2023 Annual Report

20 23 ANNUAL REPORT

catalyst. convener. champion.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO On behalf of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Staff, I want to thank you for your investment in the Chamber. The support of our business community is essential to advancing the Chamber’s vision of a Thriving and United Oceanside.

The Chamber would like to thank the following Chamber Partners for their generous financial contributions to our program of work.

In 2023, your investment in the Chamber allowed us to continue to play a critical role in serving our business community and pursuing continued economic prosperity.

As you will see on the following pages, the Chamber continues to make an impact in the areas of leadership development, coastal resiliency, business advocacy, political action, workforce development, and in providing our businesses with connections and resources to assist in their continued success.

One of the highlights of the past year was the successful launch of our Oceanside Leadership Academy (OLA). The program has been incredibly well received and positions the Chamber to play in important role in developing leaders that will continue to move Oceanside forward in the decades to come.

Our Rising Star Student of the Month program continues to be a community favorite. Through this program, we have distributed nearly $60,000 in scholarships to deserving students and hope to hit the $100,000 mark by 2024.

We continue to be grateful for the trust you place in us as a resource for your business. We look forward to your partnership in 2024 and beyond.

OUR VISION A THRIVING AND UNITED OCEANSIDE

OUR MISSION TO PROVIDE ADVOCACY AND RESOURCES THAT HELP BUSINESSES Scott M. Ashton Chief Executive Officer

AND OUR COMMUNITY THRIVE.

THE CHAMBER IS...

YOUR ADVOCATE In 2023, the Oceanside Chamber continued its active partnership with other business organizations throughout our state and region to ensure that our business leaders had strong representation on issues impacting their businesses. Through our Advancing Oceanside Political Action Committee, we continued our efforts to ensure that Oceanside maintains a business-friendly City Council.

CHAMBER CREATED POOLED EMPLOYER 401K PLAN TO LIFT BURDENS FROM BUSINESS OWNERS - California employers with five or more employees are required to have a qualified retirement plan in place for their employees. Beginning January 1st of 2025, that requirement will expand to include businesses with one or more employees.

The Chamber has partnered with Ameriprise Financial Services and Finway Group to create a Pooled Employer Plan (PEP), a retirement plan that allows unrelated businesses to participate in one plan managed by a Pooled Plan Provider (PPP). For businesses not currently offering a plan, this provides a simple way to come into compliance with State law. For businesses already offering a plan, the Chamber’s PEP offers a host of benefits to take liabilities and administrative responsibilities off the business owner.

CHAMBER MEMBERS DISCUSS STATE ISSUES WITH ASSEMBLYMEMBER DAVIES - In early May, Assemblymember Laurie Davies met with a group of business leaders at the Chamber office to gather input on key issues impacting our business community.

Members from a wide range of industries participated in the discussion on key topics including housing, education, senior issues, homelessness, crime, childcare and wage/ employment issues. Participants expressed appreciation for the Assemblymember’s accessibility and attention to our region and the needs of our businesses.

CHAMBER JOINS COALITION TO PROTECT VOTER APPROVED TAXPAYER PROTECTIONS The Oceanside Chamber joined the California Business Roundtable and numerous other organizations in opposition to ACA 13 which would shift power away from voters in the initiative process. Following is an excerpt from the coalition letter: “The California Business Roundtable and the organizations listed oppose ACA 13 (Ward, Rivas), which seeks to amend the constitution by limiting the initiative process by shifting the power to raise the voter threshold for new and higher taxes to the Legislature. ACA 13 will fundamentally change the initiative process by increasing the voter threshold to pass future limits on taxes and fees only for measures put on the ballot by signature gathering, not those put on by the Legislature.”

CHAMBER PAC PREPARES FOR 2024 ELECTIONS – The Chamber’s Advance Oceanside Political Action Committee spent 2023 preparing for the City’s 2024 Mayoral and City Council elections by continuing fundraising efforts and updating its guidelines to address early endorsements.

COALITION OF CHAMBERS HELP DEFEAT 15 OF 19 BILLS IDENTIFIED AS JOB KILLERS - The Oceanside Chamber was actively engaged with dozens of other business organizations in the defeat of legislation that would have negatively impacted our business community.

The CalChamber tracked more than 700 bills this year, formally opposing more than 100. Most of the legislation the CalChamber opposed was either stopped or amended to address concerns. Out of 19 job killer bills identified this year, the Legislature sent seven to the Governor, who signed four of those bills into law. At the urging of the CalChamber, the Governor rejected three job killer bills.

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CHAMBER-SUPPORTED OCEAN CREEK MIXED-USED DEVELOPMENT PASSES COUNCIL WITH 4-1 VOTE - In January, the Oceanside City Council voted to uphold the Planning Commission’s approval of Ocean Creek Mixed-Use Development, a 295-unit multifamily project to be located at Crouch Street and Oceanside Blvd.

PREPARING OCEANSIDE’S FUTURE LEADERS As part of its 5-year strategic plan, the Chamber has committed to the development of leaders to serve our community in a variety of leadership roles such as non-profit boards, City commissions, elected leadership roles and within leadership succession roles in their own companies.

