Change is in the air for four North Bay chambers of commerce—NorthBay biz talks to the new leaders about what’s next for their respective cities.
And as if the economic turmoil wasn’t a big enough challenge on its own, four chambers also found the time ripe for regime change. From September 2009 through January 2010, a diverse quartet of new chamber presidents and CEOs unpacked their briefcases and set up shop in the executive offices in San Rafael, Santa Rosa, Napa and Windsor. While extremely busy in their new positions, each found time to talk with NorthBay biz about the personal talents they bring to the table, challenges they’re facing, opportunities they see on the horizon and how they intend to make a difference. Here’s what they had to say.
Taking Santa Rosa to the next level
After a 25-year career with chambers of commerce in Northern Idaho, Jonathan Coe is well-versed when it comes to the workings of successful organizations. Through the years, he’d kept his eye on the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, which enjoys a five-star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—the highest ranking awarded. When the chamber president position opened up last year following the death of Mike Hauser, who’d led the organization for nine years, Coe threw his hat into the ring and landed the job. In September, he and his wife, Patricia, settled into their new digs near Annadel State Park, and Coe began his dream job.
“It was good timing for us,” Coe explains. “Most of the major projects I’d undertaken in Coeur d’Alene [the Idaho city where he’d been serving as chamber president] were completed and I’d reached a plateau. My daughter had graduated from school, so my wife and I no longer had family ties to the area. I’d long known of Santa Rosa and its chamber, and we always thought if we ever left Northern Idaho, one of the places we’d like to go was Santa Rosa. The five-star accreditation is the capstone of its reputation; it was one of few other chambers I thought about working for.” (Prior to Coeur d’Alene, Coe headed up the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.)
The best thing about the Santa Rosa job was the fact Coe knew he’d be joining an organization that was already established and running well. “I’m not facing any rebuilding projects, nor do I need to be here to straighten things out. Instead, it’s an opportunity to bring my ideas and thoughts on how to take it to a new level,” he says.
His goals with the Santa Rosa Chamber mirror those of its board of directors.
“First and foremost, we want to create economic development programs that create and retain jobs for the community,” Coe says. “Second, our goal is to help create or enhance the economic climate by building a community environment that’s favorable to business.”
One of the projects Coe is working on is the chamber’s WHEEL (Workplace Held Employee English Learning) program, which teaches English as a second language, combined with lessons in parenting skills and financial literacy.
“The goal is to help non-English speaking employees become more efficient and effective in our community,” he explains. “It’s been a great success. Where it’s been implemented, we’ve seen measurable growth in productivity.” The program is directed toward the community’s Hispanic population, whose members, Coe says, play “major, important and growing roles in the workplace.”
Much could be written about the different political atmosphere of the North Bay (moderate to liberal) versus Northern Idaho (ultra conservative), but, Coe notes, a common thread weaves its way through both areas. “Both communities are populated with people who care about the future and devote themselves to participating. It’s great to be in a community that behaves in that manner.”
The biggest surprise Coe’s found in the move to Santa Rosa is the extent to which public funds are used for what, in Idaho, would have been more private or business sector activities.
“In Idaho, economic development was led by the private sector. There were limited local government funds available to sustain programs. We’d pass the hat, and businesses would step forward to fund efforts,” Coe says. “Things are different here: We get public funds from the city for economic development, such as the Amgen Bike Tour and downtown activities that benefit downtown merchants. We work more in tandem with the city, and the partnership, as far as I can tell, is very positive. In fact, our offices [at 637 First Street] are directly opposite City Hall, which makes it very convenient.”
Coe is thrilled with his board of directors, which he describes as “outstanding and engaged—people who understand the community and its issues, and who work hard in support of the organization.”
Reflecting on his vision for the future, Coe notes that recent times have been “tough for everyone. A year ago, there was real anxiety about the bottom totally dropping out and the economy melting down. Obviously it’s been bad, but not as bad as many feared, both here and elsewhere in the country. We will recover,” he says. “Maybe not as rapidly as we’d like, but we are going forward. And that’s a significant difference.”
Coe is a native of New England and went to high school in Providence, Rhode Island. He admits to having the “lure of the west” throughout his life, even writing his honors thesis about the mountain men of western America. He graduated from Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in American history and met his wife, a Chicago native, while both were earning master’s degrees in applied behavioral science at Whitworth College in Spokane. “I always simplify it as a ‘working with people’ degree,” he laughs, “and I use it every day.”
