September 22, 2015
Catch up on what’s happening at the Chamber with this monthly roundup of policy work, events, Jerry’s activities, and member news. Chamber Digest is sent the first Monday of the month.
Newsletters
Each year at the Chamber’s 153rd Anniversary Celebration, we honor the extraordinary work of two Chamber members making a lasting impact on our region. Join us in celebrating this year’s honorees on February 8, 2024.
Tomorrow is Election Day and all Vote Centers across the region are now open.. As you hit the polls today and tomorrow, we have compiled our business-friendly recommendations for candidates who are most committed to making the San Diego region the best place to live and work in this year’s Voter Guide.
Today marks the start of National Small Business Week, a celebration of America’s entrepreneurs. Small businesses are big contributors to our economy, creating jobs, sparking innovation, and bringing character to our communities. Help us celebrate San Diego’s hard-working small businesses and apply or nominate an organization for the annual Small Business Awards.
Registration is open for our Delegation to Sacramento.
March is Women’s History Month and we are proud to offer programs that are empowering and elevating women leaders: All Our Talent: Women on Boards and Commissions initiative, LEAD Advance & LEAD Engage
We hope you’ll join us to celebrate those successes and our Chamber members and community partners who help make it happen at our 151st Anniversary Celebration
We’re starting this year with a focus on health and wellness and hope you’ll join us by taking part in our Get Fit 30-Day Challenge, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. This virtual, friendly competition begins January 10 and is open to everyone. Team up with friends, family, or coworkers and get ready to #GetFitSD!
Building a strong, thriving business community takes all of us working together and we are proud to serve as a resource, connection, and voice for business.
For 18 months, the travel restrictions directly impacted our economy, tourism, retail, small businesses, and cross-border workforce across sectors. Beginning November 8, new requirements will go into effect for travelers entering the United States at land ports of entry and ferry terminals.
Our Chamber team is busy creating opportunities for our business community to engage with one another in a COVID-safe way. We have a few events on the horizon where we would love to connect with you!
Engaging in conversations with our leaders in Mexico City is critical for our region’s progress and for advancing policy priorities related to our diverse and dynamic cross-border business community.
The current COVID-19 landscape is continuing to change in the face of the Delta variant. Last Tuesday, the CDC announced updated mask guidance, recommending that in areas of substantial and high transmission, fully vaccinated people should wear masks in public indoor spaces to help slow the spread of the Delta variant.
Over the course of the pandemic, the Chamber team has worked hard to provide our network of members opportunities to converse with and learn from other businesses of all sizes and across industries.
California’s grand reopening, June 15 or July 31? Given the outcome of Cal/OSHA’s vote last Thursday approving an update to its COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards, that date we all so eagerly awaited has become a moving target for many employers and employees.
Having diverse leadership at the helm of our corporate, nonprofit, and government boards and commissions is paramount to having a more competitive, nimble, and innovative region. That’s why we launched the All Our Talent: Women on Boards & Commissions initiative last year. To help train those aspiring leaders for board service, Chamber affiliate LEAD San Diego recently introduced their newest program: Engage.
Measure C, the Chamber-supported initiative to modernize the Convention Center and provide funding for road repairs and homeless services that was approved in March 2020 by more than 65% of San Diegans, will be voted on at City Council tomorrow.
Our network of members is also a powerful tool in our advocacy efforts. Having a large, diverse community of voices in support of policies and initiatives makes a big impact when we are working to address issues at the local, state, and federal levels.
Today we brought together a group of business leaders for a conversation around lessons learned during the pandemic. It was great to hear some silver linings from such a challenging year. We look forward to having more conversations like this throughout the year as we continue to share information around what our business community is experiencing and how we’re managing the road to recovery.
As we reflect on the Chamber’s long, significant past in the region we are reminded that the foundation of our success is a long-standing tradition of collaboration, a shared vision, and most importantly, the support of our member businesses.
What a year 2020 has been! Times like these remind us to celebrate positivity and growth whenever possible. Today, we are celebrating the fervent dedication of our cross-border community, who tirelessly work to engage and strengthen the evolving relationship between the U.S. and Mexico through productive and collaborative cross-border trade and commerce.
February was a busy month at the Chamber. We hosted our 149th Anniversary Celebration alongside nearly 800 Chamber members and supporters, where our Board Chair introduced what is ahead. Then, 100 of our community leaders delegated to Sacramento to put those ideas into action.
We are one month away from the March primary. We have compiled our recommendations for business-friendly measures and candidate in the 2020 Voter Guide. Don’t forget to vote on March 3!
A new year and new decade is ours for the taking. This year, we will begin by celebrating at our annual Anniversary Celebration. We are also partnering with Kaiser Permanente to kick off our annual Get Fit 30-day challenge.
