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United Chambers Partners With Others for Businesses

Your local Chambers are working for your business everyday. They work to help you promote your business, network with other business leaders and provide you with the resources your business needs to grow and prosper. Another way your local Chamber works for you is by uniting together as United Chambers and working with other business organizations in the Valley and region to advocate on behalf of business. United Chambers is a coalition of 31 business organizations including 22 Valley Chambers of Commerce and nine other business organizations from the Valley and surrounding region. We are the “Voice of Valley Business” and collectively we represent just under 21,000 businesses who provide over 385,000 jobs. By uniting together here in the Valley and working with organizations in and around the Valley, like the Los Angeles Area Chamber, Simi Valley Chamber and our newest Affiliate Member, the Valley Industrial Association of Santa Clarita, we are able to provide businesses with a much bigger voice on the issues we face everyday. These affiliations and partnerships with organizations like the Economic Alliance of San Fernando Valley, the Valley Economic Development Center and the Southland Regional Association of Realtors give us access to more programs and opportunities for businesses. We also work with the California and U.S. Chambers of Commerce to keep us up-to-date on current affairs and to join them in their efforts to advocate on behalf of business and fight against legislation deemed detrimental to a healthy business climate. Through this united organization, we are able to spread the word to businesses on timely advocacy and action items as well as regional events and opportunities. We are the only Valley organization of its kind that unites so many organizations and business leaders together to fight for business issues and provide opportunities for business growth and prosperity. By uniting and partnering with others, United Chambers has been able to facilitate opportunities for our business leaders to participate in workshops on starting a business, strategic planning for businesses, financing for business, volunteer leadership training, an employee job fair and meetings with local and state elected officials. On the advocacy side, United Chambers has been addressing the LA River Revitalization Plan, the Orange Line Expansion Project, DWP Rate Increases, the Community College District Initiative, and Pension Reform. We took action on legislation termed “job killers” and we were successful on helping to defeat many of them. These bills ranged from Port container fees to taxing business to pay for healthcare for all. One of the programs we just brought to our businesses leaders was our 3rd Annual Mayors’ Luncheon which featured Los Angeles City Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Mayors from the Cities of Calabasas, San Fernando and Simi Valley. We were honored to recognize Mayor James Bozajian from Calabasas, Mayor Julie Ruelas from San Fernando and Mayor Paul Miller from Simi Valley. Close to 500 business leaders welcomed Mayor Villaraigosa to the Valley as he reported on the status of programs and services the City provides to Valley businesses and residents. He updated Valley leaders as to the progress these programs and services have made and he urged that we work together to find solutions to the problems we still face. Bringing the Mayor to the Valley every year has proven to be a program our business leaders want and we are already planning next year’s luncheon. We will be holding our Annual Meeting and Election of Officers on Wednesday, November 14, 2007, Noon, at Porter Valley Country Club and we will be hosting our Annual Legislative Staff Reception to show our appreciation to the Field Deputies and Representatives we work with all year that same evening from 5:30-7:00PM at the Hilton Woodland Hills. Look for our announcement of another new Affiliate Member in a couple of weeks and save the evening of January 18th for our Annual “Celebrating Business” Recognition Dinner. Also, look for United Chambers to bring you a very important forum on the water crisis and other issues facing our region in late February. If you or your business are not involved with your local Chamber, why not? As you can see, the benefits you receive by joining your local Chamber and thus becoming a member of United Chambers are immense. We invite you to become part of a bigger voice for business. United Chambers is growing and we want you to grow with us. As 2008 approaches, make it your resolve to join your local Chamber and if you are already a Chamber member, take advantage of the benefits your membership offers and participate in United Chambers activities. We are all in this together, and united our voices can make a difference. Debi Schultze is President and Chief Executive Officer for United Chambers of Commerce~ San Fernando Valley & Region. Visit their website at www.UnitedChambers.org.

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