Santa Cruz Chamber Ambassador Program

Looking for a fun way to interact with other Chamber members? 
Interested in meeting new and existing businesses at the Chamber? 
Want to earn points towards free Chamber events and marketing opportunities for your business?
Basics
The Chamber Ambassadors are a team of Chamber members who volunteer to engage with new members, Chamber event participants, and the Santa Cruz Community on behalf of the Chamber. Ambassadors guide new members through the first year of membership and connect new members to the Chamber, its benefits and activities.

Ambassadors also connect with current members, encouraging their active participation and robust use of opportunities the Chamber provides. And, the Ambassadors promote the business community and the Chamber throughout the community.

When
Ambassadors meet as a team once a month and make a commitment to attend 50% of all Chamber events including Networking Mixers, Ribbon Cuttings, Wake Up, Santa Cruz Breakfast series, Women in Business luncheons, Membership luncheons, Breakfast Briefings and the Chamber's four annual major events.

Rewards
The greatest return for being an Ambassador is the development of a rich network of business friends and acquaintances that will pay returns for years to come. In addition, Ambassadors earn public recognition as well as the credits against the cost of Chamber events. Top performing Ambassadors are featured on a rotating basis on the Chamber’s website and in the Chamber’s weekly eNews mailings to members. Ambassadors earn credits for each scheduled communication with a member, each event they attend, and other services. Credits earned can be used towards not only events but also Chamber member marketing services, sponsorship, and products.

2017 Ambassadors:

Duf Fischer, Ambassador Chair
Santa Cruz Chamber Board of Directors
Chamber Consultant and Past President
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Graduate of UC Santa Barbara with degree in economics and accounting. Served in the U.S. Army 8 years. Founded F & M Engineering Construction, Inc. Owner, Partner, President, Executive V.P. of many travel organizations. Community Service: President Santa Cruz Jaycees, President Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce, President Miss California Scholarship Pageant, Chairman Santa Cruz City Planning Commision, Chairman Animal Protection Institute, Chairman Advisory Board, Coast Commercial Bank, Chairman Board of Directors, Family Service Association, Board Director, Rotary Club of Santa Cruz, Served as political advanceman for Ronald Reagan. Delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business and Delegate to the first ever White House Conference on Travel and Tourism. Served as Congress Chairman for ASTA 61st World Travel Congress in Taipei,Taiwan.
Lora Allanson
John C. Allanson Insurance Agency
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Lora hails from the southland and is a native Californian. She grew up, the youngest of 6 kids, near the coastal community of Seal Beach. She arrived in Santa Cruz in 1979 to attend UC. While she was at the University, she met John in Solar Technology. They both graduated in 1981, which feels like yesterday, they got married the month after graduation and started in the insurance business shortly thereafter. They have been blessed to live and work in this beautiful area and raise their three awesome kids here.
 
Before Lora started dating John, she had been involved in a "head on" auto accident and spent many months recovering from her multiple injuries. The man that hit her was uninsured. She and John have since dedicated their life's work to making sure their client's have the right coverage for their needs. They love people and are always happy when they are able to help them protect their assets and their family's well being.​
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Will Allanson
John C. Allanson Insurance Agency
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​As an agent with Farmers Insurance, Will is working to continue and grow the family business, Allanson Insurance, started 35 years ago by his father John. With over 10 years of sales and customer service experience and a focus on providing an excellent customer experience, Will is excited to bring his talents and unique skill set back to his home town of Santa Cruz, California. Graduating from UC Berkeley with a BA in Philosophy and Religious Studies, Will is an open minded adventurer, helper of those in need, passionate about Hawaiian shirts, cowboy boots, and anything to do with the sea.
Michele Bassi
Lighthouse Bank
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Michele is the Vice President of Business Development/Relationship Manager for Lighthouse Bank. She has spent the past 22 years with Wells Fargo Bank in various positions including Manager, Foundation and Marketing Support and Business Development. Michele is a 1993 graduate of Cal State University, Fresno with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting. She started as a teller with Wells Fargo Bank while in school. After graduation, she was offered the opportunity to move to the most beautiful place on earth....Santa Cruz County! And the rest is history.... Michele has been actively involved in the community for many years. Her resume includes; VP of the Santa Cruz County Fair Heritage Foundation, Founding Friend of Meals on Wheels, Women's Education Success (Cabrillo College Foundation) Co-Chair, Capitola/Aptos Rotary Member (past Treasurer), Ambassador for the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, Fundraising and Event Committee member for DigitalNEST, Moreland Notre Dame Event Chair and Team Parent, Family Service Agency Past Board President, and many more....
Rod Caborn
First Class Fundraising

