Union Cemetery and Price Disposal to Share Tips for Contracting

June 2014
Join us on Friday, June 13!
Building a Strong Economy
CEO’s Message............................................ 2
Youth Leadership Bakersfield...................... 5
Business Expo 2014................................... 11
Providing Business Education &
Networking Opportunities
Small Business Networking Breakfast......... 1
State of the City 2014.................................. 3
“My Take” on Transportation ..................... 4
Committee Reports.................................... 13
Promoting Our Community
Chairman’s Circle Focus.............................. 2
New Members.............................................. 8
Renewing Members..................................... 9
Ribbon Cuttings......................................... 10
Member News............................................ 11
Representing the Interests of
Business with Government
Chamber PAC Endorsements....................... 1
The 2014 Legislative Guide......................... 3
Where We Stand........................................... 6
The Greater Bakersfield Chamber
of Commerce is dedicated to:
• Building a Strong Economy
• Providing Business Education
& Networking Opportunities
• Promoting Our Community
• Representing the Interests of
Business with Government
Providing leadership for a healthy business community
Chamber PAC Urges Vote
for Vidak and Salas
Commending both men for their
ability to work across party lines and
their records on issues important to
business, the Bakersfield Chamber
PAC (BCCPAC) has voted to
endorse Senator Andy Vidak and
Assemblymember Rudy Salas, Jr. in
their bids for re-election.
The endorsements come following
interviews with all candidates for both
seats, where Vidak and Salas each
outlined their legislative priorities and
positions on water, hydraulic fracturing
and job creation in the central valley.
“Senator Andy Vidak and
Assemblymember Rudy Salas have
proven track records of standing
with business, as evidenced by their
voting records,” said Keith Brice,
BCCPAC chair and president of Mid-
State Development Corporation.
“It is important that we have
representatives locally, at the state,
and federally who understand and
support free enterprise and will
work to help unravel the red tape
that often makes it difficult to do
business in California. Andy and
Rudy are doing that.”
With California’s open primary,
the top two vote-getters in each race
will square off in November.
Vidak is facing Fresno School
Board member Luis Chavez in both
the June 3 primary and the general
election in November.
Salas is expected to face one of
two Republican challengers—Pedro
Rios or Romeo Agbalog—in the
general election.
Assemblymember
Rudy Salas, Jr.
Senator
Andy Vidak
Union Cemetery and Price Disposal to
Share Tips for Contracting With Them
The Small Business Networking breakfast opens the door for small business
to find out about opportunities to do
business with large companies.
Dave Hepburn, Historic Union Cemetery, will
talk about what it takes to do business with the
cemetery and which services are needed to run the
80 acre, nearly 150 year-old cemetery.
Ray Scott, Price Disposal, will tell you all
you need to know about how to become a vendor
with one of Kern County’s largest private waste
management companies.
(story continued on page 8)
2014
Chairman’s
Circle
Business
Supporting
Business
Advance Beverage Company
Aera Energy LLC
Barbich Hooper King Dill Hoffman
Braun Electric Company, Inc.
Bright House Networks
Brown Armstrong Accountants
California State University, Bakersfield
Carney’s Business Technology Center
Castle & Cooke California, Inc.
Chevron
Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino
Citizens Business Bank
Daniells, Phillips, Vaughan & Bock
Dignity Health- Mercy & Memorial Hospitals
Dollar General
Dowling Aaron Incorporated
Ensign U.S. Drilling, CA
Golden Empire Transit District
Gregory D. Bynum & Associates, Inc.
Hall Ambulance Service
Jim Burke Ford Lincoln
Kaiser Permanente Kern County
Kern Community College District
Kern Community Foundation
Kern Schools Federal Credit Union
KGET-TV 17
Klein, DeNatale, Goldner et al
Law Offices of Young Wooldridge LLP
McKee Electric Company
Mid State Development Corporation
Motor City Auto Center
Occidental of Elk Hills, Inc.
Ordiz-Melby Architects, Inc.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Rabobank, N.A.
San Joaquin Community Hospital
Southern California Gas Company
State Farm Insurance Companies
Stinsons
Stria
Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino
Taft College Foundation
Tejon Ranch Company
TelePacific Communications
Tel-Tec Security Systems, Inc.
The Bakersfield Californian
Valley Republic Bank
Wells Fargo Bank
METRO 2
Thankfully, Our Reps
Get it!
A delegation of Chamber and local business leaders have just
returned from Sacramento where we met with State legislators
about issues important to our local economy—water, hydraulic
fracturing and the oil severance tax.
