the voice september 2010

8/9/2019 The Voice September 2010

1/11

On the Web: www.ffsc-chamber.com

SEPTEMBER 2010

Voice

The

OUR MISSION: IMPROVE THE LOCAL ECONOMIC BASE THROUGH ACTIVE ADVOCACY AND PROGRAMS TO ASSIST OUR MEMBERS.

FAIRFIELD -SUISUN CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

CHAIRMANS CLUB

PRESIDENTS CLUBAnheuser-Busch

DIRECTORS CLUBCopart

Hilton Garden Inn

Lewis Planned Communities

MV Transportation

Solano Garbage Company

Sutter Health (SRMF/SSMC)

DIAMOND CLUBB &L Properties

Bay-Tec Engineering, Inc.

Bryan-Braker Funeral Home

Credit Bureau Associates

Daily Republic

First Northern Bank

Gaw Van Male

Holiday Inn Express-CordeliaPRIDE Industries

RE/MAX Gold Elite

Rexam Beverage Can Co.

PREMIER CLUBCostco of Fairfield

Emeritus at Westwind Gardens

Fairfield Chevrolet Auto Village

Goodrich UPCO

Kaiser Permanente

M2 Mail

Pacific Gas & Electric

Potrero Hills LandfillRaleys Super Store

Solano Athletic Clubs

Solano First Federal Credit Union

Wal-Mart

Westamerica Bank

9.13

Joint Mixerwith VacavilleChamber

9.29Delta RealtyGroup

UPCOMING

EVENTS I MIXERS

Green, green, weve goneGreen . . . with E-Sheets!The Fairfield-Suisun Cham-

ber of Commerce is beginningour journey of creating ways toensure all kinds of opportuni-ties for recycling while givingyou the visibility you need.

Paper waste is abundant inthe business world. There aretoo many mock-ups, color

tests, drafts and extra finishedproducts that could be con-served or eliminated. Each un-necessary piece of paper cre-ates more waste to be dealtwith and increases the costs fordoing business.

Although paper is recyclableand it may not be the best

thing to eliminate, we as busi-nesses need to evaluate how touse paper for each task in theworkplace. We need to controlpaper waste. The world gener-ates way too much trash!

California is faced with thechallenge of managing nearly14 million tons of postcon-

sumer paper generated annu-

ally. In 1997, only 31 percent

of that paper was recovered

for recycling, with the remain-

der (approximately 9.5 million

tons) disposed primarily

in landfills.

Profiles begin on Page 3

SeeGreen, Page 13

DonMcDonaldRE/MAX Gold Elite

JohnRaySutter Health (SSMC/SRMF)

KenBrockBrock Law Group, APC

Meet our newest

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD


2/11

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2009 - 2010

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Kevin Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ChairHilton Garden Inn

Barry Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chairman ElectSolano Athletic Clubs

Christopher Barto . . . . Vice Chair/TreasurerCopart Inc.

T. Burt McNaughton . . . . . . . . . . . Vice ChairDaily Republic

Sue Vaccaro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice ChairSolano Garbage/Republic Services

Anand Patel . . . . . . . . . Immediate Past ChairHoliday Inn Express - Cordelia

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Andy Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorTravis Credit Union

Ken Brock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorBrock Law Group, APC

Randy Dawson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorPremier Commercial

Kevin Finger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorAnheuser-Busch

Jim Immer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorLewis Planned Communities

John Jamison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorJelly Belly Candy Company

Steve Lessler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorThe Lessler Group

Ron Marlette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorMission Solano

Don McDonald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorRE/MAX Gold Elite

John Ray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorSutter Health (SRMF/SSMC)

Bridgit Strachan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorNorthBay Healthcare

Anthony Russo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorB&L Properties

David Welch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorDavid L. Welch, CPA

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Harry PriceCity of Fairfield Mayor

Pete SanchezCity of Suisun City Major

Jacki Cottingim-DiasFSUSD, Superintendent

Jowel LaguerreSolano CC, President

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Chief Ambassador . . . . . . . . . . . Mike CortezChair, Business Issues . . . . . Chuck Wood III

Chair, Education . . . . . . . . . . . Darrin Berardi

Chair, Membership . . . . . . . . . Steve Lessler

Chair, Technology . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Cortez

Chair, TRAFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sandy Person

CHAMBER STAFF

Leslie Fay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President & CEO

Mark Creffield . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President

Tim Ridosh . Membership/Marketing Director

Melissa Manry . . . . Administrative Assistant

The Voiceis published monthly by theFairfield-Suisun CityChamber of Commerce1111 Webster StreetFairfield, CA 94533707.425.4625707.425.0826 / [email protected]

Printing by: Daily Republic

For advertising call: 425-4646

3 Mixers a GreatSocial MarketingOpportunityBy Kevin Johnson

4 Business News5 Calendar6 Chamber Events

8 New MembersFAIRFIELD CITY MANAGER

9 Another SuccessfulBack-to-School FairBy Sean Quinn

10 Stand Up To AnEconomic Downturn

Ed Lippstreu76-77

Ray Schoch94-95

Ben Huber98-99

Kathy Parsons01-02

PAST CHAIRS CIRCLE

From the desk of

President/CEO

Leslie Fay

ne of the most important parts of myjob is to participate in the WACE(Western Association of Chamber Ex-ecutives) Programs in Sacramento.The WACE is not only an educationalexperience, but a time to network with

my colleagues from Arizona, New Mexico, Col-orado, Washington, Oregon, and, of course, Cali-fornia. I attended the Academy Plus program thatwas geared for veteran chamber executives, in-

cluding those who have graduated from theAcademy and those like myself, who have gradu-ated from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Insti-tute of Organization Management. Lifetimelearning goes on without anything else beingsaid.

