March 2011 COMMERCE

8/7/2019 March 2011 COMMERCE

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What has always impressed me aboutthis Chamber o Commerce is its history o proactive advocacy on issues that impactour member businesses. This is in act thereason I became involved six years agowhen I joined the Chamber’s LegislativeAction Committee (LAC). In earlyFebruary, the Chamber got the opportunityto deliver this advocacy at the highest level:on Capitol Hill.

The subject o the trip to WashingtonDC was the Mishewal Wappo o AlexanderValley tribe’s pursuit o tribal status. Butbeore I explain the nature o the trip

and the Chamber’s involvement, somebackground on the subject is in order. In1959 the Mishewal Wappo was decertifedas a tribe as part o a ederal distributionplan unanimously accepted by all thedistributees. In February 2009, individualsasserting their heritage as part o theormer Mishewal Wappo tribe applied tothe Bureau o Indian Aairs (BIA) orrecognition. Their application was deniedby Interior’s Assistant Secretary LarryEcho Hawk in June 2009. To side-step theFederal Acknowledgement Process andto bypass the Rancheria Termination Act,representatives o the Mishewal Wappofled a lawsuit in June 2009 in ederal courtto obtain an order o recognition and entitlethe newly recognized tribe to the samebenefts that existed prior to distributiono the assets o the Mishewal WappoRancheria in 1959. In 2010, the Countyo Napa petitioned the ederal court to beadmitted into the lawsuit as an interested

COMMERCEMARCH 2011 • VOL. 22 NO. 3 COUNT ON US TO FOCUS ON YOU.

NAPA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • CONNECTING COMMERCE TO COMMUNITY

1556 First Street | Napa CA 94559 | 707.226.7455 | napachamber.com

• Napa Valley EXPO and MIXER atThe Meritage Resort and Spa

• Member Spotlight: Napa Valley Life• Business Crime Prevention Workshopand more

• NEW! CalChamber OnlineEmployee Training

• Welcome New Members• Sales Mastery Seminar Series2011

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

PREMIER SPONSORS

DIAMOND LEVEL SPONSORS

Exertec Health & FitnessNapa Recycling & Waste Services

Hawthorn Suites by WyndhamBank o Marin

Republic Services

Travis Credit UnionGolden State Warriors

Mark Coleman, State Farm

Napa Planner Financial Group

Markstein Beverage CompanyRedwood Credit Union

Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine

Silverado Resort and Spa

Net-Flow CorporationAccelerated Marketing Group

Infuence Internet

See ADVOCACY on page 3…

The Valley’s Daily News Source

NAPA CHAMBERADVOCATES AT THEHigHEST LEVEL

See HERO on page 2…

INSIDE

Is there a better place to live and work than Napa? From world class wine and ooto unparalleled hospitality venues, NapaValley is recognized or its visitor appeal.But it is the everyday heroes - teachers,health care workers, business people,community boosters and volunteers - whomake Napa the kind o community peoplewant to call home.

Do You Know A

HERO?Call for Nominations

• SUPPORTING A SUSTAINABLE

FUTURE

• REPRESENTING BUSINESS

TO gOVERNEMNT

See BATTO on page 2…

• PROMOTING THE COMMUNITY

BATTO NAMED TO

W.A.C.E. BOARD Of

DiRECTORSThe Western

Association o ChamberExecutives has namedNapa Chamber o Commerce CEO, LisaBatto, to their Boardo Directors. W.A.C.E.is an association o

chamber o commerce executives and staproessionals designed to promote andenhance the proessional development o chamber o commerce executives. Withapproximately 800 members rom fteenWestern States, W.A.C.E. is the largeststate or regional association o chamber ocommerce executives in the United StatesMs. Batto is the 44th chie executive inthe 122-year history o the Napa Chamber

CHAIRMAN’S FOCUSby Ryan Gregory,VP, Riechers Spence and Associatesand 2011 Napa Chamber o CommerceChairman o the Board



March 2011 | COMMERCE | Page 2 | napachamber.com

BATTOcontinued rom page 1...