Assemblymembers Rudy Salas and Shannon Grove and
State Senators Andy Vidak and Jean Fuller get it! We can be
confident that they’re banging their heads against the wall each and every day and taking their
lumps from representatives to the north and south, as they go to bat on behalf of the folks in the
districts who sent them to Sacramento.
We had a good meeting with the new Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, from the San Diego,
and were appreciative of her openness to learn more about hydraulic fracturing and her commitment to travel to Kern to learn more about the technology and our oil-based economy. A
special thank you to Assemblymember Salas for helping us set up that meeting.
Conversely, we ran into the polar opposite. A political buzz saw of sorts that made it perfectly clear that some are only interested in their own truths—which is pretty scary when their
truth is filtered through unrealistic absolutes and a singular focus making it clear that they have
no desire to look for common ground. It is easy to see how and why we end up with political
gridlock and why operating a business in California isn’t easy.
It is easy to see that we have a lot of work to do! As a matter of fact, we even ran into one
Sacramento “expert” who was adamant that the Monterey Shale had absolutely nothing to do
with Kern County. Can you believe the absurdity?
Uphill battles like this are why it’s important that every business adds its voice to the Chamber’s advocacy efforts. At the Bakersfield Chamber, they can do it through our Governmental
Review Council (GRC) or by making a contribution to the BCCPAC (Bakersfield Chamber of
Commerce Political Action Committee).
We promise to continue to represent the interests of business here at home, in Sacramento
and in Washington, DC. Won’t you join us?
Chairman's Circle Focus
Wells Fargo, through its Commercial Banking group, is the
number one financial services provider to middle market businesses in the western U.S., according to a leading independent
research firm. Headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo is
the largest lender to US agriculture among commercial banks,
among the largest lenders to companies in the energy and
gaming industries, and is one of the United States’ top-40
largest private employers.
www.wellsfargo.com
METRO Business Journal is the official publication of the
Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
1725 Eye Street • PO Box 1947 •Bakersfield, CA 93303
Phone (661)-327-4421 • Fax (661) 327-8751
www.bakersfieldchamber.org • www.bakersfieldadvocacy.org
The Chamber of Commerce President/CEO has the sole right
to refuse any advertisement in any Chamber publication.
Providing Business Education and Networking Opportunities
The 2014
Legislative
Guide and
Public Policy
Platform is
Now Available
The Legislative Guide & Public
Policy Platform is a tool to help
educate you, as our members, about
the issues important to business and the economy, and to help you take
part in the legislative process. This publication incorporates the Chamber’s Public Policy Platform, which is the foundation from which the
Chamber engages on issues on our members’ behalf, and a Business
Advocacy Toolkit for our members to use to let their voices be heard.
Stop by the Chamber and pick up your copy today.
SPONS
ORSHIP
State of the City
2014 Set for July 15
S AVAI
LABLE!
T
he annual State of the City luncheon is one of the Chamber’s leading business information forums. The July event features Bakersfield Mayor Harvey L.
Hall and designated City department heads reporting on the accomplishments
of the past year and providing a look ahead to the City’s future plans. State of
the City will take place on Tuesday, July 15 at the Bakersfield Marriott at the
Convention Center. Registration and check in begins at 11:30a.m.; program
12:00-1:30 p.m.
Sponsorship opportunities are available.
Sponsorship levels include:
• Presenting $5,000
• Silver $2,500
• Bronze $1,000
Contact Tonya Sterling
(661) 327-4421
[email protected]
To advertise, contact:
Mira Patel
(661) 395-7586
[email protected]
To subscribe, contact:
Circulation
(661) 392-5777
Bakersfield.com/subscribe
METRO 3
Providing Business Education and Networking Opportunities
New Transportation
Plan Balances Economic
Growth with
Environmental Realities
By Ahron Hakimi | Kern COG Executive Director
ln developing the Kern region’s 26-year master
plan for transportation, Kern Council of Governments has received input from more than 8,000 of
our residents and their message has been crystal
clear: We need to fix, finish and maintain what we
have.
Kern COG’s 2014 Regional Transportation Plan
considers all the different modes of travel at our
disposal – from roads and highways to freight and
passenger rail, bicycles, walking and aviation – offering a proposal for how best to spend the $11.2
billion we expect to receive through federal, state
and local funding sources through 2040.
State and federal agencies have been vocal in
providing guidelines for building a transportation
network that both accommodates our increasing
population while simultaneously reducing our
environmental impacts. Meanwhile, Kern residents
have been abundantly clear about what they expect
going forward: Maintenance as the top priority.
