CHAMBER CONNECTION
STRENGTHENING, BUILDING & EXPANDING LOCAL WORKFORCE THROUGH PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber recognizes that workforce development is a crucial component in strengthening our local economy, ensuring businesses have access to skilled labor, and providing residents with the tools they need for career success. By connecting education, industry, and community stakeholders, we are helping build a strong pipeline of qualified workers for our local jobs, empowering local talent, and fostering a thriving business environment. The Chamber has a number of programs and partnerships we have recently created or expanded to help address workforce needs in our community.
The Chamber’s NextGen CEO Program helps local youth understand what it takes to “be their own boss” and start their own business. The six week digital program teaches participants skills including product development, marketing, money management and customer service. At the end of the program, participants have the opportunity to open their
SANTA MARIA VALLEY CHAMBER MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Pictured: The Leadership Santa Maria Valley class visits Vandenberg Space Force Base.
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, CoastHills Credit Union
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, Santa Maria Country Club
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, Director of Advocacy & Initiatives, at molly@santamaria. com to learn more about open positions on our committees.
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business to the public.
The Chamber is excited to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast to expand the reach of this program.
“To meet the workforce challenges of tomorrow, young people need safe spaces, positive mentorship, and work experiences today. With the support of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber and through programs like NextGen CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast enables kids and teens to explore their interests and passions, develop their employability skills, and gain realworld work experiences,” said Roberto Rodriguez, Chief Operations Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast. “We appreciate the support and collaboration from the Chamber in empowering our youth for their future careers.”
The Chamber and Boys & Girls Clubs piloted this partnership over the summer at the Ron Estabillo site in Guadalupe. They will be expanding the offerings of the NextGen CEO program to additional club sites throughout Santa Maria starting in the Spring of 2025. Additional information on the program is available at www.santamaria.com/educationworkforce/nextgen-ceo/.
Build Your Workforce Program connects Businesses with resources to hire and upskill employees
The Chamber has recently partnered with the Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board to launch the “Build Your Workforce” program, which connects businesses to funding & additional assistance available
for hiring, upskilling, and providing work experience to employees. Interested businesses fill out a simple form outlining their business needs, and a member of the Workforce Development Board will then connect with them on the programs that would be a best fit for their business.
“Our partnership with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and other local chambers is crucial for aligning workforce development initiatives with the needs of our business community,” said Luis F. Servin, MPA, Executive Director, Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board. “By working together, we can ensure that our programs are responsive to the evolving demands of the local economy, providing businesses with a skilled workforce and job seekers with meaningful employment opportunities.”
Businesses interested in learning more about funding and other resources available can visit www. santamaria.com/workforce/.
These programs highlight two examples of how the Chamber utilizes community partnerships to help build, maintain and expand a strong workforce in our community. Information on additional workforce programs and partnerships can be found at www.santamaria.com/ education-workforce/.
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 Summer 2024 edition discussing developments in innovation and sustainability practices in the Santa Maria Valley!
Scan to read the Summer 2024 Magazine.
LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: STABILITY STUDIO
In this month’s Local Business Spotlight, Mary Wilson, Co-Owner of Stability Studio, speaks on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and how the Santa Maria community has embraced her studio.
CHECK OUT OUR MOST RECENT SHOWCASE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STABILITY STUDIO! For more information, please reach out to Romina Montemurro, Communications Coordinator via email at romina@santamaria.com
Pictured: Mary Wilson, owner of Stability Studios, said that their community of patrons kept them in business through the COVID pandemic and is driving expansion of the business into a larger space in Orcutt
On September 6th, the Leadership Santa Maria Valley (LSMV) class gathered for an exclusive tour of Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), an essential hub for space operations and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing. This visit was not only an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the base’s critical missions but also a chance to engage with the dedicated personnel who serve at the forefront of national security and space exploration.
The day began with a comprehensive mission briefing from base leadership.
Colonel Mark Shoemaker, Commander of Space Launch Delta 30 and Tom Stevens, Executive Director of Space Launch Delta 30 welcomed us and educated us on what is involved with running the 118,000-acre base. VSFB hosts over 11,000 military, civilian and contractor personnel. We learned about the vital role VSFB plays in
LEADERSHIP SANTA MARIA VALLEY TOURS VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE
supporting both space launches and missile defense initiatives.
