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2018 BEST Chamber Event San Rafael Chamber

“We’re always striving for excellence and listening to our members.”—Joanne Webster, president and chief executive officer

Spreading the word about more than 20 diverse business sectors might seem like a challenge at first glance, but for the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, it offers a wealth of opportunities. And that means events—lots of them, including several special events and more than 50 mixers and opportunities for networking per year. The range of businesses the chamber represents runs the gamut, from banking to farming, biotech to green tech. “By offering five signature events, we’re able to showcase all those industries to the community at large,” says Joanne Webster, the chamber’s president and chief executive officer.

Large annual events include the Marin County Business Showcase, an event for exhibitors and networkers; Forecasting the Future Economic Conference, which provides valuable economic information for business owners; and the State of the City Dinner, which honors businesses for their contributions to the community. This year’s dinner, in April, recognized them for their outreach to North Bay fire victims. “They really rose to the occasion in Marin County,” says Webster. Also notable are a New Teacher Welcome, Excellence in Education Recognition and the Women of Industry Luncheon and Marketplace, at which a recipient nominated by her peers receives the Women of Industry Award.

Monthly mixers and a variety of other gatherings engage members of the business community throughout the year. Among them is a new event in partnership with Dominican University, which brings together chamber members and students from the Barowsky School of Business. “It’s a great opportunity for students to have hands-on experience with business members. We value that event,” says Webster. Mutts and Members made its debut in August 2017 and gave people a chance to include their pets. Dogs, cats and even a parrot attended, along with representative of the Marin Humane Society. “It was fun,” reports Webster. “We’re trying to look outside the box of normal activities.”

In addition to events, the chamber acts as a resource for local businesses. It might, for example, provide information on human resource compliance, and recently, it assisted members who needed to obtain information on immigration issues. “We can align with people who are knowledgeable and get information to businesses,” Webster says. Membership includes small and large businesses, sole proprietors and large corporations, and the chamber also reaches out to neighborhoods and governments. “We’re the convener of the stakeholders so we can provide members with the information and resources they need,” she explains. The chamber is an advocate for its members as well, and recognizing the impact of online shopping on small retail businesses, a collaboration with the City of San Rafael is in the works to develop a Go Local campaign to persuade residents to shop in their own community and support local merchants.

A leader in the community, the chamber is a green-certified business and urges others to adopt sustainable practices as well. “We just converted all lighting into energy-efficient LED lights and encouraged the landlord to do the same in the entire building,” says Webster. The chamber has also adopted a section of highway and cleans up trash. They don’t use any throwaways at events, and new ideas are always welcome. “We’re always striving for excellence and listening to our members,” says Webster.

Leadership, responsible business practices and enthusiasm for the local business community make the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce a standout.

www.srchamber.com

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