A View from 90 E. Second St.
During the Jan. 4 State of the Chamber presentation I gave during our monthly membership breakfast meeting, I re-emphasized our mission is to provide quality service to our members and promote and develop a strong economic climate in Morgan Hill. I also reviewed our accomplishments in 2006 and the chamber’s direction for 2007.
Chairman Ted Fox’s 2006 theme was “Foundation for the Future – Challenges and Opportunities.” Chamber Treasurer Jeff Perkins established a Finance Strategy Task Force, which stabilized the chamber’s financial status. The move to 90 E. Second St., various expense-saving actions, a successful first Hiram Morgan Hill Golf Tournament, a well supported Friday Night Music Series, a successful Salute Morgan Hill, a successful new event called “Resources for the Sandwich Generation” and an excellent Taste of Morgan Hill, by year’s end, had stabilized the chamber’s financial status.
Last year saw the chamber’s Program of Work settle into a second year of business opportunities begun in 2005. The chamber’s Program of Work is driven by our committee and councils.
This past year, the ambassadors provided extraordinary assistance at 12 Good Morning, Morgan Hill! breakfasts, 12 Women In Business luncheons, 12 networking mixers and 35 ribbon cuttings.
The Education Council successfully implemented its second annual “Welcome New Educators Gift Bags” Program with the assistance of 36 members contributing more than 100 “gifts” from their businesses to say “thank you!” and “welcome” to more than 100 new educators from the Morgan Hill Unified School District, private and non profit schools and Gavilan College.
In addition, the Education Council successfully planned and implemented the first annual Golden Apple awards. Golden Apple awards went to the Machado School Heritage Society and Intero Real Estate Services. Golden Apple Honorable Mention awards were presented to Sycamore Concrete, Graebel Relocation Services, Paramit Corporation and Angel Star Company.
The Environmental Affairs Council implemented the first annual Sustainable Quality Awards program in 2006 to honor local businesses and organizations for their stewardship to the environment, social responsibility, and economic sustainability, thus, improving our community and region. The 2006 winners were Hospira, Inc., Specialized Bicycles, Saint Catherine Parish and School, Anritsu Company, Comcast – Morgan Hill Call Center, Heritage Bank of Commerce and Weston Miles Architects, Inc.
The Economic Development Committee oversaw significant issues such as the extension of the Redevelopment Agency, Measure F, a major housing development in San Benito County, economic development inhibitors, the continuation of the Economic Development Partnership between the city and chamber and ended the year by exploring the feasibility of expanding the marketing and “sales” of Morgan Hill to businesses looking to either move or expand.
The Government Review Council, along with the EDC and Education and Environmental Affairs councils, worked on the June primary and November ballot measures relevant to chamber members, our business community, and Morgan Hill and our region by analyzing the issues and sending recommendations to the Board of Directors for action. The GRC, along with Women In Business and our Business Forum Committee, hosted a mayoral and city council candidates forum.
The Women In Business Committee successfully planned monthly luncheons, which provided participants excellent networking opportunities and presentations by exceptional speakers. The WIB also presented a special customer service seminar by nationally known speaker Kathleen Ronald.
The South Santa Clara Valley Tourism Partnership Advisory Committee brings together the various elements of what makes up our regional tourism opportunities, including agricultural tourism, hotels and motels, restaurants, retail, downtown Morgan Hill, wine industry, hospitality service businesses, Bonfante Gardens, parks, events, golf courses and Aquatics Center.
Chairman Fox’s special focus on reaching out and establishing collaboration between the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, Visitors Bureau and Economic Development Corporation was a remarkable goal and resulted in even more remarkable outcomes. While the Gilroy Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors did not want to pursue such a partnership at this time, at least the door was opened for us to pursue in the not too distant future. However, the July 1 formation of the South Santa Clara Valley Tourism Partnership between the Morgan Hill Economic Development Partnership and Gilroy Visitors Bureau has proven, in a relatively short time, to be a truly “Who’d a thunk it?!” success story!
Focusing on advertising, familiarization tours and trade shows, the SCCVTP has already held one major familiarization tour, with more than 25 Bay Area travel writers, and another for an individual writer, strategically placed advertising in Discover, Central Coast Visitors Guide and AAA publications, and participated in the California Travel and Tourism Commission’s media reception at AT&T Park. Television advertising on KSBW has been booked and is running, February and May trade shows are scheduled, and additional tours are being planned and will be implemented prior to July 2007.
Collaboration with the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce has also begun and has included a very successful meeting between the chambers’ executive teams and a list of collaborative opportunities over the next year, including holding a tri-chamber mixer with the Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Benito chambers of commerce, holding a joint public forum on land, housing and transportation in our region, hold an ambassador roundtable and reception that will include ambassadors from Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Benito chambers and continue meetings between both chambers’ executive officers.
Dan Ehrler has been serving as the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce executive director for two years and has been the chief executive officer for various chamber of commerce organizations in California for more than 20 years. Contact him at de*****@********ll.org or at (408) 779-9444.
