BConejo T IMES - Microsoft · ger than the heart of a vol-unteer.” ~Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle By the time you read this, the Chamber will have an-nounced the nominees for the

InsideMessage ............................. 2Board Members .................. 3New Member Businesses ... 5 Lunch and Learn................. 6Event Highlights.................. 6Business Briefs .................. 8Calendar ........................... 10

The official publication of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce

Online at www.conejochamber.org

January 2013

Serving Thousand Oaks • Westlake Village • Agoura Hills • Newbury Park • Oak Park

GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATION

BUSINESS TIMESConejo

Greater Conejo Valley

Th

ou

san

d O

aks Westlake Village Ago

ura H

ills

Since 1939

Chamber of Commerce

We Create Opportunities for Business Success by

Creating a strong local economy• Promoting community• Providing networking • opportunitiesRepresenting the interests of • business with governmentTaking political action• Supporting a sustainable future•

“Having recently moved here, the Chamber has allowed me great opportunities to build relationships with business leaders and com-munity represen-

tatives. I enjoy taking an active role in the Education Committee and the Teacher of the Month program, where I have gained an even greater appreciation for educators and the important work they do.”

Natalie BradleyVentura County Credit Union

Members Say

EventsBreakfast: Fri., Jan. 11, 7:30-9 a.m., Palm Garden Hotel, Thousand Oaks.Mixer: Wed., Jan. 16, 5:30-7 p.m., Rotary Club of T.O., Los Robles Greens Banquet Center, Thousand Oaks.Gala: Fri., Jan. 25, 6:30 p.m., Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village.Economic Forecast: Fri., Feb. 8, 7-9 a.m., CLU, Thousand Oaks.

More on page 10

UNITED STATES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Chamber Names Gala Award Nominees

COMMUNITY RECOGNITION

CITY GOVERNMENT

Agoura Hills Celebrates 30 Years and Honors Outgoing Mayor

Thousand Oaks Continues Progress and Maintains a Balanced Budget

The city of Thousand Oaks presented its an-nual state of the city address at their De-cember 11 luncheon. Mayor Jacqui Irwin addressed a capacity crowd of 250 at the Los Robles Greens Banquet Center.

In her speech, Irwin noted the challenges that city budgets have experienced due to the state dissolving more than 400 local redevel-opment agencies that affected budgets for lo-

—Cont. on pg. 11

The Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce attended the city of Agoura Hills’ 30th Anniver-sary and annual re-organization meeting to honor outgoing Mayor John M. Edel-ston. Chairman John LaRocca presented Edelston the pres-tigious Eagle com-mending him on his service to the city of Agoura Hills.

Mayor Pro Tem Denis Weber was se-

City councilmembers Denis Weber, William D. Koehler, John M. Edelston, Illece Buckley Weber and Harry Schwarz.

City of Thousand Oaks Certified Green Business

FRIDAY JANUARY 25, 2013

CITY GOVERNMENT

And the nominees are... .

This year’s win-ners for the Greater Conejo Valley Cham-ber’s annual Recogni-tion Gala in January will be announced at the event—rather than in advance, as was the practice in recent years—so there will be a wonderful sur-prise that evening for guests and winners alike.

Nominees include: Woman of the Year

Sara Miller Mc-• Cune, Co-Founder of Sage Publica-tions

Lynn Hogan, • Co-Founder of the Hogan Family FoundationEloise Cohen, • Photography by Eloise

Man of the YearMatthew Huss, • Sheraton Agoura Hills HotelLee Ladd, Retired • Business OwnerRick Principe, • Westcord Real Estate

Business of the Year

Baxter Healthcare• Bogopod• Brendan’s Irish • Pub & Restaurant

Corporate Sponsor of the Year

Alcoa Fastening • Systems

The Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce partici-pated in the annual re-organization meeting for the city of West-lake Village to honor outgoing Mayor Su-san McSweeney. Jill Lederer, President/CEO of the Chamber, presented McSweeney with a gift which hon-ored her past terms as Mayor and her service to the residents and businesses of West-lake Village.

The Council rec-ommended Mayor Pro Tem Philippa Klessig as Mayor for the up-coming year. Coun-

cilmember Robert Slavin was selected as Mayor Pro Tem. Judge

The Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce acknowl-edged outgoing May-or Jacqui Irwin at the annual reorganization meeting for the city of Thousand Oaks in December.

Chamber Chair-man John LaRocca presented Irwin with a gift to recognize her past service as Mayor and her commitment to the city of Thou-sand Oaks.

The Council rec-ommended Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Bill-de la Peña as Mayor for the upcoming year. Councilmember Andy Fox was se-lected as Mayor Pro Tem.

City Clerk Linda Lawrence admin-istered the oath to newly elected coun-cilmember Al Adam and re-elected coun-cilmember Jacqui Ir-win.

—Cont. on pg. 12

—Cont. on pg. 11

lected as Mayor and the council nominated Councilmember Wil-liam D. Koehler as

Mayor Pro Tem for 2013. Chief William McSweeney adminis-tered the oath of office.

Councilmembers Robert Slavin and Philippa Klessig take the oath of office.

Chamber Recognizes Outgoing Westlake Village Mayor

City of Thousand Oaks Mayor Jacqui Irwin is Honored by the Chamber for Her Service

AN EVENING IN

CASABLANCA

Councilmembers Jacqui Irwin and Al Adam take the oath of office.

Mayor Jacqui Irwin

State of the City Address:

CITY GOVERNMENT

2JANUARY 2013

Conejo Business TimesGreater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce

Celebrating Our Community Leaders

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE\

Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce600 Hampshire Road, Suite 200

Westlake Village, CA 91361805.370.0035 • Fax 805.370.1083

www.conejochamber.org

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEKristen Davis, Chairman

Amgen, Inc.

Jill Lederer, President/CEOGreater Conejo Valley

Chamber of Commerce

John LaRocca, Chairman-Emeritus Sage Bankcard

Leonard Greenlee, Chairman-Elect Baxter Healthcare

Matt Huss, TreasurerSheraton Agoura Hills Hotel

Matthew Midura, SecretaryPepperdine University

Jennifer Ciccone, Director-at-LargeThe Oaks

Matt Huss, Director-at-LargeSheraton Agoura Hills Hotel

Phillip A. Koonce, Director-at-LargeFormer Chamber Chair-Elect

Rick Lemmo, Director-at-Large Caruso Affiliated

Angel Robertson, Director-at-LargeDallas Capital

Marcia Sutton, Director-at-LargeDole Food Co., Inc.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSMargie Cochrane, Ventura County Star

Tom Cohen, Alston + Bird, LLP

David Coonan, Hyatt Westlake Plaza

Mary Guy, California Republic Bank

Janet Hartley, US Bank

Greg Kaapuni, Attorney at Law

Dr. Chris Kimball, California Lutheran University

Amanda McPheeters Flaum, Anthem Blue Cross

Dr. Jacqueline Pick, Doctor of Chiropractic

Lisa Safaeinili, Westminster Free Clinic

Candice Shehorn, Key Pointe Coaching

Keith Sinclair, Sinclair Company

Mark Serjak, Verizon Communications

Lisa Shaw, Corwin Press

Greg Taylor, Hub International

Yvonne Vollert, Oaks Christian School

Nicole Winner, WinnerQuotes Insurance

Kim Woods, Keller Williams

Stephen Yeoh, MIT Consulting Corp.