o Commerce. She has been with thechamber since April, 2003, and was namedthe Executive Vice President in October,2006. She is a graduate o the W.A.C.E.’sChamber Academy, which is a three yearproessional executive training program.In 2008, Batto was one o only two non-CEO’s to receive her Accredited Chamber

Executive (ACE) designation romW.A.C.E.“I’m proud to represent the Napa

Chamber o Commerce on a boardspecifcally purposed to promoteproessional development among theindustry,” says Batto o this recent honor.She has remained involved with W.A.C.E.’eorts since earning her ACE designation,serving on both their Academy SteeringCommittee and on their Foundation BoardO her commitment or the next threeyears Lisa has this to say; “Serving on theW.A.C.E. board is an exciting experience

or me. This year, I’ll be working on acommittee to update the website withnew technology and give it a resh look.When I frst came to the Napa Chambero Commerce nearly eight years agoimproving the website was my priority.It’s nice to have this opportunity to engagemy creative side, the things I learn throughcollaboration, may just show up on theNapa Chamber o Commerce website too!”

When contacted Dave Kilby, ExecutiveVice President, Corporate Aairs o theCalChamber and President o W.A.C.E.was thrilled to have Lisa joining the team;

“Lisa is the kind o executive who wecan count on to bring new ideas to theW.A.C.E. Board, not to mention that shewill defnitely help provide geographicrepresentation or Northern Caliornia andsignifcantly the wine country.”■

Nmnatns de byMach 25, 2011

EVENT DATETesday, May 24, 2011

Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa

D Y Kn A He?

napachamberoundaton.or

CoMMuNiTY BooSTErHEAlTHCArE ProfESSioNAlNAPA VAllEY CollEgE STuDENTHoSPiTAliTY/TouriSM AwArDNoNProfiT EMPloYEENoNProfiT orgANizATioN

Nmnate n the ncatees...

nne ca 707.226.7455 me nmatn.

Call or nomnatons!

HERO continued rom page 1...

These are the people that “CelebratingCommunity,” the Napa Valley CommunityAwards program, will honor or the fthstraight year at the annual awards luncheonon Tuesday, May 24th at the Napa ValleyMarriott Hotel and Spa. The event is achance to pay tribute to everyday heroes ortheir outstanding leadership, contributionsand achievements.

The awards are co-sponsored by theNapa Chamber Foundation and MechanicsBank, but everyone who lives in Napa canplay a part by nominating an outstanding“Napa Hero” in the categories o:

• Community Booster• Healthcare Professional• Napa Valley College Student• Hospitality/Tourism Professional• Nonprot Employee• Nonprot Organization

Nominations will be accepted throughFriday, March 25th, with winnersannounced April 8 on KVON 1440 AM’s“Today in the Wine Country” show.

Additional awards will recognize theOutstanding Teacher and OutstandingPublic Safety Person.

The fth anniversary luncheon alsowill recognize all past winners. “This eventhas become a Napa community tradition,”said Lisa Batto, CEO at Napa Chamber o Commerce. “We’re very excited that it hasgrown into such an important annual event– and an opportunity to remember whatmakes this such a special place to live.”

Nomination orms are available atwww.napachamberoundation.org orbelow. For more inormation, call the NapaChamber at 707-226-7455. ■

Napa Chamber Board Room1556 First Street, Napa

$49 members($99 non-members)

Kick start 2011by learning the

latest techniquesfor closing more

business!

WiNNiNgSALES PRESENTATiONS

Tuesday, March 228 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Who should attend?S A L E SM A S T E R Ysemnar

s e r e s

Register online at napachamber.com



ew years the Chamber sta has been trackinthe reasons a member joins the Chamber. Thmajority o our members seem to join theChamber or exposure, others join to supportthe business community, and countless othersjoin or specifc reasons, such as to stayinormed, to do business with like-mindedbusinesses and receive discounts on educatio

workshops, to namejust a ew. Looking athe numbers the staat the Chamber willbe working on ways

to reach and improveour connections withour members sowe can meet all theexpectations o ourmembership.2. Membershipdues in the Napa

Chamber of Commerce are a good valuebased on what I pay? 68% o memberselt that the dues are a good value, however26% elt somewhat good about the amount

party. The BIA and the Mishewal WappoCouncil agreed to admit Napa as wellas Sonoma and Lake Counties (LakeCounty has since entered into a settlementagreement with the Council). The lawsuitis active and ongoing.

