Just weeks before Matt Kinley was swornin as The Chamber’s new Chairman of theBoard, he was jetting to Washington, D.C. tocollect a prestigious national award from theU.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Recognizing recipients for their advocacyefforts on behalf of small businesses, theCalifornia Chamber of Commerce honoredfive small business executives with its “2007Small Business Advocate of the Year“ award,and the Long Beach Chamber’s Chair-ElectBlake Christian was one of five to take the prize.

The CalChamber presented the awards ata luncheon before approximately 600 atten-dees at the CalChamber Business LegislativeSummit in Sacramento. “Small businessgrowth is crucial to California’s jobs climate,“said CalChamber President Allan Zaremberg.

“All the small business advocate winnershave demonstrated leadership abilities, notonly in their own businesses, which is a majoraccomplishment, but also in working to promote policies that will help other smallbusinesses thrive.”

The awards presentation is sponsored bythe CalChamber and honorees are nominated

by local chambers and selected by a taskforce comprised of members of theCalChamber Small Business Committee.

In nominating Blake Christian, RandyGordon, president and CEO of the Long BeachChamber, described him as “an active decision-maker“ who “dedicates countless hours to ouradvocacy and overall efforts“ and who “hascontributed to saving California business liter-ally millions of dollars…He builds relationshipsand serves his community as if the issuedepended upon him alone…Blake exemplifiesthe very definition of a small business advocate.“

Long Beach’s enterprise zone was set toexpire in 2007, along with several others inthe state. The City and The Chamber went tobattle to save the zones, and through lobby-ing the state Legislature, not only did theyget them renewed, they were also expanded.

Blake Christian worked closely with theCalChamber to bring together trade groupsinto a coalition to address various tax issuesfacing California businesses. Their primaryfocus was to analyze legislative proposalsthat could have drastically altered theCalifornia Enterprise Zone (EZ) program. Thecoalition’s efforts paid off as the EZsincreased from 39 to 42 and 19 existing EZswere redesignated for an additional 15 years.

In these 42 tax-incentive zones inCalifornia, employers can earn credits for thenumber of people they employ in the area.Companies can receive up to $31,000 in taxcredits over five years.

Blake is the fourth recipient from the LongBeach Chamber to have won the “SmallBusiness Advocate of the Year“ from theCalifornia Chamber of Commerce in the last10 years.

A quarterly publication of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce PREMIERE ISSUE Summer 2007

New Chairman Kinley CapturesPrestigious U.S. Chamber AwardMatt Kinley sworn in as Chairman, honored as a finalist for U.S. Chamber’s Small Business of the Year

Battle to Save the Zone Pays off forLong Beach and Chamber’s Chair-ElectChamber’s Blake Christian honored by CalChamber as Small Business Advocate of the Year

“The Chamber will makesure that policies supportsmall business.”

Matt KinleyLong Beach Chamber

Chairman of the Board

“Blake exemplifies the very definition of a smallbusiness advocate.”

Randy GordonChamber President and CEO

Incoming Chamber Chairman Matt Kinley (L)accepts the U.S. Chamber’s Small Business of theYear finalist award from U.S. Chamber ChairmanPaul Speranza.

Russell Gould, Chairman of the Board of theCalChamber (L) and Chair of the CalChamber’sSmall Business Committee John Neal (R) presentthe Small Business Advocate of the Year award toBlake Christian, The Chamber’s chair-elect andpartner of Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt, LLC.

ChamberReleasesAnnual Listof Job-KillersGovernment Affairs Council takespositions on bills that would cost LB millions, Chamber calls on LongBeach delegation to take action

Upon recommendation of the GovernmentAffairs Council, The Chamber issued its annuallist of bills under consideration in the state legislature that have reached “job killer“ des-ignation from The Chamber, highlighting thenegative impact these bills would have on thecity of Long Beach and California’s globalcompetitiveness.

“Passage of these bills into law would be a devastating blow to the Long Beacheconomy, the Los Angeles Region andbeyond,“ said Chamber President and CEORandy Gordon. He continued, “The Chamberopposes these bills because we take our roleof protecting and creating Long Beach jobsseriously. We now call on the members of theLong Beach delegation in the California StateAssembly and Senate to do the same, andvote for jobs. The Chamber urges our locallegislators to vote for jobs by thinking aboutthe impact of their actions on their con-stituents and the Long Beach economybefore they cast a vote on these bills.“

Among the bills on this year’s list is AB1634 (Levine), passed out of the Assemblypertaining to the spaying and neutering ofpets, which if signed into law would result inthe loss of over $60 million to the Long Beacheconomy over three years. Other measuresinclude new health care taxes, roll-backs ofworkers compensation reform, limits onaffordable housing and development, restric-tions on the use of voter-approved transporta-tion funding, and a tax on freight movement.

“These bills are just plan-bad for job-creation,” remarked Board of Directors Chair-man Matt Kinley. “For example, the economicimpact on small business-owners in LongBeach resulting from the passage of AB 1634cannot be ignored,“ Mr. Kinley continued,referring to the Long Beach Convention andVisitor’s Bureau estimates that the economicimpact generated by the AKC/EukanubaNational Championship represents $21.7 millionper year to Long Beach. The show is currentlyscheduled to return to Long Beach in

Continued on page 4

“It is our hope that Long Beachlegislators and the governorwill oppose and veto legislationthat will decimate the positiveeconomic activity and jobgrowth in California.”

Lori LofstromChamber Vice Chair of Public Policy

In this issue:5 2006-2007 Major Advocacy

Victories6 Knowing What You Don’t

Know7 Welcome New Members

Outgoing Chamber Chairman Byron Schweigertwelcomes incoming Chairman Matt Kinley.

of the Year, presented during America’s SmallBusiness Summit.

“Tredway, Lumsdaine & Doyle has earnedthis distinction for the Western region byshowing a dedication to their employees, cus-tomers, and communities. Their high standardsand commitment to success exemplifiesAmerica’s spirit of enterprise and entrepreneur-ship,“ said Thomas J. Donohue, Chamber pres-ident and CEO. “Small businesses are the back-bone of America’s economy and it is importantto highlight the innovative and caring waysthey conduct business every day.“

Founded in 1961, Tredway, Lumsdaine &Doyle (TLD) has grown from one attorneyand one employee to 14 attorneys and 30

team members in offices in Downey, Irvine,and Long Beach, California.

One finalist was selected from each ofseven regions across the country from amongthe winners of the U.S. Chamber Blue RibbonSmall Business Award. The Small Business ofthe Year Award, sponsored by MicrosoftadCenter, was designed to honor businessesthat demonstrate excellence in a variety ofselection criteria, including financial perform-ance and business history, staff training andmotivation, community involvement, cus-tomer service, and business planning.

On Thursday, June 21st, immediate pastchairman Byron Schweigert handed the gavelto Matt Kinley as he was installed as the116th Chairman of the Long Beach AreaChamber of Commerce. The Chamber’sannual Inaugural Gala, a black tie optionalaffair held at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach,was attended by over 650 fellow chambermembers and business and civic leaders.

During his incoming remarks at the gala,Kinley outlined The Chamber’s action plan forthe coming year. He commented that TheChamber “will work to make sure that theLong Beach area provides jobs. Over 90% ofall businesses in Long Beach are small busi-nesses, accounting for more than 50% of alljobs. The Chamber will make sure that policiessupport small business.“ Kinley also discussedimproving the City of Long Beach’s Buildingand Planning Department, ballot initiativesthat support business, and other issues.

As managing partner of law firm Tredway,Lumsdaine & Doyle, Matt Kinley accepted anaward and distinct honor as one of sevenfinalists for the U.S. Chamber’s Small Business

Leadership CabinetChairman of the BoardMatthew L. Kinley, esq.Managing Partner, Tredway, Lumsdaine and Doyle LLP

Chairman-ElectBlake ChristianPartner, Holthouse, Carlin & Van Trigt, LLP

Immediate Past ChairmanByron SchweigertChief Education & Government Affairs OfficerMemorialCare Medical Centers

Chief Financial OfficerPei Pei WangPartner, Windes & McClaughry Accountancy Corp.

Vice Chairman–Economic DevelopmentDoug CarpenterPresident, Paragon Steel

Vice Chairman–Community DevelopmentJanet McCarthy-WilsonPresident & CEO, Goodwill Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County

Vice Chairman–Membership ServicesJoanne DavisPresident, Davis Group

Vice Chairman–Governmental & Public AffairsLori LofstromPartner, Holmes and Lofstrom, LLP

At Large MemberTom GoodDirector, Sales & MarketingMatson Navigation Company, Inc.

