Catalyst. Convener. Champion.
Chamber Connection
SA NTA M A RIA VA LLE Y CH A MB E R MO NTHLY NE WS LE T TE R | N OVE MB E R 2020
Santa Maria Style Holidays: Chamber Highlights Local Gift Ideas and Events in Holiday Campaign It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays are quickly approaching, and like most things this year, the way the Santa Maria Valley community celebrates will look different in the time of COVID-19. “Although traditional community events like the Christmas Parade and others have rightly been canceled this year, we want the community to know there are still ways to ring in the holidays safely, while still supporting local businesses and organizations,” explained Glenn Morris, President/CEO for the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has put together a number of campaigns to provide the community with fun ways to celebrate the holidays and get out and support local businesses. To help get the word out about holiday events and activities, the Chamber has created a “Holiday Cheer, Santa Maria Style” landing page on their website that showcases local holiday events. From the Elks Recreation “Christmas in the County” drive-thru lights display to the City’s “Lights, Sights and Holiday Nights” competition, the Chamber wants to make sure the community is aware of all the fun activities still available locally to ring in the holiday season. “As a convener and community champion,” Morris explained “it made sense
Tally Farms offers Farm Box subscriptions of fresh, local produce - a fun, local and unique gift you can give this holiday season while supporting local businesses. for us to provide a single resource for locals looking for ways to celebrate the holidays in the Santa Maria Valley.” The resource is available at santamaria.com/holiday-eventsand-activities. Local businesses and nonprofits holding holiday events and activities are encouraged to submit their information to taz@santamaria.com so the Chamber can include them in this promotion.
In addition to being a hub of information, the Chamber is also committed to being a catalyst of business activity, supporting support local businesses, so the Chamber is also launching a “Holiday Giving, Santa Maria Style” gift guide and “Shop Local Holiday Selfie Contest”. “There are so many fun, unique businesses Continued on p.2
WHAT ' S INSIDE : NOVEMBE R 2020 ISSUE
High School Community Garden p. 3
Chamber Month in Review p. 6
Remote Work & Childcare p. 7
Continued - Chamber Holiday Campaigns Continued from p.1 offering great gift ideas this holiday season,” Morris said. “Instead of defaulting to online shopping, we hope the community will first consider supporting our local businesses when doing their holiday shopping.” The Chamber’s holiday gift guide, available at santamaria.com/SMVHoliday-Gift-Guide, showcases local holiday gift ideas. The site has a variety of items, experiences and event support for nonprofits you can give as one-of-a-kind gifts this holiday season. From November 29 – December 18, the Chamber will showcase “20 days of local gifts”, and will highlight a different local gift idea each day on their social media platforms. Businesses looking to contribute to the gift guide can do so by filling out this brief form: santamaria.com/ form/view/21229 "Shopping local provides the community connection for both the customer and business, which is so important,” explained Airrick Contreras, Store Manager for newly opened Outdoor Supply Hardware in Santa Maria. “By making a personal investment in our community we not only help support the businesses and people who work there, but many other local services like police, fire, and teachers who get paid by our taxes generated while we shop local." Morris agrees that shopping local this holiday season is a win for everyone. “Not only are you helping a local business stay open and keep its people working, you’re also getting a more thoughtful and unique gift for those on your shopping list," Morris said. Andrea Chavez, who manages Tally Farms' Box Program, is excited to participate in the Chamber’s Holiday Gift Guide and agrees that shopping local benefits more than just the local business. “Shopping local and supporting locally owned businesses means supporting yourself, your business and your community,” Chavez explained. “When you buy from local businesses, those monies go into the paychecks of those business owners and employees who turn around and buy from you, your customers and community organizations." Katherine Fischer, owner of Fischer's Fine Jewelry, says local business owners like herself need to lead by example. " Local businesses like ours put money back into our community by shopping local 2