The speakers were excellent and that is why Iwant to share a few good tips with you. Our firstspeaker was Dr. Barbara Weaver Smith, Founderand President of The Whale Hunters. She spokeabout how to create a disciplined sales cultureand then use the steps and tools necessary to op-

timize the ability to successfully find, land, andharvest whale-sized accounts.

The Whale Hunters Process is a unique andpowerful method of thinking about businessgrowth expressed through the metaphor of thecenturies old Inuit whale hunt. Dr. Smith spokeabout the phases of scouting, hunting, harvestingand assessing how we all are working. She spokeabout the importance of making the business ofour chamber into a fast-growth culture with goodprocess design, which turns into good habits, andultimately, good instincts making it truly sus-

tainable. A very good conceptualization whenyou think about the hunt and how a whale canfeed a village for one year.

Dr. Smith talked about bringing all the people

to the table, and bringing them to the table at theright time. Those at the whale company who willbe affected by your companys solutions are rep-resented by the positions at the table.

You should have polar bears at the table; theyare the target decision-makers at the whale com-pany who can say yes or no. Caribou shouldbe at table because they are members of the buy-ers table who provide technical advice, such asrepresentatives of finance, IT, legal, marketing,

etc.Eels are the gatekeepers, deal spoilers, and the

naysayers at the whale company who work toprevent any sort of change. The harpooner is thesalesperson who leads the hunt. Oarsmen areyour technical and/or operational SME (subjectmatter experts). The harpooner typically lines upacross the buyers table with one or more Cari-bou. The Shaman is the sales leader in your or-ganization and the chief is the leader of your or-ganization.

Interesting concept, huh? It made me think

about our organization and about all the compa-nies that are our clients, trying to make sales! Inthe whale analogy, one whale feeds an entire vil-lage for an entire year. The Inuit whale hunt isfraught with danger and difficulty. Century uponcentury, this has been done. But when the hunt ison for smaller fisher, seals, walrus, the Inuit canonly eat for a day or a week or two . . . there mustbe some balance in the way we hunt and what wecatch.

It is my intention to bring to your minds theanalogy and perception of growing business, and

growing your companies with these simplethoughts and fundamentals.

Feel free to contact me if you would like toread more about this concept.

O

www.ffsc-chamber.comVoiceThe

2 I SEPTEMBER 2010 The official newsletter of the Fairfield-Suisun City Chamber of Commerce

Heres a whale of a story!

CITATION CLUBAmos & Andrews, Inc.

AT&T

Ball Corporation

Cache Creek Casino Resort

Charles B. Wood II

Creegan & DAngeloEngineers

Emeritus at Rancho Solano

enXco

Fairfield Tourism Association

Favaro, Lavezzo, Gill, Caretti &

Heppell

Food Maxx North Texas

Food Maxx West Texas

IHOP of FairfieldMeyer Corporation

Paradise Valley Estates

Taco Bell

Umpqua Bank

Video Pro Productions

Watson Auto Body, Inc.

Wells Fargo Bank

Westfield Solano

Yin McDonaldsYocha-De-He Golf Club at

Cache Creek

INSIDE THIS ISSUE


3/11

trust everyone had awonderful and prof-itable summer here inFairfield-Suisun. As we

slip into the fall and school re-turns to full form, we now haveto concentrate on our busi-nesses and marketing oppor-tunities. Once again, I am rec-ommending the Chamber ofCommerce as one of the vehi-cles that you should be in to

help in that direction.So far we have discussed the

opportunities that exist withina Chamber membership, thatwe have a referral plan that of-fers a $100 one-time discounton new members that are re-ferred by an existing Chambermember should they choosenot to use the discount on re-

newing their own member-ship.

As we head into the fall, Ifeel that it is a perfect opportu-nity to discuss some of the so-cial marketing opportunitiesthat the Chamber offers via the

I

www.ffsc-chamber.com VoiceThe

The official newsletter of the Fairfield-Suisun City Chamber of Commerce SEPTEMBER 2010 I 3

Mixers a great socialmarketing opportunity

Kevin JohnsonChairman of the Board

See Johnson, Page 11

Opportunties to build business relationships

As a corporate transactional attorney, Ken cur-rently provides a wide array of general businessservices, such as mergers, business acquisitions andcounseling clients on general corporate governancematters. In addition to general business services,Ken also has significant experience in assistingclients with the protection of their intellectual prop-erty rights and health care regulatory compliance.Specifically, as the lead intellectual property attor-ney for one of the nations largest online tax prepara-

tion companies, Ken has negotiated a significantnumber of intellectual property licensing transac-tions and has resolved numerous intellectual prop-erty disputes without the need for costly and time-consuming litigation. He also counsels and advisesbusiness clients in matters pertaining to health careregulatory compliance and has delivered numerouslectures to various civic and business groups regard-ing the recent federal health care reform legislation.Ken is presently a member of the American Intellec-tual Property and Health Lawyers Associations, aswell as the Chamber of Commerce Business Issues

Committee. He is also a member of the Fairfield-Su-isun Rotary Club and a graduate of the ChambersLeadership Today Program, Class of 2008.

Don McDonald is a managing partner withRE/MAX Gold Elite and a take-charge professionalwith exceptional follow through abilities. Don prideshimself on being a dynamic negotiator and effectiveat achieving results. With his love for the city of Fair-field, Don believes that there is no reason we as acommunity cannot build this city into a destinationfor all.

