CHAMBER CONNECTION
DINE OUT #SANTAMARIASTYLE AND BUSINESS EXPO & JOB FAIR KICK OFF 2025
The new year is an exciting time in Santa Maria Valley showcasing the local community and economy. From January 10th to February 9th, the 2025 Dine Out #SantaMariaStyle Restaurant Month offers a unique opportunity to experience the area’s diverse and rich culinary scene. Whether you’re a longtime resident or visiting for the first time, Restaurant Month is a chance to savor exceptional meals from local restaurants and enjoy exclusive deals on select dishes.
Santa Maria Valley’s dining options are diverse, ranging from classic Santa Maria-style barbecue to innovative new dining concepts. Participating restaurants will offer limited-time deals and special menus, making it an ideal time to try something new or revisit old favorites. The month-long event is more than just about great food—it’s a celebration of the area’s local businesses, which help keep the community strong. By dining out at these establishments, you’re supporting local chefs,
SANTA MARIA VALLEY CHAMBER MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
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.
CONTINUED - DINE OUT #SANTAMARIASTYLE AND BUSINESS EXPO & JOB FAIR
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servers, and business owners, helping to strengthen the local economy.
Restaurant Month also features a Craft Cocktail Contest. Visit participating restaurants, try their unique cocktails, and vote for your favorite craft cocktail on social media using #SMVCraftCocktail for a chance to be featured on the official Santa Maria Valley social media pages. The event provides the perfect opportunity to indulge in delicious food, try inventive drinks, and contribute to the success of local restaurants and businesses.
To make your dining experience even more special, be sure to post your meals and cocktails on social media with #SMVDineOut. Your support not only helps the local economy but also shines a spotlight on the incredible food scene that makes Santa Maria so unique. For a full list of participating restaurants and their exclusive deals, visit www.SantaMariaValley.com/ RestaurantMonth
Following Restaurant Month, on February 13th, Santa Maria will host its annual Business Expo & Job Fair at the Santa Maria Fairpark. The event, with an “I Love Santa Maria” theme, is a celebration of the local business community and offers opportunities for job seekers, entrepreneurs, and residents alike to connect and engage. Whether you’re looking for a career change, exploring local businesses, or just showing support for the community, this event offers something for everyone.
This year’s Business Expo & Job Fair
will feature local businesses from a wide range of industries, showcasing their products and services. Attendees will have the chance to interact with potential employers, learn about local startups, and see how Santa Maria’s economy continues to thrive.
The job fair component is especially valuable, allowing job seekers to meet face-to-face with local employers in a more personal setting than online applications can offer.
Admission is free, and the event is open to all. By attending, you’ll not only explore new career opportunities but also support the local businesses that help keep the community strong. The 2025 Business Expo & Job Fair takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, February 13th. For more information, visit www.santamaria. com/events.
Both of these events provide meaningful ways to show your love and support for the businesses that shape Santa Maria Valley. Whether you’re enjoying delicious food during Restaurant Month or discovering new opportunities at the Business Expo, there’s no better time to celebrate all that makes this community so special.
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
CHAMBER COMMENTARY | EDITORIALS IN SANTA MARIA TIMES
Each month the Santa Maria Valley Chamber partners with the Santa Maria Times to coordinate guest writers for two editorial columns. Below are the two Chamber Commentary articles released recently.
INTERESTED IN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH THE CHAMBER?
Please reach out to Romina Montemurro, Communications Coordinator via email at romina@santamaria.com
“Messy Play” encouraged in Certified Outdoor Classrooms at two different facilities and a Community College program that boasts a nearly 100% transfer rate were just a couple of highlights at Leadership Santa Maria Valley’s most recent session as we gathered to learn more about Education and Youth Services.
Following breakfast, we enjoyed an in-depth tour of the YMCA Preschool where we learned about their Certifed Outdoor Classroom, specially tailored for the children of economically disadvantaged children.
The program uses child-centered learning techniques where the children are not forced to work on certain things. Instead, they are encouraged to do things in their own interests. The basic concept is that children learn best when they foster their own learning and creativity.
Our next tour was at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mid-Central Coast, serving children in both SLO and Northern Santa Barbara Counties.
Roberto Rodrigues, who led the
LEADERSHIP SANTA MARIA VALLEY YOUTH & EDUCATION DAY
tour, talked about the important work of social learning that happens in the games room: taking turns, problemsolving, navigating conflicts, learning cooperative play, etc.
