Committees
The best way to forge long-term business relationships is by working closely with people to accomplish goals that help the community. At committee meetings and events, you will have the opportunity to network and talk face-to-face with government officials, business owners, and community leaders.Committees are open to all active Chamber members. To join a committee, please email govaffairs@smchamber.com
Ambassadors
Co-Chairs
Evan Pozarny (Muselli Commercial Realtors)
Gary Loeb (Chezgal Merchandise Creations)
The Ambassadors Committee provides critical membership liaison services and serves as the Chamber’s “hospitality corps” of active Chamber business leaders. This vital committee meets the second Wednesday of each month at 5pm and is responsible for assisting with the following activities: Business @ Sunset Mixers, Member-to-Member Networking Breakfasts, Membership Retention Services, Speed Networking and the New Member Mentor Program. Follow this link to learn more about becoming an Ambassador.
Education
Co-Chairs
Linda Tisherman (SSI - DBA The Corporate Alternative)
Nancy Schmidt (Santa Monica-Malibu PTA Council)
The Education Committee supports excellence in education and promotes meaningful business/education relationships with public and private schools. The committee plans the Education Celebration each year, an event welcoming the new teachers and administrators in all Santa Monica area schools. The committee also sponsors a mentoring and internship program, connecting students with employment experience in Santa Monica’s main industry sectors.
Professionals Emerging as Business Leaders (PeBL)
Co-Chairs
Megan Sheehy (Locanda Del Lago)
Roxana Janka (Brand Culture Company)
Professionals Emerging as Business Leaders is made up of young urban business professionals who will be our future leaders and who are bringing a whole new perspective to the Chamber. Their mission is to lead the Chamber in developing ideas and fostering understanding on the ways we are doing business today and how business trends will change in the future. Learn more>>
Environmental Affairs
The Environmental Affairs Committee promotes an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable community. The committee’s Sustainable Quality Awards Program recognizes local businesses for their sustainability. In collaboration with the City of Santa Monica, this program is at the heart of fulfilling our responsibility to the future while appropriately recognizing those who are actually doing something to assure it.
Government Affairs
This committee coordinates the Annual Santa Monica Cares Festival held in May on the Third Street Promenade and arranges for health-related seminars at the Chamber. The committee also organizes “To Your Health,” a program where chamber members in the healthcare industry give health-related talks at local businesses.
Homelessness
This committee is working with the City, social service providers, and area chambers to find solutions to homelessness. The Chamber’s goal is to give businesses and their customers the tools they need to deal with homelessness, and to resolve this important issue by transitioning people out of homelessness. The committee’s recently launched Business Cares program highlights ways that local businesses are positively making a difference on this front.
Land Use
Co-Chairs
Business and Consumer Expo
This committee plans the Business and Consumer Expo held each year. This premier event focuses on business-to-business networking opportunities and showcases all business sectors of the Santa Monica community. In addition, representatives from various City offices are available as a resource to both exhibitors and attendees.
The Education Committee supports excellence in education and promotes meaningful business/education relationships with public and private schools. The committee plans the Education Celebration each year, an event welcoming the new teachers and administrators in all Santa Monica area schools. The committee also sponsors a mentoring and internship program, connecting students with employment experience in Santa Monica’s main industry sectors.
Professionals Emerging as Business Leaders (PeBL)
Co-Chairs
Megan Sheehy (Locanda Del Lago)
Roxana Janka (Brand Culture Company)
Professionals Emerging as Business Leaders is made up of young urban business professionals who will be our future leaders and who are bringing a whole new perspective to the Chamber. Their mission is to lead the Chamber in developing ideas and fostering understanding on the ways we are doing business today and how business trends will change in the future. Learn more>>
Environmental Affairs
Co-Chairs
Mark Olson (Southern California Edison)
Shannon Parry (City of Santa Monica)
The Environmental Affairs Committee promotes an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable community. The committee’s Sustainable Quality Awards Program recognizes local businesses for their sustainability. In collaboration with the City of Santa Monica, this program is at the heart of fulfilling our responsibility to the future while appropriately recognizing those who are actually doing something to assure it.
Government Affairs
Co-Chairs:
Nat Trives (New Visions Foundations)
Tom Laramore (Harding, Larmore, Kutcher & Kozal)
The Government Affairs Committee monitors and recommends positions to the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors on issues impacting the business community. With the participation of the offices of local state legislators and city administrators, this committee monitors the legislation and motions of elected officials and reviews governmental operations on multiple levels throughout the community.
Health
The Government Affairs Committee monitors and recommends positions to the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors on issues impacting the business community. With the participation of the offices of local state legislators and city administrators, this committee monitors the legislation and motions of elected officials and reviews governmental operations on multiple levels throughout the community.
Health
Co-Chairs
Jean McNeil-Wyner (Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital)
Sara Hinojosa (UCLA Marketing Services)
This committee coordinates the Annual Santa Monica Cares Festival held in May on the Third Street Promenade and arranges for health-related seminars at the Chamber. The committee also organizes “To Your Health,” a program where chamber members in the healthcare industry give health-related talks at local businesses.
Homelessness
Co-Chairs
McKinley Williams (OPCC)
Rick Stoff (Chrysalis)
This committee is working with the City, social service providers, and area chambers to find solutions to homelessness. The Chamber’s goal is to give businesses and their customers the tools they need to deal with homelessness, and to resolve this important issue by transitioning people out of homelessness. The committee’s recently launched Business Cares program highlights ways that local businesses are positively making a difference on this front.
Land Use
Co-Chairs
Chris Harding (Harding, Larmore, Kutcher & Kozal)
David Hibbert (David Forbes Hibbert, AIA) not pictured
This committee focuses on many of the regulatory and other issues that affect the mechanics of opening and operating a business in Santa Monica. Permitting, zoning, parking, access and change of use regulations are all topics of potential discussion and action within this committee. Committee members have been actively involved in the City’s General Plan Update, attending community meetings and speaking before City Council on the draft plan. This committee strives to make the process of doing business in Santa Monica fair and reasonable.
State of the City
State of the City
Co-Chairs
Debbie Lee (Bayside District)
Jenna Linnekens (Extraordinary Events)
This committee is responsible for producing the annual State of the City event, held at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage. This event addresses issues regarding the impact of the current global and state economic situation at a local level. The committee is also responsible for securing the expert panel, which in the past has included the Senator Diane Feinstein, City Manager P. Lamont Ewell, Mayor Ken Genser, and various notable economists.
This committee is responsible for producing the annual State of the City event, held at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage. This event addresses issues regarding the impact of the current global and state economic situation at a local level. The committee is also responsible for securing the expert panel, which in the past has included the Senator Diane Feinstein, City Manager P. Lamont Ewell, Mayor Ken Genser, and various notable economists.
This committee plans the Business and Consumer Expo held each year. This premier event focuses on business-to-business networking opportunities and showcases all business sectors of the Santa Monica community. In addition, representatives from various City offices are available as a resource to both exhibitors and attendees.