Since its founding almost 150 years ago, the Chamber has evolved to be San Diego’s best business advocate – and thus, a community advocate. Read our new strategic plan which will guide the organization’s next five years. Our mission is to make the San Diego region the best place to live and work.
Veteran’s day is an annual opportunity to be a bit more thoughtful in our appreciation for our nation’s service people. We are hosting an event on November 8 honoring our veterans and holding conversations about their daily truths. All are welcome to enjoy this free event.
October 7, 2019
Two weeks ago we took our largest delegation to Washington D.C. to advocate for the policies and projects that will help grow business, create jobs, and maintain a thriving Cali-Baja region. This group of 162 business and civic leaders from San Diego and Baja California took part in more than 40 meetings over three days to advocate for issues vital to the regional business community.
September 3, 2019
Mexico and Canada are the top two trading partners, not only for the San Diego region, but for the entire United States. This trilateral trading bloc has brought economic vitality to all partners for more than a quarter-century, and preserving this relationship is one of the Chamber’s key goals.
August 6, 2019
Summer is in full swing and we’re looking forward to catching up with members at our next mixer. I hope you’ll join us this Thursday for a Business After Five Mixer at the newly opened Guild Hotel in the historic Armed Services YMCA building downtown.
July 1, 2019
The future of transit in San Diego is a crucial piece of our region’s growth and development. The business community has been and continues to be invested in a dynamic transit system that serves our workforce effectively. To that end, the Chamber has partnered with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System to conduct a series of workshops to provide feedback on the possible sales tax proposed by MTS for 2020.
June 3, 2019
Last Thursday, President Trump announced a plan to add tariffs to all goods we import from Mexico. The Chamber opposes the use of tariffs and we were out front on this issue releasing a statement to share our concern on the adverse impacts tariffs have especially on our cross-border region.
May 6, 2019
Keeping up with U.S. politics and policy can be a difficult task these days with quickly moving news cycles and changing federal priorities. To help provide some clarity, last month the Chamber brought together San Diego County’s Congressional delegation for a conversation on the issues that matter most to our region’s economy at our annual Congressional Luncheon.
April 8, 2019
The border region and the U.S.-Mexico relationship has been front and center in recent days. Amid talk of closing our border with Mexico, the Chamber took our advocacy efforts across the border to Mexico City for the 14th annual Binational Delegation to Mexico City.
March 4, 2019
#OpportunityatWork. You might be asking, “what does that mean?” Opportunity at Work is our focus for the year which we shared at our Anniversary Celebration last month.
February 4, 2019
Advancing policies and projects that address our region’s housing crisis is a top priority for the Chamber. This past month we’ve seen a continued emphasis on building housing from our city’s leaders.
January 7, 2019
Happy New Year! All of us at the Chamber are looking forward to a new year full of opportunities to continue working to move our region forward. We’re starting the year off by focusing on health and wellness in the workforce with Get Fit San Diego.
December 3, 2018
November was a busy and exciting month here at the Chamber. From the elections to events, the month was packed with networking, outreach, and working to make San Diego a great place to do business.
November 5, 2018
Our core mission at the Chamber is creating the best environment for business to succeed and grow jobs. Creating that environment depends on understanding the various elements at play in our regional workforce and business climate. One of the tools we use to help us do this is our Regional Jobs Strategy Dashboard.
October 8, 2018
We’re back from the Chamber’s 12th annual “Mission to Washington D.C.” and our delegation of 140 San Diego and Baja California business and community leaders really made San Diego’s presence known in our nation’s capital. The delegation met with government officials, agency representatives, and policymakers to enhance understanding, build relationships, and advance policy that creates the best environment for businesses and neighborhoods to thrive.
September 4, 2018
We are kicking off September with a Good Government Speaker Series program on one of our region’s top issues, the Tijuana River Valley. The Chamber’s annual Mission to Washington D.C. is around the corner and we look forward to joining regional leaders in the nation’s capital to advocate for issues affecting business and to connect with legislators to raise our region’s profile.
August 6, 2018
And just like that, it’s August! We’re not letting the hot temps slow us down at the Chamber. We have a number of events, workshops, and networking opportunities lined up for you. Whether you’ve been a Chamber member for years or just recently became a member, our Chamber Golf Classic, is an annual favorite. Break out those clubs, practice that swing, and get ready for a four-person scramble with awards and reception at the gorgeous Maderas Golf Club on September 20th.
July 2, 2018
This week, as we celebrate Independence Day it is also an opportunity to take time to give thanks and appreciation for those who courageously serve our nation, keep us safe, and protect our freedom. San Diego is a proud military region and later this month the Chamber will honor the brave men and women who fearlessly serve our country at our annual Flag, General & Senior Officers Ball.