RE/MAX Gold Elite has been ranked as the No. 1Sales Offices in Fairfield and No. 1 Sales Team in

Northern California. According to Wall Street Jour-nal, RE/MAX Gold Elite was ranked as No. 63 in SalesTeam of all real estate teams.

It is no surprise that Don McDonald has a passionfor success and his community. Don is involvedwithin various community organizations in Fair-field. A Board of Director for the Fairfield-SuisunChamber of Commerce, a member of Fairfields CityPlanning Commission, and Chairman of the Fair-field-Suisun Unified School District 7-11 FacilitiesCommittee are just a few organizations that helpshow Dons dedication to Fairfield.

John Ray serves as Division Executive of the Sut-ter Medical Foundation-West Division. In this role,Mr. Ray is accountable within the Sutter Health Sys-tems for the strategic development and operation ofSutter-affiliated medical group practices in SolanoCounty. Prior to joining Sutter Health in 2003, Mr.Ray served as CEO of the Shoreline Medical Groupin Mountain View and as CEO of French Health Planin San Francisco.

In the early 1980s, Mr. Ray spearheaded the

statewide expansion of Group Health Cooperative ofPuget Sound through the development of networksof community physician networks in three Washing-ton State markets.

Mr. Ray earned a Masters of Healthcare Adminis-tration Degree from the University of Washington in1980, graduating first in his class with a concentra-tion in economics and finance. He was the recipientof the 1980 Advanced Fellowship in HealthcareLeadership sponsored by the American Hospital As-sociation and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Associa-tion.

DonMcDonald JohnRayKenBrock

Meet our newest Members of the Board cont. from page 1


4/11

TLW PublicRelations signscontract with

CalPERSTLW Public Relations an-

nounced today that it hassigned an agreement with theCalifornia Public EmployeesRetirement System to performas-needed writing and editori-al services for CalPERS PublicAffairs and CommunicationsSupport Services Spring-FedPool.

Im very excited; Iveworked for several Californiacities and counties, so I knowfirsthand the scope, and theimportance of the work doneby CalPERS, says TLW PublicRelations owner Deloris Roach.This is a great opportunity forus, she adds.

CalPERS is the largest publicemployees retirement agencyin the United States.

The one-year agreementwith TLW Public Relations callsfor the firm to work as part of apool of contractors who willbid on individual projects asthe need arises. The contractwas awarded to the companyafter a competitive RFP (Re-quest for Proposals) process.

We look forward to doingwhatever work were fortunateenough to have assigned to

us, says Roach who will serveas the principal writer underthe agreement.

Roach worked for 10 yearsas the public informationmanager for the City of Fair-field; for three years as thepublic information officer forthe City of Stockton; and fortwo as the lead public informa-

tion officer for the County ofAlameda, before starting herown business. The agreementwith CalPERS is the companysfirst contract with a state

agency.For more information, con-

tact Deloris Roach at 208-9479.

Solano CommunityFoundation offersmini-grants to

public schoolteachers

Solano Community Foun-dation is pleased to announcethe application process for theEducation Plus! Mini-GrantProgram is now open to eligi-ble Solano County publicschool teachers, grades K-12.Grants of up to $500 will beavailable for school projects.

These grants are designed topromote education by enhanc-ing a students learning experi-

ence at school through a vari-ety of projects in the areas ofArts and Culture; Health and

Wellness; Media and Technolo-gy; Math and Science; andReading and Literacy.

Applications for EducationPlus! Mini-Grants are availableon the Foundations website atwww.solanocf.org. Deadline toapply is 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct.6. Applications may faxed to399-3849, e-mailed to [email protected] with asigned PDF attachment, orhand-delivered or mailed to:1261 Travis Blvd., Suite 320,Fairfield, CA 94533.

Grant applications will bereviewed by the FoundationsGrants Committee for projectsto start either later this year orin early 2011.

Grantees for the 2010-11Mini-Grant cycle will be recog-nized at the Teacher AwardsCeremony on Wednesday, Nov.17, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at theFairfield Community Center,1000 Kentucky St. in Fairfield.

To be eligible for a mini-grant, the participant:

1. Must be a teacher inSolano County, teaching stu-dents in grades K-12,

2. Have already submittedthe required Project Report ifthey are a 2009-10 Ed Plus! re-cipient, and

3. Must have a project thataugments or enhances cur-riculum and classroom in-

struction in Arts and Culture;Health and Wellness; Mediaand Technology; Math and Sci-

ence; and Reading and Litera-cy.

The number of grants to be

awarded during the cycle de-pends upon donor contribu-tions. If you would like to sup-port this worthwhile program,please contact Solano Com-munity Foundation at 399-3846.

Last year, 59 teachers repre-senting all seven cities of thecounty garnered Ed Plus! Mini-Grants totaling more than$27,000. Since its inception in

2000, Solano CommunityFoundation has awarded 558grants totaling just over$245,000. These grants con-tribute to the development oflearning and increase theawareness of education as a vi-tal force in the community.

Solano WindshieldRepair thankyou!

I am home from Africa! Itwas a very exciting and reward-ing trip. I want to thank all ofyou for helping to send me.

The work you provided, thedonations given and the en-couragement all contributedtowards me being able to be aneffective member of this team.

Working alongside the local

Zambians was an experiencethat I will never forget. Thepeople work with what is on

hand and are willing to sharewhat little they have. Amid

such poverty, the people have

an inspiring joy for life. I adoreeach child I came in contactwith. They were all very curi-

ous and affectionate. I am very

blessed to have been on thismissions trip.

The main work project was

to continue construction on

the huts at Camp Cianjano. Wespent many 10-hour days lay-

ing brick, mixing mortar and

applying stucco. The teamleader was pleasantly sur-

prised at our skill level and

work ethics. We even accom-

plished additional projects likeinstalling the bug screens and

other repairs.