With that input, Kern COG has crafted a plan
carefully designed to balance economic interests
with environmental realities. The RTP acknowledges the close connection that transportation and
land use planning share, along with the need to use
our resources differently.
Among other priorities, that input has translated
into a 700 percent increase in spending -- $424
million – on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
like sidewalks, bike lanes and bike paths. Housing
within walking distance to public transportation
that circulates every 15 minutes is anticipated to
grow more than three-and-a-half times. Approximately $2.2 billion is proposed for public transportation improvements, including the funding that
state officials hope to have for high-speed rail.
Together, that represents $2.6 billion dollars,
compared to approximately $2.8 billion through
METRO 4
the 2040 planning horizon for new capacity
and maintenance on roads and freeways. Our
modeling shows that this balanced approach
to growing our transportation network, if
enacted, will provide for:
a 32 percent decrease in farmland
converted to housing outside of cities’
spheres of influence;
at least a 5 percent reduction in health
expenditures because of improved air quality and;
at least a 10 percent decrease in house-
hold water use.
At the same time, Kern COG is fully aware
of the need to do what it can to assist in our
region’s economic recovery and maturity. As
a growing logistics hub, home to more than
30 different distribution centers, Kern has an
obligation to maintain its roadways to ensure
that commerce flows smoothly.
Construction in the region is at an alltime high with one-time funding sources
either reaching their crescendo, such as the
Thomas Roads Improvement Program with
the upcoming Centennial Corridor project, or,
in the case of Proposition 1B funds, winding
down with the widening of Highway 99 in
Bakersfield. These important improvements
and many others will help guarantee that our
network welcomes growing economic opportunities and the new jobs that will accompany
them.
Most importantly, the ambitious program
the Regional Transportation Plan sets forth
reminds all of us that we can’t afford to lose
transportation amid the shuffle of everchanging social and policy priorities. There’s
simply too much at stake.
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Additional Category Sponsorships
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Additional Business Categories
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Give Lauren a call today to boost
your business: 661.327.4421
METRO 4
Promoting Our Community
Chamber Salutes Youth Leadership
Bakersfield Scholarship Winners
A
s part of its commitment to
education, workforce preparation and leadership development,
the Greater Bakersfield Chamber
of Commerce offers three $500
scholarships to graduates of the
Youth Leadership Bakersfield
program who are seeking to continue their education in a four-year
college or university.
The Business Partners Scholarships are awarded to students
whose achievements, both in
school and the community, reflect
the capabilities and attitudes nec-
essary for success in academic,
business and life settings. This
year’s recipients are
Elizabeth Vazquez and Raquel
Vega, both from Bakersfield High
School.
Each year, the Bakersfield
College Foundation awards a
$1,000 scholarship to a Youth
Leadership Bakersfield graduate
planning to attend Bakersfield
College. This year’s recipient is
Sara McComas from East High
School.
Youth Leadership Bakersfield
Presented to Kern County Board
of Supervisors and
Bakersfield City Council
Sydney Maiden, of Bakersfield
High School and a 2014 YLB
graduate, joined Cindy Pollard,
Chamber president and CEO; and
Rob Duchow, Southern California
Gas Company and YLB
Graduation Sponsor to present the
2014 YLB Program to the Kern
County Board of Supervisors. The
group shared the program’s goals
to identify potential leaders within
the high school youth community,
develop their leadership skills and
create community spirit. Maiden
shared how much she learned
about Bakersfield and how the
program made her realize she can
be a leader.
Michele Newell, Aera Energy
LLC and YLB advisory chair; and
graduates John Cruz and Angela
Tante, Liberty High School; Haley
Garrison, Garces Memorial High
School; and Samuel Lang, Valley
Oaks Charter School and
graduation speaker, joined
Pollard to present the program to
the Bakersfield City Council.
Aaron Perlman, weathercaster, KBAK & KBFX Eyewitness News and
YLB graduates take a “selfie” at the graduation celebration.
Youth Leadership
Bakersfield
graduated 32 high school students
from 17 different high schools in
Bakersfield on Friday, May 2. This year’s graduation featured Lyle Martin, assistant police chief of the Bakersfield Police Department, as he discussed the
importance of leadership and how students can take what the students have
learned from the program and apply it in their future.
Over the course of the program, these students have experienced Bakersfield’s wide range of community issues and career opportunities in the areas
of agriculture, arts and culture, criminal justice, education, health and human
services, leadership, media, energy and government.