Outdoor Supply Hardware recently opened in Santa Maria and offers a variety of holiday trees and decorations in addition to power tools, plants and more great gift ideas for this holiday season. The local business says one of the many benefits of shopping locally is the personal touch you get from a local business. themselves." Fischer explained, "This money supports local schools, the arts, and vital organizations like the Boys & Girls Club and the YMCA. We're all connected, when we support each other, it benefits us all!" To encourage the community to support local businesses, the Chamber is holding a “Shop Local Holiday Selfie Contest”, where locals can visit any business in the holiday gift guide, snap a photo of the business or a selfie, and share with the Chamber for their chance to win local prize packages. Winners will be chosen weekly between November 29 – December 18. “We hope the contest will encourage people to get out and visit our local businesses this holiday season, and perhaps visit some places they haven’t been to before,” Morris said. “Many are unaware of the variety of products, services and activities we have available right here in the Santa Maria Valley. Our goal is to bring community awareness to our great local businesses and hopefully make some repeat customers from those out shopping for the
holidays.” The “Shop Local Holiday Selfie Contest” will launch mid-November, will have details available at santamaria.com/SMV-HolidayGift-Guide and on the Chamber’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SMVCC. Even in the times of COVID, the holidays are still the most wonderful time of the year in the Santa Maria Valley. The Chamber encourages the community to make the most of this holidays season enjoying local events and supporting our local businesses. “We recognize that this year has been challenging for everyone on many levels,” Morris said. “But with the challenges, we’ve also seen community members, businesses and organizations come together and meet the challenges brought by the pandemic head-on. We know the community will continue to step up and support one another, and we look forward to ending the year on a high note for the Santa Maria Valley by safely celebrating and shopping locally this holiday season.”
Armando's Autobody Partners with Delta High School on Community Garden
Chamber Board of Directors: 2020-2021
A local business has partnered with Delta Highschool on a fruitful community project. It all started when Delta Highschool social science teacher, Jeff Cooper began a conversation with Armando Gonzalez, owner of Armando’s Autobody, while getting his vehicle repaired. He discussed his desire to expand the Delta Highschool garden, especially after the loss of the school garden at Joe Nightingale Elementary due to expansion of classrooms. It was then that this local business owner and farmer, Armando Gonzalez, learned about the use of the Delta garden to create and teach using a non-traditional classroom environment. An alumni of Santa Maria highschool when Cooper taught at SMHS, Gonzalez excitedly jumped on board. Together, Armando met with Cooper, and drew up a plan for the garden to expand to six different stations and include labs for vertical gardening, edible landscaping design, composting, cut flowers, and soilless organic food production. According to Cooper, “ I have been watching videos of organic farming and food production expanding across unique places such as the rooftops of New York skyscrapers and the vacant lots of Detroit and Los Angeles. I have known for years that as a society we moved away from growing our own food for a generation or two and it has really devastated our nutrition levels and produced a whole host of problems from increased obesity to epidemics of anxiety and depression. I was searching for a way to teach this “lost art” to our youth but lacked the resources and know-how to really take it to the next level. Armando is that expert.” With the support of Mr. Gonzalez and his
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
many partners providing both the materials and the expertise, the Delta school garden is undergoing a transformation. “This is a dream come true,” Cooper says. Said Tami Contreras, Delta’s Crisis Intervention Counselor, “Not only do our students gain more access to healthier fruits and vegetables by learning to grow food just about anywhere, but the actual gardening has a grounding effect and this has a well researched therapeutic impact for people needing social and emotional support, especially to help in recovery from trauma.” “Ultimately, we want Delta to be a living laboratory where students and teachers and parents from local schools can tour, and take home both something good to eat and the knowledge of how to grow food in a sustainable and low maintenance way,” says Juan Sanchez, Biology Teacher. “In this direction, we will teach people how to reduce water consumption,reduce pesticides, and improve the soil in a safe way.” Says Cooper, “He’s not just donating some money and hoping we do something productive with it. He (Armando) is actually helping us through every part of the process, problem solving, designing and building… this is a real commitment from a member of the business community and we rarely see this level coming from someone outside education...to be as committed to the students and their families as we are.” Says Armando Gonzalez, “I am always looking for ways to support this community in Santa Maria where I grew up and where my family lives, and this project at Delta Highschool meets so many critical needs, all at once. I am just grateful for the opportunity to help.”