CHAMBER STAFFJill Lederer

President/CEO

Sue Tuttle Controller

JoLynn HingerDirector of Marketing/Communication

Managing Editor

Alexis NalleyCommunication Coordinator

Sarah EkebergDirector of Government & Economic Affairs

Liz BarrettMembership Director / Special Projects

Liaison

Danielle Borja Events Manager

Barbara BrownCommunity Coordinator

Conejo Business Times is the official monthly publication of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce. Copyright 2013 Greater Conejo Valley Chamber. All rights reserved. Reproduction of all or part of this publication is prohibited except with written permission. The Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce does not warrant or guarantee the correctness of the information furnished them, nor against the possibility of errors, omissions, or inaccuracies. We reserve the rights to edit or reject any materials submitted. Publication of any material shall not be deemed as endorsement of any product, service, business or individual.

CHAMBER LEADERSHIP

“There is nothing stron-ger than the heart of a vol-unteer.” ~Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle

By the time you read this, the Chamber will have an-nounced the nominees for the prestigious Man, Wom-an, Business, Ambassador and Volunteer of the Year. We will be celebrating them all at our Annual Gala to be held on January 25 at the Four Seasons Westlake Vil-lage and we hope you will join us.

In honor of the steadfast men and women who have

come before the winners who will be announced that evening, here is a listing of the Conejo Valley’s previ-ous Men and Women of the Year. Should you happen to run into one of them, just tell them “thanks.”

Woman of the Year2011-12 Rosemary Licata2010-11 Patricia Jones2009-10 Janet Levett 2008-09 Tammie Helmuth 2007-08 Jacqui Irwin 2006-07 Julia Ladd 2005-06 Madeline Hess 2004-05 Susan Murata 2003-04 Amy Commans 2002-03 Betty DeSantis2001-02 Kris Carrawa-Bowman 2000-01 Dixie Vollmer 1999-00 Pat Croner 1997-98 Mary Elva Anderson1996-97 Maria Prescott 1995-96 Helene Ross1994-95 Betsy Bourne1993-94 Daryl Reynolds1992-93 Virginia Davis1991-92 Norma Callero 1990-91 Dorothy Brockway 1989-90 Jill Lederer 1988-89 Carolyn Kopp1987-88 Betty Horner

NEW MEMBER LUNCHEON

New Members Learn About Chamber BenefitsNearly a dozen new mem-bers were introduced to the many features and benefits of Chamber membership at the November New Member Luncheon.

A panel of Chamber employees and member representatives presented promotional and network-ing options, Chamber com-mittees, and a variety of ex-tras that are afforded to all Chamber members, such as

SCORE counseling, event discounts, Lunch and Learn classes and free Conejo Business Times articles.

The new members also took advantage of the net-working opportunities avail-able amongst themselves.

The next New Member Luncheon is scheduled for Friday, February 22. Please contact Alexis Nalley at the Chamber for a reservation.

Chamber Board Kicks Off 2013 With Planning RetreatThe Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors gath-ered for an all-day planning retreat at the Sheraton Hotel Agoura Hills in No-vember.

Board members come from a vari-ety of professions and serve for a three-year term. After a maximum of two consecutive terms, the bylaws require that a board member steps down for period of at least one year. At the end of 2012 the Chamber said goodbye to Ryan VanOmmeren and Dave Friedl, who termed out, but will remain active in the Chamber.

Jill LedererPresident/CEO

—Cont. on page 11

Kristen Davis2013 Chairman of the Board

—Cont. on page 11

“…of a good leader who talks little, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will all say, ‘we did this our-selves.’” ~ Lao Tzu

It is my distinct honor to welcome you back from the holidays via the first issue of this year’s Conejo Busi-ness Times. I hope you all had a revitalizing and joyful end to 2012 and are embrac-ing 2013 with optimism and bold plans.

“Together, it’s possible” is the theme I’ve chosen for the coming year. I’ve always believed that the best model

for business is collaboration where we balance each other, challenge each other, keep each other in check when necessary, pull forward each other’s very best skills and intentions and the total be-comes greater than the sum of our individual parts.

Your Chamber’s core mission is to create oppor-tunities for your success. In surveying you, we know that the most important things you look to us to do are to help create a strong local economy, promote the com-munity, provide networking opportunities, represent the interests of business with government, take political action and help support a sustainable future.

None of this would be possible without the sup-port of my colleagues on the Board of Directors, elected by you, our highly valued members. Your Board is comprised of 30 represen-tatives of businesses large and small. The Board works together with committee leaders, the Chamber Am-

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

Together, It’s Possible

3Conejo Business TimesGreater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce JANUARY 2013

TEACHER RECOGNITIONMeet the Chamber Board Members

PROMOTING EDUCATION

New LVUSD Superintendent Presents to Capacity Crowd at Education CommitteeDan Stepenosky, Ed.D., su-perintendent of Las Virgenes Unified School District (LVUSD), presented to a crowded room at the De-cember Education Commit-tee meeting. He was recently promoted to the position of LVUSD superintendent. He came to LVUSD six years ago as assistant superinten-dent of human resources.

Dr. Stepenosky was a former U.S. naval officer for four and a half years. He graduated with a Ph.D. from UCLA. Prior to LVUSD, he worked as principal of Bev-erly Hills High School.

His focus is on the stu-dents, on the child and on learning. He remarked,

“The most powerful thing we have is the relationship between adult, teacher and our child.” He explained that when young children say they love their teacher what they really mean is that they feel connected. They believe that their teachers care about them and know them well.

He also added that his hu-man resources background lends itself to the vision that all students are learn-ing skills to be successful in their careers and in their pro-fessional lives. He wants stu-dents to become employees who are collaborative and not isolated. He reminded

PROMOTING BUSINESS

Introducing our Chamber staff members: each one’s dedi-cation and diligence contrib-utes to the overall success of our Chamber.

As Director of Market-ing and Communication for the Greater Conejo Val-ley Chamber of Commerce, JoLynn Hinger brings more than two decades of experi-ence to the organization. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass media communication with emphasis in journal-ism and public relations, as well as a minor in graphic design, from Loma Linda University.

Throughout her career, Hinger has put her com-munication expertise into action in a variety of fields that include public relations for a university; public in-formation officer for three different hospitals; techni-cal writing for city public

Marketing Director Puts Communication Expertise into Action

works; and marketing for a research and development division of 24 Hour Fitness.

At the Chamber, she is the managing editor of the Conejo Business Times; han-dles the Chamber’s website; administers the Technology Forum and Lunch and Learn program; oversees Chamber branding; writes and dis-seminates press releases; de-signs flyers, ads, invitations and a variety of printed and electronic materials; acts as Chamber photographer; serves as the information technology technician for the office, which includes computer and telephone sys-tems; and oversees the work of the Communication Co-ordinator.

Born in California and raised in Colorado, Hinger and her family have called Simi Valley home for almost 20 years.

JoLynn Hinger

CHAMBER STAFF

—Cont. on page 11

Teacher of the Month Named for Conejo Valley School District

Each month throughout the school year, the Greater Conejo Valley Community Foundation recognizes a Teacher of the Month. A total of 10 teachers from the Conejo Valley Uni-fied School District and three teachers from the Las Virgenes Unified School District are honored each school year.

Thank you to the partici-pating businesses that gener-ously donate to this program:

Journey’s End, Ventura County Credit Union, United Blood Services, California State University, Channel

Islands, Mathnasium, Car-ington Financial and Insur-ance Services, Sylvan West-lake, Global Guidance, LLC, Aviara Real Estate, Pacific Oaks Federal Credit Union, Hugo’s, Conejo Valley Cor-ridor, Chyten Education, The Leukemia and Lympho-ma Society, Genworth Long Term Care Insurance, Ston-efire Grill and Santa Barbara Bank & Trust.

If you are interested in becoming a Teacher of the Month sponsor, contact Sar-ah Ekeberg at the Chamber, 805.370.0035 or [email protected].

