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“The Chamber is grateful for the leadership and service we have received from the individuals who are completing their service this year,” said Glenn Morris, CEO of the Visalia Chamber of Commerce.  ”The last few years have been very difficult for the Chamber and our members.  In addition to keeping their own businesses thriving, these leaders have been critical in helping the Chamber get back on course.”

Nathan Halls recently became president – Visalia, for Suncrest Bank. He is a life-long valley resident; members of Halls’ family have been running businesses here for four generations. Raised in Sanger, he is a graduate of California State University, Fresno and Pacific Coast Banking School in Seattle. Nathan, his wife and two children reside in Visalia and he is active in the United Way of Tulare County, Reaching Higher, The Young Entrepreneurs Academy, AYSO Soccer and Visalia Bible Study Fellowship.

Karen Gross is a State Farm agent in Visalia. She has been with State Farm for over 16 years, starting as a licensed team member then working her way up to owning her own agency. Her passion in business is helping people protect their families and plan for the future. Aside from being a business owner, Karen is a wife, and mother of three small children.

“I am honored to be selected as a board member and am looking forward to helping other small business owners expand their success,” Gross said.

George Vasquez is a VP-branch manager at Rabobank. George is also an entrepreneur and co-owns Elite Dance Academy & The Staffing Connection. He is deeply involved in the community and participates in the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation, the Leadership Visalia Mentor Program, San Joaquin Valley College Advisory Board, the SBDC Advisory Board, the Breakfast Rotary and the Tulare Kings Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He lives in Visalia with his wife and daughter and has two adult sons.

Todd Mackey is the owner of TROPICS by Design which provides outdoor landscaping and interior-plantscaping services. He began working at the family business at the age of 7 when it was called “The Garden Nursery.” Mackey has a bachelor’s degree in Management and Organizations Development from Fresno Pacific University with a minor degree in Organization Communication. He has been very active in various Chamber Committees for many years and has served with the Society of Human Resources and on the board of the Visalia Nazarene Church.

Amy Pack is no stranger to the Chamber. She served on the board of directors in the late 1990’s. She is currently an independent strategic marketing consultant for non-profits and businesses. She recently retired from the Gannett Company after 18 years as the Visalia and Tulare president/publisher. She has been active in the Visalia community as a founding board member of the Pro-Youth/HEART program and currently serves on the advisory board of the Sequoia Riverlands Trust, the Rotary Youth Exchange Program and on the cabinet of the National Acoustic Neuroma Association.

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The successful candidate for this position will demonstrate prior senior-level management experience in a chamber of commerce or similar organization.  Demonstrated success in collaborating with businesses, community staff and elected leaders, and partner organizations is essential.  A bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or related field is required; a master’s degree is preferred.  Demonstrated knowledge of business and non-profit financial management is required.   Demonstrated experience with current technological needs of an organization (websites, database management, social media)  and a strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications is important for this position.

Located in the heart of California’s Central Valley and at the base of the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Visalia serves as the economic center of a region known as the most productive agricultural zone in the United States and is the center of a trade area with a population exceeding one-half million residents.   In addition to its strong agricultural base, Visalia benefits from a diverse economy with strong retail, professional, distribution, manufacturing, and health care sectors.   Visalia provides a high quality of living with a wide variety of cultural and recreational opportunities.   Residents are proud of the City’s reputation as both a well-planned and business-friendly community.

The Chamber offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with the candidate’s experience and qualifications.   This position will remain open until a candidate is selected, but the board expects to review initial applications by the end of May.  Applications and letters of interest should be submitted to HR@VisaliaChamber.org or sent to CEO Applications, Visalia Chamber of Commerce, 220 N. Santa Fe, Visalia, Calif.  93292.

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Winners will be announced at the 61st Annual Awards Celebration presented by the Visalia Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, June 19, 2014 at the Visalia Convention Center. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails begin at 6:00 p.m. followed by a formal dinner at 7 p.m. and the program at 8 p.m.

“The Chamber is excited to once again be able to identify and recognize the businesses and individuals who are beating the standard of excellence in Visalia,” explains President/CEO Glenn Morris.  “Selecting one honoree in each category is a big challenge each year, but the quality that we have to choose from is a real testament to the community.”

