Gilroy Chamber of Commerce OFFICERS
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD
Turkeys, Trees and Time Out…A Leadership Primer for the Holidays
READY OR NOT, the holidays are upon us. This fact might make you do the happy dance. Or, it might have you wanting to jump out the nearest PAST CHAIR ERIC GEBHARDT • Hilton Garden Inn window. Keep in mind there are some great leadership opportunities at home, CHAIR OF THE BOARD-ELECT in business, and in the community this LISA FARIA • Coldwell Banker holiday season. Here are a few things SECRETARY/TREASURER to consider. DAVID MATUSZAK, Ed.D. First, the holidays are a chance to re-connect with family. That might get VC OPERATIONS & DEVELOPMENT JAN PEAT • McDonald’s of Gilroy you excited. Or, it may make you wish for Spring. Either way, re-connecting VC PUBLIC AFFAIRS is a great time to practice your ERIC GEBHARDT • Hilton Garden Inn leadership skills. For example; you find VC BUSINESS PROGRAMS & SERVICES yourself sitting alone with “that” uncle, JAY MENCHACA • Menchaca Law Offices co-worker, or friend. You realize that you missed a great opportunity to follow VC MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS LISA FARIA • Coldwell Banker everyone else out of the room. Now is your chance to be a leader. Do you get BOARD OF DIRECTORS up and walk out? Do you waste time with the same old conversation? Or, do BRIGITTE NICHOLLS • Union Bank CHERYL ELLEMBERG • ABD Promotions you honestly engage to try and learn LLOYD LOWREY • something new that could impact your Noland, Hamerly, Etienne & Hoss perspectives? There is no right answer. TERRY FEINBERG • Moxxy Marketing But your choice can speak volumes PAM GARCIA • Affordable Solar Roofs about your leadership ability. GINA LOPEZ • State Farm Insurance Second, look around the room, your house, workplace and your circle of CHAMBER STAFF CHAIR OF THE BOARD DEBBI SANCHEZ • Fortino Winery
Mark Turner • President/CEO Michelle Garcia • Administrative Assistant Chris Bevilacqua • Administrative Assistant Sue Thurman • Business Relationship Manager
WELCOME CENTER STAFF Jane Howard • Executive Director
Pam Gimenez • Office Manager
EDC STAFF
Tammy Brownlow • President/CEO Candace Van Sambeek, Administrative Assistant
FOCUS PRODUCTION STAFF
EDITOR • Mark Turner, President/CEO Gilroy Chamber of Commerce
PRODUCTION & DESIGN • J. Chris Mickartz InfoPOWER Communications
PHOTOGRAPHY • Larry Mickartz InfoPOWER Communication
7471 Monterey Street • Gilroy, CA 95020 web: www.gilroy.org e-mail: chamber@gilroy.org phone: (408) 842-6437 Page 2
influence. This is your space and your team. Does everyone feel connected? Does everyone contribute? Are you regularly engaging people and creating a space to encourage leadership? If not you, who? We may not be the “official” leader. However, we all share a responsibility to model leadership to those around us. Leaders are concerned with others growth and well-being. Personal leadership is personal growth, and the best leaders are learners themselves. Last, examine what you like to do during the holidays. Do you gather others together, or do you prefer seclusion and a good book? Are you the activities director or the captain of chill, just wanting to make sure everyone is comfortable and connected? Are you the community service champ who inspires everyone around you to serve those less fortunate or the facilitator of the place everyone wants to be? These are all roles that leave clues to the type of leader you are. At home, in business and in community, we all have opportunities to lead and encourage leadership in
DEBBI SANCHEZ
2014 Chair of the Board Gilroy Chamber of Commerce
others. Leadership isn’t always being the first up a hill. Many times, its being the last one to leave the table. Leadership isn’t letting someone else do all the work. It’s about pitching in and inspiring others to contribute. Leadership isn’t always found in a book. Sometimes, it is discovered while chilling with someone who just needs the world to slow down for a while. Leadership isn’t always about re-inventing the wheel. Sometimes it is about becoming a spoke in a wheel that’s already rolling smoothly along. We all impact our families, our businesses, and our community. The only question is; what kind of impact do we have? I hope you take some time this holiday season to practice leadership. The opportunities are everywhere. In all things life and business, here’s to your success!
