HOME The Dana Reserve proposal is a unique, local vision for a multi-use community capturing the essence of the Central Coast lifestyle – living simply, working locally, celebrating family, and enjoying the outdoors. Originally part of the 1840 land grant awarded to Captain William Goodwin Dana, this 288-acre parcel located at the southern gateway to San Luis Obispo County was recently acquired

by Nick Tompkins, a local resident, real estate developer, and third-generation descendant of Captain W.G. Dana. He is the Managing Member of the Dana Reserve LLC and plans to create a new Nipomo neighborhood deeply connected to historic Nipomo but with modern day amenities.

Dana Reserve includes 1200+ homes featuring 12 distinct neighborhoods of varying housing styles and sizes to fit families in every stage of life. These homes will be surrounded by over seven miles of hiking, biking, pedestrian, and equestrian trails, a central public park and open space preserve, passive parks in each neighborhood, and a community gathering center. Other on-site features include flex commercial space, general retail, grocery, small shops and eateries, a hotel, an education facility, and a daycare center to serve the needs of working families. This

community also represents the best of sustainability practices including energy-efficient housing, lower water use, and a lighter carbon footprint. Additionally, the Dana Reserve project will exclusively utilize imported water from outside Nipomo and, through return flows at the Sanitation Facility, introduce this water to the Nipomo Water Basin. This means, for the first time ever, the NCSD will have the ability to return more water to the basin than it removes from groundwater pumping.

As the area moves forward prioritizing the local housing crisis, Dana Reserve provides a timely solution to the local workforce that offers diverse and attainable housing options, both for sale and rent, conveniently located to area work centers. Employers will now be able to maintain and attract qualified workers and the current workforce can stay in the area and take advantage of a variety of housing choices for new home buyers, empty nesters, and everyone in between.

Truly, the Dana Reserve embraces the area’s iconic past and ensures the continuance of a thriving community for generations to come while providing desperately needed housing and celebrating the beloved heritage of California’s Central Coast.

For more information on this exciting new community visit L i v e D a n a R e s e r v e . c o m

Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | August 2020

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Working Hard on Your Behalf: Chamber Month in Review The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is here for business. We are a catalyst for business growth, convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion for a stronger Santa Maria Valley. We continue to work hard to serve our members, local businesses and the Santa Maria Valley community. Here’s a glimpse at what we’ve been up to lately.

Catalyst for Business Growth •

This month, the Chamber is launching a bi-lingual “Support Santa Maria Valley” campaign to reconnect the community with local businesses and encourage economic recovery through increased business activity.

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Our Visitors’ Bureau launched a “safe return to travel” campaign to support recovery of our local tourism and hospitality industries. The campaign includes paid and organic digital ads, a blog and newsletter, public relations outreach to travel industry influencers, and web-based promotions.

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Worked with the City on modifications/reopening allowances for businesses trying to reopen – or forced to modify their operations by moving outdoors, including the use of temporary signage, using parking lot spaces for additional outdoor dining, etc.

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The Visitors Bureau shifted its popular Fave 5 e-blast to focus on virtual and “sociallydistanced safe” activities to help locals and potential visitors stay connected with the Santa Maria Valley experience.

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber launched the "Support Santa Maria Valley" Campaign to help encourage community members to support local businesses.

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Our Economic Development Commission continues to work with businesses looking to open, expand and grow. This past month, they worked with 1 business on expansion, 2 new businesses, 2 compliance issues, and several conversations regarding downtown projects.

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Continued to update our “Business Reopening/Recovery Toolkit” page to help businesses navigate the reopening and recovery process. Information and resources are added regularly as new guidance or materials become available. Resources are available in both English and Spanish.

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Chamber remains an active participant in the REACH regional economic partnership. In particular, the Chamber is engaged with initiatives focused on expanding commercial space launch activity at Vandenberg AFB and promoting VAFB as a candidate site for the headquarters location for the new U.S. Space Force.

Convener of Leaders and Influencers

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The Chamber continues to convene and facilitate a regular “key community leaders” call to ensure various sectors are coordinating and sharing information/resources related to the pandemic and community needs.

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SM Connect! Young Professionals held a Virtual Leadership Roundtable: Met with local CEO’s and community leaders to discuss with young professionals about leading during this time, leadership traits and strategies, as well as networking.