June 4, 2018
If one of your goals this year was to network, build connections within the business community and get more involved with the Chamber, our upcoming events calendar is full of opportunities. We host more than 60 events a year including workshops, signature events, and mixers – there is an event for everyone.
May 7, 2018
Last month 90 business and community leaders took part in our annual delegation trip to Mexico City. The trip provided an opportunity for our region to reaffirm our commitment to binational collaboration, strengthen diplomatic and economic ties, and advance the policies that drive economies on both sides of the border.
April 2, 2018
It’s hard to believe we’re already into the second quarter of the year. We have some great events and programs coming up in the next few weeks and months I hope you’ll join us for. We’ll celebrate National Small Business Week and our region’s outstanding small businesses at our annual Small Business Expo & Awards Mixer on May 3rdin Liberty Station.
March 5, 2018
Last week over 80 business and community leaders took part in our delegation trip to Sacramento. The trip is key to bringing the expertise of our region’s business community to state officials so they can hear, in a personal and direct way, how policies have an impact on business growth.
February 5, 2018
Tomorrow evening is a big one for the Chamber. It’s our 147th Anniversary Celebration and I hope you’ll join us as we celebrate our Chamber partners and members and the accomplishments achieved over the past year. We’ll also share our priorities for 2018 which include a focus on leadership and encouraging each person across the region to #TakeTheLead.
January 2, 2018
Happy New Year! 2018 promises to be an exciting year and I look forward to working with all of you – our members and community partners – on the projects and initiatives that will grow San Diego and make our region the best place to do business.November 6, 2017
December 4, 2017
November was a packed month of panels, workshops, and events. As part of our ongoing efforts to identify opportunities in our workforce needs, we hosted a veteran hiring panel and released two new studies on veterans in the workforce. You can watch that panel discussion here. We also honored and celebrated San Diego’s elected officials and their staff at our annual Legislative Lounge.
November 6, 2017
Last month we unveiled our 2017 update to the Regional Jobs Strategy Dashboard, sponsored by Bank of America. At our annual International Tribute Dinner, we honored Ambassador Marcela Celorio, San Diego Padres, and the University of California, San Diego for their binational leadership.
October 2, 2017
We’re fresh off the return of our annual Mission to Washington D.C. delegation trip with our largest group of binational delegates ever. September was also full of member, education, and leadership focused events. We hosted our Circles of Influence Reception at THE LOT, concluded ourStormwater Workshop Series, and welcomed LEAD San Diego’s 2018 IMPACT class.
September 9, 2017
Summer is officially over, the kids are back in school, and we’re looking forward to the many great Chamber events and programs coming up this fall. We’ve kept busy this summer. Just last month we brought San Diego and Baja leaders together for our quarterly Cross-Border Business Forum, Congressman Darrell Issa stopped by to discuss NAFTA, we held a Business After Five Mixer at Horton Grand Hotel, and hosted two workshops on Community Choice Aggregation.
August 7, 2017
Summer is in full swing, but that hasn’t slowed things down at the Chamber. This past month we hosted our Business After Five Mixer at the San Diego Comic Art Gallery, released our Housing Scorecard in partnership with the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS®, welcomed California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for a Good Government Speaker Series program, and we honored the military community at our 71st Flag, General, and Senior Officers Ball.
July 03, 2017
June was an exciting month for the Chamber, we announced the combination of the Chamber and LEAD San Diego, kicked off our Advance program with Mount Everest climber Alison Levine, held our Business After Five Mixer at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, and presented our final Stormwater workshop.
June 05, 2017
May was an extraordinary month celebrating the community that makes up the Chamber with the Small Business Awards, Expo & Mixer. In addition, we held a Career Fair for 8th grade students, presented our second workshop in the Stormwater series, and finished the month with our Circles of Influence Reception hosted by the New Children’s Museum.
May 1, 2017
Our Chamber team is continually looking for new ideas and ways we can add new benefits for our members. Our Business Alliance Groups have been meeting for well over a decade, and are the Chamber’s popular lead generation and referral networks. These groups have helped hundreds of professionals gain a competitive advantage in the San Diego marketplace.
April 3, 2017
We have hosted over 15 networking events and professional development programs, two signature events, and two delegation trips to Sacramento and Mexico City.
March 6, 2017
February was an excellent month for advancing the Chamber’s mission. In addition to attending a joint press conference with San Diego Mayor Faulconer & Tijuana Mayor Gastélum to reaffirm our commitment to binational collaboration, we launched Advance – a women’s professional development program designed to elevate women in the workforce through training and mentoring – and brought our largest policy delegation to Sacramento.