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.
Left: Armando Gonzalez poses with students and faculty at Delta High School. Right: Eliezer Cervantes & Jorge Ramirez dig post holes for the vertical gardens while Biology Teacher Juan Sanchez and student Alicia Sandoval discuss weeds. Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | November 2020
3
Chamber Membership Corner Thank You Chamber Investor Program Sponsors:
New Members: August & September 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. We highly encourage individuals and businesses to support Chamber member businesses. Executive Level Central Coast Community Energy 140 Zaca Ln, #140, San Luis Obispo (831) 641-7222 www.mbcommunitypower.org Investor Level Innovative Produce 1615 West Main Street, Santa Maria (805) 349-2714 www.innovativeproduce.com Member Azure Apartment Homes 703 E. Meehan Street, Santa Maria (805) 346-2001 www.liveatazure.com
American General Media Armando’s Autobody & Paint Inc. BBSI Babe Farms, Inc. Black Bear Diner - Santa Maria Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast CALM CenCal Health 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 Innovative Produce J. Wilkes Wines Jack's All American Plumbing Mega 97.1/La Buena Morris & Garritano Insurance Moxie Cafe New Life Painting/Bath & Kitchen/Restoration NKT Commercial I, LLC Orkin Central Coast PCPA - Pacific Conservatory Theatre Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC Phoenix Property Inspections Plantel Nurseries Safran Cabin Santa Maria Safran Seats Santa Maria Santa Barbara Foundation 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
4
Cookies Retail (831) 206-6460 www.cookies.co
Huf Floral (805) 249-3661 www.huffloral.com Outdoor Supply Hardware 1950 S. Broadway , Santa Maria (805) 357-5020 www.outdoorsupplyhardware.com League of Women Voters 2252 Fallen Leaf Drive, Santa Maria my.lwv.org/California/Santa-maria-valley.com Sergio Ruiz Productions Santa Maria, CA (805) 264-6841 sergioruizprod.com
Dottie's Sweet Delights Santa Maria, CA (805) 607-9495 Dottiessweetdelights.com
Member Upgrades: August & September 2020 The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce thanks the following companies for upgrading their membership by stepping up their commitment to our Chamber Investor Program and to the communities of the Santa Maria Valley. Director Level United Way Northern Santa Barbara County 1660 S Broadway, Suite 201, Santa Maria (805) 922-0329 www.liveunitedsbc.org Investor Level BBSI 3450 Broad St., Ste #102, San Luis Obispo (805) 762-4907 www.barrettbusiness.com Jack's All-American Plumbing 2011 Preisker Lane, Suite A, Santa Maria (805) 925-0199 www.jacksplumbing.net
New Life Painting/Bath & Kitchen/ Restoration 2225 Skyway Dr., Santa Maria (805) 937-9836 www.newlifehi.com Santa Barbara Foundation 2625 S. Miller St., Ste 101 (805) 346-6123 www.sbfoundation.org
Renewing Members: September 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 loyalty and continued support in renewing your commitment to the Chamber and to the communities of Santa Maria Valley. 54 Years: Home Motors
23 Years: CenCal Health
11 Years: Altrusa International of the Central Coast
50 Years: Mechanics Bank
22 Years: R W Scott Construction Co., Inc.
7 Years: Trilogy at Monarch Dunes - Shea Homes
40 Years: Pan American Insurance Services
21 Years: Merrill Gardens Santa Maria Public Airport
6 Years: Noozhawk
35 Years: Martinez & Assoc Architecture, Inc.
18 Years: OASIS, Inc
33 Years: Eric D. Kirk, DDS, Inc. 30 Years: Bunny Maxim, CornerStone Mission Coast Realty 29 Years: Jack's All-American Plumbing 28 Years: SBCAG/Traffic Solutions Rideshare 27 Years: Fidelity National Title Insurance 26 Years: Bent Axles Car Club Hacienda Oaks Property Management J B Dewar, Inc. 25 Years: Santa Maria Human Resources Assoc.