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT/CEO
Collaborative Partnerships for Chamber Members Only THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE has developed collaborative partnerships with several of its members in order to provide other Chamber members savings and discounts on gym memberships, ongoing career training, as well as energy saving opportunities. Below you can read about a few of these opportunities that are only available to Chamber member businesses, employees and their immediate families. Gold’s Gym – If you are a Chamber member and join Gold’s Gym for the first time, they will eliminate the $49 enrollment fee. They will also discount the monthly dues and provide several other incentives. Affordable Solar Roofs – When going solar with Affordable Solar Roofs (ASR), they will pay one year of your Chamber dues, up to $300. If you are not a
member of the Chamber, ASR will pay your first year’s dues into the Chamber, up to $300. ASR will also donate $250 to a Chamber compassion project or a charity of your choice. They will also provide your home or business with a $400 Energy Assessment free of charge. Gavilan College – Chamber members can enhance their career skills and improve their employment opportunities by accessing online classes at a discounted price. Some of the classes include Entrepreneurial Marketing, Fatal Leadership Errors, Managing Generations in the Workplace, LinkedIn for Business, Using Personality Profiles for Better Work Performance, Developing Your Professional Career, Program Evaluation for Nonprofit Professionals, Online Advertising, and Advanced Inbound Marketing. Visit Gavilan. CE.com. Contact the Chamber of
Commerce for your Chamber member discount code. CALSTAR Air Ambulance Service – CALSTAR offers an affordable solution through their Membership Program. For an annual fee of $45 per individual or $50 per family, a CALSTAR membership guarantees that you’ll be covered for the cost of air medical services provided by CALSTAR or reciprocal partner programs. For peace of mind, it is a cost-effective investment—
Continued on Page 11 MARK TURNER
President/CEO Gilroy Chamber of Commerce
Gilroy Business Focus I November 2014
What’s New With Chamber Businesses! St. Mary School is pleased to present two Open Houses in December and a third Open House in January. Prospective parents are invited to tour St. Mary School from 10:45-11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, December 3 and December 10. Please look for the “Welcome” sign at their entrance at 7900 Church St., Gilroy. A General Open House will also be held on Tuesday, January 27 from 9 a.m. to noon. Applications for Kindergarten through Eighth grade are available now at the School Office, 7900 Church St., Gilroy. Applications for Kindergarten Year One and Kindergarten Year Two are due January 23. The deadline for applications for First through Eighth grade is February 23. For more information, contact Emily Morris, St. Mary School Admissions Director, at (408) 8422827 or visit stmarygilroy.org. Community Solutions is pleased to welcome Keri Gardner as their new Communications Manager. Keri is a Gilroy resident who brings more than a decade of experience in not-for-profit fundraising and communications. She has championed a variety of causes including services for HIV/AIDS patients, breast cancer awareness and childcare for working families. Keri is excited to be putting her skills to work locally. She is looking forward to helping Community Solutions raise awareness about the common but often misunderstood issues of substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence and human trafficking in our local community. Nancy Diaz, Grande Destinations, reminds you that it costs no more to use a travel agent. Nancy has the experience and expertise to help you plan your vacation of a lifetime. She will be there to help you through the planning, the details, and the trouble shooting, if there is a problem. She will look for the best value to fit your travel needs, interests and budget. Ask her about Galapagos...an amazing
destination, for photographers, animal lovers, and bucket list trip not to be missed. You can reach her at 650483-2720 or nldiaz46@yahoo.com. With laughter, love and hilarious awkward moments, it’s easy to see why “The Affections of May” is Norm Foster’s most produced play and why Pintello Comedy Theater has chosen their November production, with Rod Pintello directing. This light-hearted romp will tickle your funny bone and will feature Whitney Pintello, Peter Mandel, Jeff Patereau and Duane Holt, all local actors with diverse theater experience. The play opens on Friday, November 7, 2014, and runs Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m. for four weekends, closing on Saturday, November 29 and one matinee performance Sunday, November 16, at 2 p.m. Reservations and information are online at