Thursday, March 3, 2016

Things are changing around here! Angela Cole, who has been with the Chico Chamber for nearly 10 years after graduating from Chico State, is departing to explore exciting career opportunities. Please join me in thanking her for her years of dedicated service to our members and the business community. Meanwhile, our team is growing! We have announced an opening for a brand new position: Associate Vice President. Please contact me if you are interested in joining our dynamic and hard-working team as we leverage the voice of business to move Chico forward.

In March, Team Chico's monthly Community Safety Meeting for businesses and community members will be hosted by the Chico Mall in the Food Court. Join us on March 10th from 9-10am for a discussion with the Chico PD on Nextdoor.com, the new Chico PD app, and safety measures your business can take. Complimentary goodies will be provided by Panera Bread.

In January, Team Chico visited with nearly every business in and around the Rio Lindo area and the Chico Airport Business Park. In February, we checked in with businesses along the 20th Street corridor and Forest Avenue area. At the end of this month, Team Chico will be circling back to check in with businesses in the Mangrove and Vallombrosa areas. We visit businesses each month with updates on infrastructure projects, safety issues, and just to see how things are going. We make a concerted effort - the Chamber, City, DCBA, AFWD, and 3CORE - to solve the problems brought to our attention. Keep an eye out for us and let us know how your business is doing!

Last month, the City presented an update on their financial status and outlook. If you missed the presentation, take a few minutes and click through it here. Rest assured, we're following the civic fiscal discussion closely so that we can keep you informed and know how to best advocate for your needs.

Have a great month and let's hope for a few more weeks, at least, of rain.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Wow - what a relief to see the front page of the Chico ER read "Heading in the Right Direction" following last week's Business Summit & State of the City Address. To say that the last 5+ years have been a financial rollercoaster for our business community and city government would be an understatement.  And, here we are, at the start of 2016, celebrating how far we've come. Still, the Mayor tempered expectations in his Address last week by noting that reserves are drastically too low and staffing and technology are still underserved. We've got a long road ahead of us, but at least we're moving Chico forward.

The Chico Economic Snapshot produced by Mark Francis with Golden Valley Bank also offered good news with steady increases in our economic indicators. Mark noted that we've added 9,001 jobs to the region since our low point just a few years ago which - he noted with humor - equals the populations of both Gridley and Biggs combined. Yes, good news indeed. We'll soon publish a video of the Summit & State of the City Address thanks to BCAC-TV so stay tuned if you missed the event.

Lastly, I want to thank our incredibly deserving award recipients for their contributions to our community. It is through the recognition of these selfless acts of goodwill toward our community that we raise the bar ever higher. Take a peek at our Annual Dinner photos online and give our recipients a like and a share!


I hope to see you at a Community Safety Meeting this year - perhaps on the 11th of this month at Transfer Flow at 5:30pm. These are critical community conversations about public safety and your business presence keeps us all moving in the right direction. The time to get involved is now!

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Happy New Year! I can't remember another year in which people were more excited to start fresh. There's energy in the air and we're eager to capture it. In 2015, we took a hard look at the Chamber and came to realize that after 100 years in existence we're still here to leverage the voice of business for community good. With our Community Vision in hand, 2016 holds exciting prospects for continued improvement in the business and living climate in Chico that will benefit our members and our economy tremendously.
At the top of our Vision we recognize the value of a safe community. To reach this goal, our first Community Safety Meeting of the year is next Thursday, January 14th, at noon at the PG&E offices located at 460 Rio Lindo. Hosted in partnership with Team Chico, this is an opportunity to meet the Chief of Police, hear about recent developments in the department, and find out how you and your business can be part of the community-oriented policing model sweeping through our city. Meetings like this one will be held monthly throughout 2016 and I hope you'll take a moment to sign up on Next Door and to download the newly released Chico PD app. It's time to get connected.

I'm also thrilled to welcome Toni Scott with Morrison & Company as Chair of our Board of Directors. As the first millennial to fill this critical leadership position at the Chamber, Toni brings a sharp eye to our list of priorities and will keep us heading in the right direction as we expand to meet the needs of all generations in Chico. And, to start the year off right, we're gearing up for our 78th Annual Dinner and Business & Community Awards Ceremony on January 21st in the Big Room at Sierra Nevada. I hope to celebrate our collective business and community accomplishments with you that evening. See you there!