Laurie Looker, School to Career Coordinator at Westlake High School, was the November Teacher of the Month for CVUSD.

The City of Westlake Village and the Greater Conejo Val-ley Chamber of Commerce are accepting nominations for the Business Recogni-tion Program that honors outstanding businesses in the city of Westlake Village.

Businesses will be select-ed by the city and the Cham-ber quarterly, based on the following criteria:

Must be a Chamber mem-• ber and must be located in the city of Westlake Village in Los Angeles County, but anyone may make a nomination,Do business in a location • that enhances the com-munity aesthetically, Demonstrate community • involvement in the city of Westlake Village, andHave current or future • plans for the greening of their business.Nominations are due to

the Chamber by Friday, March 22, 2013. The win-

ner will be announced at an upcoming Westlake Village City Council Meeting.

The honoree will be pre-sented with a certificate and have an opportunity to share information about their busi-ness when they accept their award.

The winner will also re-ceive a package of advertis-ing from the Chamber in-cluding a free quarter-page ad in the Conejo Business Times, a logo ad on the Chamber’s website for three months, a month of free ad-vertising on the Chamber’s weekly Tuesday Email Up-date electronic newsletter, and have a story about their business published in the Conejo Business Times.

Find a nomination form on the Chamber’s website at www.conejochamber.org under the Government sec-tion or contact Sarah Eke-berg, Director of Govern-ment and Economic Affairs at [email protected], 805.370.0035.

Chris Kimball became Presi-dent of California Lutheran Uni-versity in April 2008 after serving as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs for nearly two years.

With a distinguished career as a teacher, scholar and academic leader, Kimball is an author and speaker on history and higher edu-cation. His scholarly work is in the field of American history, with a specialization in urban history and the history of sport. An undergrad-uate alumnus of McGill University, Kimball received his master’s de-gree and doctorate in history from The University of Chicago.

Along with leading CLU into its second half century, Kimball serves as Vice Chair for Programs and on the Executive Committee

Amanda McPheeters Flaum is Staff Vice President of Care Man-agement at WellPoint, Inc. In her role, McPheeters Flaum leads a core group of utility players re-sponsible for execution on strategic initiatives for Care Management Operations. McPheeters Flaum provides executive leadership on strategic projects, continuous im-provement initiatives, compliance and system implementations. She is a valued thought partner and ad-visor to leadership.

McPheeters Flaum graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in sociology and earned a M.S. in family studies with distinction from California State University Northridge. She also received the 2011 Young Hispanic Corporate Achiever award from the Hispanic Association on Corporate Respon-

The Chamber continues in this and subsequent issues of the Conejo Business Times, to introduce readers to members of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Board members devote significant time to the Chamber, attending monthly meetings and Chamber functions.

Dr. Chris Kimball

Amanda McPheeters

Flaum

Westlake Businesses Eligible for City Recognition Award

—Cont. on page 5

—Cont. on page 5

Richard Brill, Dr. Dan Stepenosky, and LVUSD principals Dr. Abbe Irshay and Christina Desiderio.

4JANUARY 2013


Anyone doing busi-ness in the Conejo Valley will want to attend the 2013 Eco-nomic Forecast pre-sented by the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks in partnership with the Greater Conejo Valley Cham-ber of Commerce on Wednesday, February 8, 2013, 7 to 9 a.m. at the Lundring Events Center at California Lutheran University, lo-cated in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, 130 Overton Court, Thousand Oaks.

Cost is $40 for pre-registered reser-vations, $50 at the door.

Keynote speaker is Bill Watkins, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Eco-nomics and Executive Director for the Center for Economic Research and

Thank You for RenewingExceptional businesses invest in the Chamber because they recog-nize the value of membership.

49 years California Lutheran

UniversityConejo Valley

Veterinary Hospital

43 years California American

Water

36 years Pacific Union

Conference

31 years State Farm Insurance /

D. Predmore

27 years Newbury Disposal

Company

22 years First California Bank

21 years Insurance Dimensions

18 years Gold Coast Association

Mgmt.Nevers, Palazzo,

Packard, Wildermuth & Wynner, PC

17 years Cover 2 Cover Music

and Entertainment, Inc.

16 years Coldwell Banker / Pat

HeltonMarmalade Cafe

14 years Economic

Development Collaborative

RP Barricade, Inc.Warner Pacific

Insurance Services

12 years George Thompson

Diamond Co.Maxfield Gallegos

InsuranceTotal Woman Gym &

Day Spa

11 years Calleguas Municipal

Water DistrictLower Mortgage.net

10 years California State

University Channel Islands

David James Agency, LLC

Office Depot - Business Services Division

Phillip A. Koonce

9 years Area Housing Authority,

County of VenturaComputer Pro

8 years Cabrillo Economic

Development Corp.On The Mark Home

Inspections

6 years Food Share, Inc.PODS ‘’The Best

Moving & Storage Idea Ever’’

Silverado Senior LivingTime Warner Cable

5 years Fisher & Associates,

Inc.GoBeDo ProductionsMary Health of the Sick

Convalescent and Nursing Hospital

Pick, Jacqueline & Dennis, DC

4 years BOGOPODCoastal CopyMuvico Entertainment

LLCNewbury Park

OrthodonticsOakView at University

VillageThe Grill on the AlleyUnited Capital

2 years Air System Solutions,

Inc.First 5 Ventura CountyNext Level CoachingSCORE (Service

Core of Retired Executives)

The Loomis Law Firm

1 year Chinese Association

for Science & Technology California Chapter at LA

Coldwell Banker / Gregg Holland, CRS, GRI, CIAS

Goodwill Southern California

Howard M. Loeb P.C.IQ Advisory GroupSherwood Country

ClubThree Wishes

ScholarshipsTotal Wine and MoreTough Talk CoachVentura County

Sheriff’s Foundation

Welcome New MembersPROMOTING BUSINESS

Leave a lasting impression with your 20-second personal introduction,

share unique facts about your business, connect with the right people and

recognize fellow Chamber members for their outstanding service!

Palm Garden Hotel

495 North Ventu Park Rd., Thousand Oaks

Pre-register by 12 noon Thursday, Jan. 10 and save!

Members: $20 · Non-Members: $30 Pre-registered members included on Hot Sheet!

Walk-In Members: $25 · Non-Members/Guests: $35

No refunds or transfers

Register online at www.conejochamber.org For more information call 805.370.0035

Special thank you to breakfast sponsor:

Networking Breakfast

Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 · 7:30 - 9 a.m. Note new later starting time

JUMP START

Networking Breakfast

Avoid Potential Fines: Pre-Order the Mandatory 2013 California and Federal Employment Poster

The Greater Conejo Valley Chamber is making it easy for your business to comply with California’s labor laws.

No matter how many employees you have in California, your business is re-quired by law to post a current Califor-nia and Federal Employment Poster in a central location. As part of a special partnership with the CalChamber, the Chamber is currently taking pre-orders for the updated 2013 California and Federal Employment Poster.

The CalChamber’s all-in-one poster contains the 16 required state and fed-eral employment notices every Califor-nia employer must post.

The 2013 poster includes the man-datory update to the Discrimination and Harassment notice, effective Janu-ary 1, 2013. In addition,

The Cal/OSHA notice has changed.• The Employee Polygraph Protec-•

tion Act notice has changed.There are pending changes to the • Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) notices. If approved for 2013, these will be mandatory changes.Implementation of workers’ com-• pensation reform measures will also begin in 2013. As a result, there are potential mandatory changes to the Workers’ Compensation notice and pamphlet regarding employees’ rights and benefits and employer obligations.Failure to comply and have a cur-

rent poster posted in a central loca-tion at your workplace could result in significant fines and penalties. Posters must be displayed in a conspicuous

Conejo Valley Regional Economic Forecast Slated for February 8

—Cont. on page 6—Cont. on page 11

Thirteen Businesses Invest in Their Success

ABC Always Better Care

Atria Hillcrest

Corporate Fitness Systems LLC

Coupon Blackboard

Get Lean & Fit Fast!