The couple has a daughter, Victoria, who is a senior at the University of Oregon, majoring in family and human services with a minor in nonprofit management.
If Coe has an abiding philosophy about work, it’s the belief that, “if we can bring folks together, we can find ways to work together to solve common problems. It’s not always easy, and it involves recognizing differences in opinions, philosophies and attitudes, but ultimately, we can find ways to make positive things happen.”
ROI in San Rafael
Of all the new North Bay chamber presidents, Rick Wells is perhaps the most famous—but not necessarily by choice. Prior to taking the helm at the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce in January (following the departure of President/CEO Talia Hart), Wells was CEO of the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce for nearly seven years. During that time, the Chamber grew its membership and financial resources, while the city of Vallejo became a national news story when it filed for bankruptcy.
Suddenly, Wells found himself being interviewed by CNN, Fox Business News, the Wall Street Journal and many other major national and international news outlets.
“The media spotlight was on us, and it definitely impacted the business climate as far as the city’s reputation. It gave Vallejo a stigma,” he says. “People would say to me, ‘Aren’t you from the community that went bankrupt?’ It made it a challenge to attract new business to Vallejo, regardless of how many great opportunities the Vallejo community provides, how affordable it is and how great the location is.”
Considering where he’s been, it likely will come as no surprise that membership growth and financial stability are Wells’ biggest goals for the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce.
“The current economy provides some challenges,” Wells concedes, “but at the same time, it provides opportunity for local business organizations like our chamber to reassess our value proposition.
“The overall mood here is cautious optimism. On the whole, I talk with more people on a regular basis who are optimistic about the future, particularly long-term. Many businesses are changing the way they operate, and the chamber is no exception. We communicate return on investment to our [members] with clarity and a focus on value. Our job is to advocate for, promote and protect local businesses.”
As part of its efforts, the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce launched a new website this spring (www.srchamber.com) to make it a more valuable resource for both chamber members and the community at large and to encourage member engagement. It’s also working with local businesses to broaden communication to local stakeholder groups within the community. And a newly renovated “Leaders Circle sponsorship” program has been developed, so members have the opportunity to invest in the chamber while promoting their own businesses.
“The Leaders Circle program lets members make a one-time investment to participate in promotional opportunities and events the chamber offers year-round,” Wells explains. Rather than cookie-cutter programs, Leaders Circle investors are able to select from a “menu” of Chamber events; instead of assigning them to specific dinners or seminars, they can pick and choose which are best suited to their business’ services and needs.
Wells is a native Californian, born in Orange County and raised in Newport and Tustin. College at UC Davis brought him north, and he earned a degree in rhetoric and communications. He’s currently pursuing his MBA in sustainable management at Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco.
When Wells was finishing up his degree at Davis and pondering his next step, a college professor gave him the name and telephone number of a friend he thought might be able to provide some sage advice.
“I called him and he told me, ‘Find a place where you want to live and then go find a job.’ So I settled in Napa and eventually found a job as director of membership at the Napa Chamber of Commerce,” Wells remembers. In his new position, Wells joined Leadership Napa Valley, which grooms potential community leaders by exposing them to all aspects of Napa life—education, government, business and the like.
“The very first day, I sat down next to this guy, started talking, and it turned out to be the man who’d given me the original advice. It’s amazing the forks in the road you encounter and where they lead you. I believe all paths lead to where you’re meant to be,” Wells says.
And it’s one of the reasons he’s now at the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce.
“I believe there’s a tremendous opportunity in Marin for businesses to grow sustainably and succeed over the long term. And I wanted to be a part of that environment. Plus it’s a place my wife [Ellie] and I can call home and raise a family. There’s nowhere on the planet that’s as beautiful, welcoming and dynamic as this area.”
Preparing Napa for the good times…again
Lisa Batto is no stranger to the Napa Chamber of Commerce, having been with the organization in one capacity or another for the past seven years. Last November, the Napa Chamber board promoted Batto from executive vice president to CEO following the retirement of longtime chamber head Kate King.
“Taking this job was an easy transition, because I was second in charge,” she says. “What I have to get used to is delegating things I was doing before. I’m also learning from both a political and community standpoint what it takes to represent this chamber. It’s great that we’ve already built strong relationships with the city and county government, because we can get work done. If I’d been new or from a different area, I think the challenges would be greater.”