At Large MemberChris WackerSenior Vice President, Laserfiche Document Imaging

At Large MemberKathleen Thurmond

Legal CounselRobert StemlerPartner, Keesal, Young & Logan

President & CEORandy GordonLong Beach Area Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors

I have been active on the Board ofDirectors for The Chamber for six years andhave had the privilege of serving as Chairmanof the Board during the past year. Wow…what a year!

Chamber Relationships withElected Officials

One of my goals this past year was toopen greater communication between ourelected city officials and The Chamber. I metwith each City Council member and theMayor multiple times during the year. • Tonia Reyes Uranga appointed a Chamberrepresentative to participate on the SCAQMDBusiness Advisory Committee.• Gerrie Schipske created a “Small BusinessAdvisory Committee” which meets monthlyand includes Chamber representatives.• Chamber representatives attend every LongBeach City Council meeting to maintain com-munication with city council members andprovide comments on selected items on theCity Council agenda. • The Chamber has facilitated introductions tocity council members, supported businesses intheir interaction with city offices and provided

small business educational programs to helpbusinesses be successful and be compliantwith the all rules and regulations.

Enterprise Zones The Chamber has been a significant sup-

porter of Enterprise Zones. This program pro-vides an avenue for bringing economic vitalityand investment to socio-economicallydepressed areas of Long Beach. In September,the state legislature approved the extension ofenterprise zones for Long Beach.

2007 Chamber Policy Platform In October, The Chamber adopted its first

“Environmental Policy Platform. TheChamber has also supported the “EcoZone”project which will accomplish the following:(1) create a storm drain catch basin filtrationsystem (2) implement the use of hybrid andalternative fuel vehicles for municipal fleets(3) install solar paneling on city facilities and(4) greening projects to convert industrial lotsinto green space.

Scholarships and GrantsDuring the past year, The Chamber pro-

vided more than $272,000 in scholarships tostudents, through the Women’s BusinessCouncil, IBA, Tech Point and DeVry University.In addition, The Chamber provided $15,000in grants to Academic Uprise, the Long BeachNon-Profit Partnership, and to LeadershipLong Beach from our proceeds at the State ofthe City event in January. The Chamber plansto provide $25,000 in grants during 2008.

Long Beach AirportDuring the past several years, The Chamber

has supported the plan to modernize andupgrade the airport terminal. The Chamber isdelighted that the City Council approved theproposal to proceed with further planning attheir meeting in April. This will modernize andupgrade the airport terminal from its current56,320 square feet to 89,995-square feet.

City Ordinances and Ballot InitiativesDuring the past year, two ordinances were

passed by the City Council—the Labor PeaceAgreement and the Anti-Big Box Wal-MartOrdinance. The Chamber opposed both ofthese ordinances and supported the LongBeach Hospitality Alliance and Long BeachConsumers for Choice in the gathering ofmore than 30,000 signatures for each initia-tive in order to put these ordinances on theballot next year. We will let the citizens ofLong Beach decide what they want.

Community Development Numerous educational programs have

been provided to business owners and man-agers about running a successful business.The Chamber initiated a “College to Career”program which encourages businesses toincorporate college students into their workenvironment. This program was done in col-laboration with California State UniversityLong Beach, Long Beach City College andDeVry University working in partnership withLong Beach businesses.

It’s a WrapOutgoing Chairman Byron Schweigert Reflects on a Year’s Work

Chairman’s Message

The Only Ones Who Do What We Do

The Chamber is ready for another greatyear. We will proceed in the spirit of JerryGarcia of the Grateful Dead, who said: “Youdo not merely want to be considered just thebest of the best. You want to be consideredthe only ones who do what you do.”

The Chamber’s mission is to provide lead-ership, education and advocacy so that theLong Beach area thrives in the 21st Century.Our goal is to be known as the undisputedvoice of the business community.

What can you expect this year?The Chamber should continue to promote

a strong environmental platform that stressesthe success of private enterprise in bringingsolutions to the table. We will continue tospotlight those businesses who make a difference in the environment throughresponsible private action.

We will work to make sure that the LongBeach area provides jobs. Over 90% of allbusinesses in Long Beach are small businesses,accounting for more than 50% of all jobs.Small business drives our State and our com-munity. Most patents come from small busi-

ness and most exporters are small businesses.The Chamber will make sure that state andlocal policies support small business to betterour local economy.

The Chamber will continue to work onbehalf of local businesses to extend enter-prise zones and to educate enterprises aboutthe zones. As one example, the Port of LongBeach can save millions of dollars in upgradesfor pollution control with proper utilization ofthe zone.

The number one complaint of small andlarge developers alike is the inefficiency andlack of business like conduct at the City’sBuilding and Planning Department. We willwork with the City and will insist that theBuilding and Planning Department be modern-ized to work with developers and builders in acooperative, predictable and timely manner.

This year, there are two more trade mis-sions sponsored by The Chamber. These havebeen incredibly successful . By the end of thisyear, we will have sent over a 1,000 ambas-sadors to China. From October 23 through 31this year, we will take our fourth trip toChina. From September 15 through September24 this year, we will take our first-ever trip toIndia. Don’t miss out on these incredible—and economical—opportunities. Everyone isinvited.

We will promote Good Morning LongBeach, the premier networking breakfast inthe region.

We will continue to meet with the CityCouncil. We will be in attendance at citycouncil meetings. We will also get involvedearly in policy discussions to make sure thatthe voice of business, small and large, is takeninto account. Many important issues arescheduled to come up, including extra fees onbusiness and Project Labor Agreements. TheChamber will be there to fight for business.

The Chamber will fight for two ballot initia-tives that will be voted on by city voters onFebruary 5, 2008. We will work with our indus-try partners, Wal-Mart and local hotels, to makesure that Long Beach citizens understand theimportance of a no vote for these measures.

I am very pleased to announce that thisyear, we will present the first-of-its-kind Stateof the County address. Los Angeles CountySupervisor Don Knabe will present thisimportant address on November 1, 2007.

These are big challenges and we’re up forthe task. Working together we can helpbusiness thrive and make Long Beach a placewe all want to live.

2

Creating a Strong Local Economy

Matt Kinley Managing Partner,

Tredway, Lumsdaine &Doyle, LLP

“We will continue to spot-light those businesses whomake a difference in theenvironment throughresponsible private action.”

8 Food Finders–Harvest Ball at Museum ofLatin American Art (562) 598-3003

8 Steel Magnolias of the Stramski Centerbenefiting Miller Children’s Hospital–Gala Dinner Dance (562) 430-4533

14 Long Beach Day Nursery–4th Annual Golf Open (562) 591-0509

20 CCEJ–Gene Lentzner Human RelationsAwards Dinner (562) 435-8184

SEPTEMBER

8 American Red Cross–9th Annual GolfTournament (562) 490-4002

13 Aquarium of the Pacific–Sea Fare (562) 951-160613 International City Theater–ENCORE 2007

Annual Benefit Gala (562) 495-459525 CCEJ–33rd Annual Food and Beverage

Humanitarian Awards Dinner (562) 435-818426 Children’s Dental Health Clinic–75th

Anniversary Dinner (562) 933-060229 Miller Children’s Hospital–Wally Joyner

Golf Classic (562) 933-1655

OCTOBER

3 Long Beach Cancer League–Saddle Baron’sBall www.saddlebaronsball.com

10 Long Beach Memorial MedicalCenter–Centennial Gala (562) 933-2814

17 St. Mary Foundation–27th Annual Dinnerand Auction (562) 491-9000, ext. 2241

20 Children Today–Holiday Cheer Event (562) 432-1224

NOVEMBER

Charitable Events Calendar for Long Beach Non-ProfitsWe are pleased to feature a calendar listing major fundraising events for our non-profit members. Events will be listed by quarter to help you save thedates and assist non-profit organizations in avoiding scheduling conflicts. If you are a non-profit member and you'd like to promote an event, we'd bedelighted to publish your information in our upcoming fall and future issues. Contact Jackie Kuhl at jackie.kuhl@gmail.com with event info.

The following areselected excerpts from

the OutgoingChairman’s Address

at the 116th Inaugural Gala.

Audrianne Adams-LeeHR NETwork

Dan AlfDENSO Sales California, Inc.