High Maintenance Nails LLC

Island Massage

Leave it 2 Lori

Paul Martin’s American Grill

SiteBumpers.com

Southern California Pain Treatment Center

TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre of Conejo Valley

We Olive Thousand Oaks

Dr. Bill Watkins

Sheraton Agoura Hills Hotel

Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Networking at Night Mixer

Hosted by:

Admission collected at the door: Chamber Members: $5 Non-Members: $15

For more information, call or visit: 805.370.0035 �� www.conejochamber.org

Like us on Facebook!

30100 Agoura Road Agoura Hills 91301

Experience the transformation of the $6 million dollar renovation at the Sheraton Agoura Hills

Hotel. Located in the rolling foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, our hotel provides a peaceful escape from the city, yet allows for easy access

to popular California attractions and major businesses.


PROMOTING BUSINESS

Advertise in this publication for

as little as $51 a month!

Call the Chamber for details.

805.370.0035

Dennis Rehm

Dennis Rehm Insurance Agency

Dennis Rehm has been operating his Farmers Insurance agency since 2006. Prior to this, he enjoyed 23 years with the Intel Corporation where he held management posi-tions in both sales and marketing.

Rehm chose insurance as a sec-ond career because he identified it as a field he would enjoy and in which he could be a technical ex-pert providing his clients with valu-able solutions.

He has a B.S. in finance from Northern Illinois University and an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

Currently, Rehm is mid-way through the course work to earn his LUTCF designation (Life Under-writer Training Council Fellow), which gives him advanced quali-fications to advise individuals and businesses on life insurance for business continuation, estate and financial planning purposes.

Rehm is in his third year as a Chamber Ambassador and totally enjoys the opportunity to represent the Chamber in the community.

Ambassador SpotlightMeet the New Chamber Members

Dr. Nabi Brings 17 Years of Dental Experience to the Conejo ValleyDr. Amy Nabi has been on a mission to create and maintain beautiful, healthy smiles for all her patients in this commu-nity since 2003.

Dr. Nabi possesses a bachelor of science in chemistry and completed her doctorate degree of dental surgery at Loma Linda University. With

more than 17 years of experience, her expertise in all phases of dentistry offers you exceptional dental care and diag-noses you can trust and depend on. From routine dental care to extreme full-mouth reconstruc-tion, she is dedicated to restoring and enhancing your oral health while giving you that Holly-wood smile you’ve al-ways wanted.

Contact the office to-day at 805.379.5222 for an appointment to meet with Dr. Nabi.

Sleep Center Offers Innovative Solutions

The TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre of Conejo Valley is a caring medical and dental prac-tice dedicated to the treatment of headaches, TMJ issues, snor-ing and sleep apnea, including CPAP intolerance. They go far and beyond the highest proto-cols and standards in the indus-try, allowing for successful out-comes.

They provide a thorough diagnosis and treatment plan with state-of-the-art techniques and imaging equipment, while maintaining the principle of “less is more” with respect to the most conservative treatment

possible, in loving service to the community.

To find out more about TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre of Conejo Valley’s services, call 805.496.5700, visit www.tmj-conejo.com, or email [email protected].

SiteBumpers.com Improves Online Marketing for Businesses of All Sizes

SiteBumpers.com offers an array of internet marketing ser-vices including search engine optimization (SEO), reputa-tion management, social media marketing and website design services.

Sitebumpers.com focuses on producing lasting results for clients

that won’t be weeded out with any future update Google shells out. If you want to work with an internet marketing firm that knows how to work with the system to produce long-term re-sults for your company, you’ve found your answer.

Contact Sitebumpers.com today at 818.227.5115 for a free website analysis to see

where you are and how they can help. Sitebumpers.com looks forward to bumping your site to the top!

of the Council of Independent Col-leges and on the Executive Com-mittee of the Association of Inde-pendent California Colleges and Universities.

Kimball also serves on numer-ous nonprofit, educational, eco-nomic and community boards of directors throughout Southern California such as the President’s Council of the American Red Cross Ventura County, the Workforce In-vestment Board of Ventura County, United Way Ventura County, the Green Coast Alliance, the Conejo Las Virgenes Futures Foundation, the Greater Conejo Valley Cham-ber of Commerce and Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center. He is a member of the Thousand Oaks Rotary and chair of the President’s Council for the Southern Califor-nia Intercollegiate Athletic Confer-ence.

sibility.McPheeters Flaum is an Adviso-

ry Board Member of the Salvation Army Oxnard/Port Hueneme chap-ter and is on the United Way Ven-tura County Board of Directors.

McPheeters Flaum, a southern California native, resides in Thou-sand Oaks with her husband, Ju-lian.

—Cont. from page 3Flaum

—Cont. from page 3Kimball

Dr. Shirazi

2 0 1 3 REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORECAST

For Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village & Agoura Hills

February 8, 2013Lundring Events CenterCalifornia Lutheran University130 Overton Court, Thousand Oaks

$40 for pre-registered reservations$50 at the door

Advance reservations available online at:www.conejochamber.org

for more info call 805.370.0035Presented by the

Rotary Club of Thousand Oaksin partnership with the

Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce

6JANUARY 2013


BUSINESS EDUCATION

Free Lunch and Learn Business Seminars Slated for January

NETWORKING AT NIGHT

Learn from peers and pros at the Chamber’s free lunchtime educa-tion series. Bring your own brown-bag lunch and join fellow Chamber members at the Janet Levett Chamber Conference Center, 600 Hampshire Rd., Suite 202, Westlake Village.

This series is open to the first 20 respondents and advance reserva-tions are suggested.

Lunch and Learn is free to Cham-ber members. Non-member cost is $10. Pre-register online at www.cone-jochamber.org to reserve your place. Call the Chamber at 805.370.0035 for further information.

Wed., Jan. 9, 12-1:30 p.m.QuickBooks: Why You Need it, Which Version is Right for You and How to Get Started

JeanClaude Razac, Senior Accountant,SHM Tax Advisors, Inc.

QuickBooks is the preferred ac-counting software for most small businesses. Whether you are a first time user, thinking of purchasing QuickBooks or an experienced user looking for some tips, this Lunch and Learn is for you!

Which QuickBooks version is 1. right for me?

Beginning with the right chart 2. of accounts.

Bank reconciliations.3. What do I need to give my ac-4. countant?

Backing up your files.5.

JeanClaude Razac is a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor with more than 15 years of experience. SHM Tax Advisors services industries in retail, wholesale, professional ser-vices, real estate and nonprofits.

Wed., Jan. 16, 12-1:30 p.m.Be the Best Networker You Can Be: Learn the Art of Business NetworkingSame day as the Mixer. Learn at lunch, practice that evening at the Networking at Night Mixer.

John LaRocca, Sage Bankcard

Sarah Shirazi Reznick, Edward Jones

Discuss how to meet, greet, network and get

The benefits of living in Southern California were on full display in November, when Chamber members and guests were treat-ed to a lovely warm evening for the No-vember Networking at Night mixer, hosted on the patio at Bel-mont Village Senior Living in Thousand Oaks.

Guests were met with a beautiful ar-rangement of appe-tizers and beverages, provided by the facil-ity, and were able to tour the grounds of the Village, which is located at 3680 North Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks. Plen-ty of seasoned mem-bers were on hand to welcome the many new members that came for the evening, offering a glimpse at the enthusiasm and strong business com-munity that consti-tutes the Chamber.

