The Valley-area’s 2007 chambers of commerce have spent the first quarter of the year prepping for a daunting variety of installation ceremonies. On Feb. 24, the Encino Chamber of Commerce hosted its ceremony under the theme “An Evening of Comedy,” which featured a silent auction, 2007 board installation and comedy routines from performers Fred Willard and Bruce Baum. The chamber also gave its annual Business Person of the Year to the owners of Paul Davis & Alberta Bellisario Insurance Services for their work with the 71-year-old organization. Outgoing president Joel M. Simon, an attorney with Alperstein, Simon, Farkas, Gillin & Scott in Encino, said he leaves the position content at what the chamber completed. “I’m so proud of what we accomplished under my tenure over the past years,” said Simon, later passing the gavel to incoming chair Michael S. Turner, an executive with Bearsworth Communications Inc. Turner told the crowd the chamber is looking to build off the successes of 2006, add new programs and expand community outreach. “We are excited we have a lot of things happening,” he said. “As I look at the board, we have a lot of people who want risk and are part of a good team.” Installed to the 2007 board were President-elect Mark Levinson; CFO Rickey Gelb; vice presidents Stanley Goldenberg, Juli McKitterick and Hank Yuloff; Secretary Jamshid Javidi; CEO Kirsten Y. Chong; past presidents J. Richard Leyner and Simon; and board members Armand Arabian, David Asplund, Marty Bogoratt, Stacy Bond, Harvey Branman, Larry Cohen, Liat Cohen, Susan DuBrin, Richard Hernandez, Leon P. Woods and Lou Woolf. Additional Ceremonies Previous chamber events include the Jan. 27 ceremony for the newly merged Woodland Hills Tarzana Chamber of Commerce, which installed Chairman Gordon Luster; Executive Vice Chair Deborah Sable; Government Affairs Co-Chair Sean McCarthy; Programs Vice Chair Susan Hamersky; CFO Tracy Myall; Special Events Co Chair Paul Lawler; Corporate Secretary Stephen T. Holzer; Immediate Past Chair Sherry Keowen; and board members Jim Kinsey, Chandler Vadhera, Debbi Lund, Deane Leavenworth, Collen Buescher, Jennifer Miller, Roger Sterling, Rocky Rhodes, Cynthia Elkins, David Tillman, Jill Dolan, Dale Surowitz and Steven H. Horstein. Also in January, the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce installed 2007 board members Chairman Stephanie Warren; First Vice Chair Doug Ridley; vice chairs Barbara McDaniel, Tina Klaas, Martin Seda and Sue Orgen; Immediate Past Chair Toni Yamin; and members Jeff Blum, Joe Donato, Brenda Johnson, Marie White, Jeff Morton, Jerry Magel, Matthew Pime, Adam Adair and Kimberly Bordonaro. Last month, the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce installed its 2007 board, which includes Chair Pam Ingram; Chairman Elect-Vice Chair Charlie Gill; Immediate Past Chair Chris Fall; CFO Tony Tartaglia; Corporate Secretary Marlee Lauffer; Vice Chair of Economic Development Anna Frutos-Sanchez Vice Chair of Education Dena Maloney; Vice Chair of Events Kim Kurowski; Vice Chair of Film & Tourism Jay Schutz; Vice Chair of Government Affairs Carl Goldman; Vice Chair of Membership Kris Hough; Vice Chair at Large RandyWrage and board members Greg Amsler, Chris Angelo, Jim Bizzelle, Hunt Braly, Richard Budman, Elizabeth Hopp, Bill Kennedy, Bill McClendon, Doug Sink, Lloyd Sreden, Diana Vose, Connie Worden-Roberts, Art Donnelly and Jeffrey Hacker. The Chatsworth/Porter Ranch Chamber of Commerce also named President Bill Powers; vice presidents Melissa Phillipp, Steve Oliver and Tom Elias ; Treasurer Jerre Reimers; Secretary Les Himes; CEO Nanette Phelan; and directors Affie Bahar, Stan Bryant, Ian Gardner, Karen Gross, Kevin Huling, John Jamgotchian, Sean Kane, Julie Lewis, Nick Montano, Dr. James Pasternak, Gloria Pollack, Ron M. Schulkin, Maria Serna, Mona Strehler, Dick Styke, Brent Vallens, Linda Van Der Valk and Mari Weiner. The North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce installed Chair Victoria Bourdas; Vice Chair Dennis DeYoung; Treasurer Sharon Wolfe; Secretary Pam Allison; directors Lisa Avakian, Pam Branner, Thomas Christopher, Dave Compton, Deborah Cours, Janet Hartley, Christian Hayes, David Honda, Valerie Jordan, Leslie Kaz, Ike Krieger, Marty Laff, Lauretta Martin, Rich Miller, Judith Nutter, Greg Saran, Scott Sterling, Janet Snyder and Dale Verderano; and President and CEO Wayne Adelstein. _________________________________________________________ Business Leaders to Hear City Attorney’s Proposal for Fighting Crime With Valley crime on the rise and local gang activity the focus of police and city officials, the United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley is sponsoring a forum for businesses to address the issue. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo will present his plan to combat crime and gang issues in the Valley at the UCC’s General Assembly meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, at the Porter Valley Country Club in Northridge. United Chambers Executive Director Debi Schultze said the forum should give chamber members a chance to sound off about concerns and learn about plans in the works. “Business members wanted to know what was going to curtail the gang activity and how that plan worked with businesses,” Schultze said. “This will tell how businesses can be involved and what (Delgadillo) expects.” Last month Delgadillo secured a 435-day jail sentence for a member of the Canoga Park Alabama gang who violated a gang injunction. He also recently charged three members of the Blythe Street Gang in Panorama City Last month the Los Angeles police named 11 of the most violent street gangs in the city and called for a “gang czar.” The LAPD reported homicides in the Valley were up 10 percent in January compared to last year. Chris Coates