We attended several of the

local churches, and it was suchan uplifting experience. They

worship with such passion

even though they have no in-

struments, no power, dirtfloors, and unfinished build-

ings.

We were able to encouragethem but they also taught us so

much about hope, love, and

joy. I miss everyone there, but Iam glad to be home. I look for-

ward to sharing my experi-

ences with you. You can find

pictures and updates on Face-

book at Zambia Trip 2010.Thank you all! Ted Kovarik

with Solano Windshield Repair.



Business NewsTell us about your accomplishments, promotions and items ofinterest regarding your business. E-mail a press release to theChamber at: [email protected] or fax it to (707) 425-0826.

ANNIE VOGELPOHL

RE/MAX Gold - Annie Vogelpohl & Associates

Annie VogelpohlBroker CRS, LTG, RRC

Office: (707) 399-6959

Cellular: (707) 373-6949

[email protected]

1411 Oliver Road, Suite 180Fairfield, CA 94534

For the answers to your

real estate questions call

Annie today!


5/11

AMBASSADORCOMMITTEE MEETING[5:15 to 6:30 p.m.]

Fairfield-SuisunChamber of Commerce,

1111 Webster St.

EDUCATIONCOMMITTEE[Noon to 1 p.m.]


1111 Webster St.

BUSINESS ISSUESCOMMITTEE MEETING[Noon to 1 p.m.]

Fairfield-Suisun

Chamber of Commerce,1111 Webster Street

TRAFC EXECUTIVEMEETING[9 to 10 a.m.]


1111 Webster Street

CHAMBERS BUSINESS AFTERHOURS MIXER[5:30 to 7 p.m.]

Joint Mixer with VacavilleChamber, KUIC 95.3, 555 Mason

St. Ste. 245, Vacaville

LEADERSHIP TODAYRETREAT[9 a.m. to 5 p.m.]

TBA

SUISUN CITY BUSINESSGROUP MEETING[5:45 to 7 p.m.]

Suisun City Council Chambers,701 Civic Center Blvd.

LEADERSHIP TODAY

RETREAT

[9 a.m. to 5 p.m.]

TBA

TRAVIS REGIONAL

ARMED FORCESCOMMITTEE MEETING[Noon to 1:15 p.m.]

Delta Breeze Club,Travis AFB

BOARD OF DIRECTORSMEETING

[9 to 10:15 a.m.]

Fairfield-SuisunChamber of Commerce,1111 Webster Street

SUNRISE MIXER[8 to 9 a.m.]

Delta Realty Group-DanDiSano, 1299 Oliver Rd.,Fairfield

TRAFC HOSTS THEMILITARYRECOGNITION NIGHT[5:30 to 10 p.m.]

Rancho SolanoClubhouse, 3250 Rancho SolanoParkway, Fairfield

AMBASSADORCOMMITTEE MEETING[5:15 to 6:30 p.m.]

Fairfield-Suisun

Chamber of Commerce,1111 Webster St.

EDUCATIONCOMMITTEE[Noon to 1 p.m.]


1111 Webster St.

LEADERSHIP TODAY-HISTORY[9 a.m. to 5 p.m.]

TBA

TRAFC EXECUTIVEMEETING[9 to 10 a.m.]


1111 Webster Street

BUSINESS ISSUESCOMMITTEE MEETING[Noon to 1 p.m.]


1111 Webster Street

TRAVIS REGIONALARMED FORCESCOMMITTEE MEETING

[Noon to 1:15 p.m.]

Delta Breeze Club,Travis AFB

CHAMBERS BUSINESS AFTERHOURS MIXER[5:30 to 7 p.m.]

Suisun Veterans MemorialBuilding, 427 Main Street, SuisunCity

MEMBERSHIPCOMMITTEE MEETING[9:30 to 10:30 a.m.]


1111 Webster Street

SUISUN CITY BUSINESS GROUPMEETING[5:45 to 7 p.m.]

Suisun City Council Chambers,701 Civic Center Blvd.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MEETING[9 to 10:15 a.m.]


1111 Webster StreetSUNRISE MIXER

[8 to 9 a.m.]

Solano Storage Center,350 Travis Blvd.,Fairfield

OCT

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JOIN THE CHAMBER 425-4625 OR WWW.FFSC-CHAMBER.COMC

ALENDAR

SeptemberandOctober20

10


6/11

Delta RealtyGroup, Inc.hosts mixer

Dan DiSano, hisagents, and staff at Delta

Realty Group, Inc., would like to welcome allChamber members and their guests to ouroffice for the Fairfield-Suisun Chambersmonthly Sunrise Mixer on Wednesday, Sept.29 from 8 to 9 a.m. This event will be held atour office located at 1299 Oliver Road in Fair-field.

At Delta Realty Group, Inc. our principal

service consists of selling residential real es-tate and providing rental property manage-ment in Solano County. Our services provideour clients with an international network ofbuyers and sellers through the multiple list-ing service (MLS).

Because of the capabilities of our Realtorsto network with other Brokers, we will sellhomes faster than our clients could if theytried to market their home without the assis-tance of a licensed real estate agent. Always,use a Realtor.

Other real estate services we offer: Real Es-tate Licensing Courses, Nation-Wide Reloca-tion Service, as well as representing buyersand sellers in the purchase and/or sale of realestate.

Change is a fact of life. At Delta RealtyGroup, Inc. our slogan is: We Make ChangeEasy. Hire one of our Realtors and you willimmediately understand why this is so verytrue.

