CHAMBER CONNECTION
STATE OF VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE ON THE HORIZON
The annual State of Vandenberg Space Force Base luncheon, supported by the Santa Maria Valley and Lompoc Valley Chambers of Commerce, will be held Friday, March 14 at the Pacific Coast Center at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
This event offers an opportunity for our community to engage with Vandenberg’s leadership and gain insights into the base’s recent achievements and projections for the base’s future, featuring a unique opportunity to hear from Space Launch Delta 30 Commander, including the Base’s current priorities, mission updates, and projections for the future. Other topics include housing, medical services, the broader Air Force, and Vandenberg’s effects on the greater community.
Vandenberg’s operations have a profound impact on our local
SANTA MARIA VALLEY CHAMBER MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
CONTINUED - STATE OF VANDENBERG CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Committee
Chairman: Emily Kitts, Naughty Oak Brewing Company
Chairman-Elect: Sandra Dickerson, Your People Professionals
Vice Chairman: Shannon Seifert, Santa Maria Valley YMCA
Vice Chairman: Gina Gluyas, BHGRE Haven Properties
Past Chairman: Paul Cook,
Board Members
Sue Andersen, Marian Regional Medical Center
Dominick Barry, Quintron Systems, Inc.
Micaela Buchanan, Lark + Sparrow LLC
Jason Buchanan, HUB International Insurance Services
Jeff Buckingham, Astound Business Solutions Powered by Digital West
Nancy Crawford, Care Connection
Transport + Home Care - Santa Maria
Donna Denham
Kelsi Fitzgerald, Veritas Innovative Pest & Termite Solutions
Karen Gjerdrum, Fothergill Andre, Morris & Buttery
Antonio Garcia, Santa Maria Joint High School District
Dave Merlo, Glenn Burdette, Inc.
Sylvia Palacios, Santa Maria Town Center
Terè Paredes, Maya Restaurant
Joshua Beau Flores Sahagun, Luttrell Staffing Group
Dr. Eric Sauers, A.T. Still University / College for Healthy Communities
Ryan Swack, Best Western Plus Big America
Dr. Kevin Walthers, Allan Hancock College
Interested in Chamber volunteer leadership opportunities? Contact Molly Schiff, VP of Chamber Operations & Membership, at molly@santamaria.com to learn more about open positions on our committees.
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economy, supporting approximately 16,000 jobs and contributing $4.5 billion annually in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, according to an economic impact report completed in 2020. Projections indicate growth to nearly 18,000 jobs and over $6 billion by 2030, reflecting the base’s expanding mission.
In 2024, Space Launch Delta 30, Vandenberg SFB’s host unit, Guardians and Airmen achieved an historic milestone by conducting 51 launches, revolutionizing West Coast space and test operations. This remarkable feat underscores the base’s commitment to innovation and its pivotal role in national security. 2025 updates will include an overview of projected operations from SLD 30, Space ForcesSpace, Delta 1, Delta 5 and the 377th Test and Evaluation Group. For more information on Vandenberg SFB units go to https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce. mil/Units/.
“The State of Vandenberg provides an important opportunity for Vandenberg’s mission partner commanders and me to speak directly to community members and share our recent successes and goals for the future,” said Col. Mark Shoemaker, Space Launch Delta 30 commander.
“Our military and civilian Guardians and Airmen call this community home, and we are committed to highlighting their contributions in support of the defense of our nation at this event.”
We invite you to take part in this special community event and learn more about Vandenberg Space Force Base and its effects on and connections to the broader Santa Maria Valley community.
Community members who are interested in attending the 2025 State of Vandenberg may register with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce by March 4th (no exceptions) at https://business. santamaria.com/events/register/47013 or visit the Chamber page for more information at https://tinyurl.com/ stateofvsfb2025.
On the day of the event, attendees must present the same ID used during registration at the Front Base Gate for check-in. Base personnel will guide you through the process.
KEEP UP WITH OUR OTHER RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Take a look at some of our other recent Chamber publications including our new Local Business Spotlight and editorials.
Business, #SantaMariaStyle is the Chamber’s quarterly digital magazine publication. The magazine is another way we highlight local businesses, see what’s going on in the community, celebrate our members and more!
Check out our newest edition, featuring our 2025 Visitor Guide Highlighting all the most amazing, must-see sights, attractions, restaurants and more in Santa Maria Valley!
Scan to read the 2025 Visitor Guide!
or go to:
https://chambervu.com/santamariawinter24
LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT IN REVIEW
To kick off the new year, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber is taking a look back at some of our favorite Local Business Spotlights of 2024. Thank you to everyone for making our business community so amazing!
Pictured: Maya Mexican Restaurant celebrates their 60th anniversary and their motto of “never a trend, always a tradition” has become more accurate with each passing decade!
LEARN MORE ABOUT LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT SERIES!
For more information or if you are interested in being featured, please reach out to Romina Montemurro, Communications Coordinator via email at romina@santamaria.com
Scan to view this month’s spotlight.
The Leadership Santa Maria Valley business and economics topic day on January 10 dove into the dynamic forces shaping the city’s future. The day highlighted key insights about the economic growth, workforce readiness, and community resilience.
The day began with a presentation by Michael Specht, an athlete and For-Impact community member. He emphasized his personal philosophy of challenging yourself. This mindset has driven him to compete in triathlons and train for a marathon, underscoring his belief in perseverance and adaptability.