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The Visitors Bureau held a SMV Tourism Virtual Meeting with Tourism Partners: Met with local tourism partners to check in on how they are doing as well as their strategies moving forward during this time.

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The Visitors Bureau continues to hold Hospitality Happy Hours for hotel hospitality workers to connect and share ideas and industry best practices.

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The Chamber continues to host monthly Virtual Mixers to allow businesses to reconnect and network.

Santa Maria Connect!

Young Professionals connects local leaders with young professionals at a recent event.

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The Chamber continues hosting Virtual BYB (Build Your Business) Breakfast meetings every Friday Morning as another business connection opportunity.

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Leadership Santa Maria Valley recently graduated 20 new leaders as part of its 2020 Class. The class of 2021 has been rescheduled to begin in January 2021. Recruitment will begin this fall.

Champion for a Stronger Santa Maria Valley •

The Economic Development Commission continues to facilitate local business participation in the City’s ongoing General Plan update.

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The Chamber continues to actively monitor legislation in Sacramento and to provide feedback to local elected officials about the potential impacts of the various proposals.

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The Chamber's Ambassador Committee donated 37 veggie boxes from Talley Farms Fresh Harvest and Blosser Urban Garden to front line night shift security and housekeeping staff at Marian Regional Medical Center.

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The Tourism Marketing District donated 180 lunches to first responders to show their appreciation during this challenging time

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The Chamber worked with Allan Hancock College and other community leaders to launch the “Protect & Respect” PR campaign to encourage community members to wear a mask. This campaign continues to grow as political, community, and business leaders across the county lend their voices and images to the spread the word.

The Tourism Marketing District partnered with The Moxie Cafe to provide lunches for first responders.

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Launched a monthly survey to gauge the status of local businesses, understand the impact of the pandemic on business, and inform our efforts to address local business needs.

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Chamber continues to provide regular updates on the state of business and local economic recovery efforts at City Council meetings and in other public forums to ensure businesses and community leaders are aware of the support and resources available.

What Our Members Have Shared: "The SMV Chamber has helped amplify our agency’s marketing efforts and given us opportunities to promote our business in areas that we otherwise wouldn’t be able. We are in constant contact with our Chamber representatives ensuring we are maximizing our membership so we don’t miss out on a golden opportunity. They are always there to help guide, promote, and see to it that we continue to remain top of mind.”

- Morris & Garritano Insurance Services "I can honestly say that the Chamber and Visitors' Bureau has significantly helped me with my sales personally. With them always sending us updates on events and what is going on within the city and even the Central Coast, I have been able to turn that information into selling points to get tourist groups to not only visit my hotel but also go to some of these events supporting Santa Maria Valley. Without their assistance and constant updates, especially during COVID-19, we would probably not be doing as well as we are now. Thank You Santa Maria Valley Chamber & Visitors' Bureau! Best Western PLUS big America appreciates you!"

- Robert Cooks Best Western PLUS Big America

Stay Connected with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber Visit: 614 S. Broadway, Santa Maria Call: (805) 925-2403 Email: info@santamaria.com

614 S. Broadway Santa Maria, CA 93454

Website: santamaria.com Facebook: facebook.com/SMVCC Twitter: twitter.com/SMVCC Instagram: santamariachamberofcommerce Email List: bit.ly/SMVCCMailingList Text Message Alerts: Text "CHAMBER" to 33222 Chamber Connection is the official monthly publication of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. For questions about this publication or to be added to our monthly mailing distribution list, email molly@santamaria.com.

Chamber Encourages Community to Protect. Respect. Wear Your Mask.

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with Allan Hancock College and other local community leaders in the "Protect. Respect. Wear Your Mask." Campaign. The PR campaign highlights the importance of keeping yourself and the community safe by wearing a face mask when you are in public to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

“In order to stop the spread of the Coronavirus and support an open economy, we must all unite and continue practicing social safety measures – including wearing a mask when in public,” said Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Glenn Morris. “We are all understandably eager to get back to ‘normal’, and wearing a mask can help us get there more quickly.”

Learn more about the campaign and how you can show your support for wearing a face mask at protectrespect.org.

Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau 614 S. Broadway, Santa Maria | (805) 925-2403 | santamaria.com | info@santamaria.com 12