Dont forget to stop by, say hello and enjoya cup of coffee with us on Sept. 29 while en-

hancing your business relationships throughthis great chamber networking opportunity.

6 I SEPTEMBER2010 Theofficial newsletterofthe Fairfield-SuisunCity Chamberof Commerce


VoiceThe

SEPTEMBER2010 I 7

Ribbon Cutting Straw Hat Pizza 1295 Horizon Drive, Suite A, Fairfield

Joint Mixer withVacaville set forSept. 13

Lets have anothergreat success! 95.3 KUICs

Joint Mixer with the Vacaville Chamber ofCommerce is just around the corner. JoinKUIC on Sept. 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 555Mason Street, Ste. 245 in Vacaville for music,fun, and NETWORKING!

In addition to music, 95.3 KUIC offers up-to-date news, traffic, and activities of interestto compliment the lifestyle of todays activeadult listener. So mark your calendars andjoin your Hometown Station 95.3 KUIC fortheir annual mixer!

A message from the NTSBA President: Andy Anderson

Contact your BIDknow that we have discussedthis subject many times inthe past, but I would like tocomment on it once again. A

Business Improvement District isdefined as an area within whichbusinesses pay an additional tax orfee in order to fund improvementswithin the districts boundaries.

BIDs may go by other names,

such as business improvementarea, business revitalization zone,community improvement district,special services area or special im-provement district. In short, nomatter what the BIDs are called,they are tasked with the responsi-bility to provide services to thebusinesses in the district.

Based upon their charter, theyshould provide services such ascleaning streets, providing securi-ty, making capital improvementsand marketing the area. The serv-ices provided by the BIDs are sup-plemental to those provided by themunicipality. Legislation is neces-sary to permit local governments

to create BIDs.The first BID in the United States

was the Downtown DevelopmentDistrict in New Orleans in 1974.The North Texas Street Business As-sociation Business ImprovementDistrict was created 25 years later in1999. Since its inception, the NTS-BA has strived to create and pro-mote a collaborative environmentamong the diverse businesses sur-rounding North Texas Street forsound economic growth.

Our association goals for themore than 350 business owners inthe NTSBA and their employees are:

1. Support a clear vision forNorth Texas Street.

2. Create materials that identifyand brand our desired image.

3. Recruit participation frommembership and engage the com-munity.

4. Strengthen public and privatepartnerships.

5. Increase knowledge of our

I

Advertising opportunityavailable at Chamber office!

Take advantage of exposing your business to the many peoplewho visit our offices looking to do business in the Fairfield-Suisunarea. Consider purchasing space today before it sells out. The cost is$150 for a 10 x 14 single-sided magnetic sign. Additionally, for $200we have a 22 x 14 or 10 x 30 single-sided magnetic sign. This costis for one year. Design services are available and will be quoted sepa-rately. For more information or to purchase your ad space today,please call the Chamber at 425-4625.

See NTSBA , Page11

Chamber Mixer Techpro Source 425 Merchant St. , Suite 101, VacavilleChamber Sunrise

ColleenStafford

and SuziYoung.

Mike Cortez,above left,and Julie Housel.

At left is Leslie Fay,Len Augustineand Steve Lessler.

THANKS TO THE FOLLOWINGAMBASSADORS WHO ATTENDEDRIBBON CUTTINGS:

NicoleArabia

TheQueen

ofMarketing

Dionne

McCullar

Front2Back

Designs

DanielLum

GatewayReality

MikeCortez

TechProSource

KenGraham

TheGift Works

Bobbie

Martinez

ComcastSpotlight

Roger

Studebaker

CRFunding

James

Marshall

RE/MAX

GoldElite

LauriLaw

AlkarHuman

Resources

TiffanyDebol

WestfieldSolano

PatHolzwarth

DeltaGraphics

SusanSheffer

Century21 M&M

JoyceDavis

CostcoWholesale

ofFairfield

DonaBovey

NotJust Baskets

Rob Henleyand BillHunter.

Chambermembers withNicole Arabia.

Child Haven201 Empire St., Fairfield


7/11

NEW

MEMBERSJuly 2010American Arborist

Mark CanerdayVacaville CA 95687Phone: 707-592-0842Landscaping

Fairfield Cigar & CigaretteAyman Mike Adeh801 Texas St.

Fairfield, CA 94533Phone: 707-421-1555Retail

Fairfield Fire ManagersAssociationJorge Merodio1200 Kentucky StreetFairfield, CA 94533Phone: 707-428-7375Fire Department

First Command FinancialServicesVictor Jones2050 Peabody Rd., Ste. 100Vacaville, CA 95687Phone: 707-447-8772Financial Planning

Hearing ServicesGrace Hindes1287 Oliver Rd.Fairfield, CA 94534

Phone: 707-426-4327Health Services

Its It Ice Cream OutletJay Shamieh304 Spring St.Suisun City, CA 94585Phone: 707-425-1900Retail

Moments N TimeConnie Martinez254E Sunset Ave.

Suisun City, CA 94585Phone: 707-439-3640Boutique

TuttimelonHan Huynh1350 Travis Blvd #1499Fairfield, CA 94533Phone: 707-422-8400Desserts

MEMBERREINVESTMENTSJuly 2010

Allen-Simmons Heating &Sheet Metal

Anderson & Associates, CPAsAT&TBreezewood Village

ApartmentsCalifornia Business CenterCalpine CorporationChild Start, Inc.Baval LLC dba CurvesFairfield Funeral HomeFairfield Tourism AssociationFairfield-Suisun SewerDistrict

Favelas FusionH&R BlockHilton Garden Inn Fairfield

Hopkins HondaLegends & Heroes Sports Bar& Grill

Medic Ambulance Services,Inc.