17 Years: Westgate Courtyards 16 Years: Montiavo at Bradley Square 15 Years: Great American Self Storage J & D Bookkeeping Service 14 Years: CIO Solutions Cruzin' for Life Mint Properties Pacific Coast Energy Co. 13 Years: Mission Paving, Inc West Coast Kustoms 12 Years: Santa Maria Wisdom Center Express Employment Professionals Rotary Club of Santa Maria (Noontime)
5 Years: Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Sleepfit Corp. / Mattress Land Stores 4 Years: Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 82 Fuhring Inc. 3 Years: Lowe's Pizzeria Bello Forno Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. 2 Years: Blosser Urban Garden Certified Freight Logistics Hubbell Real Estate Group Luttrell Staffing Group Vitalant 1 Year: #1 Car Wash Balance Treatment Center Flooring 101 Great Business Marketing
Add Your Name to the List...Join the Chamber Today! Join our growing organization of over 800+ local businesses! More information about the benefits of joining the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce can be found at santamaria. com. Or, contact Membership Manager Cara Martinez at (805) 925-2403 x 852 or cara@ santamaria.com.
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | November 2020
5
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 • • • • •
The Chamber is partnering with CalChamber to provide a 20% discount on required harassment prevention training to local businesses. The training must be completed before the end of the year. The Chamber shot new photos for their “Support Santa Maria Valley” Campaign, which will run through the end of the year and encourages the community to continue to support local businesses. The Chamber is offering 2021 Employment notices at discounted rates, including the required State & Federal Employment Posters. The Visitors Bureau is moving forward with the renewal and expansion of the Santa Maria Valley Tourism Marketing District. Both the County of Santa Barbara and the City of Guadalupe have agreed to join the district when it is renewed later this fall. The SM City Council will take up the renewal over its next two meetings. The Economic Development Commission continues to work with developers on potential new projects. Several new businesses are under construction and others are working through their due diligence and planning processes.
Convener of Leaders and Influencers • • • •
The Chamber hosted a series of Candidate Conversations with candidates for Congress and State Assembly. The conversations were recorded via zoom and made available on YouTube and social media. The Visitors Bureau continues its monthly meetings with hotels. This month, they connected local hotels with the Elks Recreation to find creative ways to help promote upcoming local events to visitors. Nature’s Repair hosted the Chamber’s October Mixer, which gives community members the opportunity to network with other professionals in the local community. Santa Maria Connect Young Professional’s Board of Directors continues to meet monthly to find creative ways to engage local young professionals in the program.
Chamber CEO interviews Salud Carbajal for the Chamber's Candidate Conversations series.
Champion for a Stronger Santa Maria Valley • • • • •
•
6
The Chamber hosted its first in event in a speaker series convening local FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) High School students and business leaders. The conversation, held via zoomed, highlighted local millennial business owners. The Chamber filmed an industry profile video highlighting local businesses Art Craft Paint and Hacienda Realty. The video is the first in a series that will highlight local businesses in the Santa Maria Valley. The Visitors Bureau and Economic Development Commission presented their annual report to Santa Maria City Council, highlighting the impact these organizations have had on the local community in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The Chamber actively supported the proposed Orcutt Community Plan Amendment/ Union Valley Parkway Road Construction, which would improve circulation and enhance safety in this area. Chamber staff participated in ACCE’s (Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives) “Future of Chambers” summit, a virtual event providing practical takeaways from industry leaders to help the organization lead through current challenges and set the chambers up for a stronger future. Leadership Santa Maria Valley class continues to near completion of their legacy projects, a children’s book highlighting the local area and the mobile observatory. They plan to unveil the projects to the community in the coming months.
The Chamber met with local business leaders to film its first in a series of industry profiles.