February 2, 2017
Last month The Chamber kicked off the Get Fit challenge with Kaiser Permanente, challenging teams, and individuals to a 30-day fitness challenge. Public Leadership Institute became a part of the Chamber and applications are now open.
January 3, 2017
San Diego Public Leadership Institute, a program for business-minded leaders wishing to explore public service, is officially part of the Chamber. The Chamber’s Get Fit program will challenge teams and individuals to a 30-day fitness program.
December 6, 2016 – Chamber Digest
Have you started thinking about your New Year’s Resolutions yet? If you’re hoping to tackle some health or wellness related goals in 2017 we have just the program to help you get started: our annual Get Fit San Diego 30-Day Challenge, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.
November 7, 2016 – Chamber Digest
Last month the Chamber kept busy keeping the voters informed and prepared as election day approached. Throughout November the Chamber worked hard to bring San Diego business together with legislative, holiday mixer, and international tribute events.
October 3, 2016 – Chamber Digest
The Chamber team, together with 130 business and community leaders from San Diego and Baja, were in our nation’s capital to advocate for jobs, commerce, and the regional economy as part of our annual “Mission to Washington, D.C.” trip. From education to energy, healthcare and veterans, each delegate played an important role in ensuring our nation’s decision makers understand the issues facing our binational region.
September 6, 2016 – Chamber Digest
Last month, the Chamber honored six members at our Small Business Awards Mixer and partnered with Wells Fargo to launch the Small Business Resource Center. As part of the Regional Jobs Strategy initiative, we released the Affordability Dashboard last week. By closely examining the region’s business climate, we hope to identify opportunities for collaboration and best practices for job creation.
May 2, 2016 – Chamber Digest
Last month, the Chamber team was hard at work driving business and job growth for the Cali-Baja region. In addition to sending our largest delegation to Mexico City in order to increase foreign investment opportunities and strengthen business and political relationships, we gathered over 40 organizations across the San Diego region for the Regional Jobs Strategy initiative. Through this campaign, we hope to spur economic growth and attract quality, high-paying jobs for the entire region.
April 4, 2016 – Chamber Digest
March was an excellent month for advancing the Chamber’s international policy work. In addition to helping Chamber member Uber announce its new Passport service, the Chamber co-hosted the first private sector led meeting of economic development organizations along the southern border, met with the business organization leadership of Tijuana, and participated in the Baseball on the Border Summit to promote cross-border relations between the United States and Mexico.
March 1, 2016 – Chamber Digest
The Chamber’s annual delegation to Mexico City is coming up April 17-20, and – following that – our annual Chamber Leadership Delegation to Sacramento is May 24-25. Our annual delegations are an excellent opportunity to share San Diego’s specific business needs with elected officials and high-level executives.
February 1, 2016 – Chamber Digest
The Chamber team is looking forward to making considerable progress as we continue our work to make San Diego a great place to do business. Some of our goals for the year include initiating a Regional Jobs Strategy for all chambers, affordable housing for veterans, completion of the preclearance/joint inspection facility at Otay Mesa, and supporting business-friendly policies and candidates.
January 7, 2016 – Chamber Digest
The Chamber team is working hard to bring you the events and programs to make 2016 one of the best years yet, including the Get Fit San Diego 30-Day Challenge, which begins this Monday, January 11. The Challenge is free, online, and open to all participants so grab your friends, coworkers, and family and get ready to get fit.
December 1, 2015 – Chamber Digest
In the last month, the Chamber’s Board of Directors voted to endorse two additional candidates and we also launched the Chamber Young Leaders program for emerging business leaders. For more on what’s been happening at the Chamber, please read last month’s President’s Update.
November 2, 2015 – Chamber Digest
We have a lot of great events coming up, starting with our Coffee & Connections morning mixer this Wednesday. Remember, this is our last morning mixer of the year and space is limited to only 150 participants, so be sure to register now to reserve a spot.
September 1, 2015 – Chamber Digest
August was another great month for the Chamber. We had nearly 100 members attend an engaging morning mixer with the Challenged Athletes Foundation; received some media attention for the Chamber Board’s unanimous decision to endorse Congressman Scott Peters for re-election; and participated in San Ysidro’s inauguration ceremony for their new pedestrian facility.
August 3, 2015 – Chamber Digest
July was a fantastic month – we were recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation as a 3-star Chamber of Valor for our commitment to assisting new veterans with employment; raised over $100,000 to elect business-friendly candidates in the upcoming 2016 elections; began a new partnership with a Tijuana-based business development organization; and hosted our 69th Annual Flag, General and Senior Officers Ball.