Ernest D. MorettiPazdel Chiropractic, Inc.Reyff Electric Inc.

River Valley InsuranceAssociates, Inc.Round Hill Creek ApartmentsS&J AdvertisingSalsman-Engell Real EstateSams ClubSheldon Gas CompanySolano County Office ofEducation

Solano Glass Company, Inc.Solano Land TrustState Farm Insurance -Gary Falati

Suisun City HistoricWaterfrontPam Watson - Gateway RealtyWestamerica BankWestern Railway MuseumZelinko Printing CompanyFairfield Main StreetAssociationCanova Moving & Storage

110%CLUBJuly 2010

Anderson & Associates, CPAsFairfield Funeral HomeFavelas FusionH&R BlockLegends & Heroes Sports Bar& Grill

Medic Ambulance Services,Inc.

Reyff Electric Inc.River Valley InsuranceAssociates, Inc.State Farm Insurance -Gary Falati

Pam Watson-Gateway RealtyZelinko Printing CompanyFairfield Main StreetAssociation



MEMBER # OF YEARS

Advantage Home Healthcare, Inc. Since 2000 10

American Autobody Specialist Since 2002 8

Augustine, Len Since 2003 7

California Telephone Since 1999 11

Carbonaro, Juanita Since 1980 30

Courtyard By Marriot Since 1980 30

Fairfield-Suisun U.S.D. Since 1987 23Gateway Realty Since 1972 38

Kitchen & Bath Design Center, Inc. Since 1993 17

Millennium Sports Club at Rancho Solano Since 2000 10

NorthBay Healthcare Since 1975 35

Panattoni Development Company Since 2005 5

PRIDE Industries Since 1999 11

Raleys - #330/380 Since 1999 11

Raleys Super Store - #331/371 Since 1998 12

Richard Joyce, OD Since 1992 18

Robert W. Aubuchon, DDS, MSD Since 1994 16Solano Athletic Club - West Since 1990 20

State Farm Insurance - Burt Foon Since 1992 18

Sutter Regional Medical Foundation Since 1975 35

Sutton Construction Since 1981 29

Teichert Construction Since 1987 23

TLW Public Relations Since 2005 5

Waterman Boulevard Family Dentistry Since 1981 29

Willotta Ranch Since 1995 15

Wolk, Lois Since 2001 9

Workforce Investment Board of Sol. Co. Since 1987 23

Wulff Electric Since 2005 5

MEMBERSHIP

ANNIVERSARIESSeptember 2010

The Chamber recognizeslong-time members (fiveyears or more) and we

thank them for theiryears of support.

Downduesyour

Refer a member and get $100 off your

next membership renewal. Contact the

Chamber today for more details!

425-4625


8/11

n Saturday, Aug. 7, theCitys Community Re-sources DepartmentsQuality Neighborhoods

Program, the Fairfield-SuisunUnified School District, and St.Marks Lutheran Church col-laborated to hold the seventhannual Back to School Re-source Fair from 10 a.m. to 1p.m. at St. Marks LutheranChurch.

New backpacks with schoolsupplies were distributed to1,006 low-income Fairfieldyouth. The Citys Alcohol, To-bacco and Other Drug Use Pre-vention Program distributed940 student assignment plan-ners to youth in grades 3 andabove. Mission Solano RescueMission, St. Marks LutheranChurch and Holy Family OldCatholic Church sponsored thebackpacks. Two thousand at-tendees also enjoyed a hot dogbarbecue lunch and benefitedfrom services and activitiesprovided by 32 participatingagencies/programs.

For more information, con-tact Diane Feinstein, QualityNeighborhood Programs Su-pervisor, at 428.7572 or [email protected].

Economic growth inchallenging times

There is a lot going on in ourcommunity. Even in thesechallenging times, there is pos-itive news.

The $25 million North TexasStreet interchange recentlyopened. Business interest atthe new interchange is strong;

Lowes is in escrow to acquire11.04 acres for a new store atNorth Texas Street and ManuelCampos Parkway, the City hasbegun aggressively marketing a5.07-acre site for developmentthat includes the formerHoward Johnson, and the adja-cent Arco plans renovations. Inaddition, the former Chevron

site will be redeveloped, as wellas the adjacent land around it.Adding to the excitement at thenorth end of Fairfield, justdown the street at North TexasStreet and Atlantic Avenue,Walmart will open later thisyear.

On the east side of town, at

Huntington Drive betweenPeabody and Air Base Parkway,Frank-Lin Distillers is relocat-ing from the south bay area.City staff worked with Frank-Lin on site selection, develop-ment review, and project fi-nancing. This past July, $22million in tax-exempt RecoveryZone Facility Bonds were is-sued by the California Enter-prise Development Authorityto help finance the construc-tion. This was the first projectin California to go through thestate reallocation process.

Westfield Solano has ac-quired the former Mervynsstore. Forever 21 is scheduledto open this fall in the top floorof the space, and Westfield hasstrong interest in the bottomfloor. Westfield will also begin

construction on a food court,located on the second floor,adjacent to JCPenney. The foodcourt will have 10 differentrestaurants and 590 seats, of-fering a variety of food options.The food court should open inspring 2011. Construction isanticipated to begin on Sept. 1,with the grand opening

planned for mid-April 2011.Buffalo Wild Wings is also un-der construction on the northside of the mall.

For more information, con-tact Curt Johnston, EconomicDevelopment Division Manag-er, at 428-7445 [email protected].

Fairfield ranks No. 3 in the U.S.