Graduates of the 2014 Youth
Leadership Bakersfield Program
Dammy Adeoye
Bakersfield Christian
Manuel Gomez
Mira Monte
Raylon Allen Heide Gutierrez
South
East Bakersfield
Omar Aragon Natalie Hernandez
Independence
East Bakersfield
Charenee Brown
SamuelLang
South
Valley Oaks Charter
Tatum Collatz
Roman Lara
Stockdale
Centennial
Joseph Constantine Sydney Maiden
Frontier
Bakersfield
Stephen John Cruz Nicholas Martinez
Liberty
Ridgeview
Zhanelle Davis
Carmen Meza
Independence
Ridgeview
MichaelEarnest
Sarai Meza
Stockdale
Centennial
Christopher Ellis
Irma Narvaez
Independence
Foothill
Haley Garrison
Dylan Newell
Garces Memorial
Stockdale
Rebecca Oberg
West
Jacob Pesina
West
Genaro Rodriguez
Highland
Esmeralda Rojas
Golden Valley
David Roman
East Bakersfield
Scott Rush
Frontier
Oliver Shevchenko
Bakersfield Christian
Special Smith
Highland
Angela Tante
Liberty
Sebastian Valderrama
Golden Valley
METRO 5
The Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce is constantly working to improve
the business climate locally, in our region, throughout the State of California and
nationally. A better business climate means a healthy economy and better quality
of life for us all. To that end, here’s a list of Bills on which we’ve weighed in, as of
May 10. To add your voice to our advocacy efforts, join us at GRC, Friday mornings 7:30 – 8:30 a.m., at the Chamber.
Chamber Monthly Planner- June 2014
Mark Your Calendar
Upcoming Chamber Meetings and Events
Date
Committee/Event
Time
Place
Tune in to Strictly Business every Monday, 10 a.m. at www.bakersfield.com
June 4
Beautiful Bakersfield Committee 11:45 a.m.
Chamber
June 4
Executive Committee 12:00 p.m.
Chamber
June 5
LB Advisory Council 7:30 a.m.
Chamber
June 7
Nut Festival All Day
KC Museum
June 6 Governmental Review Council 7:30 a.m.
Chamber
June 9
YLB Advisory Council DARK
June 12
Small Business Networking Bkfst. 7:30 a.m.
Chamber
June 13
Chamber Palooza 6:00 p.m.
KC Museum
June 13
Governmental Review Council DARK
June 18
Energy Committee 8:00 a.m.
Chamber
June 18
Board Meeting 11:45 a.m.
Chamber
June 20 Governmental Review Council 7:30 a.m.
Chamber
June 20
Leadership Bakersfield Class Day 7:30 a.m.
Offsite
June 20
Leadership Bakersfield Graduation 6:30 p.m.
Stockdale CC
June 23
Bus. Ed. & Enhancement Committee 11:45 a.m.
Chamber
June 24
Ambassador Meeting 11:45 a.m.
Chamber
June 27 Governmental Review Council 7:30 a.m.
Chamber
METRO 7
Promoting Our Members
Welcome to Our New Chamber Members
Benchmark Communities LLC
5113 Phisto Place
Bakersfield, CA 93313
www.benchmarkcommunities.com
“At Benchmark Communities we believe
it matters who builds your home. We are
a pioneering homebuilder with footprints
across California and a growing presence
in Washington State. Designing and
building homes is our passion – exceeded
only by our desire to have every one of
our homeowners be a raving fan of their
Benchmark home.”
Employers Depot, Inc.
5701 Truxtun Ave. Ste. 220
Bakersfield, CA 93309 | 661-325-0200
www.employersdepot.com
“Established in 1985, Employers Depot,
Inc. (EDI) is a woman-owned staffing firm,
offering temporary, temporary to regular,
direct placement and payroll programs.”
March 15 - April 14, 2014
Fresno First Bank
1430 Truxtun Ave., 5th Floor
Bakersfield, CA 93301 | 661-616-1301
www.fresnofirstbank.com
“Full service independent bank
specializing in commercial banking and
small business loans.”
Mauricio’s Grill & Cantina
5701 Dennis McCarthy Dr.
Lebec, CA 93243 | 661-589-5292
www.mauriciosgrill.com
“Mauricio’s Grill & Cantina is a full service
restaurant with a family atmosphere
offering great service and quality food.”