The facility, which opened in the sum-mer of 2011, features

Belmont Village Hosts Autumn Networking

Forecast

—Cont. from page 4

105 studio and one-bedroom assisted liv-ing residences and a separate, secured Al-zheimer’s Neighbor-hood with 34 private apartments. The com-munity offers a wide array of services and support to enable each resident to stay happy, alert, and physically active.

Belmont Village prides itself on its high standard of care and acute attention to the mental and physical fitness of its residents, offering personalized, nationally-recognized wellness programs and therapy services. Ame-nities include several multi-purpose meet-ing rooms, a library, a technology center with Wi-Fi access, a pro-fessionally supervised fitness center, chef-prepared meals, con-cierge, transportation services and a variety of outdoor spaces.

To find out more about the extensive services offered by

Plenty of delicious fare was available for guests.

Meeting, greeting and networking were the order of the evening.

Belmont Village Se-nior Living, includ-ing information about their research-based memory care pro-gram, visit www.

Mixer guests enjoyed a lovely fall eve-ning at Belmont Village.

thousandoaks.bel-montvillage.com or call 805.496.9301.

For information about future Net-

Forecasting at California Lutheran University.

Dr. Watkins will be joined by local industry experts for a thorough discus-sion of what Conejo Valley businesses can expect this year’s economic cli-mate to look like, including big picture and industry-specific perspectives. Panelists will include: Susan Murata, Silver Star Automotive, for retail; Rick Principe, Westcord Commercial Real Estate, for real estate; and Tony Kour-ounis, California Republic Bank, rep-resenting banking.

Register early and save. Prepaid reservations of $40 are due by 12 noon Thursday, February 7. Walk-ins are welcome for $50 at the door. Payment includes breakfast, seminar and a copy of the 2013 Regional Economic Fore-cast Report.

For more information or to register online go to www.conejochamber.org. Sorry, but there are no refunds or trans-fers.

Sponsors include Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks, Alcoa Fastening Sys-tems, California Lutheran University, Corwin Press, First Rate Financial Group, Skyline Home Loans and The Oaks.

Note: the Forecast Breakfast will preempt the Chamber’s regularly scheduled February Jump Start Net-working Breakfast.

—Cont. on page 7

working at Night mixers with the Chamber, visit www.conejochamber.org or call 805.370.0035.

Guests filled the patio area of the facility.


BREAKFAST NETWORKING

Guests Close Out the Year with NetworkingChamber members and guests gathered at the Sheraton Agoura Hills Hotel in December for the Cham-ber’s monthly Jump Start Networking Breakfast. The large group of early birds was treated to an impressive breakfast buffet provided by the Sheraton.

Guest emcee Rick Lem-mo, member of the Cham-ber’s Board of Directors and Senior Vice President of Community Relations with Caruso Affiliated, led the lively group in a round of personal introductions to get the morning started.

Following introductions, attendees were introduced to the newest members of their Chamber, who provid-ed brief introductions to the group. The breakfast was sponsored by the Heartland Institute of Financial Educa-tion. Richard Brill, a finan-cial educator with Heart-land, presented to the group about its Financial Wellness Course being offering to the community in collaboration with the Chamber.

The information provid-ed by the Institute, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is impartial and does not offer any particular strategy, nor does it endorse any product. The course pro-

vides in-depth information on many topics and contains several worksheets that help attendees map their finan-cial futures. Additionally, all attendees receive a one-hour private consultation with the educator.

Chamber members re-ceive the discounted rate of $99, and community mem-bers are offered the course at $109. Spouses and part-ners attend for free. The evening courses will take place January 15, 22 and 29 from 6-8:30 p.m. and the Saturday course will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 26. To find out more, email Rich-ard Brill at [email protected], visit www.HIFE-USA.org, or call Breakfast sponsor Richard Brill discussed Heartland Institute of

Financial Education.

New Chamber members were welcomed to the breakfast.

Emerging Leaders Mixer

Wed., Jan. 9, 6-8 p.m.Mermaid Tavern

1345 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.Thousand Oaks

Connect with young professionals in the Conejo Valley at the monthly Emerging Leaders Mixer.

Emerging Leaders is a networking group for young professionals under the age of 40.

For info contact Danielle Borja at [email protected] or call the Chamber at 805.370.0035.

805.669.1609. Join the Chamber at the

next Jump Start Networking Breakfast, which will be held at the Palm Garden Hotel in Thousand Oaks on January 11, 2013. Beginning in 2013,

Chamber breakfasts will be-gin at 7:30 a.m. and will run until 9 a.m. To find out more about future breakfasts and upcoming Chamber events, visit www.conejochamber.org or call 805.370.0035.

Order Your 2013 California Employment Poster Today!

MANDATORY CHANGE TO EMPLOYMENT NOTICES POSTER

Make sure your business is in compliance. Even if you have only one employee, you can be fined

$17,000 for not posting required notices. Our poster includes all 16 notices in one convenient

poster. Order yours today! www.conejochamber.org, select Chamber Store

Or call 805.370.0035

HR ForumThurs., Jan. 24, 4-5 p.m.

Workers’ Compensation Fraud Discussed at Human Resources Forum

John Morris, Head Deputy, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Healthcare Fraud Division, will speak to the Human Resources Forum about workers’ compensa-tion fraud. More workers’ compen-sation fraud occurs in Los Angeles County than in any other area of California. Unfortunately, each year the crimes grow more widespread and sophisticated, including claim-ant fraud, premium fraud and com-plex fraudulent activity involving cappers, medical mills, interpreters and pharmacies.

His presentation will discuss:Identifying when an employee is • committing workers’ compensa-tion fraud.What to do when you suspect • you are being victimized.The underground economy: lev-• eling the playing field for honest businesses.

qualified leads at the evening’s mixer. • Five biggest networking mis-

takes.• How to feel comfortable with

cold introductions.• How to manage leads.• Choosing your power partners.• Critiquing your results.

Technology ForumThurs., Jan. 17

11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m.

What’s New in the Smartphone World

Speaker: Stephen Yeoh, MBA, PMP, MTC, MIT Consulting Corp.

Did you get a new iPhone for the holidays? Have you recently up-graded your smartphone operating system? Are you looking for ways to integrate apps to help your busi-ness?

Learn about some of the newest and most efficient ways regard-ing the latest functionality in the smartphone world. Join the forum to learn more about the smartphone and tablet technology landscape, followed by an open discussion of your favorite business apps and how you are using your devices for your business.

Note: While this presentation will focus on the iPhone, the prin-ciples also apply to most smart-phones and many applications are available on multiple platforms.

Stephen Yeoh is one of 120+ in the country certified by Apple to manage iPads/iPhones in busi-ness. He specializes in seamless Mac and PC strategy, planning, networking and integration.

Guest enjoyed the December Emerging Leaders mixer held at Cinepolis at the Promenade at Westlake.

Learn —Cont. from page 6

Rick Lemmo served as emcee for the morning.

8JANUARY 2013


Insert yourself in front of your customers.

The Ventura County Star can print and deliver beautiful full-color, glossy inserts to every home in Ventura County for as little as 3¢ each. Forget about mailbox delivery at 45¢ per home, when you can reach your best customers and prospects through a combined print and deliver program in the daily Ventura County Star and the free community weekly, EXTRA!

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Business Briefs: Updates and AnnouncementsBenefit Concert Brings Rock and Roll’s Finest to Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza in JanuaryBig Brothers Big Sisters invites the community to a benefit concert on Sun-day, January 13, 2013 at the Fred Kavli Theatre in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. One of the original Brit-ish invasion bands, Herman’s Hermits, starring Peter Noone, will provide an evening that everyone can enjoy, while at the same time being champions for youth mentoring during National Men-toring Month.