Distance Learning, Working Parents and Employers - Oh My! Fall 2020's Back-To-School hasn't been the "jump for joy" moment that many parents typically feel. Across the nation, school districts are pushing back the start of the year, embracing distance learning, and finding workable options to keep students and teachers safe as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Each school district is doing something different, and many parents aren't given a choice of how students are getting their education. In response, many companies are continuing work-from-home initiatives and allowing a more flexible schedule for their employees. Gone is the 9-to-5, Mondaythrough-Friday workweek, and instead, many parents are given more flexible options During the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents are struggling to balance remote work with to complete their tasks while balancing taking care of children and assisting with remote learning. helping children with lessons, acting as caregivers for smaller children or an elderly stay engaged and entertained as parents times where children study, and parents work on projects that require their full relative, and still giving their best for their work. “We have certainly heard the full range of concentration. employer. Here's a tip: schedule your "don't interrupt" Working from home, especially for responses from local businesses,” said Glenn those who aren't used to it or for businesses Morris, president & CEO of the Santa Maria work time at the same time that you're able that rely on collaboration and teams, Valley Chamber. “While some have found to book childcare to occupy younger kids can be challenging without adding in solutions that are working for now, many or the time that you schedule for older kids extra responsibilities. Many parents were have indicated that they are very concerned to read a book or go play outside. Don't challenged in the spring to finish out the about the long-term impacts on employees schedule your "concentration-time" during the same time that kids are working on year by fitting remote learning around and their families.” Morris went on to say, “The Chamber, like assignments that they require supervision meetings and other company requirements, many small businesses, has had to address or assistance. You'll be interrupted and you and these challenges are back for the fall. With dozens of childcare centers, this situation for our team. We’re trying to both will get frustrated. If you are an employer, you may want especially early learning ones, throughout be as flexible as we can and recognize that the area closing, there's an increasing our team members have a lot of demands on to consider adding childcare allowances or challenge for parents to find childcare their time. To the extent that people can stipends to create at-home offices for remote as their offices gradually reopen. Allan get their work done well and still collaborate workers. These childcare stipends may allow Hancock College has witnessed this with the rest of the team, our focus will be to workers to pay for a part-time nanny or find solutions that meet individual needs.” hire a friend or family member for in-home challenge firsthand. Each business is different, and there childcare, limiting the exposure to COVID. "Emergency childcare became necessary for essential workers in the community," are some instances where participation Whether it's extra personal time to be used explained Maria Suarez, manager for in certain meetings or other collaborative to help care for children and supplement the Orfalea Children's Center at Allan events is mandatory. The flexibility and remote learning from the local school Hancock College. "The Orfalea Children's understanding of the company of the district or setting up virtual childcare, Center recognized the community's need different "hats" their staff must wear many businesses are looking into different and opened its doors to provide safe and throughout the day makes a difference in ways to support their staff and we encourage quality care for children from 3 months helping employees manage the added stress local employers to do the same. This, plus initiatives such as job-sharing to 10 years of age. Emergency childcare and responsibilities. There are a few key things that remote and allowing part-time work without offered essential workers the opportunity to get childcare, allowing them to continue workers should embrace in order to make penalizing an employee on their career remote learning and their professional trajectory, can help businesses retain their providing services in their community." Companies throughout the area have responsibilities both be successful. First, be top talent amid the pandemic and help been responsive in other ways too, including organized. Create a daily schedule, starting remote workers reduce their stress and still allowing more flexible schedules, adding with times that each family member must be a valuable contributing member of their extra personal and sick days, and even be available to participate in a classroom team. offering remote "day camps" to help children virtual lesson or meeting. Then, block out 7 Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | November 2020
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 offering 20% Discount on Required California Harassment Prevention Training California employers with five or more employees must provide harassment prevention training to all employees by January 1, 2021. That’s two hours of training to California supervisors, and one hour of training to nonsupervisory employees in California. Training must take place within six months of hire or promotion and every two years thereafter. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with CalChamber and offer our local businesses a 20% discount on harassment prevention training for employees and supervisors. Details available at bit.ly/ HarassmentPreventionTrainingSMVCC. We encourage all businesses who have not yet done harassment prevention training to take advantage of this expert training before the January 1st deadline.
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau 614 S. Broadway, Santa Maria | (805) 925-2403 | santamaria.com | info@santamaria.com 8