Although Asian cities domi-nate the international list, Fair-field is ranked the No. 3 city inthe U.S. for having the fastest,fiber-based, broadband Inter-net connection. Akamai Tech-nologies, a Cambridge, Mass.-based content delivery net-work provider, examined theaverage measured connectionspeeds to determine which

cities are the fastest.Akamai released data tout-

ing the top 100 Internet con-

nected cities in the world.Their data collection adjustedcollege towns out of the analy-sis, as their inclusion skewedAkamais results due to uber-fast networks being indicativeof college environments.

While 59 of the top 100 onthe international list are Asiancities, Fairfield not only made

the list, but fell just behindMonterey Park and Riverside ofthe seven California cities onthe list only 12 U.S. citiesmade the top 100 fastest Inter-net cities list.

Having a high Internet con-nection speed is a great com-petitive advantage for Fair-field-based students and busi-nesses.

For more information, con-

tact Steve Garrison, Chief In-formation Officer, at 428.7582or [email protected].

A vision for neighborhood-basedtutoring

In 2005, local churches, theCity of Fairfield and the Countyof Solano identified a need toimprove the quality of the mostunder-privileged neighbor-hoods in the Fairfield. Theywanted to give children an op-portunity to fill their empty

hours with positive activities,learning and just plain fun.These groups partnered to cre-ate The Leaven, an after-schooltutoring and mentoring pro-gram for at-risk and under-performing youth that oper-ates directly in the neighbor-hoods. The Leaven Programcreated a family engagementprocess, which combined thedynamics of a volunteer forcewith the residents of the

O



Another successful back-to-school fair

Sean QuinnFairfield City Manager

See Quinn, Page 10


9/11

S

mall business owners, including those instable industries, are feeling the heat of thebroad economic slowdowns. Individualstend to curb their frivolous spending

while corporations decrease routine ac-tivities, delay major purchases, and shelve new initia-tives.

For many small businesses with limited resources,these and other factors often combine to pressure bot-tom lines past the breaking point, creating a dominoeffect of other dilemmas such as a credit crunch or lay-offs.

A downturn doesnt have to spell disaster for yoursmall business, however. Good financial managementpractices will help you weather even the worst of eco-nomic times, and be ready to capitalize on new oppor-

tunities that will inevitably come when good times re-turn.Begin with the basics. Even when times are ter-

rific, no small business can survive without goodrecordkeeping, budgeting, cash flow monitoring,and credit management.

Consult your bank. Lenders can tap their vast

experience in economic cycles to advise you on is-sues specific to your business and industry. De-pending on your projected long-term expenses,consider arranging a line of credit in case a cashflow gap occurs.

Be on good terms with your creditors. Falling

behind on payments is never the answer, even if itsjust this once. Creditors will be more amenable torenegotiating terms to small businesses they considerto be conscientious and reliable.

Watch your receivables . By the same token, youneed to stay on top of any outstanding debts to yourcompany, particularly problem accounts. Be firm, butalso willing to negotiate where appropriate.

Scrutinize your spending. Rather than arbitrarilyslashing your budget, strive to spend only on thosethings that have a justifiable positive effect on yourbusiness. That will make it easier to redirect money toareas that enhance business performance.

Step up your review of financials. Assessing yourreports weekly or biweekly rather than monthly will putyou in a better position to make informed decisions.

Similarly, a monthly or quarterly review of your busi-ness plan enables you to adjust your strategy and direc-tion to changing market conditions.

Keep marketing in the mix. Look for cost-effectiveways to keep your company visible to current cus-tomers and potential new markets. They may be readyto restart their spending long before the headlines pro-claim an end to the economic crisis.

For more help in coping with an uncertain economy,contact Americas free and confidential source of smallbusiness mentoring and coaching. SCORE is a non-profit association of more than 12,000 business expertswho volunteer as mentors. SCORE offers free mentor-ing and low-cost workshops nationwide. Your localcounselor is Karl Haug, a former CFO, who has coun-seled at the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce formany years. Call him at 925-945-7784 to make an ap-pointment.



neighborhood. Together these

volunteers, through grassrootsefforts, launched the first Leav-en neighborhood after-schooltutoring and mentoring center.

The Leaven now consists oftwo tutoring centers; one in thePACE neighborhood (corner ofAirbase Parkway and HeathDrive) and the Groves Apart-ment Complex (855 East Tabor

Ave.). Each center serves ap-

proximately 40 students. Thetutoring program is free to anystudent in the target neighbor-hoods, and operates Monday-Thursday from 3:30 to 5:30p.m.

In four years, The Leavenhas already impacted the livesof hundreds of children andtheir families, as well as mak-

ing significant improvements

in the safety of Fairfield neigh-borhoods. The Leaven plans to

open a new tutoring center in

the Phoenix Drive area this fall.

For more information, con-

tact Robert Basile, Housing Di-

vision Manager, at 428.7387 or

[email protected].

Quinn, cont. from page 9

POWERPromotes a strong local economy

Opportunities to build business relationships

Works on programs to help business grow

Enhance commerce through community stewardship

Represents and advocate on behalf of business

OF THE CHAMBER

THE

Ask SCORE . . .

an economic downturnStand up to


10/11

Business Mixers.Child Haven hosted a mixer

on Monday, Aug. 12, and it wasvery well attended. I know thatby not only hosting a mixer butattending them as well bringsnew visitors into a business ororganization and allows formembers to meet other mem-bers and socialize about notonly the mixer that you are at-tending but offers you achance to market your busi-ness to others as well.

With a basic Chambermembership costing $395 peryear, if you divide that basicmembership number by 365days of the year, the actual costof that membership is only$1.08 per day. If you considerthe cost associated with mar-keting from one business toanother, this is by far a greatvalue if you choose to take ad-vantage of the opportunity.

