ARTICLE
A question arose recently, “What exactly is the purpose of a Chamber of Commerce?” And so we have spent some time determining how best to answer that question. Do our members and community really know what it is that the Chamber provides to them? Are there ways we can better serve our members? With these questions in mind, we will be exploring what the Chamber does for its members and the greater Santa Cruz regional community over the next few weeks in a multi-part article series, called "What Does the Chamber Do for You?" Local Issues and Policies The Santa Cruz Area Chamber’s primary focus is on local Santa Cruz area issues and policies. While we may join with others to advocate for state or national policies on issues that impact Santa Cruz County (e.g., education, housing local tourism, regional land use, water and transportation policies, state and local governance) the Chamber dedicates its efforts to matters in which we believe we can have the greatest influence at a local Santa Cruz area level. We value fairness and efficiency in community decision making. We believe the business community must play an active role in public decision making. The Chamber will provide business people the means to act collectively, influencing decisions of economic significance in our community. The Chamber is an invaluable business association which represents more than 15,000 jobs across every sector of the local economy and throughout the entire county — from Davenport restaurants to Pajaro Valley growers, from Capitola village shops to mountain wineries, and from downtown Santa Cruz businesses to UC Santa Cruz. Our members include all types of businesses from one-person law firms and shops to organizations of more than 2,500 employees. Our mission is to provide advocacy for important issues that affect the success of all Santa Cruz Area businesses, as well as protecting our natural resources and the health and well-being of the families in Santa Cruz County. The Chamber has been the voice for businesses in the Santa Cruz region since 1889. We value efficient and sustainable business practices, which produce quality goods and services. We want to continuously improve the level of excellence in business practices throughout our community. We will set an example as a well-run business. The Chamber has a variety of “benefits” to meet each individual member’s interest. The informal networking “Business after Hours” events are the primary activity for some members, while other members like to engage in the topical, content-driven events such as the Leadership in a Changing World Series. Some members only participate in one or two Chamber events a year such as the Annual Business Expo or the Gala Awards Celebration. Santa Cruz County is a wonderful place to work, reside and recreate. But it is more than a tourist destination for the Chamber. Santa Cruz is our community and your Chamber is committed to improve the economic vitality while also working to protect our natural environment.
A question arose recently, “What exactly is the purpose of a Chamber of Commerce?” And so we have spent some time determining how best to answer that question. Do our members and community really know what it is that the Chamber provides to them? Are there ways we can better serve our members? With these questions in mind, we will be exploring what the Chamber does for its members and the greater Santa Cruz regional community over the next few weeks in a multi-part article series, called "What Does the Chamber Do for You?"
Local Issues and Policies
The Santa Cruz Area Chamber’s primary focus is on local Santa Cruz area issues and policies. While we may join with others to advocate for state or national policies on issues that impact Santa Cruz County (e.g., education, housing local tourism, regional land use, water and transportation policies, state and local governance) the Chamber dedicates its efforts to matters in which we believe we can have the greatest influence at a local Santa Cruz area level. We value fairness and efficiency in community decision making. We believe the business community must play an active role in public decision making. The Chamber will provide business people the means to act collectively, influencing decisions of economic significance in our community.
The Chamber is an invaluable business association which represents more than 15,000 jobs across every sector of the local economy and throughout the entire county — from Davenport restaurants to Pajaro Valley growers, from Capitola village shops to mountain wineries, and from downtown Santa Cruz businesses to UC Santa Cruz. Our members include all types of businesses from one-person law firms and shops to organizations of more than 2,500 employees. Our mission is to provide advocacy for important issues that affect the success of all Santa Cruz Area businesses, as well as protecting our natural resources and the health and well-being of the families in Santa Cruz County. The Chamber has been the voice for businesses in the Santa Cruz region since 1889.
We value efficient and sustainable business practices, which produce quality goods and services. We want to continuously improve the level of excellence in business practices throughout our community. We will set an example as a well-run business.
The Chamber has a variety of “benefits” to meet each individual member’s interest. The informal networking “Business after Hours” events are the primary activity for some members, while other members like to engage in the topical, content-driven events such as the Leadership in a Changing World Series. Some members only participate in one or two Chamber events a year such as the Annual Business Expo or the Gala Awards Celebration.
Santa Cruz County is a wonderful place to work, reside and recreate. But it is more than a tourist destination for the Chamber. Santa Cruz is our community and your Chamber is committed to improve the economic vitality while also working to protect our natural environment.