Jared Worthen’s session shifted to business, emphasizing innovation in business acquisition and development. What started off as a simple curiosity, led to the opportunity for him to operate a business. His lesson served as a great reminder that sometimes we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Suzanne Singh, a local expert in economic development, brought a regional perspective to the discussion. She shared strategies for “putting Santa Maria on the radar,” emphasizing the role of relationship building
LEADERSHIP SANTA MARIA VALLEY SHAPING THE BUSINESS & ECONOMIC FUTURE
with leaders, business owners, and regional service providers. Singh highlighted the city’s commitment to supporting small businesses through grants and resources for startups. Her presentation outlined Santa Maria’s approach to fostering workforce readiness, with a focus on preparing for future industry needs. Over the next two decades, Santa Maria aims to build a skilled technical workforce to meet the demands of emerging industries while addressing gaps in production and ancillary business support.
Housing emerged as a critical topic during the session. Singh presented statistics reflecting Santa Maria’s growing population and household income—$81,000 annually for households and a city population of 110,608. She detailed ongoing housing projects that will serve to address the housing needs in the foreseeable future. These projects are vital to addressing affordability, meeting the needs of an aging population, and accommodating college students. Singh also touched on the city’s general plan update, which envisions Santa Maria’s land use and quality of life over the next 30 years.
A dynamic session with Sean, the owner of Cool Hand Luke’s and California Hot Dogs, explored the challenges of pivoting post-COVID. Sean’s community-oriented business philosophy emphasized supporting local causes and staying adaptable in a shifting market. His stories of resilience and reinvention highlighted
the importance of community engagement in building businesses.
We then saw a glimpse into Safran’s transformative journey in aerospace. Seeing how the Santa Maria location rose in customer service and on-time delivery, it became one of Safran’s topperforming facilities. The leadershipby-example approach boosted the morale of the workforce, demonstrating the power of accountability and teamwork in overcoming challenges.
The audience was then introduced to Teresa and Alex, leaders in aviation restoration at ArtCraft Paint. Specializing in restoring planes from around the world, Art Craft Paint’s team—90% of whom are trained inhouse—completes full restorations in just 8-10 weeks.
Eddie Taylor from United Way introduced the RAIN acronym: Respectful, Attentive, Interested, and Nice, tying it to holistic leadership concepts. By building community and modeling positive behavior, leaders can inspire purpose and confidence in their teams.
The day offered a look at the factors driving Santa Maria’s economic and social future. The LSMV class left inspired to contribute to a thriving, sustainable community that supports businesses, workers and families.
CHAMBER IN ACTION
Here’s a look at what our Chamber & our member businesses have been up to this past month.
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1. Restaurant Month and Cocktail Contest participant Huckleberry’s being photographed for their Cocktail Contest entry of Gator Juice. If you haven’t tried it yet, be sure to drop by and give it a taste!
2. A wonderful January Mixer at Toyota of Santa Maria to kickoff the new year! Thank you to all who came!
3. Fun at the mixer!
4. A big “welcome” to our 2025 Chamber Ambassadors! If you happen to see an Ambassador out in public, don’t be afraid to say hi!
5. The Chamber hosted an Open House and launched our BRAND NEW Visitor Center! Drop by and check out our custom Santa Maria Valley merchandise available for
purchase, to learn more about the area, or pick up a complimentary physical copy of our 2025 Visitor Guide!
GROWING MEMBERSHIP: CHAMBER WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
As champions for a stronger Santa Maria Valley, the Chamber is excited to welcome more businesses to our growing organization. Please join us in welcoming the following new Chamber members, who joined in the month of January 2025!
Investor: Santa Maria Terrace (805) 925-8713
www.santamariaterrace.net
Premium:
Adelina’s Bistro (805) 343-7500 www.monarchduneshoa.com/ adelinas-bistro
Trilogy Monarch Dunes (805) 343-7500
www.monarchduneshoa.com
Member: Apricot Lane Boutique (805) 348-2100
www.apricotlaneboutique.com/store/ santamaria/
Forevergreen Agriculture, Inc. (805) 598-2003
Partners in Housing Solutions (805) 803-1584
https://partnersinhousingsolutions.org
Photoworks Heidi Gruetzemacher (805) 287-9402
www.photoworksheidigruetzemacher.net
Ramirez Cleaning Solutions Inc. (805) 357-5001
www.ramirezcleaningsolution.com
Member: Santa Maria Speedway (310) 493-4900
https://santamariaraceway.com
Smart System Bookkeeping LLC (820) 225-0221
https://smartsystembookkeeping.com
Join the Chamber today by contacting Membership Manager, Cara Martinez at (805) 925-2403 ext. 852 or email cara@santamaria.com.
DO YOU HAVE EMPLOYEES OUT ON CALIFORNIA PAID FAMILY LEAVE?
ON PAID FAMILY LEAVE
The California Paid Familiy Leave Grant (CPFLG) allows eligible small businesses with at least one (1) employee utilizing California’s Paid Family Leave program to apply for grants up to $2,000 per employee to offset the increased costs associated with the employee out on leave.
Businesses impacted by California’s Paid Family Leave program will have increased costs such as training and upskilling existing staff to cover the duties of the employee on California’s Paid Family Leave; hiring and training additional staff to cover the duties of the employee on California’s Paid Family Leave; and marketing, recruitment, and other reasonably foreseeable training costs.
For more information, eligibility details, and to apply, visit CaliforniaPFL.com.
CHECK OUT @SANTAMARIAVALLEY!
Have you checked out @santamariavalley on social media? Be sure to check out our sister tourism pages highlighting all the restaurants, views, special events, festivals and other must-see spots in Santa Maria Valley!
www.santamaria.com (805) 925-2403 Chamber Connection is the official monthly publication of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber. For questions about this publication, email romina@santamaria.com. Stay in the loop on upcoming events and other community announcements with Chamber text alerts! Text CHAMBER to 33222 to sign up.