Andrew AnsonLong Beach JuniorChamber of Commerce

Becky BlairBlair Commecial Real Estate

Jim BrophyOctober FiveDevelopment, LLC

David CameronCity National Bank

Diana CesenasConstruction ConsultantServices

Blake ChristianHolthouse, Carlin & Van Trigt, LLP

John CrochetInvestor

Mark DeVossBoeing IntegratedDefense Systems—Long Beach

LaDonnaDiCamilloBNSF Railway

Chris DiCiccoSt. Mary Medical Center

Tom DoniniDeVry University

Joel FierbergSNUGTOP

VictoriaFullertonRobert GareyCushman & Wakefield

Michele GrubbsPacific MerchantShipping Association

RandalHernandezBank of America

Edward HerroFarmers & MerchantsBank

Ken HoupUniversal HealthcareInsurance Agency

John HowardChick-Fil-A

Ray JankowskiCommunity Hospital of Long Beach

Larry KellerKennedy JenksEngineering

Frank KominTHUMS Long Beach

Dave KutaPress Telegram

Joe MagaddinoCSULB

Jan MaizeSmith Barney

MichaelMcCarthyMoffatt & Nichol

Eloy OakleyLong Beach City College

Kristie PabstPabst, Kinney &Associates

Kelly PierceEPSON America, Inc.

Ed ProenzaEnsemble Real Estate

Larry RiceSeaside Printing Co., Inc.

Gail SchwandnerLong Beach City College

Steve SmithHyatt Regency Long Beach

Barbara SullivanSullivan International

KathleenThurmondConstanceTurnerSouthern CaliforniaEdison

Chris WackerLaserfiche Document Imaging

StephaneWandelBoeing RealtyCorporation

Craig WatsonCharter Communications

Joe YurosekComerica Bank

Jim ZehmerTABC, Inc./Toyota

Diamond■ Charter Communication ■ City National Bank ■ DeVry University ■ Long BeachMemorial Medical Center/Miller Childrens’Hospital ■ Port of Long Beach

Platinum■ BNSF Railway Company ■ CommunityHospital of Long Beach ■ Holthouse, Carlin &Van Trigt, LLP ■ Long Beach City College/SmallBusiness Development Center ■ Press-Telegram■ Westland Construction, Inc.

Gold■ The Boeing Company ■ Epson America, Inc.■ Farmers & Merchants Bank ■ Keesal, Young& Logan ■ Seaside Printing Company, Inc.■ Southern California Edison ■ Sprint togetherwith Nextel ■ St. Mary Medical Center■ TABC, Inc./Toyota ■ Tredway, Lumsdaine &Doyle LLP ■ Union Pacific Railroad ■ UniversalCare Medical Group ■ Universal HealthcareSolutions Insurance Agency ■ Verizon■ Wal-Mart Stores, Inc./Sam’s Club ■ YellowBook USA

Silver■ Apartment Association, California SouthernCities ■ BP America, Inc. ■ California StateUniversity, Long Beach ■ Catalina Express■ Comerica Bank ■ DENSO Sales California, Inc.■ Hyatt Regency Long Beach ■ Long BeachAirport ■ Long Beach Business Journal ■ LongBeach Towne Center ■ Marriott/RenaissanceProperties ■ Matson Navigation Company, Inc.■ OPEN from American Express ■ Paragon Steel■ Sea Launch ■ THUMS Long Beach Company■ Watson Land Company ■ Windes &McClaughry Accountancy Corporation

Bronze■ Advanced Cleanup Technologies, Inc.■ AES Alamitos ■ Boeing Realty Corporation■ City Light and Power, Inc. ■ Clean Energy■ Color Broadband, Inc. ■ ConstructionConsultant Services, Inc. ■ Davis Group ■ DirecTV—California Broadcast Center■ Ensemble Investments, LLC ■ Ford West■ Goodwill Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County ■ Guzman & Gray, CPA’s■ Harbor Breeze Corporation ■ Hilton LongBeach ■ HR NETwork, Inc. ■ Intelligent Energy■ Jobing.com ■ Laserfiche Document Imaging■ Lennar Corporation ■ Long Beach ContainerTerminal, Inc. ■ Long Beach Convention &Entertainment Center ■ Metropolitan WaterDistrict ■ Moffatt & Nichol ■ Molina Healthcare■ Parkers’ Lighthouse ■ Sound Energy Solutions■ Spirit Cruises ■ Via Media Graphic Design

The “Chairman’s Circle “ is a special group of members that have committed to support theLBACC through sponsorships at various financial levels and at special events. If your company wouldlike to become a member of the Chairman’s Circle,please contact Randy Gordon, President/CEO, at (562) 436-6723 for details.

2007-2008Chairman’s

Circle

MediaNotes &QuotesLos Angeles Times

Brandon Kline, vice president for public policy for the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, said the project would benefit the city,bringing businesses, sales tax revenue and moderately priced housing to an area that desperately needs it. But he said the developershould work with residents to retool the project so that nearby homeowners are more comfortable with it. “We’re definitely supportive ofit, but we want to make sure we are able to balance the development with what the residents want,” Kline said.

“Long Beach Condo Plan Touches a Nerve” A plan to replace the SeaPort Marina hotel with residential towers stirs fears of congestion Los Angeles Times, July 10

Press-Telegram

Not only was the zone retained because of those lobbying efforts, but it was expanded, said Randy Gordon, president and CEO of the LongBeach Chamber. “It’s amazing, we’re on a roll, “Gordon said of the awards. “I applaud the Cal Chamber for recognizing Blake’s extraordinaryleadership on behalf of small businesses in the Long Beach area. His effort on the enterprise zone renewal was a significant part in the efforts to assist Long Beach in their efforts to get their zone renewed and expanded.”

“Two Honored for Their Enterprise“ Press-Telegram, May 23

“We got a lot of compliments on The Chamber going green. I think you can be pro-business and pro-environment at the same time as long asyou’re balanced in your thinking,” said Randy Gordon, president and CEO of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Chamber Sees a Greener Long Beach: New chairman outlines city's focus on environment at annual dinner” Press-Telegram, June 23

Long Beach Business Journal

Still, the disbanding of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s (LBACC) Workforce Diversity Committee at the end of last year mightbe considered a sign of progress. According to Janet McCarthy, LBACC vice chair of community development and the former committee chair,the goals established nearly five years before had been met. “It was time to disband the committee. Our intent was to provide education andsome resources, and over time, our purpose was met as our efforts regarding diversity and inclusion were picked up around the city,” she said.“Definitely, I believe the city is paying more attention to this issue, and I really don’t think the word ‘diversity’ is really apropos any longer.”

“Chamber Officials Sound Off on Diversity in the Business Community“ Long Beach Business Journal, May 22-June 4

“Our theme this year is ‘Good to Great.’ We just want to get better at what we have been doing all along. We’re going to focus more on smallbusiness. One thing we are planning is to go out into the community to talk to small business owners so we can find out what their problemsare and how we can help them.”

“Incoming Chamber Chair: City Needs to Get Better at Business-Friendly Policies“ Interview with Chamber Chairman Matt Kinley and LBBJ senior writer Nick Diamantides, Long Beach Business Journal, June 19-July 2

Chamber Debuts New Newsletter…Your Advocate!

Welcome to Your Advocate, The Chamber’snew quarterly newsletter arriving in your mailboxfour times a year—this summer, fall, winter, andspring. We’ve made some changes, we’ve dou-bled the size, and we’re pleased to reveal somenew features. You’ll notice a fresh look, brightercolors, useful information, and more photos.

Former Press-Telegram Publisher Ian Lamontand now Director of the LB Small BusinessDevelopment Center, will pen a column in allfour issues, focusing on what the Small BusinessDevelopment Center can do to help your busi-ness. We’ll be featuring a Non-Profit calendar togive Long Beach Non-Profit organizations theability to convey information about upcomingevents. And our advocacy section just got biggergiving you plenty of ways to stay informed andconnected to the political scene.

It was time for a change—we hope you’llagree. And your feedback is appreciated. Letus know what you think about our newnewsletter and how we can improve.

Speaking of Advocates…check outthis dynamic duo. During one week this past

May, our Chairman Matt Kinley was one ofseven finalists for the national winner of theU.S. Chamber’s Small Business of the Year.Earlier that week, our Chairman-Elect BlakeChristian was selected as one of five SmallBusiness Advocates of the Year by theCalChamber. Our Chamber has had four vol-unteers honored in the last 10 years with thisprestigious award.

Speaking of Leaders…what a greatvolunteer leader we had in our Chairman ByronSchweigert this past year. I want to personallythank Byron for an outstanding job as he gavecountless hours of his time to meet with everymember of the city council and mayor’s officeon numerous occasions. His efforts made ourChamber a much better organization.

Chamber going Green…at our recentInaugural Gala, The Chamber honored localcompanies whose efforts have helped cleanup our environment. It was our pleasure topresent The Chamber’s most prestigioushonor—the Destination Tomorrow Award—toUnion Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway. These

two leading transportation companies havereally stepped up their green technologyefforts to improve the air quality of the region.

We also recognized nine other companieswith our first-ever Eco Awards. Taking the greenhonors were: Matson Navigation; AdvancedCleanup Technologies, Inc.; AES Alamitos;Clean Energy; Goodwill Serving the People ofSouthern Los Angeles County; IntelligentEnergy; Long Beach Container Terminal, Inc.;Southern California Edison; and EcoMedia LLC.