Despite the act that the MishewalWappo council’s original Rancheria wasin the western portion o Sonoma Countynear the Russian River, representativeso the tribe are now seeking to restorerecognition and have all o Napa andSonoma Counties and a portion o LakeCounty declared their aboriginal lands orpurposes o taking lands therein into trust.

What does it mean to take land intotrust? The Mishewal Wappo Councilrepresents a “landless tribe,” meaning thatthey do not own any land. When ederalrecognition is given to a landless tribe, theythen have a right to petition the ederalgovernment to have newly acquired landsput into ederal trust or the beneft o thetribe. Trust status means that activities

on the land are NOT subject to any localor state laws (the tribe is only subject tominor ederal oversight). Tribes are alsoexempt rom local taxes on activities thattake place on land under trust. The tribeoperates as a separate sovereign country.

How did the Chamber get involved inthe issue? The Chamber was approached

back in the early part o this year bymembers o a new coalition, including sta rom Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) and theCounty o Napa, orming in response to the

Mishewal Wappo’s pursuit o tribal status.They were concerned about the possibilityo a casino or any other development inNapa County occurring without beingsubject to local rules, especially those o the Agricultural Preserve. The two requeststo the Chamber were 1. to take a position

by Lisa Batto, ACE

President/CEO,Napa Chamber o Commerce

CEO’s FOCus

Chairman’s FOCusby Ryan Gregory,Vice President,Riechers Spenceand Associates

2011 Napa Chamber o CommerceChairman o the Board

Every time I call Comcast or AT&T, Ialways hear the voice say, “press 2 if youwould like to participate in a short survey.” The last time I visited Disneyland I wasstopped at the exit gate, at midnight, to takea short survey. What were the businessesinterested in and would my voice really makea dierence? Answer: Looking or theirperormance against perceived value rom thecustomer. They use this snapshot in time toimprove services and communication. Yes, our

WHY SURvEYS ARE

IMPORTANT TO YOUR

BOTTOM LiNE?

voices do make a dierence.The Napa Chamber o Commerce recently

sent a short membership survey to our memberswho allowed us to use their email address.Seeking the same inormation as those largecorporate companies.Our sample was the1,063 main contacts perbusiness. Nearly 14% or144 business responded.We asked a number o

questions designed to giveus the current snapshot o our business and how ourcustomer – the member,perceives us.1. Is the Napa Chamber of Commerce meetingyour expectations withrespect to the reasons you joined? Only 5% said we were not meetingexpectations, however, 25% said we weremeeting some expectations. The balance 70%said we were meeting or exceeding. For the past

ADVOCACY...continued rom page 1


“...your eedbacks mportant to the

busness o the NapaChamber and our

msson to help youcreate a stronlocal economy.”

“(The Chamber) does

not oppose trbal

status tsel, just the

applcaton o soveren

land rhts that couldhave a neatve mpact

on our communty.”

on the issue and 2. to attend a plannedlobbying trip in early February with othemembers o the growing coalition.

The request was submitted to theChamber’s LAC and the committeeheard it at their meeting on January 12.Presenting the issue was Larry Florin rothe County who provided the backgroundand the potential ramifcations o truststatus on the County’s sensitive land-useregulations (both described above). Ater

a question and answer period, Larry wasexcused and the committee deliberated. Tcommittee’s discussion centered on the that tribal lands are not subject to any law

that govern the local jurisdictionand the potential impacts o such unrestrained development.O most concern to committeemembers was the potential impacon the Agricultural Preserve,which the Chamber has a longhistory o supporting. Any newdevelopment could jeopardize thprotected agricultural lands that

sustain our world-amous NapaValley wine industry. Concernwas also expressed over the otheland-use policies and regulationsthat the tribe would be immunerom. These include local zoning

requirements, development standards,state and local environmental requiremenand tax laws. These are rules that ensurethat the impacts o development aremitigated and that our quality o lie is