The concert includes the come-dic talent of Louis Ashamallah,“The Conejo Valley’s Favorite Egyptian Co-median” as Master of Ceremonies. The benefit concert helps raise invaluable

resources to support the high-impact mentoring programs and services of Big Brothers Big Sisters, which cur-rently serves more than 1,500 youth throughout Ventura County and neigh-boring communities. The participation of youth in this nationally recognized, preventative mentoring program is guiding their trajectory to become pro-ductive and responsible citizens.

An exclusive VIP reception starts at 5:30 p.m. that includes drinks, appetiz-ers, and a meet and greet with stars and special guests. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the program begins at 6:30 p.m. A silent auction will have an array of items to bid on including sports and music memorabilia, gift baskets and jewelry.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.bbsvc.org, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800.745.3000, or at the Thou-sand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza box office, civicartsplaza.com.

Waste Management Garners Green Award from WHCAt its 24th Annual Symposium, Work-ing for a Greener World, the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) presented Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center (SVLRC) with its Corporate Lands for Learning (CLL) certification. This certification is part of 134 total certi-fied programs for Waste Management (WM) at 116 sites company-wide.

The program provides an outdoor environmental education experience in which students of all ages, scouting groups and com-munity members can learn about the importance of pollinator hab-itat conservation and explore native plant communities.

Visitors can hike a nature trail, which features a viewing station that overlooks five habitat types, and visit the pollinator garden, which contains educational signage about butterflies, bees, and other wildlife.

This year’s certifications also helped WM continue to surpass one of

its corporate-wide sustainability goals set for 2020. In 2007, WM pledged to preserve and restore 25,000 acres of wildlife habitat across North America. The company achieved this goal in 2010 and now has more than 28,000 acres. WM also committed to have at least 100 of its facilities with WHC certifications. With the addition of this year’s certifications, the company has surpassed this goal.

“Waste Management first began working with WHC because our em-ployees wanted to get involved and

this organization helped us do that,” said Waste Management President and CEO David Steiner. “Our relationship has turned into one that truly

benefits Waste Management and its communities. Through the WHC pro-grams, we feel we are making a differ-ence as a trusted and valued partner to our customers and communities.”

To learn more about SVLRC’s habitat protections program or sched-ule a tour, please visit www.Keep-ingVenturaCountyClean.com or con-tact Lisa Hemenway at 805.581.1746.

Community Youths Visit Waste Management to Celebrate America Recycles Day The Simi Valley Landfill and Re-cycling Center (SVLRC) celebrated America Recycles Day by offering on-site environmental education tours to Girl Scout Troops and elementary stu-dents to promote recycling awareness.

To help the youths gain an early appreciation for protecting the planet and preserving its natural resources, the SVLRC hosted educational tours throughout the day to get an up-close look at the green innovation and sus-tainable solutions behind the landfill’s operations.

During the tours, Girl Scout Troop 60128 and 60623 and FACES Elemen-tary School took the America Recycles Day pledge to re-commit to the envi-ronment and become recycling ambas-

sadors to their community.“Our goal is to empower youths

with the knowledge to make environ-mentally-friendly decisions when it comes to their daily habits,” said Lisa Hemenway, community relations rep-resentative for Waste Management. “After touring the SVLRC and the Pol-linator Garden, we hope children and their parents will return home empow-ered to make better choices that pro-tect the environment by recycling and more importantly, to think twice about throwing something away.”

Since 2008, the SVLRC has pro-vided educational tours to more than 6,000 visitors. The educational pro-gram gives students, scout groups, and the community at large hands-on expe-rience about waste, recycling and envi-ronmental stewardship.

The SVLRC is located at 2801 Madera Road in Simi Valley. To learn more about educational tours, please call 805.579.7267 or visit www.Keep-ingVenturaCountyClean.com.

Brendan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant Brings 250 New Jobs to Ventura CountyBrendan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant in Ventura County opened their third lo-cation in Newbury Park in October. Since first opening in Camarillo in 2011, Brendan’s Irish Pub has brought over 250 jobs to an area that has been affected by a 9.4 percent unemploy-ment rate.

Brendan’s employee retention is high due to Brendan’s unique employ-

ment culture, which affords each team member the opportunity to have happy days and do something bigger than themselves.

When possible, Brendan’s promotes from within their organization. Bussers can aspire to be store managers, store managers can aspire to be general man-agers, and general managers can be-come a part of upper management. As a result, many people in the area apply to become a part of the team as proven by the over 900 applications received for Brendan’s in Newbury Park.

For questions, please contact Tyler Rex at 805.910.8335 or [email protected].

Owie BowWowie and Friends is Honored as 2012 Top-Rated NonprofitOwie BowWowie and Friends has been honored with a prestigious 2012 Top-Rated Award by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews about nonprofit organizations.

“We are so excited to be named a Top-Rated 2012 Nonprofit,” says Owie. “We are proud of our accomplishments this year, including our two new Owie BowWowie’s that will be introduced to the public very soon.”

The 2012 Top-Rated Nonprofit List

was based on the large number of posi-tive reviews that Owie BowWowie and Friends received – reviews written by volunteers, donors and clients. Being on the 2012 Top-Rated List comes at an important time of the year, as do-nors look for causes to support during the holiday season.

“We are gratified by Owie Bow-Wowie and Friends for its work,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits, “They deserve to be discovered by more donors and volunteers who are looking for a great nonprofit to sup-port.”

To learn more about Owie Bow-Wowie and Friends, and to donate, visit owiebowwowie.org.

Make sure your business is in compliance. Even if you have only one employee, you can be fined

$17,000 for not posting required notices. Our poster includes all 16 notices in one convenient

poster. Order yours today! www.conejochamber.org, select Chamber Store

Or call 805.370.0035

Order Your 2 0 1 3 C a l i f o r n i a Employment Poster Today!


To be included in Business Briefs or Meet the New Members, Chamber members can submit 120-150 word articles by the first working day of the month preceding the publication date (i.e., deadline for the March issue is February 1). Photos or logos are welcome, but are used on a space-available basis. Insertion of articles is at the discretion of the Chamber and articles may be edited or held for future editions. Call the Chamber for details.

—Cont. from page 8Business Briefs

Office Depot Offers Special Discounts to Chamber MembersChamber membership has a variety of benefits, but did you know it could save you money on office supplies as well? The Chamber has partnered with Office Depot to provide massive discounts to its members through the Chamber Of-fice Depot Program.

By presenting their Store Program Card, members are offered savings of up to 60 percent off from a list of 195 items commonly purchased by busi-nesses. In addition to these savings, participants in the Chamber store pur-chasing program can save five percent on other purchases and can save up to 70 percent off of copy and print jobs. In addition to in-store savings, par-ticipants have access to the discount online.

Program participant Peter Carrube reports, “I went to Office Depot to

pick up my flyers for the Street Fair (over 1,000). My bill came to $136. I gave them the Chamber Program num-ber and it took my total down to $37.” Carrube continued, “This was an ex-cellent show of how the Chamber and Office Depot are working together to make life just a bit easier for business-es. Thank you very much and I will definitely continue getting my business supplies from Office Depot.”

This program is free to Chamber members. To sign up, and to find out more about current offers, visit www.saveatofficedepot.com/conejovalley-chamber.

Hogan Foundation Expands Home Front Program for VeteransThe Hogan Family Foundation recent-ly expanded its Home Front program to offer local military personnel returning from overseas deployment the oppor-tunity to reconnect to life back home through the Hogan’s equine program at its Rancho St. Francis facility.

