The California Chamber of Commerce has named 29 local chambers of commerce to receive the 2017 President’s Circle Award.
The award, first presented in 2009, recognizes chambers for excellence in business advocacy and helping their members comply with California employment laws. Representatives of the President’s Circle chambers were honored May 31 during the CalChamber Capitol Summit in Sacramento.
Seven of the chambers have received the award all nine years it has been presented.
The 2017 recipients of the President’s Circle Award are as follows. Nine-year recipients are marked with an *:
• Greater Bakersfield Chamber*: Nicholas Ortiz, president/CEO;
• Camarillo Chamber: Gary Cushing, president/CEO;
• Chico Chamber: Katie Simmons, president/CEO;
• Greater Conejo Valley Chamber*: Jill Lederer, president/CEO;
• Corona Chamber: Bobby Spiegel, president/CEO;
• Culver City Chamber*: Steven Rose, president/CEO;
• El Centro Area Chamber & Visitors Bureau*: Darletta Willis, CEO;
• Greater Fresno Area Chamber: Nathan Ahle, president/CEO;
• Gilroy Chamber: Mark Turner, president;
• Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber: Kim Joseph Cousins, president/CEO;
• Lodi Chamber: Pat Patrick, CEO;
• Long Beach Area Chamber*: Randy Gordon, president/CEO;
• Merced Chamber: Manuel Alvarado, CEO;
• Murrieta Chamber: Patrick Ellis, president/CEO;
• North Orange County Chamber: Theresa Harvey, president/CEO;
• Oakdale Chamber: Mary Guardiola, CEO;
• Oxnard Chamber: Nancy Lindholm, president/CEO;
• Palm Desert Area Chamber*: Laurie Baldwin, president/CEO;
• Porterville Chamber: Stephanie Cortez, CEO/president;
• Greater Riverside Chambers*: Cindy Roth, president/CEO;
• Roseville Area Chamber: Wendy Gerig, CEO;
• Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber: Nancy Hoffman Vanyek, president/CEO;
• The Chamber of the Santa Barbara Region: Ken Oplinger, president/CEO;
• Santa Maria Valley Chamber: Glenn D. Morris, president/CEO;
• The Silicon Valley Organization: Matt Mahood, president/CEO;
• Simi Valley Chamber: Rana Ghadban, president/CEO;
• Temecula Valley Chamber: Alice Sullivan, president/CEO;
• Victor Valley Chamber: Michele Spears, president/CEO;
• Yuba-Sutter Chamber: Rikki Shaffer, CEO.
President’s Circle Award recipients published vote records of their state legislators on key business issues, generated letters to state elected officials on issues of interest to members and participated in the CalChamber compliance product resale program at an exemplary level.