PintelloComedy.com or by calling (408) 337-1599, or email Pintello@charter.net. As always, the Pintello family will be on hand to welcome patrons to the historic Gilroy Grange Hall at 8191 Swanston Drive in Gilroy. They are now featuring local wines, as well as coffee and refreshments. Jennifer Speno has joined John Blaettler Accountancy Corporation as a fully-licensed Certified Public Accountant. As staff accountant, Jennifer will be responsible for ongoing client support as well as new business development. Speno holds a B.A. in Accounting from San Jose State University and a California CPA license. She previously worked as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she specialized in life science and venture capital clients. Jennifer grew up in Gilroy and has been a longtime supporter of the local community. She was the Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen in 1987 and went on to serve as President of the 2005 Gilroy Garlic Festival. Speno is also a Leadership
Gilroy graduate, a member of the Gilroy Assistance League (GALs) and Gilroy Rotary Club. She lives in Gilroy with her husband Jeff and their two children, Lindsay and Bradley. You can reach the agency at 408-848-2730. Patti’s Perfect Pantry announces a new partnership with Original Roaster’s Coffee Company and is now offering high quality organic/fair-trade Espresso and latte drinks. Both are local family run companies that believe in giving their customers the highest quality products. Patti uses organic milk and almond milk for her dairy-free patrons which make these coffee drinks a “step above”. Paired with her delicious bakery items you are definitely in for a treat. Need a catered lunch, breakfast, or treats for your next business meeting? Patti offers free delivery in Gilroy. Patti’s Perfect Pantry is located at 1280-F 1st Street or call (408) 847-4704 iBrand Your Business has recently launched new YouTube video tutorials. One will help you reach a bigger audience and get more likes, you’ll even see the iBrand Your Business team dancing. The website at iBrandYourBusiness.com is up and going strong with a FREE blog, packed with great business and online marketing help. Also, the newly renovated website offers several new, helpful and popular packages. Keep checking back for more new and exciting features. They can help you start branding your business. Call 408-634-9998 or email at brandme@ ibrandyourbusiness.com. ABD Promotions can create custom digital billboards that allow you to display short videos and still advertisements on one or more television screens of your choice. All images and videos are stored on the internet and can be frequently updated remotely to allow for fresh content on your displays. These digital signs are a great way to reach potential
customers with fresh content at one or multiple locations. You can advertise at established locations throughout Gilroy and Morgan Hill OR you can create your own closed circuit advertising loop. This is great for rotating menus, real estate properties, ongoing community events, etc. For more information on digital signage or to setup your own digital media network call (408) 840-3298 or email@ abdpromotions.com Years pass…things change. Plans you made when you were young, may no longer fit your current situation. And even the best plans need to be reviewed on a regular basis and adjusted so that you reach your goals. If it has been some time since you reviewed your overall financial portfolio, give Jeffrey M. Orth, ChFC, CASL of Integrated Financial Benefits Network, a call at (408) 842-2716. IPC Publishing, a division of InfoPower Communications has announced that they have entered into a partnership with CMAP (Community Media Access Partnership) to produce one minute promotional video’s for Gilroy Today and Morgan Hill Today advertisers. This partnership offers advertisers the unique opportunity to produce a quality video about their company and have it aired on a variety of media to include CMAP Channels 17, 18,19 and 20 and their streaming website; the Gilroy Today/Morgan Hill Today website-blog that gets approximately 6,000 visitors per month; and their own website and/or media releases. For more detailed information about this unique opportunity, contact IPC at 408.848.6540 or larrym@ gilroytoday.com.
SUE THURMAN
Business Relationship Manager, Gilroy Chamber of Commerce
November 2014 I Gilroy Business Focus
Page 5
Chamber Announces Partnership With Gavilan THE GILROY CHAMBER of Commerce and Gavilan College Community Education are proud to announce they have collaborated to bring you a series of online classes identified specifically to help you and your business stand out among the others. Learning new skills or gaining new information from your office or home has never been easier. We know you are busy, so whether you dive in at 9:00 am or 9:00 pm, these online classes are available 24 hours a day.