Rod grew up on the east coast of England, and received a BA with honors in Business Studies from Sheffield University. He was recruited from Sheffield to play professional rugby in Spain. Under his captaincy F.C. Barcelona won two national championships. Rod met his wife, Kelly, in Barcelona and returned with her to her native California. While completing his masters in linguistics at San Jose State, California, Rod experienced first-hand the dire financial straits of many Californian schools and resolved to dedicate his marketing and production skills to a career in fundraising.
 
In 1993 Rod founded First Class Fundraising, which from its inception specialized in producing large, motivational community-building events.
From Pebble Beach to The San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park, and from Tahema to Tesla Motors, he has been inspiring and delighting audiences ever since.

​In addition, Rod has been the Master of Ceremonies for hundreds of foundations and corporations, and, as a professional auctioneer, has raised over $25million for local and international non-profits. He also serves as a fundraising consultant for many organizations, representing every one of his cherished clients with integrity and expertise.
 
Rod lives with his wife and their two daughters in Santa Cruz, California, where he is the Foundation Chair and Past-President of The Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Club.
Erin Iversen
XenoPsi
​For the past 10 years Erin has been working in New York City building brands and creating integrated marketing programs. She has experience managing campaigns and strategic recommendations across traditional, digital and social platforms on brands ranging from retail, beauty/fashion, CPG and Spirits. 
 
Erin made Santa Cruz her home as of 2017 and works remotely for XenoPsi which is based in New York City. When not working, she can be found on the beach with her husband and chocolate Labrador, learning how to surf, and being something of a fitness enthusiast. Originally from Virginia, Erin takes as much pride in her southern manners as in her terrifically teased hair. 
Matthew James
Hopkins & Carley

Matthew James is an attorney at Hopkins & Carley.  Matt is an experienced civil litigator focusing on construction, real estate and general business matters.  In addition, Matt counsels clients on transactional matters ranging from small residential and commercial projects to large scale public works claims.  Matt has also been a licensed real estate broker since 2006.              
  
Matt grew up in Santa Cruz, graduating from Soquel High School, University of California, Berkeley and Santa Clara University School of Law.  Matt is grateful to continue to call Santa Cruz home.  In his free time, Matt enjoys spending time with his family and taking part in the wide range of outdoor activities Santa Cruz has to offer. ​
Jodie T. Kench
Membership Relations Director, Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce

Jodie T. Kench is the Membership Relations Director for the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, responsible for planning and executing marketing, sales, and retention activities for Chamber membership and Chamber products and programs.  By establishing credibility, trust and respect while developing new partnerships, she serves as the liaison between the Chamber and its members.  Jodie also leads the Chamber’s Ambassador Program, a wonderful group of members who volunteer to guide new members through the first year of membership and connect new members to the Chamber, its benefits and activities.
 
Jodie originally started working with the Chamber as its Public Relations Coordinator while attending the University of California, Santa Cruz where she earned her degrees in Psychology and Theater Arts.  After graduation she was offered the opportunity of a lifetime to participate in a post-grad internship with the Walt Disney Company.  But even that could not keep her away from NorCal as she was soon drawn back to the beautiful Santa Cruz County where she is grateful to call her home away from home.
 
In her free time Jodie enjoys socializing, meeting new people, adventuring to new places, and playing competitive sports — especially, tennis, ping-pong and soccer.
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Sonia Leclerc
Sonia Leclerc Realty - Keller Williams

Sonia has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance, has worked for several Silicon Valley high-tech companies and in the venture capital world and now is a realtor at Keller Williams to work on your real estate needs. Having owned several houses and done long distance moves she has now settled on the central coast and calls Santa Cruz her home.

