2012 Community Leadership Visit

Visits by community leaders to learn about the experiences of other cities and counties with similar issues and opportunities are a time-test process that pays real dividends to the participants and their communities. The Santa Cruz Area Chamber has organized such a visit for Santa Cruz County community decision makers May 20 and 21. One hundred local leaders will visit San Luis Obispo, meet with leaders there, and explore how they have addressed some of the same problems our area faces.

Modeled after similar community development programs offered by hundreds of other chambers of commerce across the country, this leadership experience will support efforts by our community to understand best practices and lessons learned about issues similar to those facing us. This delegation of leaders representing both the public and private sectors will focus on community opportunities and vulnerabilities in areas including education, infrastructure, economic development and public finance.

We invite you to join us. We will look at innovative ideas, programs and initiatives which might be adapted to our community. More importantly, this will be an opportunity to develop or strengthen relationships within our community. Our goal is to develop a shared understanding of key issues, a strong network of decision makers, and a shared vision of paths to address those issues.

Other communities who routinely undertake these programs report that these experiences have led to more cohesive teams working on behalf of their communities. In fact the San Luis Obispo Chamber took just such a visit to Boulder Colorado several years ago and reports that virtually all of the several key economic development efforts undertaken in their region in the years since that visit can be traced back to what they learned and the relationships developed there. Other Chambers talk about how the dynamics of problem solving and community visioning have been enhanced and results that met and surpassed their expectations for community improvement.

We have chosen San Luis Obispo after considerable research. As a community they have many of the same demographics and issues as our region including an excellent university, significant tourism, opportunities for growth in technology transfer, agriculture, and manufacturing, and retail opportunities. They have succeeded in developing a public/private partnership to address economic development opportunities, attracting national retailers to the downtown areas, and building an effective business retention and attraction program.

Much of the program will be determined by the people of San Luis Obispo. They have some intriguing things to share:

• The San Luis Obispo Economic Vitality Corporation (EVC), a public/private partnership receives about $300,000 per year in sponsorships and more than $250,000 in grants annually. They have used this to brand the county and its communities, provide economic data, and influence policy.
• The EVC also operates a private-sector-managed business recruitment and their development economic strategies that result in local jobs. They report $23MM in local economic impact since they were founded about 15 years ago.
• San Luis Obispo, its business organizations, and local governments cooperate in a Countywide Economic Strategy, similar to "Vision Santa Cruz" without the earthquake.
• They have created an economic benefits analysis process for local government staff to use in recommendations and policy-making.
• They engage with the K-12 and higher ed school systems, especially Cal Poly, to develop tech-transfer, cluster-specific workforce training, and direct recruitment of students.

We will have opportunities to explore various elements of San Luis Obispo, meet with their leaders, and discuss with those principals their experiences, struggles, and vision for the future. Our goal is to create an environment that will foster networking, creative thinking and discussion among our delegates.

The Chamber will coordinate all travel arrangements, hotel accommodations, transportation and program session details. The all-inclusive fee for participation in this program is $495. Our goal is to engage a diverse delegation of top leaders from across the county who can affect change upon our return. You may register on line by clicking on the registration button, below. We request a $100 deposit to confirm your participation.

We hope you will be able to clear your calendar for this important venture. Please join local elected officials, public and education administrators, nonprofit leaders, and business principals for this unique opportunity. And, thank you for your continued support of the development and vitality of our region. 

Brian King
Community Leadership Visit Chair
President, Cabrillo College
Chair-elect, Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce

For more information contact:
Bill Tysseling
Executive Director
Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce
Bill.Tysseling@SantaCruzChamber.org
831 457-3713  Ext. 108