CHAMBER LAUNCHED ITS INAUGURAL OCEANSIDE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY - OLA offers insight into leadership in the various sectors that drive our community, including Health Care, Municipal Government, Military, STEM, Tourism, Non-Profits and Entrepreneurship. Due to the success of its Spring 2023 Academy, there was demand to create a Fall Academy as well. The program graduated a total of 62 cohort members.

DEVELOPED PLANS FOR 2024 - Will hold two OLA cohorts to accommodate a total of 80 participants.

ATTRACTING OCEANSIDE’S LEADING EMPLOYERS - Several of Oceanside’s employers including Genentech, Frontwave Credit Union, the City of Oceanside, Hydranautics, Arrowood Golf Course and TrueCare are using OLA as a professional 2 | Convener. Catalyst. Champion.

development opportunity for their team members. “The Oceanside Leadership Academy is an amazing program for the emerging leaders within your organization.

The exposure to exceptional leaders in business, the military, and the public sector is extraordinary! I know of no other program that provides such diverse perspectives on leadership, vision, and personal growth”, noted Bill Birnie, CEO of Frontwave Credit Union

DEVELOPING YOUR WORKFORCE PIPELINE The Oceanside Chamber’s Workforce Development Task Force is focused on facilitating business growth through talent pipeline development. Our programming is centered on promoting career awareness and skill building of current and future members of the workforce.

CHAMBER INTRODUCES NO-COST WORKFORCE TRAINING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES - Through its partnership with the National Veterans Chamber of Commerce, the Oceanside Chamber began offering no-cost workforce training for local businesses, non-profit organizations and governmental entities.

Dozens of training topics are available for various sectors including retail, hospitality, food service, manufacturing, warehousing, medical, office and professional services.

Additionally, training can be customized to meet the specific needs of your organization.

The training is delivered at no-cost to businesses with less than 100 employees and at a deeply discounted rate for the larger businesses.

CHAMBER KICKS OFF 3RD YEAR OF RISING STAR PROGRAM – In September, the Chamber kicked off year three of its Rising Star Student of the Month program with the recognition of four local high school students. The Chamber’s Rising Star Program aims to champion students that have overcome significant challenges in their lives while managing to keep on track with their education. The Chamber honors one high school senior each month from each of our area high schools at a monthly breakfast event. “It is an honor for us to provide a platform for these amazing students to share their stories of resilience and persistence,” said Chamber CEO Scott Ashton. In the first two years of the program, a total of 28 students received more than $57,000 in scholarship funds. Due to the generosity of Genentech, the Chamber kicked off the 202324 school year with $30,000 in scholarship funds to be distributed at the April 2024 Scholarship Breakfast.

SOCAL PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS DIVERSITY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL YOUTH - Since its launch in December of 2021, SOCALWorkforce.org has been an important tool for local students to learn about career opportunities in Oceanside and other North County communities. SOCAL is a collaborative program between education and industry created by Tri-City Medical Center, the San Diego North Economic Development Council and Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Encinitas Chambers of Commerce. The vision is to give middle school, high school, postsecondary students and transitioning adults an opportunity to gain insights into career pathways, while allowing businesses and local organizations to participate in these students’ career exploration. The site now features over 100 different career opportunities, about 40 of which are with Oceanside employers.

The SOCAL project has drawn grant funding from various entities including the City of Oceanside and the County of San Diego.

Grant funds are typically dedicated toward allowing small businesses the opportunity to participate.

YOUR SOURCE FOR CONNECTIONS AND INFORMATION Business owners need regular access to timely information and new business connections. The Chamber continued to prioritize the delivery of high-quality events and critical business information throughout the year.

MEET THE CITY RECEPTION – The Chamber’s Annual Meet the City Reception continues to be one of the community’s top gatherings of business, civic and elected leaders. Our 2023 event was held at Oceanside’s William A. Wagner Aquatic Center and provided an opportunity for nearly 200 attendees to build valuable community connections.

EMERGING ISSUES FORUMS – Our Emerging Issues Forums provided updates on key issues impacting our community. Our 2023 Forums included presentations from Deputy Mayor Ryan Keim, Police Chief Kedrick Sadler, County Assessor Jordan Marks, Oceanside’s Coastal Zone Administrator Jayme Timberlake, U.S. Chamber Vice President Jenning Imel, Assemblymember Laurie Davies, and others.

NETWORK EVENTS - The Chamber continued to offer high-quality, well-attended networking events including business mixers, Tuesday Coffee events, and the Oceanside Young Professionals Network (OYPN). In 2023 we partnered with neighboring Chambers to hold joint mixers on several occasions. These events provided our businesses with regular opportunities to make new connections.

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TIMELY INFORMATION - Through its weekly Enewsetter, social media posts, monthly Advancing Oceanside Report, and Best of Oceanside Magazine, the Chamber continued to provide timely information and valuable business resources to its members and the broader business community.