See ADVOCACY on page 4

See CEO on page 7…




preserved. Additionally, the committeewas concerned that any new developmentor business not subject to these rules,compliance to which adds considerablecost to a project, would have a distinctand unair competitive advantage overthe other businesses that are. Althoughcasinos are the most visible activity thatoten accompanies tribal lands beingtaken into trust, the committee’s concernsextend to any unrestrained developmentin Napa County. The impacts o potentialdevelopment aside, the committee wasgenerally supportive o the MishewalWappo’s ability to achieve tribal statusand gain accessto the varioushumanitarianbenefts thatcome with it.

In short,LAC did notoppose tribalstatus itsel, justthe applicationo sovereign landrights that couldhave a negativeimpact on thecommunity.Fully aware o this dichotomy,LAC votedto take theollowing

position - TheNapa Chamber o Commerce only supports the ownershipor transer o land to any entity required by law to maintain the historicallysignifcant land use standards set orth bythe governance o Napa County and itsmunicipalities - and to support sending aChamber representative on the lobbyingtrip*.

This position was orwarded tothe Chamber’s Board o Directors attheir meeting on January 24. The Boardreceived a presentation on the LAC

recommendation, had a discussion similarto the one described above and, atercareul deliberation, voted to support theLAC recommendation. Subsequently,a position statement was drated andsubmitted to the coalition (see sidebar orposition statement) and plans were madeto attend the lobbying trip.

The lobbying trip occurred in theearly part o February. In additionto mysel representing the businesscommunity, the delegation consisted

o Supervisors Diane Dillon and BradWagenknecht, Larry Florin and Minh Tranrepresenting the County; Rex Stults, EricSklar and Michael Mondavi representingthe NVV; and sta rom the lobbying frmhired by the County or this issue. This wasan impressive and diverse group o peoplethat served as an exclamation point on themessage being delivered.

The trip was very well planned andorganized thanks to County sta and theirlobbying frm. The delegation had a dozenmeetings with members o the Houseand the Senate, including a meeting withour local representative CongressmanMike Thompson. The overall issue andNapa’s concerns were well-ramed at eachmeeting. Every member o House and

Senate that we metwith understoodthe unique balancewe have in NapaValley and theneed to maintain

and protect it asour citizens haveor more than40 years. Manyo these electedofcials havevisited Napa Valleyand are aware o the very limitedtransportationinrastructure wehave, mainly ourtwo roads runningnorth and south

that are alreadyimpacted. Sinceless time was needed to defne the problem,more time was available at each meeting todiscuss practical solutions.

Special thanks go to our Congressman,Mike Thompson, who steered thedelegation in the right direction. In talkingthrough solutions with his congressionalcolleagues, it was evident how wellrespected he is on the Hill with both sideso the aisle. We are lucky to have himrepresenting us in DC.

Overall, the trip was eective and

laid the groundwork or a solution to theissue in advance o it becoming a problem.And the Chamber’s trademark advocacyhas once again made a big contribution toprotecting our business community.

This issue will continue to unold overthe coming months and the Chamber willwatch it as the next steps are taken, stayinvolved and keep its member businessesinormed along the way.

*Due to shared costs with NVV, the totaltrip expense was less than $600. ■

ADVOCACY...continued rom page 3

Poston StatementJanuary 31, 2011

The Napa Chamber o Commerce isthe largest representation o businessesin Napa County, representing over athousand businesses that employ over27,000 people. Ten years ago the NapaChamber o Commerce developed aCommunity Vision. We reer to this

vision to guide us when consideringissues and decisions that impact ourbusiness community.

The frst point in the vision reads:“The Chamber will continue its strongsupport o our agricultural preserve,Napa County agriculture, and our worldrenowned wine industry. The Chamberwill support new and innovative land-useplanning strategies that take pressure oexpansion into agricultural land and opespaces.”

The Napa Chamber o Commercehas a long history o support or theAgricultural Preserve and the core valuethat it represents. The wisdom o thisvisionary land use policy has servedrepeatedly as an invaluable guide in ourdecision-making. Indeed, it is part o the glue that keeps diverse interests inNapa Valley united and ocused on sounpublic policy.

