2016 BEST Chamber of Commerce Santa Rosa Chamber

"We have such great staff and volunteers, who put thier hearts and time into activities that improve our communities." —Jonathan Coe

With more than 100 years of service and a membership of approximately 1,000, the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce has a long-standing history of community support. The chamber was born out of the rubble left by the 1906 earthquake. The community was hit harder than San Francisco, and there was a need for a business organization to lead the efforts to recreate a vibrant economy. Ever since, it’s played a dynamic leadership role, not only helping individual businesses be more successful but also addressing challenges in the community. “The bottom line is, we have such great staff and volunteers who put their hearts and time into activities that improve our communities,” says Jonathan Coe, president and CEO, who joined the chamber in 2009.

One of the major challenges he initially faced was the recession of 2009. To help businesses through the slump, the chamber worked with city officials to implement the Santa Rosa Tourism Business Improvement Area (BIA). The city collects a 3 percent BIA assessment on lodging operators within city limits, including hotels, motels, B&Bs, inns and vacation rentals. The money collected is used to support the plan, which includes group sales, event support attractions, marketing and promotions, public relations and Welcome Center operations. Coe believes the BIA is one of the major factors that helped the local the economy survive tough times.

The chamber’s Young Professionals Network (YPN), targeted toward those aged 21 to 40, develops the next generation of community and business leaders, which is critical to the ongoing growth and development of Santa Rosa. Coe says it’s important to encourage these young professionals to put down roots in Sonoma County and recognize they’re important to the future of the city. Membership is open to individuals as well as members of any company that’s already a chamber member.

The chamber recognizes that change in the workforce demographic is an ongoing challenge. Latinos are playing a more important role in the economy and, in response, the chamber developed the Worksite Held Employee English Learning program (WHEEL), which provides English language classes for employees at their worksite. WHEEL recently expanded to include an extended family literacy class to increase the participation of parents in the education of their children. Most WHEEL elements can be coordinated at low or no cost to participating businesses.

The chamber also wants to make sure children in its communities have the opportunity and support to graduate high school. The Mike Hauser Academy (named for the chamber’s longtime president, who passed away in 2009) provides English language learner students the opportunity to visit various STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)-related companies to interact with engineers and professionals, observe demonstrations and participate in hands-on activities that reinforce classroom math and science lessons. This program helps students grasp mathematical concepts by offering them a direct and practical application for STEM concepts.

Coe is also proud of the chamber’s involvement in the move to reunify Courthouse Square. He was a member of the coalition to work on Courtyard Square, and says, “It’s not totally done yet, but I’m pleased with all the progress that was made and that construction will begin in May.”

The chamber has 19 full-time and eight part-time employees. More than 300 volunteers serve as hosts at the monthly business meeting and on one of the 20 committees or any number of other functions the chamber has. In January 2016, the chamber moved to its new home at 50 Old Courthouse Square. “We believe the chamber is meant to be downtown,” says Coe. “Being more visible is a positive statement for both residents and visitors, that Santa Rosa has a strong chamber in the center of the community. It expresses our commitment to Santa Rosa to prosper and thrive.”