San Dimas Chamber of Commerce Annual Report 2014-2015 San Dimas Chamber of Commerce 246 E. Bonita Ave. P.O. Box 175 San Dimas CA 91773 909-592-3818 www.sandimaschamber.com
PAGE 2 THE PIONEER THE OFFI CIAL NEWSLETT ER OF S AN DIMAS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS - 2014/2015 Executive Committee Chairman Scott Hay - Exciting Windows First Vice Chairman Cheryl Panzer - M. Cheryl Panzer Attorney At Law Second Vice Chairman Rick Hartmann - Government Contracting and Consulting Services Secretary Elaine Regus - ERPR Treasurer Dave Bratt - Individual Member Past Chairman Carolyn Corrao - Waste Management Board Members At Large Rhonda Beltran - McKinley Children s Center Amie Boersma - San Dimas Community Hospital Bob Cruz - The Gas Co. Margie Green - Green Photography Rick Hoke - ITT Technical Institute Ken Salzman - SanZman Productions John Standi - Golden State Water Company Mark Whitfield - Raging Waters Front Row Left to Right: Dave Bratt, Rhonda Beltran, Carolyn Corrao, Margie Green Second Row Left to Right:: Rick Hartmann, M. Cheryl Panzer, Elaine Regus, Ken Salzman Back Row Left to Right: Rick Hoke, Mark Whitfield, Scott Hay 2
PAGE 3 2014-2015 CHAMBER YEAR IN REVIEW Everyday, the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce works to help local businesses get started and grow so they in turn become active and engaged in the community. This helps build what we all enjoy as our sense of pride in our community. Many of our local businesses get stronger and find ways to get involved through the programs and services provided by the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce. At the Chamber, our mission is to foster and promote growth of the business and professional community while enhancing the quality of life in San Dimas. We do this by being committed to our Core Values because we understand that the harder we work to help local business the stronger our community will be for those efforts. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Creating a Strong Local Community Promoting the Community The San Dimas Chamber of Commerce has continued to grow while working hard to make improvements to the products, services and programs we offer so we can better serve our local businesses and community. Everything the Chamber does is geared to help create a strong local economy. Our events, business training, resources, marketing, and even our Shop Local programs are coordinated to help foster and promote business growth. ACTIVITIES We promoted the community, provided networking opportunities, provided business tools, worked on workforce development and helped create a strong local economy through our annual events such as the San Dimas Day at the Fair, Birthday BBQ, Awards Dinner, Christmas Tree Lighting, Toast of the Town and Western Days. We continued our Discover San Dimas campaign to help generate awareness and help engage our local businesses and their employees get involved in the San Dimas community. SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS Hosted the annual summer and winter holiday Shop Local campaigns to help inform residents about the importance of shopping local and to help generate additional tax dollars which in turn can be used to benefit the community. Worked with businesses to potentially locate in San Dimas and to navigate the permit process with government. Created a Volunteer Business Skills Intern Program to help high school and college students apply their trained skills in a business environment. Launched Discover San Dimas Campaign to help promote the community and introduce the public to all that the city has to offer. Continued to offer businesses the free Tools for Business online resource program, which offers new and existing businesses the tools they need to open and or expand. The program offers information on business and marketing plans, training, emergency preparedness, permits, funding and everything else a business may need all in one spot. Launched a Shopping Center and Business Locator Guide to assist potential businesses, developers, and commercial realtors find possible business location vacancies opportunities. 3
PAGE 4 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND LEGISLATION Representing the Interests of Business with Government The San Dimas Chamber of Commerce works to support the functions of government to enhance the economic base of private enterprise and business and we work closely with our elected officials to ensure that the business community has a voice with government. Through our Legislative Platform and Priorities we take on issues involving government, energy, labor, healthcare, environment, infrastructure, transportation and education. ACTIVITIES We do this by being actively involved in the San Gabriel Valley Legislative Coalition of Chambers so we could take on issues impacting businesses on a broader scale and with a larger voice. We also discussed and took on issues locally through our own Legislative