Hence, the Napa Chamber o Commerce only supports the ownershipor transer o land to any entity requiredby law to maintain the historicallysignifcant land use standards set orth bthe governance o Napa County and itsmunicipalities.

Another point in the Napa Chambero Commerce’s Community Vision reads“The Chamber will support publiclyand privately unded eorts to retainexisting businesses and to recruit newcommunity-riendly businesses andindustries that provide well-paying jobs,working in cooperation with city andcounty planning agencies and economicdevelopment departments.”

We also believe that every newdevelopment and business should be

subject to the same rules and regulationsas other businesses in Napa County.Those that are not have a distinct andunair competitive advantage over theNapa Chamber’s existing memberbusinesses.

Sincerely,

Ryan Gregory2011 Chairman o the Board

Lisa Batto, ACEPresident/CEO



BakeriesSweetie PiesToni Chiappetta, (707) 257-8817520 Main St, [email protected]

Banks

Del Sur Mortgage, A division o American Pacic Mortgage CorporationChris Salese, (707) 265-90061000 Main St Ste 210, [email protected]

Barrel Manuacturers / SuppliersSeguin Moreau NapaCooperage Inc.Mike Studer, (707) 252-3408151 Camino Dorado, [email protected]

Contractors - GeneralHealthy Buildings TechnologyGroupMalcolm Davies, (707) 676-89993432 Valle Verde Dr, Napawww.hbtg.com

DentistsKarl E. Biernath, D.D.S.(707) 265-90053448 Villa Ln, Ste 104, [email protected]

WElCOmE nEW mEmbErs!Dog TrainingGood Dog! Dog TrainingDan Cartwright, (707) [email protected]

Food ServicesJuliana’s Farm Fresh

Karen Giovannoni, (707) 253-18142781 Napa Valley Corporate Dr, Napa

HVACGreg Fitch Heating & AirGreg Fitch, (707) [email protected]

Ice Cream ParlorsColdstone CreameryTrudy Grabenauer, (707) 251-3707651 Trancas St, [email protected]

Individual MembersBrian Kelly(707) [email protected]

James Krider(707) [email protected]

Men’s Wear & ApparelScott Lyall Clothes for MenScott Lyall, (707) 255-5858614 Main St, [email protected]


Network GroupsBNI Napa Valley NetworkersWendy Lynch, (707) 226-9935www.bninapa.com

Non Prot OrganizationsNapa Valley Festival del SoleHolly Krassner, (707) 294-2800

1556 First St Ste 103 A, [email protected]

Photographers - CommercialGrapeShooterRick Dressler, (909) 336-1992PO Box 86, Twin [email protected]

Real Estate – Agents & RealtorsWindermere Napa ValleyPropertiesSandy Borges-Herbert

(707) 815-8808, 1040 Third St, [email protected]

Health Care ProductsForever Living ProductsGigi Apostol, (707) 315-2793www.healthiswealth.myfpbiz.com

TranslatorsSpanish for BusinessJosena Adriance, (707) 257-1809PO Box 501, [email protected]

THE NAPA CHAMBER iS NOW OffERiNgONLINE TRAINING THROUGH THE

CALifORNiA CHAMBER Of COMMERCEStarting this month, we are please to add a great new NapaChamber Member beneft to your business resources. The mostpopular courses are MS Excel, MS Access, and Fundamentalso Customer Service. There are over 100 business courses tochoose rom, starting at only $29.99 per course.

The online learning experience is very interactive. You can takemultiple courses at your own pace, and the system will track your progress. CalChamber also oers Harassment PreventionTraining, which meets the requirements of AB 1825 or com-panies with more than 50 employees. Even i you have ewerthan 50 employees, we still recommend this course.

Online training is one o the most cost-eective ways to makeyour employees more competitive. We chose CalChamber as theprovider, because o their reputation or quality. They are Cali-ornia’s largest and most active pro-business advocacy group,and we are proud to be one o their members. To sign up, go tothe CalChamber banner on our home page at

http://www.napachamber.com/ ■

mEmbEr bEnEFit bullEtin

New!

sn up at napachamber.com

Connect with us...




s

s

Visit our FB pagefor more photoalbums of fun!