I have seen as many as sev-eral hundred attendees atsome of the larger mixers suchas Jelly Belly, Business Expo,the Christmas Mixer at theHilton Garden Inn, and thejoint mixers that are held on

the Suisun City waterfront andin Vacaville, to an average of50 to 75 attendees at a normalevent. Consider, if you will, thatyou make one sale or introduc-tion of your business or servic-es to one fellow Chambermember, how effective wasthat $1.08 that you investedthat day? Literally $1.08 canpay huge dividends if youmake one sell at one of theseevents.

The Chamber hosts several

mixers per month as well asthe annual Business Expo, andthe sunrise breakfast events.Your basic membership getsyou invited to attend as manyor as few of these events as youwould like or be available to at-tend. It is up to you to take ad-vantage of everything that isoffered by the Chamber andagain I challenge anyone tofind a better marketing oppor-

tunity for as little as $1.08 perday.

If you consider the cost of amailer, you first pay for themarketing piece, and then youhave labor to address the enve-lope or labels and postage. I

think you would have a hardtime to get one piece of maildone with everything above forless than the $1.08 value thatthe Chamber can offer you.

This is a decision that we allhave to make in our businesslives, as to whether we shouldjoin this organization or asso-ciation or not. Once we makethe decision, we then have totake advantage of everythingthat is offered and evaluate thevalue of that membership at

the renewal time.I have proudly been a mem-

ber and sponsor of the Cham-ber for eight years and assureyou that if there was no valueor benefit for me being a mem-ber I would have canceledyears ago. I look forward to theopportunities and encourageeach and every one of you thatis not a member of the Cham-ber to attend an event and see

what opportunity is availableto you and your business.

Green, cont. from page 1

Deadline, cont. from page 1Johnson, cont. from page 3

J O I N T H E C H A M B E R

C A L L 4 2 5 - 4 6 2 5



Serving Local Business Since 1947 For Account Receivable Solutions

CREDIT REPORTSCOLLECTIONS

707-429-3211800-564-6440

www.cbacredit.com

460 UNION AVENUE #C FAIRFIELD, CA 94533

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Would you like to advertiseyour business products andservices to more than650 members yet conserve andcontribute to saving the envi-ronment? We are going to dis-tribute E-Sheets! Why not takeadvantage of our great, newnetworking opportunities andefforts to reduce carbon foot-print.

Heres how it works: Submityour final copy of 8.5 by 11advertisement of your event orspecial promotion, in a PDFformat, no later than the lastWednesday of each month. Wewill put a link on our websitefor your information easy for

readers to look at, refer back to,

and gives you the exposure forthe whole month without the

expense or risk of someonedisposing of it!

E- Sheets will be distributed

to our wide-base of member-ship at the beginning of each

month and businesses willhave the opportunity to staylisted on our website for the

entire month.Please e-mail all E-Sheet

PDFs to Melissa Manry, Ad-ministrative Assistant, atreception@ffsc-chamber.

Come on, lets go GREEN!!Cost is $100 per E-Sheet.

marketplace.6. Promote a positive per-

ception of North Texas Street.In the past, we have made

comment in our articles andhave requested for you to con-tact our Executive Director orBoard of Directors, if you haveany questions or need any as-sistance from the NTSBA. Dur-ing the past two months, wehave been contacted by fivedifferent businesses on North

Texas Street and they have ex-pressed their concerns regard-ing the City of Fairfields Tem-porary Sign Ordinance.

In response to those con-cerns, our Board of Directors isgenerating and reviewing ideasand ways in which the Tempo-rary Sign Ordinance could berevised to create more flexibili-ty and relief for businesses. Wehave contacted the Planning

Commission and have request-ed that we be allowed to pres-ent our membership concerns

to the City of Fairfield PlanningCommission at their Sept. 8meeting. If you have any com-ments about the sign ordi-nance, contact our ExecutiveDirector Catherine Grimard at421-9085 or e-mail [email protected].

We hope that, thanks tothose of you who voiced yourconcerns, we will be able tomake some changes to the Tem-porary Sign Ordinance. We feel

that businesses should not haveto contend with sign ordinancesthat create additional expensesduring the slow economic re-covery that we are experiencing.

Remember, the NTSBAmeets the second Tuesday ofeach month at 6 p.m. at NormsHytech, which is located1658 North Texas Street. Pleasecome to the meetings and giveus your input, because there is

strength in numbers.Andy Anderson

President,NTSBA


11/11

NCUAYour savings are federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.Everyone who lives, works, worships or goes to school in our 12-county area is eligible to join. Certain membership requirements may apply.

Let us do a free comparison of your current banking

services to see if we can help you save more of your

hard-earned money. Experience the Travis Credit Union

difference. Youll be happy you did.

www.traviscu.org [email protected]

For complete details, make an appointment today by contacting:

Rayanne Berry

Business Services Manager

Business Loans, Deposits and Services

SBA Preferred Lender(707) 469-1964 or (800) 877-8328, ext. 61964#

Fairfield Branch

2570 North Texas St.

Gateway Branch

1340 Gateway Blvd.

Green Valley Branch

5075 Business Center Dr.

Suisun City Branch

131 Sunset Ave, Suite A1

We canservice yourbusiness,too!

I have my personaland businessaccounts with Travis Credit Union.

You should too!

Ted Kovarik, ownerSolano Windshield RepairTCU member since 1993

Need to grow your business?

TCU is a Preferred SBA Lender.

12 I SEPTEMBER 2010 The VOICE I The official newsletter of the Fairfield-Suisun City Chamber of Commerce

the voice september 2010

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