Action Committee and shared that information with our members. SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS Hosted the Mayor and City Council Candidate s Forum to give residents an opportunity to meet the candidates and hear about important issues regarding our city government. Hosted numerous events to help educate businesses and the public on the new Affordable Care Act and Covered California requirements. Communicated important legislative issues to our members through our Chamber enews Briefs giving them an opportunity to be informed and take personal action. Took action on numerous bills that met with our Legislative Platform and continue to follow them through the legislative voting process. Took the lead in promoting the new Advanced Gas Meter installation and educated businesses and the general public on how it works and the benefits it now offers. Kept abreast of the City s Bonita Corridor improvement projects and offered input through our volunteer committee members. Also began creating a marketing plan to assist the downtown merchants during the façade improvement process. Offered Employment Law Posters and important legal resource information to businesses to ensure they were in compliance with government regulations. Hosted the annual State of the City and the State of the School District. San Dimas Mayor and City Council Candidate s Forum 2015 presented by the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce. 4
PAGE 3 CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP Providing Networking and Marketing Opportunities Providing Business Tools for Success The San Dimas Chamber of Commerce continually works to offer members opportunities to connect with others, market their businesses and organizations, and get the support they need with workforce development issues to business and marketing planning so they can prosper and in turn will get involved in supporting the community. ACTIVITIES Everyday of the year you will find the Chamber providing networking and marketing opportunities, providing business tools, working on workforce development and helping create a strong local economy. By offering members a multitude of events such as luncheons, breakfasts, coffee hours, mixers, award dinners, ribbon cuttings, annual community events and even travel tours we are giving members opportunities to meet others, build relationships, and showcase who they are and what they do. We also invest in educating members through our workshops, providing access to training tools and partnering with organizations such as SBDC and SBA as a means of assisting members with their needs. SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS Hosted the annual summer and winter holiday Shop Local campaigns to help promote local businesses and give members opportunities to promote their businesses. Partnered with American Express to promote Shop Small Saturday and the SBA to promote Small Business Week as a means of supporting local business. Hosted Luncheons, Breakfasts, Mixers, Ribbon Cuttings and Coffee Hours throughout the year to give members opportunities to connect with one another. Hosted annual events such as Birthday BBQ, Western Days and Music Festival, Toast of the Town, Teacher of the Year, Installation and Awards Dinner, Holiday Tree Lighting, Golf Classic, and the San Dimas Day at the Fair as a way to give members opportunities to market their businesses and organizations to community members. Launched the Charlie the Chamber Bear campaign to give members an opportunity to promote their products and services to others in a fun and unique way. Continue to invest in Member Management Software, which gives members access to promote their businesses and organizations, events, job postings, and special offers on the Chamber s website. This helps the general public find what s local. Continue to invest in the Business Tools for Success online resource program, which gives businesses easy access to the tools they can use to open and grow. We also are continuing to offer Coggno s online training programs on everything from learning how to use social media to complying with labor laws and even learning how to sell. 5
PAGE 6 MEMBERSHIP SUMMARY San Dimas Chamber of Commerce Total Chamber Membership = 365 FINANCIAL SUMMARY San Dimas Chamber of Commerce Financial Summary Charts reflect an annual operating budget of $245,000. Income Budget $245,000 Expense Budget $245,000 Events $114,000 47% Payroll $116,000 47% Membership $ 76,000 31% Events $ 68,000 28% Contract for Services $ 45,000 18% Operating Expenses $ 53,000 21% Advertising $ 5,000 2% Marketing $ 4,000 2% Additional Revenue $ 5,000 2% Other Expenses $ 4,000 2% 6