The group of over 150 local business leadersenjoyed the wonderful catering from the Queen’sNutrition Center.

Katie LaPerriere andShea Croney fromHilton Garden Inn.

Michele McClure, Doug Haiand Dennis Pedisich of Rabobank.

Our Third-Thursday MIXER in February was a wonderul mix o networking, socializing, and learning about the amazing Wellness Centerbenefts. Guided tours o the acility and catering rom their own NutritionCenter added to the warm reception.

PLAN AHEAD: Don’t miss this month’s Napa Valley EXPO and

Ater-Hours MIXER on March 21st at The Meritage Resort and Spa. Only$5 to attend! Open to the public!■

• PROvIDING NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

Ater-Hours MiXER atQueen o the Valley WELLNESS CENTER

s Our hosts from Queen of the ValleyMedical Center... thank you!L-R: Bob Diehl, Dr. Andrew Fenton,Richard Miralles, Jaime Penaherrera,and Walt Mickens.

n a p a c h a m b e r . c o m • 7 0 7 . 2 2 6 . 7 4 5 5

Monday, March 21st, 2011

lOOking tO dO businEss in napa...

*

* *

“The EXPO enables you to be face to face with tons of people and tons of otherbusinesses. In a world of emails, texts, and digital contact, you can’t miss out on that

opportunity to actually speak to someone about your business.”

~Tiany Larsen, NAPA ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP

and After-Hours MIXER

*

The MeriTage resorT and spa 875 Bordeaux Way, napa

4:30 p.M. - 7:00 p.M.

attEndEE COst

Only $5

• providing networking opportunities

+

• promoting the community

=• creating a strong local economy

*

s e e y o u t h e r e !

*Or Find nEW pErsOnal rEsOurCEs?



WE FOCus On businEss

Napa Valley Life magazine is a beautiulbi-monthly ull-color glossy magazine devotedto lie in the Napa Valley. The magazine pro-vides visitors and residents with up-to-date in-ormation about what is happening locally andreaders will requently see riends, amily andbusiness associates in the magazine’s eaturedarticles. The magazine was established in 1998by Kari Ruel and Jim Brumm as Napa ValleyFamily magazine with a ocus on amilies withschool aged children. In 2000 the theme was

upgraded to a liestyle magazine and the namewas changed to the current incarnation, NapaValley Life. In 2005 Brumm let the organiza-tion to pursue his interest in music and Ruelhas been hard at work ever since “to makeNapa Valley Life the premier liestyle maga-zine or the people who live, work and play inthe Napa Valley.”

Ruel came to the periodical print industryvia a career in television and radio news andas a writer or the Associated Press. Ater be-coming discouraged by the ocus on negativityin traditional media outlets, Ruel wanted to dosomething positive and locally relevant. Con-ventional wisdom ran contra to her businessconcept and she was told “Good news doesn’tsell.” Proving them all wrong Ruel says,“Thirteen years later Napa Valley Life is goingstrong and the eedback I receive is that peopledo want to hear about positive things. Thegreatest joy I get rom the magazine is whensomeone tells me how many people have readan article about them in our magazine andthey beam with pride. Telling other people’sstories is what I do best. Giving back to one’scommunity is a top priority or me and we are

Chamber Member Spotlight:

honored to support somany worthy causes inthis Valley.”

Napa Valley Life magazine has over hal million readers annually which are demographi-cally comprised o households that have a com-bined annual income o $100K and above, arecollege educated, 88% own their home and mostare between the ages o 30-65. Additionallymany readers ride on both ends o that spectrumso the reach to potential advertisers is very valu-

able. Advertising costs are slightly more thantheir competition because o the limited amounto ad space available in the publication. Themagazine’s strategic plan calls or ewer ads,more content, so that advertiser’s eorts reallystand. Ruel elaborates: “What sets us apart isthat 65% o the magazine’s content is entertain-ing, well-inormed and includes proessionallywritten editorial ocused on the Napa Valleyincluding our popular Intriguing People andInsider Suggestions pieces. Napa Valley Life hasa very comprehensive calendar and has provento be a valuable resource or our readership.”