We presented the Ambassador of the YearAward to Jerry Loeb, our Small BusinessAchievement Award to Ward’s Furniture, theDewey Smith Memorial Community ServiceAward to Chris Steinhauser, the Alfred P. SloanAwards for Workplace Flexibility to PeacePartners and KMPG, and the Chairman’sAward to Lou Anne Bynum. Congratulationsto all of these dedicated leaders.

The gala was attended by over 650 community leaders and we keep our annualpromise that: (1) We have fun (2) We don’t dochicken, and (3) We get out by 9 pm! If youhave never been to what we believe is thelargest dinner in town, please join us next year.

It’s going to be a great year here at TheChamber under the very capable leadership ofChairman Matt Kinley and the board of directors.Our award-winning Chamber is constantly atwork on your behalf…we are Your Advocate!

Randy Gordon President and CEO

“We’ve made some changes,we’ve doubled the size, andwe’re pleased to reveal somenew features.”

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2007 Job-Killer Bill List Continued from page 1

December of 2007 and in 2008, but passage of AB 1634would make that virtually impossible, after the AKC boycottedother states after enacting similar legislation. “The loss in revenueover the course of the contract represents over $60 million intourism revenue to the city“ Mr. Kinley added.

Government Affairs Council Chair Lori Lofstrom added:“Under Governor Schwarzenegger’s leadership, the LongBeach region and the state as a whole has seen job-creationgrow to add nearly one million new jobs to the State work-force—and billions of dollars in additional tax revenues. It is ourhope that the Long Beach legislative delegation andGovernor Schwarzenegger will continue this statewide trendby opposing and vetoing this legislation that will decimatethis positive economic activity and job growth in California.”

The Government Affairs Council of the Long BeachChamber annually releases a list of “job killer“ bills to identifylegislation that will hurt small business owners. Moving forward, The Chamber will track these bills throughout therest of the legislative session and work to educate legislatorsabout the serious consequences these bills will have on thestate. The 2007 “Job Killer“ bill list is also available at:www.longbeachadvocacy.biz/jobkillers

BARRIERS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING

AB 5 (Wolk) Housing DevelopmentRestrictions

Stops new housing development in the Central Valley bypunishing new development for the failure of local agenciesto develop flood control plans that are based on informationnot available until 2011.

AB 35 (Ruskin)/AB 888 (Lieu)/AB 1058 (Laird) Increased Construction Costs

Increases cost to businesses by shifting the development of“green state building“ standards for residential, commercialand government buildings from the Building StandardsCommission, which considers cost impact in their develop-ment of standards, to other state entities, which do not con-sider cost impact and have no experience in the developmentor adoption of building standards.

AB 70 (Jones) Housing DevelopmentRestrictions

Halts development of housing by imposing joint liabilityon cities and counties for any flood damage, if they permithousing in undeveloped areas.

AB 1065 (Lieber) Construction Costs IncreaseSubstantially increases the cost of housing and development

in California by implementing tight energy efficiency measuresfor all new residential and commercial buildings without takinginto account the additional costs that will be passed onto consumers.

SB 464 (Kuehl) Rental Property: OwnerRestrictions

Discourages construction and investment in rental housingby forcing rental property owners to stay in business, regard-less of economic circumstances.

COSTLY WORKPLACE MANDATES

AB 8 (Nunez) Health Care Tax on EmployersImposes a tax on small employers who can’t afford to

provide health care coverage, to fund health care coveragefor those who don’t currently purchase it.

AB 338 (Coto) Roll Back of Cost-SavingWorkers’ Compensation Reforms

Undermines workers’ compensation reforms and increasestemporary disability costs in workers’ compensation claimsby increasing the number of weeks benefits can be paid, andby creating a disincentive to use utilization review to enforcemedical treatment guidelines.

AB 504 (Swanson) Mandatory Payments forStriking Employees

Forces employers to pay striking employees by creating anew definition of lockout that requires an employer to payrestitution to employees.

AB 1201 (Leno) Increased Health Care CostsReduces access to health care due to increased labor costs

resulting from unlawful altering of federal labor law governingunion eligibility requirements and secret ballot union elections.

SB 48 (Perata) Health Care Tax on EmployersImposes a tax on small employers who can’t afford to pro-

vide health care coverage, to fund health care coverage for thosewho don’t currently purchase it.

SB 180 (Migden) Increased Agricultural CostsHurts competitiveness of California agriculture producers,

driving businesses out of state, killing jobs and increasing loss

4

1 President of Jacobsen Pilot Service, Tom Jacobsen, accepts theInternational Achievement Award from Chamber President/CEORandy Gordon at the World Trade Week Luncheon. 2 ChamberChair-Elect Blake Christian (L) and Mayor Bob Foster (R) presentthe Corporate Citizen of the Year Award to Skip Keesal of KeesalYoung & Logan at the “City National Bank Entrepreneur of theYear” Luncheon. 3 (L to R) Event Emcee Libby Tigner, incomingWomen's Business Council President Gail Schwandner, outgoingPresident Sandy Devich, and former Chamber Chairman LouAnne Bynum enjoy the festivities at the WBC Installation Dinnerat the Long Beach Museum of Art. 4 California InsuranceCommissioner Steve Poizner addresses The Chamber’s CaliforniaVisionaries Luncheon Series. 5 2006-07 IBA President PriscillaLopez presents a gift to Tom McMahon, Regional Vice President forStarbucks Coffee Company, as the keynote speaker for World TradeWeek. 6 Celebrating the Molina brothers recognition forEntrepreneur of the Year at The Chamber’s “City National BankEntrepreneur of the Year” Luncheon are (L to R) Chamber presi-dent/CEO Randy Gordon, Chamber Chairman-Elect Blake Christian,Molina Healthcare’s John C. Molina, City National Bank’s DallasHaun, and Dr. J. Mario Molina of Molina Healthcare.

Signature Events

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of farmland, by artificially increasing labor costs for Californiaproducers who must compete in a global market with lowerthan average operating costs; removes secret ballot electionrequirement for union representation and prohibits employercommunication with employees.

SB 936 (Perata) Roll Back of Cost-SavingWorkers’ Compensation Reforms

Increases the cost of hiring and keeping employees byrolling back historic reforms and doubling permanent disabilitycosts in California’s workers’ compensation system.

SB 942 (Migden) Increased Workers’Compensation Costs

Increases lawsuits against employers by expanding anti-discrimination laws related to workers’ compensation claims andcreating a legal presumption that an employer has discriminated.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BARRIERS

AB 493 (Ruskin) New Vehicle SurchargeAssesses an unfair surcharge on new vehicles, which will

increase costs for small businesses to transport their goods andservices.

SB 375 (Steinberg) Growth RestrictionsLimits increased transportation capacity and affordable

housing, and thwarts intent of voters who approved broad-based transportation bonds, by blocking use of these fundsexcept for narrowly defined “infill“ development projects.

SB 466 (Steinberg) Increased Costs for Timberand Wood Products

Reduces the amount of timber available for harvest, resultingin lost job opportunities, and increased costs for timber and woodproducts, by requiring landowners to give up 2 acres of forestlandfor every acre converted away from timber production.

SB 974 (Lowenthal) Tax on Freight MovementIncreases the cost of shipping goods and makes California

less competitive by imposing an illegal per-container tax in theports of Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Oakland.

EXPENSIVE UNNECESSARY REGULATORY BURDENS

AB 904 (Feuer) Food Packaging Cost Increase/Collection Mandate

Increases costs on all businesses that sell food by imposingnew mandates on food service packaging and creating a newrequirement that food providers collect and recycle 25 percentof the food service packaging they sell.

AB 1554 (Jones) New Government Bureaucracyfor Rate Regulation

Reduces health care choice, access and quality by creatingadditional bureaucracy to impose price controls on health carepolicies, while failing to address the major cost drivers of risingmedical care costs.

AB 1634 (Levine) New Government Mandate on cats and dogs

Mandates that only select purebred dogs and cats areallowed to breed. Pet owners who don’t sterilize their mixedbreed pets by four months of age will face a $500 fine andpossible criminal penalties. The American Kennel Club (AKC),which hosts their annual convention in Long Beach each year,has vowed to boycott any state in the union that has such ameasure, thus resulting in a loss of over $60 million to LongBeach economy alone.

SB 201 (Florez) Leafy Green Vegetable CostIncreases

Threatens agricultural productivity, and increases the costs ofleafy green vegetables, by mandating day-to-day growing prac-tices in statute and requiring a state waiver for any deviations.

