ARTICLE
The Annual Community Recognition Gala Dinner is just around the corner! The Santa Cruz County Chamber is kicking off the end of winter with this exciting event. It will be hosted at the Cocoanut Grove on Thursday, April 6th, from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Each year the Chamber pulls together a nomination committee to award individuals, businesses, and organizations of the year. We also bestow a legacy/lifetime achievement award to an outstanding community leader in Santa Cruz County. This annual tradition brings out the best of the best in Santa Cruz County. Over 300 community leaders join in the celebration. We marvel at the natural beauty of the Monterey Bay, and the majestic views of the Santa Cruz Mountains (from the beaches to the mountains). As the years roll by, we participate in making Santa Cruz County a great place to work, live and play. Santa Cruz is not only blessed with natural beauty. It is our people who make the difference, especially during difficult times, such as what we have faced this past winter. Santa Cruz has been the epicenter of another set of natural declared disasters, starting in December and continuing through March. Santa Cruz has been bombarded with atmospheric rains, wind gusts up to 100 mph, flooding rivers and beaches, fallen trees, mudslides on county roads and highways, and wild storms along the central coast. As reported last week, we know that this is one of the wettest years on record. 10 atmospheric storms have hit California, with Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, as well as the Central Coast, taking the brunt of the devastation. The latest storm last Monday and Tuesday brought us a new weather term: “A Cyclone Bomb”. This was described as two eyes of the storm, combined with wind gusts of nearly 100 mph, pushing rain and wind with a severity never before seen by long-time residents. When the hard times hit, our community defies the odds. We come together to help each other, and our community, recover. Though we are not there yet, we will get there. On a Thursday evening, in one shining moment, we will hit the pause button on recovery and celebrate. It is with pride that I present the Chamber’s 2022 Award Honorees: Chamber Person of the Year: Chris Murphy, Santa Cruz Warriors and Golden State Warriors, SVP, Franchise Development. Chris is widely recognized as a catalyst for leading the Sea Dubs, as well as spearheading the front office efforts to win the NBA G League Franchise of the Year (2021-2022), (2020-2021), and (2017-2018). Most of us know Chris and the Santa Cruz Warriors for their unwavering ability to help Santa Cruz County thrive with volunteer efforts for our schools, our youth, senior citizens, beach and river clean up, and many more programs and projects in our region. Congratulations Chris on a well-deserved honor! Chamber Business of the Year: Joby Aviation. JoeBen Bevrit, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Joby Aviation, has led the team since its inception, more than a decade ago. He has dedicated his life to driving radical innovation in electric propulsion and robotics. In 1999, JoeBen co-founded Velocity11 to develop high-performance robotic laboratory systems, which was acquired by Agilent Technologies. Joby is a California-based company that builds quiet, all-electric aircraft: Connecting people like never before. With up to 150 miles of range and the ability to take off and land vertically, the Joby aircraft will change the way we move, while reducing the acoustic and climate footprint of flight. Their long-term vision is to build a global passenger service that helps the world connect with the people and places that matter most, while helping to protect our precious planet. As well as strategic partnerships with Toyota, Delta, Uber, and many more, they have a team of more than 1400 engineers and experts working to bring aerial ridesharing to our skies. Congratulations Joby Aviation. Organization of the Year: Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project & the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District. This non-profit 501(c)(3) was created to advocate for community-led healthcare services by forming a health care district and purchasing Watsonville Community Hospital to transition it to community ownership and governance. Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project's mission is "to ensure the communities we serve have the high quality and sustainable healthcare services they need by placing local healthcare resources in the hands of the people." In order to form a healthcare district and acquire Watsonville Community Hospital, urgency legislation — Senate Bill 418 — was brought forward by State Senator Laird and coauthored by California State Assembly members Robert Rivas, Mark Stone, and Senator Anna Caballero. The bill was passed unanimously by the Assembly and Senate, and on Friday, February 4, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the legislation into law. With his signature, the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District is now established. This powerful proclamation of confidence affirms the state's stance on the importance of the population that resides and works in the Pajaro Valley, and the role Watsonville Community Hospital plays in their health and wellbeing. This is a resounding mandate to realize the transition of ownership and transformation of Watsonville