Testimonials or Kari Ruel and her publica-tion have come in rom all corners; Helen Patter-son, Program Director, Major Gits & CorporateRelations or the Queen o the Valley MedicalCenter Foundation had this to say, “Kari hasbeen so very kind to Queen o the Valley Medi-cal Center Foundation. We are so lucky to haveher involvement and very generous support.Kari has always gone above and beyond or thenon-proft organizations here in the Napa Valley,not only by attending the many events, but alsowith camera in hand!” Jolin Halstead, ManagingDirector o the North Bay CA eWomenNetwork


also chimed in with, “I’m a BIG an o NapaValley Life magazine. I count on it to keep meconnected and inormed about things that areimportant to me in my community.”

As a pioneer in positive local news NapaValley Life has also made clear investments intheir web presence with the recent addition othe online version o their magazine. Any web

user can page through the graphical layout asthough sitting down with the printed magazinea very handy tool or both their readershipand advertisers, and a giant step into onlinepublishing.

Cathi Wastal, Advertising Director orNapa Valley Life had strong praises or mem-bership in the Napa Chamber o Commerce apart o her business plan, “The value o beinga member o the Napa Chamber is not to bemissed. The business networking opportuni-ties go ar beyond the mixers and the businessinormation given, whether pertinent to yourbusiness or not it helps you stay inormed.Being a member enhances your communityrelationships with other individuals and busi-nesses.”

Napa Valley Life magazine recentlybrought on Deborah Sylva as BusinessManager to run the day-to-day operations, soreaders can look or more expansions in themagazine in 2011. The uture looks bright orRuel and her team. For more inormation visitwww.napavalleyliemagazine.com.■

NAPA VALLEY LifE magazine

o their dues and 6% strongly disagreedwith the value. Chambers o Commercedues structures varythroughout Caliorniaand the nation. TheNapa Chamber duesstructure, establishedyears ago, is a “numbero employee” based

structure. The basis isthat each company’semployee is eligibleor the benefts o membership. Thegreater the size o thecompany the greater the need or programsand services oered through the Chamber.This survey provides good eedback

or the Napa Chamber Board o Directorswhen evaluating the income structures orthe Chamber. It may be time to investigate

dierent options.3. Would you refer membership in the NapaChamber of Commerce toa business associate? Anoverwhelming 85% said YES!This gave validation to thesta and the Board o the Napa

Chamber o Commerce that weare implementing the programsand services that you need tohelp your business succeed.

We will continue to send aQuarterly Membership Survey.

Some questions may seem similar – to createa benchmark and fnd out where the serviceshave improved.

CEO continued rom page 3...

Stay tuned and please participate… youeedback is important to the business o theNapa Chamber and our mission to help youcreate a strong local economy.■

4. HOW DO YOU THINk THE

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF

CALIFORNIA WILL CHANGE IN

THE NExT SIx TO 12 MONTHS?

• Will get better signifcantly:

• Will get somewhat better:

• Will stay about the same:

• Will get somewhat worse:

• Will get signifcantly worse:

8%

36%

37%

15%

4%



Upcoming Events... maximize your networking!

For more information call

707.226.7455 or visit our website at

napachamber.com


NAPA CHAMBER 2011 OffiCERSRyan Gregory, Chairman of the Board ................ Riechers & Spence Associates, Inc

Debra Dommen, Chair-Elect ......................................................Treasury Wine Estates

Cherie Knox, Vice-Chair Advocacy...........................................Redwood Credit Union

Kent Kuhlmann, Vice-Chair Resources ........................ Kuhlmann Associates FinancialRichard Rybicki, Vice-Chair Membership ................................ Rybicki & Associates

Pamela Gleeson, Treasurer ..........................................................................Santen Inc.

Randy Martinsen, Immediate Past-Chair ....................... Accelerated Marketing Group

M i S S i O NAs the membership organization for business, we promote our community’seconomic vitality and quality of lifethrough leadership development,advocacy, facilitation and education.