At Alan Hancock College, we visited the Children’s Center and its outdoor learning facility serve multiple roles at Hancock. Most importantly, adult learners enrolled in school have a safe learning environment for their children. It is also a place where Early Childhood Education Majors can observe and where Nursing and Psychology Students can participate. The outdoor learning facility has water play and a garden with both ornamental plants and vegetables. The children help in the garden and the vegetables they grow are used to prepare some of their meals.
We then moved to the Mesa STEM Center, where STEM Majors can get tutoring help, have access to a lounge to get a little downtime, study, use printers provided by the school, get counseling and work in small group study.
Following that tour, we re-convened in a classroom for a panel discussion. Members of the panel included Kevin Walthers, President & Superintendent of Alan Hancock College, Gina Branum, Assistant Superintendent of Guadalupe Union School District, Mark Palmertson, Director of Student and Family Services at Santa Maria Bonita School
District, and Matt Fraijo, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning at Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, learning about advances within the districts, places where problems exist, plans for the future and more.
The elementary and middle school levels continue to have problems with chronic absenteeism and lack of social development. Matt Fraijo spoke about the problem of ‘siloing’ in the high schools; each school doing things their own way and problems that arise when school administrations and teachers are overly independent. They are working to overcome that and allow autonomy within a system that has cohesion so problems can be solved.
We also found out that 97% of kids want to be taught about social media, specifically how to evaluate and distinguish fake news and separate news from opinion.
Kevin Walthers, President of Allan Hancock College, spoke of advocating for the students at Hancock and working to overcome the state-wide systemic racism. He also touted a littleknow fact that Alan Hancock college is the 4th largest provider in the state of programs that work between the highschool and college level.
Thank you to all who made it such a dynamic and highly informative day!
CHAMBER IN ACTION
Here’s a look at what our Chamber & our member businesses have been up to this past month.
1. Our December Chamber mixer at Altrusa Festival of Trees was a beautiful Christmas event! Thank you to all who attended!
2. New members were recognized at the mixer. Congratulations to all the new Chamber members! Troy Prober - Financial Advisor Edward Jones, Micah Howze
- Now Realty Brokered by eXp, Chris Robles & Patrick
Youngem - Santa Maria Firefighters Local 2020, Joel Tefft
- JAYBIRD Brand + Creative + Marketing Consultancy, Alan Cuenca - Central Coast Web Design, Monica Gauna
- Lincoln Group Inc. & Lincoln Industrial, April IngrahamSerendipity Event Rentals
3. Thank you to all who came to the Hispanic Business
Alliance’s Annual Posadas Mixer! It was an amazing Christmas-themed event.
4. Congratulations to Tortilleria Mexico, winners of the tamale-making contest at the Posadas mixer!
5. An amazing teacher tour focused on Healthcare at Mission Hope, Family Services Agency and Movement for Life.
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 months of November and December 2024!
Investor:
BBSI - Santa Maria (805) 457-5759 www.bbsi.com/sanluisobispo
BBSI - Santa Barbara (805) 335-8325 www.bbsi.com
Member: Arclight Media (805) 356-3967
https://arclightmedia.com
Eb5 Investors (800) 997-1228 www.eb5investors.com
Edward Jones - Office of Alid Gonzalez (805) 736-6778 www.edwardjones.com/us-en/financialadvisor/alid-gonzalez
Little House by the Park (805) 343-1194
https://fsacares.org
Misión Libertad (805) 868-5681
Vasquez Financial Group (805) 868-8132
Member: Santa Maria Youth and Family Center (805) 928-1707
https://fsacares.org
Williams Bros Properties, Inc. (805) 922-0555
www.wbproperties.net
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?
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.
CELEBRATING LOCAL BUSINESS: CHAMBER RIBBON CUTTINGS
These Chamber member businesses recently celebrated joining the Chamber or a major business milestone with a ribbon cutting. Join us in congratulating them!
Capuno’s Lutong Bahay 2025 S. Broadway, Ste. B Santa Maria CA 93454 (805) 287-9442 www.capunoslutongbahay.com
Local Copies Etc 1500 S. Broadway Santa Maria CA 934547214 (805) 928-5776 https://localcopies.com
WE LOVE CELEBRATING OUR MEMBERS!
If you are a new member or celebrating a business milestone (anniversary, grand opening, etc.), let us know and schedule a ribbon cutting by emailing patricia@santamaria.com.
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.
