As I look back at my first year as President, I want to thank the Chamber members for electing such a diverse and dedicated group of Directors for this organization. I wish also to thank the Directors for their confidence in electing me as President for a second term.
When I say ‘diverse group of Directors,’ I relate to their varied life experiences and the broad range of ages from Millennial to Baby Boomers! The fact that this Board must represent members of all ages, the goal of the nominating committee every year is to keep that mix in mind. I believe they have succeeded also in having representation from most areas of the county. Our Directors come from South County to North County.
I put forth goals at the onset of 2015 which have been embraced by our Board of Directors and while we were not 100 percent successful, the majority of the goals were accomplished. This was only possible because of the dedication and efforts put forth by the Directors and our Chamber Staff.
We have had representation at our Board meetings by the Lakeport City Council and are beginning to have representation by a member of the Clearlake City Council. We updated our Government Affairs Policy Platform after an extensive review by the Government Affairs Team and final approval by the Board of Directors. The Chamber Bylaws were reviewed and amended this year. Input from the general membership was requested and incorporated for both documents prior to final approval by the Directors. These documents were sent out to all members once they were finalized.
We made some major changes to our website in mid-year to improve our communications and have found that much more work needs to be done. That is currently in process and should be completed by mid-February if not before. Our Business Education Team Chair Lorna Cruz-Higdon has worked very hard in 2015 to make workshops available to members and non-members to enhance their business skills. Her team has already put in place workshops through June 2016, including a special series of QuickBooks classes. We will be holding classes in Lakeport and South County to make them convenient for all and the schedule will be published shortly.
With the advent of the summer fires, our office became one of the spokes in the wheel to serve requests for information from local, state and federal representatives. We were contacted by chambers outside of the county with offers of supplies and donations and we were able to route those donations to those who needed them. Our Government Affairs Team Chair Richard Knoll created a very comprehensive Fire Recovery Resource listing (found on our website) that lists chamber members who offer needed services and products for those who must rebuild their homes and businesses. It also lists necessary government agencies that fire victims may need to contact.
The Chamber Ambassador Team has been attending several of the Business Association meetings around the County with the goal of improving communications throughout the businesses in every area. Team Chair Robert Boccabella and the Ambassadors are currently working on a Northern and Central California Ambassador Rally to be held at Boatique Winery on May 13. Ambassador Richard Neils is responsible for volunteering the Lake County Chamber to host this auspicious event which will draw Ambassadors from as many as 70 to 80 Chambers.
The Chamber’s Finance and Marketing Teams will be hard at work this year to enhance our community events and tell the story of the chamber throughout the County. A new Membership Team led by Lance Butcher is releasing a member survey this week to obtain input from the membership on their views of the chamber. This input will be used by the Board of Directors at the annual Board Retreat on Jan. 22 being held at Twin Pine Casino.
My personal goals for 2016 are to continue to improve the work we have been doing and continue our advocacy for businesses with local, state and federal governments. I am interested in hearing from our members and from businesses who do not belong to the chamber on any and all ideas for improving our services and for growing our economy. We must improve our telecommunications throughout Lake County as we have many areas that are not well served which creates health and safety concerns for all of us. Our personal safety is at risk if we cannot communicate with our first responders in a timely manner. If we cannot supply good internet access in all areas of the county we cannot expect those who depend upon that asset to move their businesses here.
Rest assured the Lake County Chamber of Commerce is led by some very dedicated individuals whose goal is to succeed in their businesses and help you succeed in yours. A healthy business community makes for a healthy community for everyone.
Ted Mandrones is President of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce
