2019 was an incredible year at the Chamber. Take a look at some of the ways we impacted our community.
Candidate Academy
After four years, in October the Chamber brought back this successful civic program. Candidate Academy was created to prepare citizens who are interested in running for office by offering the tools to succeed. Potential candidates had the opportunity to listen from 2015 Candidate Academy Alumni, Carlsbad Councilmember Cori Schumacher, the Mayor of Encinitas, Catherine Blakespeare, Vista Councilmember John Franklin, Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall among others.
Laguna Kahuna Cleanup
In May 2019, we participated in the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation “Lagoona Kahuna Challenge”, a fun outdoor event which turned a clean up of Agua Hedionda lagoon into a team building and competition opportunity between companies and organizations. Our team got second place collecting the most weeds, but first place collecting the tallest weeds. We look forward to participating again in 2020!
TaylorMade Golf Visit
On Sept. 25, the Chamber’s Education Committee helped Carlsbad educators connect with TaylorMade executives at their headquarters. The meeting covered topics such us how TaylorMade attracts the right talent and the company’s employee lifecycle. This partnerships are meant to empower Carlsbad’s education to prepare the workforce of the future.
U.S. Congressman Mike Levin at the Chamber
One of the roles of our Government Affairs Committee (GAC) is to work as a convener, developing relationships with public officials to ensure business input and representation at all levels of government. On Oct. 2, the GAC had US Congressman Mike Levin D-49 at their monthly meeting to discuss issues affecting the business community such as trade, clean energy, infrastructure and our environment.
Matt Hall, who is our City of Carlsbad Council liaison, stopped by the office on Feb. 15 to meet with members of one of our Netforce groups. A businessman himself, Mayor Hall has been involved with the Chamber for many years.
Carlsbad Christmas Bureau
LEGOLAND® California Resort hosted our Holiday Happy Hour 2.0 in November. This charity event provided our members with the opportunity to give back, by donating backpacks, books, board games and toys to benefit the Carlsbad Christmas Bureau Adopt-A-Family Project. Guests were able to kick off the holiday season by positively impacting the community while making connections with Carlsbad business leaders.
FBI Roundtable
The Chamber’s Ready Carlsbad Business Alliance partnered with InfraGard San Diego to connect its members and law enforcement officers with North County FBI Agents at the FBI North County Threats, Risks And Crimes Roundtable. The event included presentations by FBI Agents on issues such as white-collar crimes, business e-mail compromise, trade-based money laundering and fraud. This discussion was also an opportunity to introduce our members to key FBI contacts in our region to help mitigate risk by empowering feedback and collaboration.
Eco-Tour at Viasat and ZUZA
On Nov. 12, the Chamber’s Green Business Committee visited a couple of businesses that have adopted sustainable best practices throughout their company: Viasat Inc. and ZUZA, LLC. These two members, large and small, are helping our community become a leader in sustainability by incorporating the importance of protecting our environment into their culture.
Peanut Butter
Every October, the Chamber participates in the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Foodbank / North County Foodbank peanut butter drive called “Scare Away Hunger”. The Chamber is an official drop off location of the Scare Away Hunger Peanut Butter Drive and members and guests can bring their donations to our office which then are picked up by the foodbank. This year we collected 327 lbs.!