SB 899 (Simitian) Plastic Packaging BanPushes jobs out of California and increases costs for indus-

tries that use plastic packaging by banning the manufacturingand distribution of specified plastic packaging in California.

FUEL PRICE INCREASES

SB 140 (Kehoe) New Fuel MandateDisadvantages California businesses and increases fuel

prices by creating a fuel mandate that picks a winner in thealternative fuels market, preventing the research and develop-ment of additional viable options that may be cheaper andmore efficient.

SB 210 (Kehoe) Restrictive Fuel StandardInterferes with the development of a competitive alternative

fuels market and threatens job creation in California by creat-ing a costly Low Carbon Fuel Standard that conflicts with theexisting standard created by Governor’s Executive Order S-7-04.

Representing the Interest of Business with Government

2006-2007 MajorAdvocacy VictoriesThe Top 10 Ways The Chamber Fought for Your Business

Throughout the 2006-2007 year, the Long Beach AreaChamber of Commerce has lead California in numerous effortssupporting advocacy in the business community. Your investmentin The Chamber supports our mission to help build and sustainLong Beach businesses to create a strong local economy. Here area few ways we fought for Long Beach business this past year:

1 Taking on Labor. In 2006, the Long Beach AreaChamber of Commerce was the first chamber in California

to lead back to back efforts to bring the fight to protect LongBeach jobs to the ballot box. The Chamber successfully ledefforts to let the people decide the fate of the ban on super-stores, the so-called “big box” ban, and the labor peace agree-ment, which would unionize Long Beach hotels without a vote ofemployees-both ordinances were imposed by the Long BeachCity Council. The people will have their say in February 2008.

2 Your Small Business Advocate. The Long BeachChamber of Commerce is the six-figure lobbyist you can

afford. Through our efforts, The Chamber successfully lobbiedfor the passage of AB 485, extending Enterprise Zone’s in LongBeach for 15 more years. As a result of our legislative advocacyin Sacramento, over 80% of the City of Long Beach is consid-ered an Enterprise Zone (EZ). The Enterprise Zones in Long Beach(encompassing 26 square miles) provides State tax credits forbusinesses who hire Long Beach residents. The Chamber’sChairman-elect Blake Christian was recognized for his efforts inthis area by receiving the coveted “Small Business Advocate ofthe Year” by the California Chamber of Commerce.

3 Setting the Standard in Advocacy. The Long BeachChamber believes in giving you the tools to assist us in fos-

tering change. We built the first Advocacy website in theChamber-world, the first website of its kind, www.longbeachad-vocacy.biz, so you can help fight laws that hurt you. As a resultof The Chamber’s advocacy website, such websites are now thestandard in the Chamber-world among quality advocacy programs.

4 The Recognized “Preeminent Advocacy Program”in California. 4 years in a row. The Long Beach Chamber is

the only chamber in the state to earn the 2003, 2004, 2005 and2006 California Chamber of Commerce “Advocacy Partner ofthe Year” award recognized for producing the best Chamber ofCommerce advocacy program in the state.

5 Taking Political Action! The Long Beach Chamberbecame the first chamber of commerce in the state to

recruit and endorse a candidate for the California StateAssembly. After an extensive process of polling our community,the Long Beach Chamber endorsed former Congressman andAssemblyman Steve Kuykendall for the 54th Assembly Districtseat. As a result, The Chamber has raised thousands of dollarstoward supporting our candidates; in fact, in 2007, TheChamber ran its first Independent Expenditure (IE), successfully

preventing the labor candidate from winning the election.

6 Protecting Jobs in Long Beach. Last year, the LongBeach Chamber lobbied the city council to pass an ordi-

nance giving our businesses a priority when bidding for contractswith the City. This year, The Chamber has been lobbying aggres-sively against the passage of Assembly Bill 1634, which wouldresult in the loss of over $60 million to the Long Beach econo-my. As a result of The Chamber’s advocacy, State Senator JennyOropeza joined with The Chamber, and for the first time inrecent history signaled her official opposition to a bill prior to themeasure reaching the full Senate!

7 Protecting Tourism in Long Beach. The city of LongBeach is a regional hub for tourism. A key piece to cultivat-

ing and maintaining tourism in Long Beach is modernizing theairport, and containing costs in Long Beach’s hospitality industry.The Chamber joined other community organizations in fightingto modernize the Long Beach Airport. As a result of The Chamber’sefforts, the Long Beach City Council voted to increase the airportterminal to 89,995 square feet. However, that’s only half of thestory. The Chamber has successfully fought union’s war to driveup costs at Long Beach hotels by unionizing hotel-workers inLong Beach without their consent. Thanks to The Chamber andour allies, the voters of Long Beach will have the final say.

8 Protecting the Future of Our Ports. The Long BeachChamber is one of the most proactive supporters of trade

and port growth. In 2006, the Long Beach Chamber aggressive-ly fought state legislation to impose “Container Fees” on cargothat passes through the Port. Such legislation would limit portgrowth and prevent new jobs from being created at the Ports ofLong Beach and Los Angeles.

9 Holding Our Legislators Accountable to theBusiness Community. The Chamber tracks the voting

records of Long Beach legislators as it relates to laws that mightimpact your business or your ability to get a job. The Long BeachChamber holds local politicians accountable to their votes bypublishing their voting record each October. If they vote againstbusiness we recruit people to replace them in office.

10 Reforming Workers’ Compensation andStopping Mandates. The Long Beach Chamber

worked for over a year lobbying statewide leaders for workers’compensation reform. In July 2004 Governor Schwarzeneggersigned workers’ compensation reform at the Boeing facility.Additionally, the Long Beach Chamber was successful in stop-ping a new law that would have mandated a new procedure onthe textile industry. At least 15% of the laundry workforce andabout 2,600 employees union and non-union, would have beenin jeopardy due to this law.

Chamber Goes Green Highlighting Environmentally-FriendlyBusinesses at 116th Inaugural Gala.

1 Accepting the “Destination Tomorrow” award is Matt Rose,President and CEO for BNSF Railway (middle) from ChamberPresident and CEO Randy Gordon (left), and outgoing ChamberChairman Byron Schweigert. Also recognized with the prestigious“Destination Tomorrow” award was Union Pacific Railroad. 2 TheChamber’s Vice Chair of Community Development JanetMcCarthy presents the “Dewey Smith Memorial CommunityService Award” to Long Beach Unified School District Super-intendent Chris Steinhauser. 3 Port of Long Beach Board ofHarbor Commissioners President James Hankla (left) and out-going Chamber Chairman Byron Schweigert (right) present oneof eight Eco-Awards to Matson Navigation’s Director of Sales &Marketing Tom Good. In addition to Matson Navigation,Advanced Cleanup Technologies, Inc.; AES Alamitos; Clean Energy;Goodwill Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County;Intelligent Energy; Long Beach Container Terminal, Inc.; SouthernCalifornia Edison; and EcoMedia LLC took green honors. 4 TheChamber’s Chair-Elect Blake Christian (R) honors Brad Ward ofWard’s Appliance Home Theater & Furniture with the SmallBusiness Achievement Award. 5 Union Pacific Railroad’s SeniorVice President Charles R. Eisele (middle) accepts the “DestinationTomorrrow” Award from Chamber President/ CEO Randy Gordon(right), and outgoing Chamber Chairman Byron Schweigert. 6 Jerry Loeb of Joe R’s Churchill’s Fine Cigars accepts theAmbassador of the Year from Pei Pei Wang, The Chamber’s CFO.

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Chamber Eye to Eye with Oropeza Chamber Praises Senator Oropeza’s Opposition of AB 1634, Comes to Rescue of LB Workers

In a rare alliance, The Chamber, civic leaders and state Senator Jenny Oropeza have come together to oppose a bill that, if passed,would be detrimental to the Long Beach economy and workforce. Authored by L.A. Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, AB 1634 would allowonly select purebred dogs and cats to breed. Pet owners who don’t sterilize their mixed breed pets by four months of age will face a $500fine and possible criminal penalties. The American Kennel Club (AKC), which hosts their annual convention in Long Beach each year, hasvowed to boycott any state in the union that has such a measure.

Labor leaders, civic leaders and The Chamber issued the following joint-statement regarding AB 1634. Senator Jenny Oropeza had thisto say about AB 1634: “I oppose AB 1634. It is too severe a solution to a noble objective. Further, I am concerned about the economicconsequences for the city of Long Beach’s convention business. It will hurt public safety and other vital city services.”

