The Board of The Chamber of Commerce

"Business is great in Santa Barbara, and Santa Barbara is great for business"

The Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce is a California non-profit corporation. The organization was founded in 1878 and incorporated in 1899. The Chamber is a business association representing some 2,000 local businesses. Governed by a 20 person volunteer board of directors and managed by a professional staff, the chamber operates a visitor center and a resource center. The Chamber's mission is to foster a vibrant economy and improve the quality of life for all who live and work in the region. Through it’s programs the Chamber generates more than $80 million in annual local business referrals. The chamber visitor center hosts 300,000 annual customers. The chamber website generates 14,000 hits per day. The Santa Barbara Chamber is the oldest and largest business organization in the Tri-County Region.

Message from the Chair

Message from the Chairman

of the Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce

 

 

 

Message from the Chair

 

How was your business, non-profit, association, public office impacted by the downward spiral of the recession and beginning recovery of last year.  Are you doing more with less, or looking for new ways to seek out and communicate with your potential markets 

 

Are you updating your skills and knowledge less you windup overlooked in the new world economy  What is your value proposition and how do you brand and communicate it in a way that differentiates you from your competitors?  These are pretty heady and important questions begging careful answers no matter how you make a living, provide a community service, or lead the governance of an organization.  And, the answers to these questions are just what your Chamber Board Members and Staff have been grappling with over the past few months in preparation for 2010.

 

By now we have all learned that we should not judge the economic recovery by the lagging unemployment rate.  Rather we should assess the many positive indicators that the recovery is underway and use them for our own recovery, growth and success.  

 

Throughout this next year, the Chamber's strategy is to be your most important local business partner.  You and your organization can look to the Chamber for business connections through face-to-face and online networking opportunities. You can be assured that the most relevant and impacting issues of the day will be discussed, debated, and considered as we continue our Civic Roundtables and government relations discussions.  And, you can trust that your business interests will be represented at every level of local government and in all business associations in our community.  Finally, as a Chamber member, you will have the resources to stay on top of our local economy, and to advocate on your behalf.  

 

To sum up, our primary goal for 2010 is to leverage the untapped potential of our local businesses, non-profits, and community through the advocacy, resources and experience of the Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce.  Here's to the 2010 recovery!

 

Julie McGovern   

Board Chair