Tickets for the Annual Awards Celebration are $70 or a table of 8 for $520. They can be purchased at the Visalia Chamber of Commerce located at 220 N. Santa Fe Street.  Limited sponsorships are available; call the Chamber office for more information at (559)734-5876.

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Nominations can be made by contacting the Chamber at 559-734-5876 or by downloading the form from the Chamber website: http://www.visaliachamber.org/pages/Events/. Nomination forms are due to the Chamber office by March 31, 2014. All nominees will then be sent a questionnaire to fill out in acceptance of their nomination.

The winner will be announced at the 2014 Annual Awards banquet. The community is also encouraged to nominate businesses or individuals who have exemplified outstanding service and commitment to Visalia.  Categories for the 2014 Annuals Awards include: Man of the Year, Woman of the Year and Small, Medium, Large, Agri-Business and Non-Profit of the year.

2013 Annual Award Recipients

Man of the Year – Steve Solomon

Woman of the Year – Nina Clancy

Small Business of the Year – Gerald Schneider D.D.S.

Medium Business of the Year – Rawhide Ball Club

Large Business of the Year – Valley Business Bank

Agri-Business of the Year – Koetsier Dairy

Non-Profit of the Year – Visalia Rescue Mission

CFO of the Year – Russ Desch Visalia Medical Clinic

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The Pillowcase Project curriculum follows three essential teaching steps: learn, practice and share. Students learn how to prepare for emergencies, enhance coping skills, practice what they have learned and share their knowledge with friends and family. The program emphasizes the importance of developing an emergency communications plan, fire evacuation plan and emergency contact cards.

The program also teaches students how to create their own emergency supplies kits by packing essential items in a pillowcase—a common household item—for easy transport during an emergency. Students will have the opportunity to decorate and personalize their pillowcases. Through the program, the Red Cross aims to incorporate preparedness education into elementary school and after-school curriculums nationwide.

“The Pillowcase Project is an opportunity to indoctrinate a culture of preparedness into a new generation and to educate youth on the importance of preparedness in a fun and interactive way. The hands-on activities will also help to build confidence so that kids are prepared to take action during an emergency,” said Alex Villa, regional manager of Community Preparedness & Resilience Services.

Created in New Orleans and sponsored by Disney, the Pillowcase Project was inspired by local university students carrying their belongings in pillowcases in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

For more information on the program, contact Cayce Baierski, volunteer coordinator of the Central Valley Chapter, at Cayce.Baierski@redcross.org or call (559) 455-1000 x6607.

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Each year the Visalia Chamber of Commerce honors those businesses and individuals who consistently go above and beyond to support the community.  Nominations are now being accepted for the 2014 Man and Woman of the Year as well as, Non-profit, Small, Medium, Large, and Agri-Business of the Year. This year the Chamber is excited to announce a new category called Emerging Leaders. This category is a group award and will be given to those who support our community and are under the age of 40.

The community is encouraged to nominate businesses or individuals who have exemplified outstanding service and commitment to Visalia.  Call the Visalia Chamber of Commerce at (559) 734-5876 to submit your nomination by March 31, 2014. Winners will be announced at the 61st Annual Awards Celebration presented by the Visalia Chamber of Commerce on June 19, 2014 at the Visalia Convention Center.

Last year’s esteemed winners include:

Man of the Year – Steve Solomon

Woman of the Year – Nina Clancy

Small Business of the Year – Gerald Schneider D.D.S.

Medium Business of the Year – Rawhide Ball Club

Large Business of the Year – Valley Business Bank

Agri-Business of the Year – Koetsier Dairy

Non-Profit of the Year – Visalia Rescue Mission

CFO of the Year – Russ Desch Visalia Medical Clinic

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Registration is currently open and tennis players of all levels are welcomed. Cost is $25 per person or $50 per team. Individuals who register as singles will be partnered with a player of similar caliber. The tournament will be broken up into Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles, as well as according to NTRP rankings. Players can register online at www.PINCFresno.org or at Fig Garden Swim & Racquet Club and The Stringer tennis shop. Registration will close on March 19.