Jos. A. Bank Clothiers
9000 Ming Ave., Ste. I-4
Bakersfield, CA 93311 | 661-654-8963
www.josbank.com
“Jos. A. Bank Clothiers provides an
extensive selection of beautifully made,
classically styled tailored and casual
clothing with superior quality and
workmanship at excellent prices.”
PostNet CA 135
13061 Rosedale Hwy., Ste. G
Bakersfield, CA 93314 | 661-587-7678
www.postnet.com/ca135
“PostNet CA 135 is your neighborhood
business center. We pride ourselves to be
friendly, convenient and local. We design
your marketing collateral, print your
presentations, and handle your packing and
shipping.”
Lightwave Education
333 Palmer Dr., Ste. 220
Bakersfield, CA 93309 | 661-381-7644
www.lightwaveeducation.org
“Our non-profit corporation started in
September 2010 dedicated to a mission
to create tools for individuals to thrive,
prosper and succeed through education,
mentoring and community outreach.”
SANplicity
200 Sonora St., 2nd Floor
Bakersfield, CA 93305 | 661-616-3333
www.SANplicity.com
“Bakersfield based technology firm
bringing Enterprise technology to midsized companies. The best local source for
Networking Breakfast (story continued from page 1)
The Chamber has conference rooms for rent!
And room rental rates are dirt cheap.
We have rooms that seat 8, 20 or 80.
Call Janet today to reserve your room 661.327.4421
METRO 8
Bring plenty of business cards and come prepared to promote your
products and services to a variety of potential clients.
Cost is $25 for Chamber members, $50 for nonmembers.
Continental breakfast will be provided. To register, call
(661) 327-4421 or visit www.bakersfieldchamber.org.
Please park in the Eye Street parking structure located on the
northwest corner of 18th and Eye streets.
Small Business Networking Breakfast sponsored by:
Promoting Our Members
Renewing Members Support Chamber
The following members renewed their commitment to the Chamber and local business community
during the period of April 15, 2014 - May 14, 2014
Member Since
American Business Machines.................................. 1999
American Safety Services, Inc................................... 2007
Bakersfield Blaze..................................................... 2004
Belfor Property Restoration..................................... 2010
Bolthouse Farms, Inc............................................... 1995
Clear Channel Radio................................................ 2001
Community Action Partnership of Kern.................... 1995
Dewar’s Candy Shop, Inc......................................... 1994
EnviroTech Consultants............................................ 2004
Frank Cantelmi Engineering..................................... 2009
Galbraith Van & Storage Company........................... 1972
The Garlic Company................................................ 2002
Gazelle Transportation, Inc...................................... 2013
Granite Construction............................................... 1977
Member Since
Grapevine MSP, LLC................................................ 2013
Guild House............................................................ 1993
His Rosedale Auto Sales.......................................... 2004
Hodel’s Country Dining............................................ 1986
Home Instead Senior Care....................................... 2008
Homewood Suites by Hilton.................................... 2004
Jersey Mike’s Subs – Stockdale................................ 2011
Junior League of Bakersfield.................................... 2003
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation................... 1999
Kelly Services........................................................... 2013
Kwik Signs Inc.......................................................... 2001
Lamar Advertising.................................................... 2011
Links for Life............................................................ 2003
Matthew Trimble..................................................... 2011
Member Since
McKittrick Waste Treatment Site.............................. 2006
Miramar International Real Estate........................... 2007
Mish Funeral Home................................................. 2009
Paramount Farming Company................................. 1994
Proforma Progressive Marketing............................. 2004
Que Pasa Mexican Café........................................... 2003
Dr. Stephen Ratty, Optometrist................................ 1994
Santa Barbara Business College.............................. 1983
Sizzler Restaurant – Real Road................................ 1997
Star Furniture.......................................................... 2010
Union Bank – Stockdale Village Branch................... 1993
Uricchio’s Trattoria................................................... 1995
Walmart Stores, Inc. – Fashion Place...................... 1997
Wiki’s Wine Dive & Grill........................................... 2013
Worklogic HR........................................................... 2000
Promoting Our Community
Ribbon Cutti
Omni Family Health, Grand Opening
4131 Ming Avenue 661-459-1900
Ambassadors Bob Meadows, Mission Bank; Jacob Henry and Alan
Rollolazo, Diamond Technologies; Steve Bohn, Principle Financial
Group; Samantha Ens, ServiceMaster; Carla Hutcherson, Manpower; Amber Boatwright, Mendez Media; and Marcella Ives, American
Cancer Society were on hand for the grand opening.