“The Long Beach business community is relieved to hear that SenatorJenny Oropeza (D-LB) has come to the rescue of Long Beach workers,”said Long Beach Chamber President and CEO Randy Gordon. Gordoncontinued, “The Senator’s efforts couldn’t have come at a better time.In perhaps one of the most blatant displays of party-loyalty at theexpense of Long Beach citizens I have ever seen, Assemblymembers

Laura Richardson and Betty Karnette provided the last two votes needed to pass this job-killing legislation out of the Assembly. At a price-tag of $65 million to small business, in my 25 years in the chamber industry, I have never seen a bill that would be so damaging to a localeconomy pass with the blessing of our local legislators.”

“We are pleased that Senator Oropeza has decided to support Long Beach tourism,” said Long Beach Convention & Visitors BureauPresident & CEO Steve Goodling. “By putting her opposition to AB 1634 in ink, Senator Oropeza is sending a strong message to the mem-bership of the American Kennel Club (AKC)-Long Beach is open for business, and we value the AKC’s contribution to our city,” Mr. Goodling continued.

Long Beach Police Officers Association President Steve James added to the chorus of opposition to AB 1634. Mr. James commented,“Our opposition to this bill is about fundamentals… The passage of AB 1634 directly affects every segment of the Long Beach economy:at the most basic level, it represents loss of jobs for hotel workers, small business owners, restaurants, the tourism industry, as well as aloss in valuable city-revenue that goes to fund vital city services like hiring police and fire personnel, fixing potholes and side-walks…Senator Oropeza understands that.”

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“…Long Beach is open for business, and wevalue the AKC’s contribution to our city.”

Steve Goodling, President/CEOLong Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT“Creating a Strong LocalEconomy“OBJECTIVE: To create a positive business envi-ronment for new businesses and assist inretention of business.VICE CHAIR: Doug Carpenter, Paragon SteelSTAFF LIAISON: Judy Nelson, Vice President,Business Councils, (562) 432-8128,jnelson@lbchamber.com

COUNCILS / COMMITTEES / EVENTS:• City National Bank Entrepreneur of the

Year–May 1, 2008: Chair: James Eaton,Airdrome Holdings LLC

• International Business Association:President: Larry Keller, Kennedy JenksEngineering

• Women’s Council: President: GailSchwandner, Long Beach City College

• Airport Area Business Council:Chair: TBA

PUBLIC POLICY “Representing the Interest ofBusiness with Government“OBJECTIVE: To support or oppose business-related legislation at the local, county, stateand federal levels through advocacy efforts. VICE CHAIR: Lori Lofstrom, Holmes &Lofstrom LLP / STAFF LIAISONS: Brandon Kline,Vice President of Public Policy, (562) 983-1241,bkline@lbchamber.com/ Shaun Lumachi,Advisor, Govt. and Public Affairs, (562) 843-0947, shaun@longbeachadvocacy.biz

COUNCILS AND COMMITTEES:• Government Affairs Committee: Chair:

Lori Lofstrom, Holmes & Lofstrom, LLP• CA Visionaries/National Leaders

Luncheons• Political Action Committee: Chair:

Dave Neary, Westland Construction• State of the County Address with

Supervisor Don Knabe–November, 1 2007

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT“Promoting the Community“OBJECTIVE: To develop effective relationships,build collaborative efforts and share informationwith public and private entities to help market,support and strengthen the LB communityat large.VICE CHAIR: Janet McCarthy-Wilson, GoodwillIndustries / STAFF LIAISONS: Judy Donley,Executive Vice President, (562) 437-8823,jdonley@lbchamber.com / Elisa Margoni,Vice President of Special Events, (562) 436-2810, emargoni@lbchamber.com

COUNCILS / COMMITTEES / EVENTS:• Trade Missions:

India: 9/15-24/07 and 4/5-14/08China: 10/23-31/07 and 4/11-19/08

• Golf Classic: September 27, 2007• Principal for a Day: November 2007• State of the City: January 15, 2008• Inaugural Gala: June 19, 2008

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES“Providing NetworkingOpportunities“OBJECTIVE: To enhance value-added mem-bership benefits, focusing on small business.VICE CHAIR: Joanne Davis, Davis GroupSTAFF LIAISONS: Kelly Stortz, Vice Presidentof Membership, (562) 590-9234,kstortz@lbchamber.com / Bobbie Spohn,Membership Coordinator, (562) 436-1251,ext. 103, bspohn@lbchamber.com

COUNCILS AND COMMITTEES:• Ambassadors: Chair: TBA• “Good Morning Long Beach“ Program

Committee Chair: Ed Fagan, CPA• Technology Committee: Chair: Mark

Scholar, Micro Data Solutions

The Chamber Wants…YOU!Now Recruiting Your Time and Talent to Get Involved and Stay Connected

The Long Beach Chamber has a win-win proposition for you. We are actively recruiting members to join our committees and get involved. By joining one of our many councils or committees, you can benefit from meeting fellow members, to learning about other businesses while exposing yours, and enhancing our local business community through yourspecial talents. Past committee members have frequently commented that one of the best returns on their membership investment comes from participating in these unparallelednetworking opportunities. Create friendships, share business ideas, collaborate on Chamber projects, and much more.

Below are The Chamber’s four core programs and strategies. You will find that each area is defined with an objective and broken out further into the various committeeswe are seeking volunteers for. A staff liaison is listed separately under each area. Please contact the liaison today for the program you would like to get involved with!

Putting ego and pride before wisdomhappens with managers. It does not happenwith leaders and it is those leaders who runsuccessful businesses and organizations.

These leaders have learned that one ofthe biggest performance barriers has nothingto do with weak sales, sloppy strategic plan-ning or lackluster employees. It’s an individualhurdle every professional faces: knowing andadmitting what you don’t know.

they don’t know? For starters, these entre-preneurs have grown so accustomed toimprovising and being somewhat successful upto a point, that they assume they’ll continue to besuccessful and learn on the job, simply by doing.

Have you fallen into this trap? I have andmost managers who have become leaderswill likely admit they have done the same. Ifyou feel you have escaped this trap, then youare either an incredible leader or still puttingyour ego and pride ahead of everything else.The latter will recognize themselves in thefollowing statements:

• In my job I never have all the information I want when a decision must be made, so I am paid to do the best with what I have.

• My boss is happy with what I am doing. My boss would laugh if I said “I don’t knowenough about this, I want to learn more beforeI tackle this problem.“

• Starting a new business is a leap of faith. I am too busy building my business to worryabout what I don’t know.

Another reason owners and executiveswon’t admit what they don’t know is becauseit took guts to start their business. They riskeda lot, they cherish their independence anddon’t want any assistance. Despite their initialsuccess these businesses are in trouble.

Examine your own knowledge of business-es that have come and gone and businessesthat are going strong and are successful. Oneof the most common differences—the failedbusiness will have had one individual driver,while the successful business has built a team

around the business and has had a mentor oradvisory board. The successful business willnot have operated in a vacuum.

Self-confidence, initiative and passion areall prerequisite for building a business. Buttoo much confidence (or ego or pride) willconvince you that you know what you’redoing when you really don’t, causing you tohurt the business by operating in areas farfrom your field of expertise.

So what do you do? Seek help to identifywhat you don’t know. Talk to your employees,talk to your professional friends or someoneyou used to work with or better yet manage.Listen, be introspective. A growing leader willbegin to acknowledge where their knowledge islacking or areas they struggle with in business.

A book I read when I was a young manager,full of ego and pride, was Tom Peter’s In Searchof Excellence. One term that stayed with mewas “MBWA—management by wanderingaround. “In my career I have been the CEO of small businesses and large businesses. Nomatter the size, most days I did my “MBWA.“Despite having other executives tell me “I don’thave time to wander around, “nothing I couldhave done at my desk was more valuable thanwhat I learned during my “wandering around.“

I learned about families, vacations, upcomingcelebrations and life’s struggles. I becamehuman to employees (fancy that, the CEOcares). I found out what was impacting theirperformance, what they thought, what theywould do. My management team started“MBWA“ also and not just in their own depart-ment. I am proud to say at every business, per-formance was high, and record setting yearsoccurred. Not because of me or even my seniormanagers. It was due to the right people beingput in the best position to be successful and

everyone understanding that if they did notknow the answer, it was OK to seek out some-one who did.

So try “MBWA.“ Ask the people aroundyou, “What do you need to know to do yourjob?“ Sit with them at their desks and askthem about the processes they’ve adopted;the systems they use and the knowledge theydraw upon. The answers will surprise you,especially after they get accustomed to thesurprise of you asking.

Kick off every staff meeting by goingaround the room and asking participants tovolunteer something they’ve recently learnedabout the business.

By showing you’re constantly hungry forknowledge, you create an open culture thatfacilitates the free exchange of ideas. Andthe best part of all is that you’ll maintain ahigh degree of self-awareness: You’ll act onwhat you know—and take steps to find outwhat you don’t. You will park your ego andpride and become one heck of a leader!