With nearly 1,200 business members, the Napa chamber is one of the largest in the North Bay, and, according to Batto, membership has remained steady throughout the recession. Her biggest goal is to get businesses in her community to recognize when opportunity knocks, and Batto believes that’s right now.
“People are coming out of 2009 with the mindset of ‘Thank goodness that’s over, I hope 2010 is better.’ What they need to understand is, they must prepare now for when things are better. They need to invest to get ready for the good times. What we do at the chamber is help those businesses by providing services through our partnership with the Napa Valley College Small Business Development Center and SCORE programs, finding executives and mentors to provide guidance.”
Batto’s conversations with business planners and consultants lead her to believe the North Bay (and the country) is in a “W” recession. This isn’t a pun or political reference. Rather, it’s an economic term that refers to an expected small recovery followed by a second dip before full recovery takes hold.
“We’ve made the first bounce, but expect another dip in the economy before we take the last bounce,” she explains. “What we want to do is to help our businesses get education to help them weather the panic. We’re here; we’re partners to get them through the hard times.”
Another major project on Batto’s desk is the master plan for downtown Napa. “It’s exciting. We have a group of citizens who were appointed to a committee, but our work is open to the entire community for input. We’re taking a hard look at what we want downtown Napa to look like and accomplish—with streets that might be two-way instead of one-way and mixed-use projects that combine residential with business to create the critical mass of people that every retail district needs,” she says.
The closure of COPIA, Napa’s massive center for wine, food and art, has created an unknown in the community and will obviously weigh heavily on the downtown master plan. “It’s a beautiful location and a prime piece of property. We just don’t know what’s going to happen. The city is working hard to find a suitable buyer. We need to get something that will promote the visitor base and fill up the hotels. It needs to serve the community rather than one business,” Batto says.
Considering it’s an election year, Batto expects the Napa chamber to be busy making political endorsements both locally and in the state assembly and senate. The chamber has a nine-member committee that holds candidates up to its own five-year plan to make sure each endorsed candidate is business-friendly and also aligns as closely as possible to the chamber’s vision.
Batto’s devotion to Napa runs deep. A sixth-generation Napa native raising two teenagers, son Charlie and daughter Jessica, she graduated from Napa High School and describes herself as a “perpetual college student” with no degree—but scads of classes. She’s also a graduate of the Western Association of Chamber Executives Academy, a three-year program she completed in 2008. Batto is an Accredited Chamber Executive (ACE) and was one of the first non-CEOs to receive the designation.
Giving back to her community is in her blood. As a teenager, she worked with Bruce McCall and Glenn Hughes of Napa Valley Physical Therapy, who donate their services to the Napa High School athletic program. “It was and continues to be a great example of giving back, and it taught me the importance of looking into the community and volunteering.”
Another mentor was Ray Sercu, president of Vallerga’s Market. “Ray gave me my first job as a teen,” Batto says. “I remember going into his office. My grandmother had worked there and my aunt did at the time. Ray told me, ‘Lisa, your name has moved to the top of the list because of who you’re related to. I’m going to hire you: Don’t embarrass your family.’ Vallerga’s is a very community-oriented company and it rubbed off on me. I still see Ray at lots of chamber events, and we joke about where I started and where I ended up.
“I love Napa. It’s a tight-knit community, but it can be infiltrated as long as you have a love of what you do and where you are. If you have that authenticity in Napa, you’re immediately accepted.”
Promoting unity in Windsor
Gary Quackenbush’s four-page résumé is in 9-point font (maybe less), single-spaced. His experience runs the gamut from radio newscaster to university department chair, with heavy emphasis on public relations in the technology sectors and head of several leading PR agencies. Which makes him the perfect person to head up the chamber of commerce in one of Sonoma County’s most eclectic communities—the town of Windsor.
As Quackenbush immediately explains, Windsor is different. “There are more than 40 businesses in the Shiloh Road area, then you have about 25 in the Palm Shopping Center area and another 20 to 30 in the Lakewood area,” Quackenbush explains. “There’s the Town Green and a growing business district out north by Old Redwood Highway at Star Road. And finally there’s the corporate park that runs from Conde Lane to Highway 101 in a two-mile stretch (from Shiloh Road to Windsor River Road).