Having personally remodeled her own houses, she was hands on from painting and plastering to decorating and landscaping. She has an eye like an interior/exterior designer and can assist you with the vision for houses that you are considering. Sonia can help you with work-life balance, choosing a place to retire to or find affordable housing that works within your budget either in Santa Cruz County or in Silicon Valley. She is multilingual, speaks French and some Spanish which makes her a good fit for working with modern multicultural families.

Sonia is very active in the local community, assisted Santa Cruz by initiating and leading the Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) application, inspired and assisted the city of Watsonville to become a BFC as well. She is mentoring as a Big Sister helping children thrive in life and can always be counted on for volunteering to make the local community more vibrant. 
Manfred Luedge
HealthMarkets

Manfred Luedge is your local insurance agent here to help you find the right health insurance, life insurance, disability, whatever your needs are.  He works with nationally recognized insurance companies to give you the quality, affordable insurance you’re looking for.  ​
Greg Lukina
Santa Cruz Area Chamber Board Member
Director of Business Development, David Lyng Real Estate

Greg Lukina is the Director of Business Development at David Lyng Real Estate. Prior to joining David Lyng, Greg was a Senior Project Manager with Cahill Contractors, Inc., based in San Francisco. He most recently managed the construction of a $31.5 million, 120-unit apartment project in the Transbay Redevelopment Project Area in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Greg holds an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and both an MS and BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Outside of work, Greg enjoys jogging, mountain biking, cycling, golfing, and traveling.
Chris Maffia
Santa Cruz Chamber Board Vice President, Women in Business Chair
Vice President, Santa Cruz County Bank

Chris Maffia is Vice President, Relationship Manager for Santa Cruz County Bank where she is responsible for business and community development for the Santa Cruz market. In her background of over 33 years of banking, she has held a variety of positions starting as a teller with Bank of America and working her way through lending, and personalized banking positions with Premier Banking. In 2005, Chris retired from Bank of America as Senior Vice President, Market Manager for the Central Coast Premier Banking Team. Chris joined Santa Cruz County Bank in 2005 and has enjoyed working at the bank’s office in downtown Santa Cruz.

Chris is currently the Board Chair for the American Red Cross of Santa Cruz County. She previously served as the Board of Trustees Chair for the United Way of Santa Cruz County for two years as well as the campaign chair. She is also a 15-year active member and past chair for Dominican Hospital Foundation Guild. Chris currently serves as the chair of the luncheon committee for the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce Women in Business.

Past recognitions include Affiliate of the year for the Santa Cruz Board of Realtors, Ambassador of the Year for the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, and the Betty Elward award presented for outstanding participation in the Dominican Hospital Foundation Guild. ​
Marlena Munoz
Ancient Waves Wellness
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Marlena Munoz is a licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist.  She earned her Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Five Branches University in 2001.
She did her post graduate work in pain management, facial rejuvenation acupuncture, women’s disorders and five element theory.  She also maintains specialties in digestive disorders, nutritional therapy, insomnia, anxiety and depression.

She is a second generation healer.  She has a deep passion for not only helping patients overcome existing conditions but assisting individuals in maintaining a healthy and thriving lifestyle.  She would love to share her passion for the healing powers of acupuncture with you.
Marc R. Murano
Business Performance Advisor
Insperity, Inc.
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As a Business Performance Advisor with Insperity, Inc., Marc works with small business in Santa Cruz County in the area “Workforce Optimization”.  He helps companies control employee related costs while reducing or eliminating employer related risk.  Companies using their unique business model are seeing a 5% to 10% growth in revenue per employee and find themselves with a very capable and engaged workforce.  As a Bay Area resident for 15 years now, Marc enjoys coaching youth baseball, fishing, golf, and cooking.  He graduated from the University of Southern California and is an avid college sports fan.  Marc's motto is “Help small business thrive so that communities can prosper”.
Nick O'Neil
Cooper Technologies
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Nick O'Neil is the Vice President Business Development for Cooper Technologies,  a company dedicated to increasing your efficiency, reducing your IT costs and enabling you to remain focused on your company’s mission and purpose. 
Karl Rice, Chair-Elect, Ambassador
President, Santa Cruz Seaside Company
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Karl Rice is the President of the Santa Cruz Seaside Company.  He holds a master’s degree in business administration in finance and real estate from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and communication from the University of Washington.  Karl is a sixth generation resident of the Santa Cruz area and he and his wife have two children, the seventh generation of the family to call Santa Cruz home.​
Beverly Ritchey
Stelling Commercial