The Foundation began the Home Front program in 2009, offering chil-dren of deployed military personnel the opportunity to enjoy free, weekly horseback riding lessons and other ac-tivities at the Hogan Family Founda-tion’s Rancho St. Francis equine rescue facility. Now, returning military parents can also take advantage of the equine therapy offered through the program.

Ed Hogan, chairman of the Hogan Family Foundation, said, “When we started Home Front, we felt we owed a tremendous debt of gratitude to our brave military and wanted to do some-thing special and positive for the chil-dren of these American heroes while their parents are away serving and protecting our country. Now that these veterans are returning home, they may need some normalcy in their lives and we want to provide them with an op-portunity to ease back into civilian life and reconnect.”

The Foundation’s Home Front ac-tivities include everything from feeding

and grooming the horses on the ranch to learning to ride. Hogan noted, “Over the years of operating our equestrian program, we have found that work-ing with horses can be a very calming and therapeutic experience for both the people and animals. These magnifi-cent creatures offer unconditional love to those working with them, which is very positive and soothing.”

The Hogan Family Foundation also operates a number of civic and philan-thropic programs throughout the area, including horsemanship and riding programs for abused, neglected, and at-risk women and children.

The Foundation also owns and operates the Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks, the Hogan Entrepre-neurial Program at business schools at Gonzaga and Chaminade universities, small and large dog medical assistance programs, and Hogan Angel Flight, which helps fund emergency travel for seriously ill individuals who cannot af-ford the air travel for needed medical attention.

Applications for the Home Front program can be completed online at www.ranchostfrancis.org/homefront or by calling 805.480.3039.

To participate, military personnel must verify their service. For more in-formation on other programs operated by the Hogan Family Foundation, go to www.hoganfoundation.org.

SAGE Publications and Corwin Press Grant to Help Local Adult Students SucceedMoorpark College and the Conejo Val-ley Adult School received a second grant from SAGE Publications and Corwin Press in support of the year-old Bridge Program, which offers classes to adults who want to return to college and/or the workforce but require addi t ional skills and training to do so suc-cessfully.

The course subjects include writing skills, critical reading, basic math, pre-algebra and algebra. Completing these classes helps students avoid remedial courses at community college. The schools received an equal grant last year, which was used to help launch the Bridge program. Enrollment will begin in January for classes beginning January 22, 2013.

“As a passionate advocate of life-long learning, SAGE is happy to sup-port a program that enables adults to receive the education necessary for both professional advancement and an improved community,” stated Blaise Simqu, President and CEO of SAGE Publications.

Conejo Valley Adult School works in partnership with Moorpark College to offer the skills that are needed for successful transition from the Bridge Program to Moorpark. As state budget cuts have required the community col-

lege system to cut back cours-es, the Bridge Program of-fers potential students an opportunity to

gain the skills they need for success in college. A special counselor has been designated to help students make a smooth transition to Moorpark when the time comes to make the move.

The next semester of Bridge Pro-gram courses begins January 21, 2013. Call 805.497.2761 extension 1043 or visit www.conejoadultschool.com for registration information.

FRIDAY JANUARY 25, 2013

AN EVENING IN

CASABLANCA

$115 PER PERSON

RSVP ONLINE BY

JANUARY 22 AT

CONEJOCHAMBER.ORG

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL WESTLAKE VILLAGE

COPY&PRINT

10JANUARY 2013


January 2013 Calendar of Chamber EventsMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1Holiday. Chamber Closed.

2 3Business Breakfast NetworkPreferred Referral AllianceSynergy Bus. Connections

4SCORE Counseling

7 8Conejo Professional Alliance

9Lunch & LearnQuickbooks12 noon - 1:30 p.m.

Emerging Leaders Happy Hour at Mermaid Tavern6-8 p.m.

10Business Breakfast NetworkPreferred Referral Alliance

Education Committee3:45 - 5 p.m.

11SCORE Counseling

Jump Start Networking Breakfast 7:30 - 9 a.m.Palm Garden Hotel Thousand Oaks

14 15Conejo Professional AllianceNightlite Networkers

16Lunch & LearnThe Art of Networking12 noon - 1:30 p.m.

Networking at Night Mixer 5:30 - 7 p.m.Los Robles Greens Banquet Center

17Business Breakfast NetworkPreferred Referral AllianceSynergy Bus. Connections

Senior Resource Forum 9-10 a.m.Technology Forum11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.

18SCORE Counseling

21Holiday. Chamber Closed.

22Monthly Mailer Flyers Due12 noon

Conejo Professional Alliance

23Government Relations Committee11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.

24Business Breakfast NetworkPreferred Referral Alliance

Human Resources Forum4-5 p.m.

25Annual Recognition Gala 6:30-9:30 p.m.Four Seasons Westlake Village

28 29Conejo Professional Alliance

30 31Business Breakfast NetworkPreferred Referral Alliance

2 0 1 3 REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORECASTFor Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills

February 8, 2013Lundring Events CenterCalifornia Lutheran University130 Overton Court, Thousand Oaks

$40 for pre-registered reservations$50 at the door

Advance reservations available online at:www.conejochamber.org

for more info call 805.370.0035

Presented by the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaksin partnership with the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce

Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks Featuring Group 4 Rotary Clubs of the Conejo Valley

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Networking at Night Mixer

Hosted by:

Admission collected at the door: Chamber Members: $5 Non-Members: $15

For more information, call or visit: 805.370.0035 �� www.conejochamber.org

Like us on Facebook!

Los Robles Greens Banquet Center 299 S. Moorpark Rd.

Thousand Oaks 91361


Chamber Promotes New Member Businesses at Ribbon Cuttings

—Cont. from page 2President

Chamber Ambassadors and community members joined Abby’s Millstone Baking Company, Inc. in celebration of its grand opening at 5005 Kanan Road in Agoura Hills. For more information, visit www.abbysmillstone.com or call 818.707.2253.

McDonald’s observed its ribbon cutting ceremony with Chamber Ambassadors and representatives from the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Conejo Valley. The new franchise is located at 1908 East Avenida de los Arboles in Thousand Oaks. Call 818.492.2555 to learn more.

Get Lean and Fit Fast! welcomed Chamber Am-bassadors to their studio, located at 32123 Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 222 in Westlake Village to com-memorate their ribbon cutting. To find out more about their services, call 818.421.7597.

Poster

bassadors, our three cities, elected leaders and staffs, and our own staff to govern one of the largest chambers of com-merce in the western United States, keeping a laser focus on strategy while reaching out to our esteemed members and partners in the community to capture their talent and insight, as well.

I recently read a com-ment that I believe defines our Chamber and the speed of light changing of the world on which our businesses perch, “One of life’s intriguing para-doxes is the fact that great progress often is made at the intersection of tradition and innovation; one honoring the past and the other pushing to-ward the future.”

Together, we are commit-ted to creating business op-portunities for a bright future. Together, we will succeed.