Ian Lamont is the former publisher of the Press-Telegram. Ian was first named a CEO in 1995and subsequently headed up energy/tech-nology, transportation and media companiesover the next decade. In each case Ian tookover troubled companies and led them torecord setting performance. He is now theDirector of the LB Small Business DevelopmentCenter (LB SBDC). The LB SBDC offers FREE 1-on-1 consulting for all businesses and lowcost Training Workshops. To schedule your 1-on-1 consultants appointment or get moreinformation on the upcoming TrainingWorkshops, call 562-570-4574 or go towww.longbeachsbdc.org. Ian can be contactedat ilamont@lbcc.edu.

Knowing What You Don’t KnowLeadership

Ian LamontDirector,

LB Small BusinessDevelopment Center

”This spacecould beyours!”

Advertise with The Chamberfor just dollars a day.

E-mail Jackie Kuhl at jackie.kuhl@gmail.comfor rates and information.

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You’ve made a commitmentto your health.So have we.

For more information, contact your broker or Universal Care at 800-380-2522.

Providing Networking Opportunities

A leader’s ability to recognize gaps in theirknowledge—and find ways to plug them—propels their business. Managers who seethemselves as a jack-of-all-trades and repeat-edly take on duties for which they’re unqual-ified (recognize ego and pride here?), end uphurting their business, their performance andthe performance of everyone around them.

It sounds simple enough, simply admitwhat you don’t know and address it. Yet in thecrush of business, owners and executives ofstart-up businesses or small businesses oftenmake a big mistake by not taking the time tosit back, assess the situation and recognizethat their ability and knowledge has flaws.Instead they will plow ahead, causing harm.

What makes it so hard for owners andexecutives to be leaders and confront what

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1-800-GOT-JUNK?Leslie & Amanda Rowe (562) 366-4370www.1800gotjunk.com Junk Removal Service2BD LivingRobert Van Ooijen (562) 431-7170www.2BDLiving.com Stores & Retailersa.g. Cube, LLCGilles Clavel (562) 219-2072www.agcube.com Internet Mail ServicesAAA Electrical Enterprises, IncLauri Sullivan (562) 424-1687Air Conditioning–Contractors & SystemsA-Advantage Networking & Consulting I.T. Services Warren Holyfield(562) 726-1408 www.a-advantage.netComputer Support ServicesAccountants, Inc.Sheila Lewis (310) 516-1111www.accountantsinc.com Employment Agencies & ServicesADP, Inc. Joey Farrales (714) 739-6182www.adp.com Payroll Service/Workers CompADT Fire & SecurityCliff Hamilton (714) 579-6412www.adt.com Security & Fire Protection ServicesADvantage MarketingKathy Mardyks (805) 383-2303www.admlogo.com Promotional ProductsAffinity Lending GroupRhett Pascual (562) 685-8159www.affinitylendinggroup.com Finance CompanyAmelia Cameron PhotographyAmelia Cameron (562) 394-3838www.ameliacameron photography.comPhotographers/VideoAmerican Diabetes AssociationJane Warner (323) 966-2890www.diabetes.org Community Service OrganizationsAmerican Home MortgageKevin Donaldson (562) 988-1774www.americanhm.com/kevindonaldsonMortgage LoansAmerican Laser CentersKelly Gajewski (562) 435-4526www.americanlaser.com Laser Hair RemovalAnthony Robbins CompanyWesley Goo (866) 299-8409www.TonyRobbins.com Leadership DevelopmentArchstone Long BeachRose Gardiner (562) 597-4443www.archstonelongbeach.com ApartmentsAsterion Corp.Katie Conley (562) 896-2880www.asterioncorp.com TranslationsAuto DriveawayThomas Beug (800) 366-1368www.autodriveaway.com Transportation ServicesAVACOMBarry Hossini (562) 436-0703www.avaserv.comComputer–Hardware, Imaging ProductsAvalon Employment Resources, Inc.John Sausen (562) 498-1837Employee LeasingBenchmark Information TechnologyAly McFarlane (562) 508-4170www.benchinfotech.comComputer–Information Technology/SystemsBeringer Associates, Inc.Renee Pitts (562) 495-2080www.beringerassociates.com Risk ManagementBest Buy–Signal HillMarisel Mosqueda (562) 426-6036www.bestbuy.comRetail–Electronics, Appliances, Office ProductsBusinessTalk 360Robert Houchin (909) 941-9552www.biztalkinfo.com Advertising AgenciesCalifornia’s Best Incorporating Service, Inc.Dierdre Turner (866) 231-1800www.incorporatencalifornia.comBusiness ServicesCapital Loan Specialists, Inc.Melvin Burrell (310) 516-8165www.capitalloanspecialist.com Mortgage BrokersCar29 ProductionsMike Carillo (562) 208-1817www.car29productions.comVideo Production /DVD AuthoringCARE: California Artificial Reef Enhancement ProgramGeorge Steinbach (800) 804-6002www.calreefs.org Non-Profit OrganizationsCastle Financial–Reverse Mortgage ExpertsLance Jackson (562) 256-7024www.castlereverse.comMortgage Services–Reverse Mortgages

Chameleon Creative GroupLiz Vucurevic (562) 212-9510www.getcreative.com Promotional ProductsChoice Motivation–Keith O’Neill, PhD.Keith O’Neill (949) 232-5554www.keithoneill.comLife Coach–Motivational SpeakerCitslinc International, Inc.Leo Liu (626) 571-0616www.Citslinc.com International TradeClarita Career CollegeLamar Haynes (562) 256-7157www.clarita.edu Schools–Industrial/Technical/TradeConsignment CornerKenneth Ulbrich (562) 439-9045Consignment ServicesContractors’ WarehouseGreg Inshishian (562) 633-1382www.contractorswarehouse.com Retail–Building SuppliesContractors’ Warehouse–Tool RentalsEdwin Landazuri (562) 633-1428www.contractorswarehouse.com Tool RentalsCountrywide Home Loans–Team Long BeachSally Doherty (562) 982-1000www.SallyYourHomeLoanExpert.comMortgage LoansCroshaw Printing and Direct MailRandy Terrell (562) 437-8330www.politicalcampaigns.com Direct MailDavid Guettler PhotographyDavid Guettler (562) 225-1941www.davidguettlerphoto.com Photographers/VideoDavid L. Brundage, CFA, BFA: Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.Dave Brundage, CFP, BFA (562) 420-1575www.ameripriseadvisors.com/david.l.brundageFinancial Services & AdvisorsDe Souza Investment Real Estate, Inc.Christine de Souza (562) 248-0131www.desouzainvestment.comReal Estate–Investmentsdivine Staffing ServicesPaul Han (562) 809-0090 www.divinestaffing.comEmployment Agencies & ServicesEco Vantage ReprographicsRebecca Manuel (562) 989-5500www.ecovantage.com Printing/ReprographicsEcoMediaDan Lougheed (310) 374-8212www.ecomedia.us Environmental MarketingEdible Arrangements Joy Graves (562) 438-1100www.ediblearrangements.com Florists & GiftsEnglander & AssociatesCarl Kemp (562) 437-1500www.englanderassociates.com Public RelationsErhart’s CateringDianna Manson (714) 826-3350www.erharts.com Catering & Banquets/Food ServiceErnst & Young LLPTom Bussa (213) 977-3200www.ey.com Accountants–Certified PublicFamima CorporationGabriel Nguyen (562) 434-3000www.famima-usa.comRestaurants–Convenience StoresFirst Wallstreet FinancialFred Stanto (562) 951-9500www.1stwallstreet.com Mortgage LoansGevityMarv Rosenhaft (310) 837-8105www.gevity.com Human ResourcesGolden West FinancialTony Olivieri (714) 751-6100www.goldenwestfinance.com Finance CompanyGot Promos? LLCLeah Cohen Lopez (310) 293-9611www.gotpromos.com Promotional ProductsGraduate School, USDARaymond Vaudo (310) 755-8567www.grad.usda.gov Training & ConsultingHarbor Custom CanvasDaniel Loggans (562) 436-7708www.harborcustomcanvas.com Boat CanvasIndulgence Day & Med SpaWendy Dye (562) 596-1400www.indulgencenow.com Day SpasInterior Office SolutionsMarty Kurner (949) 724-9444www.interiorofficesolutions.comOffice Furniture/DesignKeller Williams Realty–Los Alamitos Blvd.Tammy Newland (562) 626-8654www.sellbeach.com Real EstateKellie Shelton Graphic DesignKellie Shelton (310) 780-1462www.kellieshelton.com Graphic & Web Design