Robert Heely Construction, New Corporate Office
5401 Woodmere Drive 661-617-1400
Chamber Ambassadors Casey Knaak, United Way; Leslie Elliott, ARCpoint Labs; Marcella Ives, American Cancer Society; David Taylor, Hall
Ambulance; Julian Herrera and Gloria Hernandez, Continental Labor &
Staffing; Derron Juarez, Aerotek; Ruben Gonzales, AmeriPride Uniforms;
and Matthew Hughes, Holiday Inn Express attended the celebration.
Whitestone Painters, New Location
4100 Easton Drive, Suite #17 888-567-2234 Ambassadors Marcella Ives, American Cancer Society; Matt Hughes,
Holiday Inn Express; Alan Rollolazo, Diamond Technologies; Marilyn
Henderson, SendOut Cards; and Casey Knaak, United Way
represented the Chamber at the ribbon cutting.
METRO 10
Promoting Our Members
Member News
From and About Your Fellow Chamber Members
California State University,
Bakersfield is proud to announce that it has
been selected as one of the 100 universities
(#39) listed in TIME Magazine’s top colleges and universities based on a new criteria
proposed by the White House that emphasizes
accessibility, affordability, and completion.
To view the full ranking by TIME, visit http://
time.com/71782/make-your-own-collegeranking/. For more information on CSU
Facts including financial aid, visit http://www.
calstate.edu/PA/2014Facts/.
Kern County Animal Shelter Foundation invites you to Applause for Paws,
Saturday, June 14, doors open at 6 p.m.,
Masonic Temple, 1920 18th St. Tickets are
$30 for one, $50 for two, $250 for a table of
eight. For tickets by mail, contact Friends
Foundation, PO Box 11494, Bakersfield, CA
93389, please include the number of tickets
you are ordering. You can also get tickets via
PayPal ([email protected]) and be sure to
include your mailing address and the number
of tickets you are purchasing.
Optimal Hospice Care invites you to
attend a New Volunteer Orientation on
Wednesday, June 18, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., 17th and
Chester Ave. (downtown) in the Chase Building.
Caring individuals from the Kern County area
communities are encouraged to call (661) 7164000 or email [email protected] to
reserve a seat.
Lightwave Education Freedom
School Program provides summer enrichment through research based and multicultural
curriculum during a 6-week summer program,
June 23 to August 1, 2014. This program is
geared towards ages 6-14. Registration is open
and for more information call (661) 381-7644 or
visit www.lightwaveeducation.org .
Bakersfield Art Association announces
classes are available in Drawing, Watercolor,
Oil, Acrylic, Pen and Ink & Color Theory for
beginners and advanced, adults and children at
the Art Center, 1817 Eye St. For information and
to sign up call (661) 869-2320
Like us,
join us,
follow us...
The Greater Bakersfield Chamber
of Commerce is now accepting
sponsors for:
October 23, 2014
Get qualified leads and make quality connections
while marketing your business to thousands of
consumers. This is the largest annual business-tobusiness showcase in the area. As a sponsor you will
be premiered amongst 145 booths and 2,000
attendees. This sponsorship includes an extra large
booth space, prime booth location, recognition in
event materials and much more! This opportunity is
available on a first-come, first-served basis. Booth
space is limited and sold out last year.
For more information contact Jean Scheiber at
[email protected] or call
(661) 327-4421.
METRO 11
Providing Business Education and Networking Opportunities
METRO 12
Providing Business Education and Networking Opportunities
Committee Reports
Ambassador Committee
Bob Meadows, Mission Bank – Chair
Susanne Campbell, Rideshare coordinator at Kern
Council of Governments, presented at the May
meeting and shared information on the website for
rideshare coordination, commutekern.org. Campbell was able to walk the group through many of
the features of the site. Kelly Clanton, Charpentier
Wealth Strategies, presented the 5 minute commercial. The Ambassador Committee meets on the
fourth Tuesday of the month. We are looking for
enthusiastic people who would like to represent
the Chamber and their own business in the community to join the committee. If this is you, please
contact Heather.
Staff contact: Heather Pennella
Beautiful Bakersfield Committee
Casey Knaak, United Way of Kern County - Chair
Thirty six members of the community judged
award nominations and invitations to the gala
event were mailed. The committee planned the
final details for the Beautiful Bakersfield Awards
Reception and Banquet. Award recipients were
announced at the awards banquet on Saturday,
May 31 and the event was streamed live on www.
bakersfield.com.