BENEfiT rom ben amember o the NapaChamber o Commerce

For membership information call

Sherrell Harper at 707.257.4598

• Creating a Strong Local Economy

• Promoting the Community

• Providing Networking Opportunities

• Supporting a Sustainable Future

• Representing Business to Government

• Engaging in Political Action

COMMERCE editorial is exclusively produced by the Napa Chamber of Commerce,1556 First Street, Napa, CA 94559. 707.226.7455

EDITOR: Katherine Zimmer Please email submissions [email protected]

Lisa Batto, ACE, President/CEO, 707.226.7455, [email protected] Zimmer, VP Marketing & Communications, 707.254.1147, [email protected] Harper , Membership, 707.257.4598, sher [email protected] Wick, Customer Service Manager, 707.226.7455, [email protected] Page, Executive Assistant, 707.254.1145, [email protected] Sullivan, Administrative Assistant, 707.254.1143, [email protected] Bausch, Events & Membership Retention Manager, 707.254.1148, [email protected]

Caryl Chakerian, Communications Liaison, 707.738.6053, [email protected]

NAPA CHAMBER BOARD Of DiRECTORSDr. Edna Baehre, Napa Valley College; John Cardinale, State Farm Insurance; Ken Frank,La Toque; Clay Gregory, The Napa Valley Destination Council; Paul Hicks, PayrolMasters Inc; Cathy D’Angelo Holmes, Coldwell Banker Commercial; StantonLawson, Sequoia Senior Solutions; Bill Lockhart, Edward Jones; Barry Martin, Cityof Napa; Kevin Massie, Napa Ford Lincoln Mercury; Sherry McKillop, Follow YourCompass; Shawn Milburn, Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa; Dennis Pedisich, NapaCommunity Bank; Jaime Penaherrera, Queen of the Valley Hospital Foundation;Suzanne Shiff, Napa Valley Coalition of Nonprot Agencies; Don Shindle, WestinVerasa Napa; Brenda Speth, Napa Valley Register; Rex Stults, Napa Valley Vintners;

Dr. Patrick Sweeney, Napa Valley Unified School District; Kevin Teague, HolmeTeague Roche Anglin LLP; Toni Renee Vierra, Vierra Environmental Consulting;Jay Williamson, Williamson and Company.HONORARY DIRECTOR: Julian Weidler , Retired.

NCC STAff

March 16

Wake Up YourBusiness Wednesday

“Following The Leader:Business Continuity Planning”

Napa Chamber Boardroom7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

$20 per personBring a friend for free

Register by calling SBDC at

707.253.3210

Your Napa Chamber’s COMMERCE

newsletter is a vital 8-page electronic newslettercurrently reaching a subscriber base o over1,850 Napa Chamber o Commerce memberemails each month and has a successul averageopen rate o 34%. This timely publication keeps our members up-to-date with legislative issues, member benefts, networking and eventopportunities, and other business concerns in the Napa County area andState o Caliornia.

Get your messagein front of hundredsof Napa Valleybusiness andcommunity people...

• CREATING A STRONG LOCAL ECONOMY

Call Katherine Zimmer for space

reservations and specials...

[email protected]

BUSINESS CRIME PREvENTIONree workshop

Register online at napachamber.com or call 707.226.7455.

Thursday, March 108 - 9:30 a.m. • Free

Napa Chamber Board Room

1556 First Street, Napa

Learn how to protect your business from theft! Whether your business loss is through a devastating burglary or rom a

natural disaster, staying in business is important to your livelihood and ourcommunity’s quality o lie.

Join Sgt. Mike Hensley and Sgt. Chase Haag or this ree workshop

designed to give you to tools you need to protect your business and employees.

March 21

& MIXER

Meritage Resort and Spa

875 Bordeaux Way, Napa4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

$5 all attendees(no registration or

coupon required)

March 22

WINNING SALES PRESENTATIONS

Sales Mastery Series

Napa Chamber Boardroo7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

$49 members$99 prospective members

Register at napachamber.co

Documents

March 2011 COMMERCE