2008 MERCED COUNTY
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE BOARD
President: Nelson Crabb,
Atwater City Council
Crabb Financial
Vice President: Mark Erreca
PMZ Realty
Secretary: Teresa Burrola
Merced County Fair
Treasurer: Mary Ward
Assembly Member,
Cathleen Galgiani
Past President: Steve Gallichio
Yosemite Farm Credit DIRECTORS
Past President, Bud Wallace
Wallace Transport
Past President,
Michele Gabriault Acosta
Merced City Council
Gonella Realty
Past President, Dawn Kinney
TransCounty Title
Past President, Vince Flanders
Banking
Past President, Jeff Pennington
Pennington Farmers Insurance
Charles Parish
Ag Museum
Hubert Walsh
Madera County
Michael Meroney
Fox Sports Radio
Bill O'Hara
County Bank
Bill Soares
Bennett Ranches, Inc.
Dr. Susan Walsh
Merced City School Board
Merced College
Alfred Souza
Yosemite Farm Credit
Jack Mobley
Service Masters
Mike Waite
Merced Down Town
Association |
ABOUT THE CHAMBER The Merced County Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to business advocacy, economic development, tourism, and enhancing the quality of life in all the communities in Merced County. Since our founding in the late 1800s and our incorporation on September 4, 1925, the County Chamber has built a heritage of service and business advocacy for our member businesses and this wonderful community, in which we work and live.
Today, as we embrace the opportunities and challenges of the 21st Century, the Merced County Chamber of Commerce will be one of the leaders in building our business community. In the years and decades ahead, the County Chamber will continue to strive to build a better quality of life for all of the citizens of our County. Not through duplicating job training and workforce programs that are provided so well by several county and state agencies or by supporting political action committees. But through our networking programs like the Chambers Roundtable and The Business Advocacy Committee, where we are building cohesive voices of understanding and cooperation that are essential to a healthier future for our businesses, our families and our neighboring counties. The Merced County Chamber of Commerce has grown over 400% in the past couple of years. We attribute this success to our commitment of true business advocacy and a real return of investment to our members. The County Chamber has been a prudent fiscal steward with their members hard earned dollars. We do not spend our members investment on fancy offices, over-staffing and exorbitant administrative hits. For over 82 years the County Chamber has been working with its committees and community organizations to monitor local and state government, facilitate commerce and tourism, and being a cohesive voice for the business and agricultural communities throughout the Central Valley. The County Chamber’s Business Advocacy Committee has been diligently fighting for you on issues involving community planning, development permitting and unfair agricultural and business regulations and fees. In 2006 the County Chamber hosted an economic summit at UC Merced to introduce the revolutionary planning strategy of Land Banking to the planners and economic leaders of our communities. The summit resulted in the formulation of the Land Bank Committee, which includes many of the most influential and knowledgeable land use experts in the State. The committee will be an active participant in the designing of Merced County’s new General Plan. The Chambers Roundtable is continuing the noble task of networking the leadership of the City Chambers in the valley to help each other more effectively serve their members and their communities. The Agricultural Business Committee remains a vigilant voice for agricultural education and positive agricultural leadership recognition. For several years the Farm Safety Day Camp program has been setting a positive precedent for agricultural committees throughout the state. For almost a century, the County Chamber has created a beautiful County Exhibit at the California State Fair. For the past three years we have shared the project with the County Schools ROP programs. This is a tradition we will continue this year. The students will help create some of the components of our beautiful exhibit. These students are learning the various trades of the building industry, agricultural industry and the industrial and commercial arts. Many of them are working in our local business community. These are our future builders, FARMERS AND BUSINESS LEADERS.
The County Chamber’s Education Committee is a committed member of the Merced County School’s P-16 Council which will ensure that Merced County has a better educated work force to support our future economic vitality. The County Chamber is partnering with the US Chamber of Commerce. This will give all of our members access to business networking for new ideas, policy news and national and regional developments. Our members will become part of a national organization with a vast network of professionals including the National Chamber Foundation, Traderoots, VoteForBusiness.com and the Harvard Business School. As well our members will enjoy discounts with market leaders like AIG, CITI, Monster, FedEx and Yellow Transportation. The Merced County Chamber of Commerce is a dynamic, strong, innovative business alliance, built for the 21st Century. It has been and will remain a key force for networking private enterprise and civic progress. What does this mean for you? Our strong membership base and dedicated Board of Directors, ensures that members will have all the benefits of a pro-business community. The Chamber helps you grow in Merced County by connecting you with summits and workshops through our Business Advocacy Programs. The County Chamber is one of your strongest voices with County Government. We fight for an economic and political climate that allows our member businesses to succeed. The Merced County Chamber of Commerce is a very active community organization with over 60% of its 550 business members belonging exclusively to the organization. The Chamber Board of Directors, its volunteer committees and its membership are dedicated to achieving smart growth and a healthy economic vitality for our entire County. And working together, the County Chamber will continue to be the organization you will be proud to be a part of during this journey.
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