Community Hospital to the community. VHDP Board of Directors includes leadership representing Santa Cruz County, the City of Watsonville, Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley, and Salud Para La Gente. Congratulations! Chamber’s Small Business — Startup of the Year: Lookout Santa Cruz. Founded by Ken Doctor, they believe in American democracy and the power of local communities to better themselves. They know that high-quality, trustworthy, non-partisan and connect-the-dots local news reporting is essential to the strengthening of those communities and our country in the 2020s. Acting on that belief, they’ve created Lookout Local. Lookout is an emerging network of, digital-only, mobile-first, editorially robust, intensely local media outlets offering community-centric news and resources. The company’s network of websites will serve small to mid-sized markets, repopulating news and advertising deserts with modern, vibrant news products. Lookout Santa Cruz, the company’s first site, launched in November 2020. Its parent, Lookout Local Inc., is a public benefit corporation whose fundamental mission is to serve its communities with a new and higher standard of news, information and community engagement. Chamber’s Lifetime (Legacy) Award honoree: Chris Maffia, Santa Cruz County Bank (retired). Chris is native Californian born and raised in the Santa Clara Valley. Chris’ banking career spanned more than 40 years, beginning with Bank of America. She started as a teller and worked her way to lending and personalized banking positions, raising to the rank of SVP. In 2005, Chris retired from Bank of America, but she wasn’t ready to settle down! She joined Santa Cruz County Bank as a VP/Regional Relationship Manager. This past July 2022, she joined her partner and husband, Chuck, in retirement, to enjoy their children and grandchildren. Chris states: “Fortunately, all the family members live close by where they have family dinners and celebrations.” However, to those of us in the business and non-profit world, we know Chris for her volunteer contributions with so many community organizations. These include United Way Santa Cruz County, Dominican Hospital Foundation, Women of Wellness, and her dedicated service to the Santa Cruz County Chamber as a past Board Chair. Chris has been recognized as the Affiliate of the Year, Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors. She has also received the Betty Elward Award, presented for outstanding participation in the Dominican Hospital Foundation and annual Gala and a Ambassador of the Year for the Chamber. It is with smile and a cheer we congratulate Chris on her many years of business and community service to Santa Cruz County. We have a few seats left, so please consider joining us and more than 300 Santa Cruz County community leaders at the historic Cocoanut Grove 2023 Gala Award Dinner. I hope to see you there.
The Annual Community Recognition Gala Dinner is just around the corner! The Santa Cruz County Chamber is kicking off the end of winter with this exciting event. It will be hosted at the Cocoanut Grove on Thursday, April 6th, from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm.
Each year the Chamber pulls together a nomination committee to award individuals, businesses, and organizations of the year. We also bestow a legacy/lifetime achievement award to an outstanding community leader in Santa Cruz County.
This annual tradition brings out the best of the best in Santa Cruz County. Over 300 community leaders join in the celebration. We marvel at the natural beauty of the Monterey Bay, and the majestic views of the Santa Cruz Mountains (from the beaches to the mountains). As the years roll by, we participate in making Santa Cruz County a great place to work, live and play.
Santa Cruz is not only blessed with natural beauty. It is our people who make the difference, especially during difficult times, such as what we have faced this past winter.
Santa Cruz has been the epicenter of another set of natural declared disasters, starting in December and continuing through March.
Santa Cruz has been bombarded with atmospheric rains, wind gusts up to 100 mph, flooding rivers and beaches, fallen trees, mudslides on county roads and highways, and wild storms along the central coast. As reported last week, we know that this is one of the wettest years on record. 10 atmospheric storms have hit California, with Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, as well as the Central Coast, taking the brunt of the devastation.
The latest storm last Monday and Tuesday brought us a new weather term: “A Cyclone Bomb”. This was described as two eyes of the storm, combined with wind gusts of nearly 100 mph, pushing rain and wind with a severity never before seen by long-time residents.
When the hard times hit, our community defies the odds. We come together to help each other, and our community, recover.
Though we are not there yet, we will get there.
On a Thursday evening, in one shining moment, we will hit the pause button on recovery and celebrate.
It is with pride that I present the Chamber’s 2022 Award Honorees:
Chamber Person of the Year: Chris Murphy, Santa Cruz Warriors and Golden State Warriors, SVP, Franchise Development.
Chris is widely recognized as a catalyst for leading the Sea Dubs, as well as spearheading the front office efforts to win the NBA G League Franchise of the Year (2021-2022), (2020-2021), and (2017-2018).