PAGE 3 2015-2016 CHAMBER ACTION PLAN The San Dimas Chamber of Commerce looked for inspiration during their 2015-2016 Chamber Planning Session from the man who imagined a world where a mouse could capture the hearts and minds of everyone - Walt Disney. As with all successful businesses, the Chamber has to continually stay abreast of current trends and be an Imagineering resource full of ideas and have the ability to carry out those ideas in order to always be Everything A Chamber Should Be and More. Learning to Think Differently set the tone for the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce to create new and innovative ways to approach how we do business and how we can better serve our membership. In addition to Re-Imagining our current services, programs and events to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our members and the community we also have plans to gear up for the Fast Lane of Change so we can offer a Wonderland of support to everyone we serve. Throughout the year we will be looking for new ways to engage our members and the community so more people can become involved not only in the Chamber but also in the City. Here s an overview of just some of the new projects and updates planned for the coming year: Expand our Economic Development efforts to support business retention and bring business to San Dimas. Continue to coordinate Shop Local programs and promote our Discover San Dimas campaign to help promote shopping centers and businesses in addition to offering San Dimas information to their employees to generate more community awareness. Continue to help businesses start, grow and get stronger with the use of our Tools for Business online resource program and expand our partnerships with the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership and SBDC so we can offer additional resources and showcase San Dimas. Expand our efforts to launch new business friendly services and programs such as our new Discover San Dimas Economic Development resource webpage and our new Shopping Center and Business Locator Guide. Look for new business friendly resources that can be used by local businesses to grow and expand their businesses. Continue to foster partnerships between education and the business community. Continue to work with local colleges, high school, and businesses to learn what skills are needed and how to match students with jobs. Expand our efforts to create community awareness about the Good Morning San Dimas Community Breakfast, which has changed to be more community oriented with presentations about the City of San Dimas, San Gabriel Valley, Education, Real Estate, Development, Infrastructure, Public Safety and Legislative News. Continue to take on more Legislative issues impacting local businesses and generate more awareness of the importance of taking business friendly positions with our elected officials. SUMMARY The San Dimas Chamber of Commerce proudly provides services to businesses and the community as a means of maintaining and growing a healthy business climate. We understand that a strong business community is an important component to any city and the tax dollars generated by businesses help fund services such as police and fire for the community. We also understand that healthy, active businesses are more likely to get involved and serve as members of service organizations and or donate to charitable organizations which in turn help the community grow stronger. We are proud to know that through our hard work we have been and will continue to be the driving force and business resource center for local businesses and the community. 7
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - 2015/2016 Executive Committee Chairman Cheryl Panzer - M. Cheryl Panzer Attorney At Law First Vice Chairman Rick Hartmann - Government Contracting and Consulting Services Second Vice Chairman Rhonda Beltran - McKinley Children s Center Secretary Elaine Regus - ERPR Treasurer Dave Bratt - Individual Member Past Chairman Scott Hay - Exciting Windows Chamber Staff President / CEO Karen Gaffney, IOM Membership Services Coordinator Silvia Melendez Events Coordinator Autumn Washington Board Members At Large Denis Bertone - Individual Member Amie Boersma - San Dimas Community Hospital Rick Hoke - ITT Technical Institute James McNeal - Schaefer Ambulance Ed Murfett - Print Connections Teri Muse - Waste Management Ken Salzman - SanZman Productions John Standi - Golden State Water Company Ben Wong - Southern California Edison San Dimas Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (Back row L-R: Jimmy McNeal, Schaefer Ambulance; Dave Bratt, Individual Member; Scott Hay, Exciting Windows by Design; Cheri Panzer, Law Offices of M. Cheryl Panzer; Rick Hartmann, Government Contracting and Consulting Services; Ed Murfett, Print Connections. (Front row L-R: Elaine Regus, ERPR; Rhonda Beltran, McKinley Children s Center; Amie Boersma, San Dimas Community Hospital; Denis Bertone, Individual Member; Teri Muse, Waste Management. Not photographed: Ben Wong, Southern California Edison, Rick Hoke, ITT Technical Institute, John Standi, Golden State Water Company. San Dimas Chamber of Commerce 246 E. Bonita Ave. P.O. Box 175 San Dimas CA 91773 909-592-3818 www.sandimaschamber.com 8