Landmark Event DesignersClark Gonzales (562) 682-0011www.landmarkeventdesigners.comEvent Planning, Production & MaterialsLaw Offices of Michele A. WilsonMichele A. Wilson (562) 435-0464www.mwilsonlawoffice.com Attorneys/Law FirmsLegacy PartnersSeth Hiromura (562) 901-9021www.legacypartners.com Real Estate–DevelopersLinking Focus, Inc.Leon Chan (562) 422-9095www.lfirubber.com ExportersLong Beach Consumers for ChoiceKathy Lucker Community GroupLong Beach Day NurseryPatrice Wong (562) 591-0509www.lbdn.org Child CareLong Beach IceJoseph Rios (562) 438-8129www.longbeachice.com Ice CompanyLong Beach Rescue MissionJames Lewis (562) 591-1292www.lbrescuemission.orgCommunity Service OrganizationsMarketplace Long Beach Merchant AssociationDawn Stanley (562) 431-6282www.marketplacelongbeach.comBoutiques, Restaurants and ServicesMay’s Thai KitchenMay Rojanasopondist (562) 494-3003Restaurants–ThaiMMTATJames Ramsey (562) 861-3131www.mmtat.com Computer–Mobile ServicesNetwork Public AffairsNancy Pfeffer (562) 901-2037www.networkpa.net Consultants–Government RelationsOctober Five DevelopmentJim Brophy (562) 435-1255www.O5D.com Real Estate–DevelopersOIA Health Insurance ServicesHal Reniff (866) 591-5050www.oiahealthinsurance services.comHealth InsuranceOnce Upon a StoryCyndie Kalina (562) 433-6856www.onceuponastorybooks.comChildren’s Book StoreOPEN from American ExpressJason Rudman (212) 640-6113Business Development ServicesOrange County Teachers Federal Credit UnionJudy Esmero (714) 258-4000www.octfcu.org Credit UnionsPacific Research & Strategies, Inc.Rod Wilson (562) 494-3800www.pacificresearch.net Public Relations/ AdvertisingPacific Video ImageBrad Coker (562) 634-4200www.pvideo.com Video Production/ DVD AuthoringParking Company of AmericaRussell Tobler (714) 403-1211www.parkpca.com Parking and TransportationPre-Paid Legal ServicesSusan Dohner (562) 547-5896 Legal ServicesProfessional Organizer, Interior Designer & Our World NetworkHallie Jane Culpepper (562) 208-8556Organizing Services–Home & BusinessPrudential California Realty–Barbara BettsBarbara Betts (562) 208-1582www.barbarabetts.com Real Estate–ResidentialRaj Shah OutsourcingRaj Shah (562) 926-4849 IT OutsourcingReed, Hill & AssociatesDavid M. Reed, CFP (562) 429-5153Financial Services & AdvisorsRoyal Office ProductsTony Chi-Su Gutierrez (714) 228-9996www.eroyal.comOffice–Supplies, Tech & FurnitureSexual Assault Crisis AgencyLinda Berger (562) 989-0309 Crisis Intervention AgenciesSilver State HelicoptersPerry Eaton (562) 283-1200www.silverstatehelicopters.com Helicopter ServiceSkylinks Golf CourseLida Matthews (562) 421-3388www.herecomestheguide.com/location/detail/skylinks-golf-club/Catering & Banquets/Food ServiceSmall Business Development CenterAlex Vaughan (310) 973-3177www.southbaysbdc.org Non-Profit–Business Services

Smith BarneyJan Maize (562) 624-1817www.smithbarney.com Financial PlanningSociety for Financial AwarenessTony Scott (562) 733-2445www.GotDebtStrategy.com Financial Services & AdvisorsSopp Truck CenterAndrea Krawietz (323) 562-8613www.soppchevrolet.com Truck Sales and Service

Specialty Coffee Association of AmericaDawn Jantsch (562) 624-4100www.scaa.org Non-Profit OrganizationsStefano’s da Vinci RistoranteDave Neary (562) 685-8111www.stefanosdavinci.com RestaurantsTacos Don Chente of Long BeachDorian Villasenor (562) 218-0500www.tacosdonchente.com RestaurantsTeamwork Mortgage & Equity Management GroupKeith Terry (562) 433-3781www.teamworkmortgage.net Finance CompanyThe Core Group, Inc.Kristine Byers (310) 256-0829www.interactivecore.com Advertising and Internet ServicesThe Dolphin GroupTanya Gilber (310) 446-4800www.dolphingroup.org Public RelationsThe Gas CompanyDennis Lord (310) 732-4242 Utility CompaniesThe Lumen GroupErick Burton (562) 249-0185www.thelumengroup.com Financial Services & AdvisorsThe Screen MachineJoe Palmer (562) 498-1393 ScreensThrivent Financial for LutheransLana Clark (562) 981-1358www.thrivent.com Financial Services & AdvisorsTiger9 Investments, Inc., dba Ace EntertainmentKen Letourneau (562) 804-1808www.thegreatamericansportschallenge.comEntertainment–SportsUkleja Center for Ethical Leadership–CSULBJane Roeder (562) 985-8600www.ucel.org Community Service OrganizationsUniversal Healthcare Solutions Insurance AgencyKen Houp (562) 981-4063www.uhsia.com Health InsuranceWachoviaSergio Aguilar (562) 426-7909www.wachovia.com BanksWest Millennium Homes/City Place LoftsSarah Rahmatian (310) 848-5153www.cityplacelofts.com Real EstateWest OceanNicole Evans (562) 436-2326www.intracorpcompanies.comReal Estate–DevelopersWilliams Records ManagementAlicia Seabury (323) 234-3453www.williamsrecords.com Records–ManagementWorld Class Freight, Inc.Roberto De Leon, Jr. (310) 223-0373www.worldclassfreight.com Shipping CompaniesWSS Warehouse Shoe SalesJoel Estrada (562) 428-3003www.warehouseshoesale.com Shoes–RetailYellow Book USASara Walker (760) 484-3323Advertising–Directories & GuidesYour Real Estate and Home Loan TeamDamon Jones (800) 461-4779www.YourRealEstateandLoans.comMortgage Loans, Real Estate, Notary Services

Welcome New MembersWe are pleased to welcome our newest members, who joined The Chamber between July 2006 and June 2007.

When you have a choice, choose the best.

7

BUSINESS BANKING / PERSONAL BANKING / ONLINE BANKING > > > fmb.com

Visit One Of Our 11 Branches ServingLong Beach And The South Bay Today

Featuring:CharlesHukariVice President & ManagerLos Altos Branch (562) 799-7271

Mark Your Calendars… Find out about these upcoming events and more at www.lbchamber.com

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

US POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 416

LONG BEACH, CA

September 27Chamber Golf Classic

September 15–24Mission to India

October 23–31Mission to China

November 1State of the County

One World Trade Center, Suite 206 Long Beach, CA 90831-0206! PH (562) 436-1251 ! FAX 436-7099 ! www.lbchamber.com ! www.longbeachadvocacy.biz

Chamber Staff:Randy Gordon President & CEO ....................... (562) 436-6723Judy Donley Executive Vice President.................. (562) 437-8823Brandon Kline VP Public Policy ........................ (562) 983-1241Shaun Lumachi Advisor, Government Affairs ...... (562) 843-0947Elisa Margoni VP Special Events........................ (562) 436-2810Judy Nelson VP Business Councils ...................... (562) 432-8128Kelly Stortz VP Member Services ....................... (562) 590-9234Sarah Nguyen Executive Assistant ..................... (562) 432-7830Jackie Kuhl Media Manager ............................. (562) 843-0951Bobbie Spohn Membership Coordinator .. (562) 436-1251ext 103Sterling Spector Trade Missions ............ (562) 436-1251ext 113Hope Altman Information Specialist................... (562) 436-1251Linda Izzo Member Relations Executive .... (562) 436-1251ext 110Graphic Design ......................................................Via MediaPrinting ........................................................Seaside PrintingAssembly ................................................Goodwill Industries

Members wishing to submit articles, press releases, or membernews items for upcoming issues of Long Beach Chamber ofCommerce’s Your Advocate, please fax to (562) 436-7099, attn:Jackie Kuhl, or e-mail jackie.kuhl@gmail.com.

Circulation: Long Beach Business is mailed directly to morethan 1500 Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce members,elected officials and community leaders.

Our Mission The Chamber is the platform for business toprovide leadership, education, and advocacy so that the LongBeach area thrives in the 21st century.

Our Vision The Chamber will be the acknowledged leader increating community consensus to support local, regional, andinternational business.

Our Core Competencies! Economic Development: Creating a Strong Local Economy! Public Policy: Representing the Interest of Business with

Government! Community Development: Promoting the Community! Membership Services: Providing Networking Opportunities

California Chamber of Commerce’s“Advocacy Partner of the Year “

for 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

YOURADVOCATE