Following the briefing, we had the privilege of hearing from the ICBM squad. They provided an in-depth overview of the strategic importance of intercontinental ballistic missiles in deterrence and defense strategies. It was enlightening to see the meticulous planning and execution that goes into each mission.
One of the highlights of our tour was visiting Space Launch Complex-6 (SLC-6), designed for launching both government and commercial payloads. Standing on the launch pad, we could almost feel the excitement of past launches. It was interesting to learn that SpaceX will be taking over the SLC6 complex and removing the towers used in previous rocket launches to facilitate the horizontal method they use to build and prepare their rockets for launch.
Our day concluded with a visit to the Space and Missile Heritage Center, where Jay Prichard, the Center’s curator, passionately shared the history of space exploration and the pivotal role Vandenberg has played in it. Exhibits showcasing past missions and advancements in aerospace technology provided a fascinating
Members of the ICBM squad giving their mission brief to the leadership class.
context for our current initiatives.
As we departed Vandenberg Space Force Base, we left with a renewed sense of appreciation for the men and women serving there. Thank you to John Dillon, CIV Deputy, Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs, for organizing and leading us on this great tour.
Thank you to Senior Airman Tiarra Sibley for the great photographs!
Pictured below: Jay Pritchard shares the history of technology in space exploration and the role Vandenberg has played in it.
Pictured:
Pictured: The class tours the Training Device Design and Engineering Center.
CHAMBER IN ACTION
Here’s a look at what our Chamber & our member businesses have been up to this past month. 4 1 3 5 2
1. The fall Chamber mixer was hosted by United Staffing Associates! Thank you to all who participated!
2. The Hispanic Business Group (HBG) hosted their quarterly mixer in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month! The mixer featured a folklórico dance performance from Righetti High School.
3. Enjoying the HBG mixer! Over 40 business booths were featured. Those who came were able to participate in a fierce salsa contest, enjoyed complimentary food and drinks, music, a photobooth and were entered for a raffle! Thank you to all who came.
4. Raffle fun at United Staffing Associate-hosted mixer!
5. New members were recognized at the Chamber Mixer!
New members recognized included: Vere Marketing Group, ReadyWork Inc., Maria Elena Lopez of Valley Hills Realty, Cen Cal Business Finance, BrightStar Care of Santa Barbara County, Old Orcutt Yarnery, Adi Ringer Photography, Wicks Roofing and Solar, Golden State Nonprofit Solutions.
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 August 2024!
Investor:
Lincoln Group Inc. & Lincoln Industrial - Santa Maria (805) 457-5396 www.lincolngrp.com
Lincoln Group Inc. & Lincoln Industrial - Oxnard (805) 586-3357 www.lincolngrp.com
Lincoln Group Inc. & Lincoln Industrial - Denver (888) 575-4544 www.lincolngrp.com
Corporate: Wicks Roofing and Solar - Nipomo (805) 546-9056 www.wicksroofing.com
Wicks Roofing and Solar - Santa Barbara (805) 546-9056 www.wicksroofing.com
Wicks Roofing and Solar - Ventura (805) 546-9056 www.wicksroofing.com
Member: Adi Ringer Photography (805) 610-5527 www.adiringer.com
Cen Cal Business Finance Group (805) 739-1665 www.cencalfinance.com
ReadyWork Inc (805) 619-0390 www.readyworkinc.com
Civic: Glenn Morris (559) 909-1012
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!
WE LOVE CELEBRATING OUR MEMBER!
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.
CHAMBER MEMBER TESTIMONIAL
How has being a Chamber member supported the growth of your business? Let us know by emailing romina@santamaria.com
- St. Mary of the Assumption School WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM
“We joined the Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce because it aligns perfectly with our commitment to community engagement. St. Mary of the Assumption School values the local partnerships, networking opportunities, and resources offered by the Chamber. Together, we aim to strengthen our ties, support local businesses, and foster a thriving, interconnected community.”