Staff contact: Jean Scheiber
Business Education & Enhancement
Committee
Kelly Macy, San Joaquin Valley College – Chair
Michael Russo, Kern High School District
Regional Occupational Center (ROC), presented
on the services offered at the center. ROC offers
career technical education to high school juniors.
The Business Education & Enhancement Committee meets on the fourth Monday of the month and
plans and facilitates the Chamber’s Small Business
Networking Breakfasts, seminar series and Labor
and Employment Law forums. If you are interested
in helping drive the business education programs
at the Chamber, contact Heather.
Staff contact: Heather Pennella
Chamber Palooza Committee
Holly Arnold, Occidental Petroleum – Chair
The committee is in the home stretch of planning
Chamber Palooza, and tickets are on sale now!
Chamber Palooza will be held on Friday, June
13 from 6:00-10:00 p.m., at the Kern County
Museum. Chamber Palooza will have lots of fun
elements this year, and will be THE networking
event of the year. Please make plans to attend and
support the Chamber.
Staff contact: Heather Pennella
Energy Committee
Les Clark, Independent Oil Producers Agency—
Chair
The Energy Committee is open to Chamber members that work in the energy field, or to members
that have jobs related to energy. The next Energy
Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday,
June 18 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. If you are
interested in attending, please call Heather.
Staff contact: Heather Pennella
Governmental Review Council
Leslie Golich, Kaiser Permanente—Chair
Beatris Espericueta Sander, the new executive director for the Kern County Farm Bureau
conveyed the message that the Farm Bureau wants
to give farmers a voice who often go unheard and
would like to engage farmers more in political
discussions. She noted, Kern County is the second
highest Ag producing county in the U.S. with 5.2
million acres and 2.3 million are used for Ag.
According to the Employment Development Department, for every 38 acres of agriculture, one job
is created. Acknowledging the drought issues, the
Farm Bureau would like to raise awareness of the
importance of conserving water. Sanders reported
that 95% of Kern County Farmers have switched
from flood irrigating to drip-irrigation, increasing
their water efficiency. The estimated figure for
fallowed acreage due to the drought is roughly
800,000 acres state-wide with an estimated crop
loss of $3.5 billion state-wide.
Staff contact: Cindy Pollard
Leadership Bakersfield Advisory Council
Kathy Miller, Aera Energy LLC – Chair
The May Leadership Bakersfield Class Day focused its attention on agriculture in Kern County.
The class spent the day behind the scenes at
Western Sky Dairy, Grimmway Farms, Murray
Family Farms and Sunridge Nurseries. Serving
as Advisory Council Chairs were Nikki Cross,
O’Dell Cross, A Professional Corporation and
Bob Meadows, Mission Bank. Special thanks
to local farmer Steve Murray, Murray Family
Farms for sharing a history of central valley agriculture. This session was made possible by the
generous support of Grimmway Farms, Murray
Family Farms, Paramount Farming Company
and Mission Bank.
Staff Contact: Tonya Sterling
Youth Leadership Bakersfield
Advisory Council
Michele Newell, Aera Energy LLC- Chair
The final session for the 2014 YLB class focused on agriculture and water in Kern County,
providing students with an opportunity to tour
Bolthouse Farms, Inc., a local ranch and dairy
to learn about the issues and challenges within
the industry. Thanks to Advisory Council Chairs
Colin Giboney, Bolthouse Farms Inc.; Denise
Newton, Pacific Gas and Electric Company; and
Debra Plank, Kern County Superintendent of
Schools. Thanks are also extended to day sponsors ASP Farm Services and Bolthouse Farms
Inc. and program underwriters Aera Energy
LLC and San Joaquin Community Hospital for
helping to ensure the continuing success of this
program.
Staff contact: Jean Scheiber
METRO 13
Building a Strong Economy
Rotary Awards Waterman Grant to
Bakersfield Vision 2020, Inc.
The Rotary Club of Bakersfield has
awarded Bakersfield Vision 2020, Inc., the
Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce’s new 501c3, a Waterman Foundation
Grant in the amount of $5,732. The grant
will be used to purchase video equipment
to help expand the Chamber’s business
education programs and is one of ten grants
totaling more than $40,000 the Downtown
Rotary Club awarded to local nonprofits.
“We are in desperate need of video equipment to expand the training and education
programming we provide our members,”
said Lauren Smoot, manager of marketing and communications for the Chamber.
“We’ve used our old camera on a weekly
basis and we were limited in what we could
accomplish. This new equipment will allow us to produce high quality videos and
images and we look forward to using the
equipment in new and exciting ways.”