“The biggest challenge is to reach and represent them all—and give equal time,” he says.
Quackenbush took over as Windsor chamber president/CEO in December and immediately put into play the community relations skills he developed over a long career at AT&T and with public relations firms in the Bay Area. Unity is his mantra, and he approaches the Windsor job with a youthful enthusiasm and unbridled energy.
Adept at multi-tasking, Quackenbush is swinging away at several key projects simultaneously.
“The current project is to promote Windsor [to attract businesses] and to encourage people to shop Windsor. We’re putting together a new Chamber of Commerce website that has an ecommerce element. Today, about 20 percent of retail sales are made on the Internet, but we have several brick-and-mortar businesses in town that don’t have an Internet component or even a place on the Web,” Quackenbush explains.
The chamber is also partnering with the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau in an effort to capture tour groups, wineries, travel agencies, limousine companies, tasting rooms and other hospitality-based businesses to push for more tourist dollars.
And then there’s the constant outreach to businesses, both large and small. As Windsor grows (it’s nearing 27,000 in population), so does its profile with national chains (Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn have built hotels in Windsor, for example).
“We’re nearing a flashpoint for attracting larger businesses,” Quackenbush says. “You must have critical mass [to get some larger stores’ attention]. You probably won’t see Target move to Geyserville [because the community is too small]. Businesses set a benchmark on the demographics they need before setting up shop. You can have a wish list for business development, but it doesn’t mean you’re going to meet the criteria established by some firms unless you can sell the idea based on the larger potential marketing region.”
At the same time, the Windsor community is changing.
“We’re a family friendly community and a great place to raise kids. There’s Powell’s Sweet Shoppe, 13 pizza restaurants and Baskin Robbins, but we also have unique restaurants like Johnny Garlic’s, Omelette Express, KC’s Downtown Grill, Bistro M and Mirepoix. The town gets behind its community. Windsor residents recently donated more than $40,000 at a crab feed for the Boys and Girls Club, Windsor’s fire department won the county blood drive (175 pints collected) earlier this year, and our service clubs and business organizations are strong. There’s a real team spirit here. We’ve grown far beyond being just a bedroom community. Most of the people who live here work within a 30-mile radius. We’re still dominated by firms in the service industry, but we’re moving toward an era that will be characterized by increased light manufacturing and technology enterprises,” Quackenbush says.
While working to promote business relocation and viability, the Windsor chamber also has to be sensitive to the town council’s desire to manage and control growth, largely through infill (building within existing boundaries of the town) and mixed-use (along the lines of the Town Green, where retail and residential co-exist) policies. A new amendment to the town’s redevelopment plan will pave the way for major residential and commercial improvements, plus add new affordable housing units
With great venues (Kaiser Park, Windsor High School, Windsor Town Green and the Mary Agnes Furth Center) Windsor is already home to several of the county’s signature events (The Half Marathon, Vineman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon, and the Wings Over Wine County Air Show are primary examples), but Quackenbush and the chamber are also looking for new events with widespread public appeal to bridge the seasons. The popular summer film series for kids, concert nights, Shakespeare on the Green and the Farmers Markets keep the place hopping from May through November, but there’s great potential for more, and the chamber is actively shopping for ideas.
One of Quackenbush’s ideas to promote unity actually goes beyond the town limits. In February, he helped organize a business expo, and he’s currently working with seven area chambers of commerce in planning an annual Chamboree to exchange ideas and work together.
“It takes a village. In this day and age, the tasks we face are too much for a single chamber to accomplish alone,” Quackenbush says. “I like to broker deals. This comes from my experience in helping to brand for more than 90 companies as a public relations executive plus my community relations and public affairs work. I love it.”
Born and raised in Maryland, Quackenbush earned a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. He migrated west in 1978 and has owned property in Sonoma County for 30 years, moving permanently to Windsor in 1995. His wife, Charmaine, is a nurse at Kaiser San Rafael. The couple has two children: Jeff, a reporter with the North Bay Business Journal, and Ashley, who attends the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
“This job is a culmination of all the career paths I’ve traveled—as a radio DJ, public speaker, journalist, writer, marketing consultant, signature event planner, educator, public relations specialist, you name it,” says Quackenbush. “Everything I’ve ever done is at play here.”
Based on what we heard from the other new chamber execs, we bet they’d all agree.