Beverly Ritchey is an Associate at Stelling Commercial.
Steve Skotzke
Skotzke Consulting
Steve is President and Founder of Skotzke Consulting providing business, marketing and sales strategies and services for businesses of various sizes and industries.  Services include: business development, project management, new product development, innovation, branding, commercialization, communications, digital and social media and more. 

He has over 20 years of Marketing Management experience, working in underwear to power tools to produce, generating millions in sales and profits for companies like Bolthouse Farms, Dole, Chiquita and Bosch. 
 
Originally from Wisconsin, he fled the frozen tundra (though still a big Packer fan) for the warmer climes of California and has been very proud and happy to call Santa Cruz County home since 2009.  He has a BA in Psychology, a BBA in Marketing, an MBA and two patents.   During his off hours he enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, exploring the wonderful area, being at the beach or on the water, running and biking.
David Stearns
Allterra Solar
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David is a 25-year resident of Santa Cruz and a graduate of Santa Cruz High School. He attended UCLA earning degrees in Political Science and Urban and Regional Planning. He is a proud member of Think Local First, cherishes Santa Cruz's entrepreneurial spirit, and is an ardent champion of central coast business. He enjoys sports, outdoor recreation, and from Thanksgiving to New Years you can find him at Companion Bakery sipping egg nog lattes. David is a guest host on Community TV's Voices From The Village and is frequently quoted in local media offering insights on pressing civic issues. David currently serves as the Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Allterra Solar, Santa Cruz County's most frequently hired solar PV contractor. He encourages any homeowner paying more than $100 per month for electricity to call him immediately.
Tom Stelling
Stelling Commercial

Tom Stelling has been a licensed realtor and a trusted name in commercial and multi-family real estate sales, leasing, and management since 1984. In 2009, following a successful commercial real estate career at the largest commercial real estate brokerage company in North America, and 7 years with a local Santa Cruz brokerage, Tom joined KW Commercial, the most respected and fastest growing commercial real estate sales and leasing team in the United States. Tom is recognized as an expert in local real estate issues, and is quoted regularly in the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper and is seen on the Real Estate Weekly television program. He was recently interviewed for the NBC Nightly News Program as an expert on local commercial real estate trends. Tom is an active board member of the Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary, the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, is on the board of the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce, an active participant in leadership Santa Cruz, and an active Member of the Bay Area Apartment Brokers Forum. In his free time, Tom likes to surf, sail, jog and spend time with his two teenage children Tommy and Lizzy.
Adele Talmadge
Santa Cruz Chamber Board of Directors
Talmadge Construction
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Born at Sister's Hospital on West Cliff Drive, Adele Talmadge has been a Santa Cruzan all her life.  Her parents owned Port O' Call Grocery in Pleasure Point.  After attending Cabrillo College, Adele went on to gain over 30 years of bookkeeping and customer service experience in residential, commercial construction and property management.  In 1984, she co-founded Talmadge Construction.  Adele remains an active part in the community, volunteering for the Amgen Tour in 2010, directing the Lifestyle Festival for the Tour in Seaside and the Awards Ceremony for Tour of CA in 2012.  Adele loves Tae Kwon Do, earning her First Degree black belt at the age of 50.
Misty Wenisch
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriot

Misty Wenisch is the General Manager of the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Santa Cruz.  She is a high-energy and motivated manager focused on promoting customer satisfaction through exceptional service.
More Information
To learn more about the Chamber’s Ambassador program, please contact our Membership Relations Director, Jodie Kench, at 831-457-3713.