A THRIVING AND UNITED OCEANSIDE MISSION BACKGROUND

In 2021, the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce embarked on the development of an ambitious 5-Year Strategic Plan. The process involved extensive outreach to the business community, including phone surveys and focus group meetings with business and community leaders. Using the feedback received from its outreach efforts, the Chamber Board held sessions with a strategic facilitator to help update its Mission and Vision statements as well as identify key areas in which the Chamber will serve the business community in the next five years. The following is an overview of the Chamber’s 5-Year Strategic Imperatives along with action items for 2023.

The Oceanside Chamber of Commerce is committed to the development of leaders to serve in a wide variety of capacities in our community. The Oceanside Leadership Academy was formed to equip participants to serve 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.

• Launch inaugural Oceanside Leadership Academy Program in April with a full cohort of 30 participants

• Based on expected success of the Spring session, schedule a Fall session of the Oceanside Leadership Academy in September to accommodate 30 additional participants

• Develop 2024 Leadership Academy reflecting feedback from the 2023 cohorts

Chamber members clearly identified “advocacy” as one of the most important functions of the Chamber. The Chamber will continue to take the lead in ensuring that our business community has a voice at all levels of government and that business leaders actively participate in the Chamber’s advocacy efforts.

• Actively participate in coalition efforts with other Chambers/Business organizations to defeat “job killer” legislation and support pro-business bills

• Continue local advocacy efforts in support of workforce housing creation

• Proactively support efforts to retain sand on Oceanside beaches

• Convene and collaborate around homelessness and crime issues to advance policies and solutions that will protect the interests of our businesses and their employees

• Continue to equip business owners to champion their own cause more effectively

The Oceanside Chamber’s Workforce Development Task Force is focused on championing awareness of diverse industry positions & needs, while convening resources at all stages of talent development and facilitating business growth through talent pipeline development, skill building, and advocacy to promote individual and community economic empowerment.

• Continue collaboration on SOCAL initiative to expand participation of Oceanside businesses in this career awareness program. More information is available at www.socalworkforce.org. Leverage SOCAL for additional learning and promotional opportunities including possible hiring events

• Continue to expand the Rising Star Student of the Month program as a platform to graduating seniors to share their stories of resilience. Increase annual scholarship funding to $35,000

• Launch and analyze workforce needs survey and use data with other programmatic outcomes to apply for sustainable funding

• Continue to focus on talent pipeline building convening strategies with the following professions: advanced manufacturing, automotive repair, the trades, healthcare, biotechnology, food/hospitality