As with everything PINC does, this tennis tournament will be unlike any other. Enjoy music, food provided by Westwoods BBQ, silent auction items and more!  Naturally pink tennis balls will be used at the tournament. All funds raised at the 1st Annual PINC Open Tennis Tournament will go towards the year-round efforts of PINC to give back to Fresno County non-profits focused on women and children.

“We are so excited to start this annual tradition for PINC and appreciate the generosity of Fig Garden Swim & Racquet to allow us to use their club,” said Kirin Sran, current president of PINC. “We are expecting a great turnout with at least 32 teams! So we encourage tennis enthusiasts of all skill levels to sign up today and be a part of this fun new tournament and that also helps give back to our community.”

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Academy is an interactive 3-day (three year) training program on chamber management essentials designed for today’s chamber executives and staff professionals.

“We congratulate all of the graduates and their chambers for having the vision to invest in professional development,” said W.A.C.E. President Dave Kilby.

During the three-year Academy program, graduates participated in 18 three-hour classes and successfully completed additional independent study outside of the classroom.

In addition to professional development, the Visalia Chamber received recognition for the E-News online newsletter publication, and Glenn Morris the Chamber CEO received recognition for his five years of Chamber Service.

W.A.C.E is an association of chamber of commerce executives and staff professionals designed to promote and enhance professional development. With approximately 850 members from eighteen Western states and Canada, W.A.C.E. is the largest state or regional association of chamber of commerce executives in the United States.

The Visalia Chamber of Commerce serves as the “voice of business” and provides strategic leadership and engagement in building the future of business and the community through information, services, and advocacy to the employers of our community.

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After 33 years of raising funds for local charities, the Christmas Tree Auction has become a legacy in Visalia as non-profits use this black-tie celebration to advance their mission through the donations they receive and awareness they generate.  For many, this event one of the primary fundraisers they rely on to keep their operations running throughout the year.

On behalf of the non-profits involved, the Chamber wishes to thank the community and those donors who dug deep and found ways to impact the lives of many individuals in powerful, positive ways.  Visalia’s legacy of generosity has restored our faith in the community’s ability to come together and overcome.

These organizations benefited the most this holiday season:
Visalia Rescue Mission raised the most funds with their live auction tree, totaling $62,000.
The highest-selling silent auction item went for $925 benefiting Jeff Barnes Brain Injury Foundation, and the most profitable silent trees brought in $1,000 each for Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County and Kaweah Delta Hospice Foundation.

Attendance at the Christmas Tree Auction was very strong this year with 500 people attending the VIP dinner and an additional 500 joining the general admission party.

New this year to the Auction was the inclusion of The Groppetti Automotive Family Giving Tree, a sponsored tree which was raffled off, with individuals purchasing tickets for a chance to take the tree home and direct the proceeds to the charity of their choice. The Giving Tree raised approximately $4,500 in proceeds, which the winning ticket holder donated to Court Appointed Special Advocates of Tulare County. 

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De Ocio brings a wealth of experience within the industry of fundraising and non-profits, having spent time over the last six years at the American Cancer Society in Reno, Nevada and recently as a board member with the Visalia Montessori Parents Association.

He joins The Creative Center Foundation during preparations for their first fundraiser of 2014, The Super Bowl Sprint, a 5k run through Mooney Grove Park.

“I am excited to start right in the middle of planning for an amazing event like the Super Bowl Sprint,” de Ocio said. “I look forward to working with an amazing group of community leaders that serve as our board of directors and I cannot wait to start fulfilling our mission.”

Marilynn Mitchell, president of The Creative Center Foundation said, “Richard’s wealth of experience and industry knowledge has already made him a key component in carrying out our mission. We view his appointment as a sign of our commitment to supporting The Creative Center and the community we serve.”

The Creative Center Foundation exists to provide financial support for The Creative Center and to help promote The Creative Center in the community.

The Creative Center is a non-profit community arts center for adults with developmental disabilities with the mission of fostering self-expression, self-worth and personal growth through the arts, community integration, providing cultural resources to the community and recognizing the individual’s value and contribution.

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