METRO 14
The Waterman Grants will fund capital
projects that address community needs
across several areas including programs and
services for youth and seniors; education,
transportation; childhood obesity; jobs and
training; health and human services for the
uninsured or underinsured; availability of
health and related services; homelessness
and mental health services.
“We are pleased to provide funding to help
address some of our community’s most
pressing needs and toughest challenges,”
said Steve Sanders, president of the Club.
“The impact that we can have on the community begins with our members, who have
committed to service above self, and this
is one important way that we can provide
service to improve the lives of others in our
community.”
About the Waterman Foundation:
The purpose of the Waterman Foundation is to provide
scholarships to local students as well as fund capital
projects proposed by local non-profit organizations.
The Waterman Foundation was established by the
Bakersfield Downtown Rotary Club in 1984. Thirteen
members of this Club comprise the Board of Trustees
and govern the activities of the foundation.
About the Rotary: The 1.2 million-member
organization started with the vision of one man—Paul
P. Harris. The Chicago attorney formed one of the
world’s first service organizations, the Rotary Club
of Chicago, on February 23, 1905 as a place where
professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and
form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Rotary’s name came from the
group’s early practice of rotating
meetings among the offices of each
member. Since 1905, under the
motto of “Service Above Self,”
Rotary has taken on some of the
world’s toughest challenges and
helped a wide range of international
and service organizations.
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s
Pre
Friday, June 13, 2014
6:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Kern County Museum
3801 Chester Avenue
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Feat IVE A
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fea han
A&E tured Graha
’s hi on
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ow
catered by Hodel’s
Be there for networking, prizes, auctions,
drinks, dancing and fun!!!!
$45 Advanced Tickets
$55 At the Door
Entertainment Sponsors:
Silver Sponsor:
PG&E
Bronze Sponsors:
Daniells Phillips
Vaughan & Bock
GEM Care
Braun Electric
Dignity Health
McKee Electric
BFMC/HPN
Dollar General
PCL
Imbibe
Limousine Scene
Kern Federal Credit Union
Pepsi Beverage Company
Board Members
Paul Anderson
Moneywise Wealth Management
Brooke Antonioni Trans West Security Service, Inc.
Susan M. Benham
Dignity Health Memorial Hospital
Greg Chamberlain Bakersfield College
David Dobbs Imbibe Wine & Spirits Merchant
Karen Goh Garden Pathways, Inc.
Scott Guseman
Paramount Farming Company
Ronald Johns RA Johnsfam dba McDonald’s
Duane Keathley
Cushman & Wakefield/Pacific
Kathy Miller Aera Energy LLC
Darlene Mohlke
Castle & Cooke California, Inc.
Bill Murray
DoubleTree by Hilton
Carla Musser Chevron
Pritesh Patel Valley Republic Bank
Tom Saba
Creative Concepts/Saba Agency
Rick Stevens
Stevens Transportation, Inc.
DeAnn Straub Kern Federal Credit Union
Chamber Staff
President/CEO
Director of Operations
Project Manager
Operations Assistant
Information Specialist
Government Affairs Manager
Communications Manager Director of Membership
Cynthia D. Pollard
Tonya Sterling
Heather Pennella
Jean Scheiber
Janet Ursery
Open
Lauren Smoot Joy Davis
Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
1725 Eye Street • PO Box 1947
Bakersfield, CA 93303
661-327-4421 • FAX: 661-327-8751
http://www.bakersfieldchamber.org
METRO 16
Please post this newsletter on your company
bulletin board. All employees of member
businesses are invited to Chamber functions.
Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
1725 Eye Street • PO Box 1947
Bakersfield, CA 93303
Chairman of the Board
Danny Ordiz
Ordiz-Melby Architects, Inc.
Chairman of the Board Elect
Danielle Wade
Bright House Networks
Vice Chair Administration
Shaun Kelly
Tolman and Wiker Insurance Services, LLC
Vice Chair Networking Division
Karen King
Golden Empire Transit District
Vice Chair Business Advocacy
Derek Abbott
Tejon Ranch Company
Vice Chair Member Education
Christine Frazier
Kern County Superintendent of Schools
Vice Chair Community Outreach
John F. Stovall
Law Offices of John F. Stovall
Treasurer
Andy Paulden
Brown Armstrong Accountants
Immediate Past Chair
Garrett Ming
KABI LLC
Director-at-Large
Steve Murray
Murray Family Farms
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
Paid
Bakersfield,
CA
Permit #61
2014 Board of Directors