1986-87 Joan Young1985-86 Doris Rufener1984-85 Georgellen Hofhine1983-84 Marge Musick1982-83 Diana Malmquist 1981-82 Carol Keochekian1980-81 Doris Granholm1979-80 Carol Stein1978-79 Marilyn Carpenter1977-78 Beth Needham1976-77 Marilyn Holt1975-76 Donna Fargo 1974-75 Barbara Ashcraft1973-74 Wanda Musgraves1972-73 Frances Prince1971-72 Dora Pohl1970-71 Ginny Roach1969-70 Priscilla Rankin1968-69 Lloyd King1967-68 Karen Peterson 1966-67 Lolla Toll 1965-66 Joan McGillis1964-65 Janet Rothchild 1965 Millie McGowan

Man of the Year2011-12 Matt Lallo2010-11 Geoff Dean2009-10 Dr. Chris Kimball 2008-09 Dennis Carpenter 2007-08 Jim Friedl 2006-07 Rick Lemmo2005-06 Robert Cabral 2004-05 Larry Carignan 2003-04 Keith Parks2002-03 Harry Selvin 2001-02 Lyn Perry 2000-01 Joe Paulucci1999-00 Robert Haaland 1997-98 Frank Lussier 1996-97 Rick Caruso1993-94 Dan Overton 1992-93 Karsten Lundring 1991-92 Larry Horner1990-91 Irish John Gore1989-90 Chuck Cohen 1988-89 Walt Schaedle1987-88 John Crossan1986-87 Dennis Gillette 1985-86 Hugo Roche 1984-85 Dr. Mark Mathews1983-84 Fred Wilson1982-83 Joe Brown1981-82 James Ackroyd 1980-81 David Irwin1979-80 Dr. Raymond Olsen 1978-79 John Conlan 1977-78 Alex Fiore

1976-77 Earl Meek1975-76 Philip Ozab1974-75 Laurence Smith1973-74 George Engdahl 1972-73 Cyrus Johnson1971-72 Leonard Alexander1970-71 Eddie Allen1969-70 Dick Rosiejka1968-69 Dr. Cyril Anderson1967-68 D.H. Doc Needham1966-67 John Montgomery1965-66 Fred Stannard1964-65 Dwight Hauser1963-64 Bruce Cameron


Chairman

Los Robles Hospital & • Medical CenterSheraton Agoura Hills • Hotel

Volunteer of the YearTania Garcia, Cal State • Channel IslandsGreg Taylor, HUB Interna-• tionalRangu Mandyam, Math-• nasium

Ambassador of the YearBob Crusoe, Nu-Skin• Paul Dryman, Informed • DecisionDon Phillipson, WSI ePro • Marketing

The Gala is slated for Fri-day evening, January 25, 2013 at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village.

Guests will find the evening transformed into the flavor of old Casablanca, with a nod to the classic movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

In addition to recognizing the winners of each category, the event also honors the out-going Chamber Chairman of the Board John LaRocca of Sage Bankcard.

Reservations for the gala must be made online in the Events section of www.cone-jochamber.org. Cost per per-son is $115. Purchases must be completed by January 22. Sorry, no walk-ins can be ac-cepted.

This year’s sponsors to date include: Alcoa Fastening Systems, Anthem Blue Cross, Amgen, California Lutheran University, Caruso Affiliated, First Rate Financial, Los Rob-les Hospital & Medical Center, Pepperdine University, Sky-line Home Loans, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company and The Oaks.

the group that there are “lots of challenges in our world today,” so students should be critical thinkers and have the skills to be successful in employment and higher education.

He presented six initiatives for 21st century teaching and learning. The first initiative is tech integration, followed by service learning, internships, common core next and gen-eration assessments, flipped classroom and professional learning communities.

Wireless will be installed in the upcoming months due to Measure G bond funds. Wire-less installation will begin at Agoura Hills High School. He believes that wireless in schools will dramatically ex-pand the teacher’s instruction-al tools, and teachers can use wireless as a platform for col-laboration and critical think-ing.

LVUSD has added a new service requirement. Each student in high school must be complete 15 hours of com-munity service per year. The common core is composed of national content and curricu-lum standards for 2014. There are 47 states that have adopted these standards. The common core has a major emphasis on writing and literacy.

Lastly, Dr. Stepenosky an-nounced the Agoura Hills per-forming arts education center that will be opening soon. The center is an amazing instruc-tional platform. It is not just for the arts, but also for guest lectures and classrooms. He has challenged instructors to find ways to use the space. The center has approximately 650 seats in addition to a black box theater. There is wood panel-ing for acoustics and a hydrau-lic lift for the pit. He hopes that the community accesses the center as a resource.

The next Education Com-mittee meeting is Thursday,

January 10 (2nd Thursday due to winter break). Educa-tion Committee meets on the first Thursday of each month (dark July and August), 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Meetings are free to Chamber members and their staff. Non-members can attend for $10. Contact Sarah Eke-berg, Director of Government & Economic Affairs, at [email protected] for more information.

—Cont. from page 1Gala —Cont. from page 3Education

Lawrence J. Mira officiated and administered the oath of office to Klessig and Slavin.


Westlake

place where all employees can easily read it, such as a break room, common hallway, pay-roll office or other common location. Employers must also display posters in each com-pany location.

The Chamber urges you to place your 2013 poster or-der today to ensure delivery by January 1. Posters will be shipped in mid-December.

Members can purchase their compliance materials at a discounted rate—one of the many rewards of being a Chamber member.

Contact t he Chamber today at 805.370.0035 or visit www.conejochamber.org and go to the Chamber Store to order supplies for each of your locations.


12JANUARY 2013


—From page 2

State of City

cal public infrastructure, public schools, affordable housing and local economies across the state.

However, throughout the econom-ic downturn, the city has been able to maintain a balanced budget. Since 2006, Thousand Oaks has cut more than 100 positions. Sales tax dollars remain the city’s primary revenue source—38 percent of the $66.5 million general fund budget. The city receives 10 cents of every sales tax dollar collected. City services cost per day per resident comes out to about $1.52 a day and more than two-thirds of the money is used to pay for police services—less than a cup of coffee at Starbuck’s.

Is it worth it? Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine ranked Thousand Oaks as the fourth best city in America to raise a family.

Some of the most impressive accom-plishments for the city are in the realm of infrastructure improvements. Two long-awaited projects in the works are the Wendy/101 bridge widening and the highway 101/23 interchange improve-ment project—the busiest in all of Ven-tura County.

Another notable project is a perma-nent 3,900 square-foot household haz-ardous waste facility.

Mayor Irwin also recognized New West Symphony, Cabrillo Music The-atre and Pacific Festival Ballet for their contribution to the arts. She also noted the partnership with the Chamber of Commerce in promoting and attracting business to the community is the stron-gest that is has ever been.

After years of careful planning, a revitalized pedestrian-oriented Thou-sand Oaks Boulevard is beginning to unfold—a collaborative effort of local business owners and city staff for which the city received the 2012 California American Planning Association Award.

The city is also providing more cen-tralized services for residents in eastern Ventura County with county clerk ser-vices offered at the counter in city hall for such things as a marriage license and official records requests that previously required a trip to Ventura.

On the energy front, a new solar proj-ect at the Hillcrest Center is expected to save at least $60 thousand a year in en-ergy costs.

Irwin’s presentation culminated with a video featuring interviews with sever-al business owners from the Thousand Oaks community.

The Leadership Conejo class gath-ered outside the tiny one-room school house at the Stage-coach Inn Museum.

The class learned about the past history of the Conejo Valley, as well as the latest regarding the local business climate and sustainability from area experts.

Leadership Conejo was created to pro-mote the skills of current and future community leaders. Participants learn about government, law enforcement, fire protection, parks and recreation, educa-tion, cultural arts and ethics, and more dur-ing this nine-month course.

Go to www.conejo-chamber.org to learn more.

Leadership Conejo Class Gets a Conejo Valley History Lesson at the Stagecoach Inn in Thousand Oaks

Guests were given a tree seedling to plant at home and continue the tradition of greening the city.

Chamber Chairman John LaRocca

2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines presented the colors.

State of the city guests included local law enforce-ment and fire department officials.

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BConejo T IMES - Microsoft · ger than the heart of a vol-unteer.” ~Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle By the time you read this, the Chamber will have an-nounced the nominees for the