SUPPORTING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY Key focus areas for the Chamber include promoting economic growth through the cultural arts, creating a year-round “stay and play local” culture, engaging in the City’s General Plan Update, advocating for the protection/restoration of our beaches and providing timely resources to our small businesses.

CHAMBER CEO SELECTED FOR OCEANSIDE COASTAL RESILIENCE DESIGN COMPETITION JURY - In May, the City of Oceanside named 15 local, state, and national experts to serve as a Jury in its Coastal Resilience Design Competition. Chamber CEO, Scott Ashton was selected as one of the voting members of the jury. The Competition generated innovative solutions for the retention of sand along Oceanside’s beloved coast, particularly south of the Oceanside Pier where the impacts from rapid coastal erosion are felt most acutely. The Design Competition is a component of the Phase Two: Sand Nourishment & Retention Pilot Project, supported by the Chamber and approved

by City Council in January 2023. The Design Competition Jury was a key component of the Coastal Resilience Design Competition.

Jury members completed their work in December with a recommended proposal heading to the City Council in January.

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CHAMBER HOSTS BOOTS TO BUSINESS WORKSHOPS - The Chamber hosted The Boots to Business Reboot program in partnership with the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) twice in 2023.

Boots to Business (B2B) is an entrepreneurial education and training program offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The course provides an overview of entrepreneurship and applicable business ownership fundamentals. Veterans of all eras, Active-Duty Service members (including National Guard and Reserve), and spouses are eligible to participate.

During Reboot, participants are introduced to the skills, knowledge, and resources they need to launch a business, including steps for developing business concepts, how to develop a business plan, and information on SBA resources available to help. This program is facilitated by subject matter experts from the SBA and their extensive network of skilled business advisors. “Our veterans are such an integral part of the community fabric in Oceanside. We are pleased to have any opportunity to support them in their entrepreneurial endeavors and to help guide them on a path to success,” said Chamber CEO, Scott Ashton.

STAY AND PLAY LOCAL FEATURES – The Chamber continued its “Stay and Play Local” feature in its Best of Oceanside Magazine to highlight the unique products and services offered by many of Oceanside’s small businesses. New features this year included a focus on local non-profits, veteran owned businesses and generational family businesses.

YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS PROMOTION Through its print publications, website and social media, the Chamber leverages its expansive network to help our members promote their businesses.

BEST OF OCEANSIDE MAGAZINE - The Chamber continued to provide strong avenues for local businesses to connect with prospective customers. The “Best of Oceanside” Quarterly Magazine provides businesses with a variety of options for reaching visitors, locals, other businesses and more. The magazine is mailed to Oceanside homes and businesses each quarter and distributed through local businesses.

WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION – With nearly 225,000 annual website pageviews and more than 32,000 followers across several social media platforms, the Chamber actively leveraged its growing audiences to bring valuable exposure to its members.

YOUR CONNECTION TO COMMUNITY Both small and large businesses utilize the Chamber as a platform for connections to expand their presence in the community.

Several of the Chamber’s community events provide avenues for important new connections and business relationships.

COMMUNITY HEROES RECOGNIZED AT CHAMBER LUNCHEON – In September, the Chamber hosted its annual Heroes of Oceanside and Camp Pendleton Luncheon at the Seabird Resort in Oceanside. At the event, twenty-two local heroes were recognized for their contribution to the outstanding quality of life in Oceanside. The Chamber recognized representatives from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, the Oceanside Police Department, the Oceanside Fire Department, Oceanside Lifeguards, healthcare workers and teachers from the local school district(s) for their unparalleled contributions to the well-being and advancement of our city.

Additionally, this year’s event included two business awards, a Sustainability Award sponsored by Green Oceanside and a Kindness Certified Business award through the Chamber’s partnership with Kids for Peace.

CHAMBER LEADS EFFORT TO HONOR MILITARY FAMILIES – In May the Chamber held its annual Armed Forces Day Operation Appreciation Event. The purpose of Operation Appreciation is to provide our active-duty, local military families with a day of free entertainment, food and children’s activities. Several thousand attended this year’s event which took place at the Oceanside Pier Amphitheatre.

PROMOTING HEALTH AND WELLNESS – Two of the Chamber’s most popular events returned.

The North County Health Fair provided a much-needed opportunity for healthcare providers to connect with community members. The Oceanside Senior Expo was hosted at the El Corazon Senior Center for the first time and offered valuable resources for our local senior citizens.

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EMBARK ON A JOURNEY YOU'LL CHERISH FOREVER.

Travel with your Chamber.

Greece - Nov 2024

Free Info Session Feb 1, 2024 @ 5:30-6:30PM Oceanside Chamber Conference Room 928 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA Join us Thursday, February 1st for a free informational session with Quest Voyager.

Learn more about all the benefits and inclusives to traveling with your Chamber!

Group Contact: Porsche Copeland Porsche@oceansidechamber.com or 760-722-1534 ext 104

SCAN FOR MORE INFO & TO REGISTER ONLINE