The first set of classes include Entrepreneurial Marketing, Fatal Leadership Errors, Managing Generations in the Workplace, LinkedIn for Business, Using Personality Profiles for Better Work Performance, Developing Your Professional Career, Program Evaluation for Nonprofit Professionals, Online Advertising, and Advanced Inbound Marketing. In 2015, several new series and classes will be added that will take your employee training and
your business success to the next level. These classes will include Workplace Communication, Leadership Development, Non-Profit Administration, Management, Social Media, eMarketing and much more. And…Chamber members will receive a discount. Contact the Chamber office at 408842-6437 for your discount code. Need more information? Go to www.GavilanCE.com.
Noel Temores, Jr. Presented With High Five Award THE OCTOBER HIGH 5 YOUTH AWARD was presented to Noel Temores, Jr. for his exceptional work ethic which has helped him to become a boxing champion at the age of 15. Noel has been boxing for 7 years. When preparing for a fight, he works out at the gym 6 days a week. In May he was crowned the California Region 11 Junior Olympics Champion in the 138 pound division. In June he took the silver at the Junior Olympics National Championship in Charleston, West Virginia. In July Noel came in 3rd at the Junior Golden Gloves in Mesquite, Nevada. He also runs cross country at Christopher High School and has hopes of becoming a professional boxer. Noel Temores receives High Five from Debbi Sanchez, 2014 Chamber Chairman at October Breakfast Club
Hilton Garden Inn Wins Beautification Award IN THEIR EFFORT TO continually present a professional appearance, the Hilton Garden Inn recently upgraded their “look.” The new design on their front doors, the makeover in their lobby, and their overall presentation has won Hilton Garden Inn the October Beautification Award. Under the leadership of Eric Gebhardt, General Manager, the Hilton Garden maintains one of the highest levels of quality amongst Gilroy’s lodging properties. Debbi Sanchez, 2014 Chamber Chairman presented Eric Gebhardt, General Manager and staff the Beautification Award at the October Breakfast Club.
Thankful, continued from page 3 Lunch with Santa at Gilroy Gardens This is a busy time up at the North Pole, but even Santa needs a lunch break. He’ll be making a quick visit to Gilroy Gardens on November 29 and 30 Page 8
for a special “Lunch with Santa” event. Bring the whole family and enjoy an allyou-can-eat buffet including three kinds of pasta, hot dogs, salad, and rolls, plus unlimited soft drinks and ice cream
treats. You’ll also get to meet Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts gang…and get a sneak peek at the park’s amazing Holiday Lights displays!
Downtown Happenings Small Business Saturday Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 29, 2014 which is Small Business Saturday in Downtown Gilroy. This program was introduced last year and was wildly successful. The concept is simple: spend $100 at any Downtown Gilroy business (or businesses) on November 30 and earn a $20 gift card to a participating Downtown restaurant. Submit your receipts to the Gilroy Downtown Business Association office (7780 Monterey Street) between December 1 and 14 and the gift card is yours. For more information visit: www.DowntownGilroy.com. Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting The Annual Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting is scheduled for Saturday, December 6th. Planning is in full swing to ensure everything is perfect for all the good little girls and boys when Santa Claus comes to town. The ever-popular Doggie Dress-Up opens the festivities on our Main Stage at 2:30. From 3:00-5:15 we’ll have performances by local groups on the Main Stage and then about 5:45 our parade will begin! The evening will conclude with the tree lighting at the intersection of 5th and Monterey Streets followed by photos with Santa at a Downtown business TBD. We invite our wonderful community organizations to participate in the parade. Additionally, we are in need of vendors to sell their wares and community members to support our endeavors. Most importantly, we are looking for incredible sponsors to bring this family event to our community once again. Interested in helping to plan the event, or if you’d like to participate in the parade or as a vendor, please visit our website: www. DowntownGilroy.com. Registration forms are available now. If your business wants to act as a Santa’s helper (sponsor) this year, please contact GDBA Coordinator, Melanie Corona directly: Melanie@DowntownGilroy. com or 408.842.0005. Sponsorship packages are available for any business or family who’d like to help bring this holiday event to Gilroy. Gilroy Business Focus I November 2014