Most of us know Chris and the Santa Cruz Warriors for their unwavering ability to help Santa Cruz County thrive with volunteer efforts for our schools, our youth, senior citizens, beach and river clean up, and many more programs and projects in our region. Congratulations Chris on a well-deserved honor!
Chamber Business of the Year: Joby Aviation. JoeBen Bevrit, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Joby Aviation, has led the team since its inception, more than a decade ago. He has dedicated his life to driving radical innovation in electric propulsion and robotics. In 1999, JoeBen co-founded Velocity11 to develop high-performance robotic laboratory systems, which was acquired by Agilent Technologies.
Joby is a California-based company that builds quiet, all-electric aircraft: Connecting people like never before. With up to 150 miles of range and the ability to take off and land vertically, the Joby aircraft will change the way we move, while reducing the acoustic and climate footprint of flight.
Their long-term vision is to build a global passenger service that helps the world connect with the people and places that matter most, while helping to protect our precious planet. As well as strategic partnerships with Toyota, Delta, Uber, and many more, they have a team of more than 1400 engineers and experts working to bring aerial ridesharing to our skies. Congratulations Joby Aviation.
Organization of the Year: Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project & the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District.
This non-profit 501(c)(3) was created to advocate for community-led healthcare services by forming a health care district and purchasing Watsonville Community Hospital to transition it to community ownership and governance.
Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project's mission is "to ensure the communities we serve have the high quality and sustainable healthcare services they need by placing local healthcare resources in the hands of the people."
In order to form a healthcare district and acquire Watsonville Community Hospital, urgency legislation — Senate Bill 418 — was brought forward by State Senator Laird and coauthored by California State Assembly members Robert Rivas, Mark Stone, and Senator Anna Caballero. The bill was passed unanimously by the Assembly and Senate, and on Friday, February 4, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the legislation into law. With his signature, the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District is now established.
This powerful proclamation of confidence affirms the state's stance on the importance of the population that resides and works in the Pajaro Valley, and the role Watsonville Community Hospital plays in their health and wellbeing. This is a resounding mandate to realize the transition of ownership and transformation of Watsonville Community Hospital to the community. VHDP Board of Directors includes leadership representing Santa Cruz County, the City of Watsonville, Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley, and Salud Para La Gente. Congratulations!
Chamber’s Small Business — Startup of the Year: Lookout Santa Cruz. Founded by Ken Doctor, they believe in American democracy and the power of local communities to better themselves. They know that high-quality, trustworthy, non-partisan and connect-the-dots local news reporting is essential to the strengthening of those communities and our country in the 2020s. Acting on that belief, they’ve created Lookout Local.
Lookout is an emerging network of, digital-only, mobile-first, editorially robust, intensely local media outlets offering community-centric news and resources.
The company’s network of websites will serve small to mid-sized markets, repopulating news and advertising deserts with modern, vibrant news products.
Lookout Santa Cruz, the company’s first site, launched in November 2020. Its parent, Lookout Local Inc., is a public benefit corporation whose fundamental mission is to serve its communities with a new and higher standard of news, information and community engagement.
Chamber’s Lifetime (Legacy) Award honoree: Chris Maffia, Santa Cruz County Bank (retired). Chris is native Californian born and raised in the Santa Clara Valley. Chris’ banking career spanned more than 40 years, beginning with Bank of America. She started as a teller and worked her way to lending and personalized banking positions, raising to the rank of SVP. In 2005, Chris retired from Bank of America, but she wasn’t ready to settle down! She joined Santa Cruz County Bank as a VP/Regional Relationship Manager. This past July 2022, she joined her partner and husband, Chuck, in retirement, to enjoy their children and grandchildren. Chris states: “Fortunately, all the family members live close by where they have family dinners and celebrations.”
However, to those of us in the business and non-profit world, we know Chris for her volunteer contributions with so many community organizations. These include United Way Santa Cruz County, Dominican Hospital Foundation, Women of Wellness, and her dedicated service to the Santa Cruz County Chamber as a past Board Chair.
Chris has been recognized as the Affiliate of the Year, Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors. She has also received the Betty Elward Award, presented for outstanding participation in the Dominican Hospital Foundation and annual Gala and a Ambassador of the Year for the Chamber. It is with smile and a cheer we congratulate Chris on her many years of business and community service to Santa Cruz County.
We have a few seats left, so please consider joining us and more than 300 Santa Cruz County community leaders at the historic Cocoanut Grove 2023 Gala Award Dinner.
I hope to see you there.