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2022 Awards
Person of the Year:
Bonnie Lipscomb, the Director of the City of Santa Cruz Economic Development Department. The Economic Development Department leads business support efforts, housing support and creation, the public art program and asset management and development for the City. Bonnie leads a small team that partners with other City Departments as well as with the Santa Cruz business community to support our local economy and help businesses grow and succeed. The Economic Development Office is a go-to resource for all things business in Santa Cruz. During the past few years in collaboration with other city departments, the city council, and community partners, Bonnie and her team have spearheaded addressing the City’s short-term economic needs by developing business support programs and successfully seeking grant funding from the state and federal government to help small businesses survive the pandemic
Important programs that Bonnie and her team implemented during the pandemic include an emergency micro-loan program which helped 50 businesses, an outdoor dining permit program helping more than 100 businesses, the Downtown Pops program filling vacant downtown retail spaces, Midtown Fridays, supporting Santa Cruz SeaWalls, and creating the City Arts Recovery and Design Program. Another partnership that the ED team led was the development of a county-wide loan program funded through the Economic Development Administration with the non-profit National Development Council and our local Small Business Development Center, providing the grant matching funds to kick off an expanded low-interest loan program for county-wide businesses.
In addition to the above business programs, the ED team has secured $5M in grants in the last two years from the Economic Development Administration for major infrastructure projects on the Wharf and a new dance center at the Tannery Arts Center, completing the original vision for the conversion of the old Tannery into a thriving arts center campus.
One of the most pressing issues in our region is lack of affordable housing. While the City and Bonnie’s team lost the major funding tool for building affordable housing, Redevelopment, in 2011, they didn’t let that stop them, working with state legislators to advocate and propose new legislation for affordable housing funding while finding creative ways to partner and keep affordable housing projects in the pipeline moving forward. Two such projects are Pacific Station South and Pacific Station North. Pacific Station South is a partnership with For the Future, Santa Cruz Community Health Center and Dientes, providing 70 units of affordable housing, along with high-quality, affordable and comprehensive medical and dental services downtown. The project will break ground this April.
Pacific Station North is a partnership with the METRO and First Community Housing, providing 94 affordable housing units, a new enhanced downtown transit center and a revitalized streetscape along lower Pacific Avenue. In December 2021, the City was awarded a $20.9 million grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG) program for its Pacific Station redevelopment projects, which included dedicated funding for the affordable housing, transit improvements and surrounding downtown infrastructure.
In late January 2022, the City was awarded an additional $29 million in funding for the 100-percent affordable Pacific Station North mixed-use project from the California Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program. The funding will provide $20 million for housing, $9.4 million for transportation and approximately $300,000 for programmatic elements of the project. Along with two other awards from the State Local Housing Trust Fund program, the Economic Development department has secured over $60 Million in affordable housing funding for public projects underway downtown in the last 18 months.
A project that the Chamber has followed and supported for the last decade, the Downtown Library Mixed Use project, has been approved by the City Council and is now in the Design phase. It will create a thirty-five-thousand-square-foot, 21st-century library, up to 125 affordable housing units, a community space, a childcare facility and consolidated public parking that will support the broader downtown business community and the housing development underway downtown. Bonnie and her team developed the motto of “Choose Santa Cruz,” the flagship program of the Department committed to being a responsive resource to businesses, helping our local economy grow and flourish.
Important programs that Bonnie and her team implemented during the pandemic include an emergency micro-loan program which helped 50 businesses, an outdoor dining permit program helping more than 100 businesses, the Downtown Pops program filling vacant downtown retail spaces, Midtown Fridays, supporting Santa Cruz SeaWalls, and creating the City Arts Recovery and Design Program. Another partnership that the ED team led was the development of a county-wide loan program funded through the Economic Development Administration with the non-profit National Development Council and our local Small Business Development Center, providing the grant matching funds to kick off an expanded low-interest loan program for county-wide businesses.
In addition to the above business programs, the ED team has secured $5M in grants in the last two years from the Economic Development Administration for major infrastructure projects on the Wharf and a new dance center at the Tannery Arts Center, completing the original vision for the conversion of the old Tannery into a thriving arts center campus.
One of the most pressing issues in our region is lack of affordable housing. While the City and Bonnie’s team lost the major funding tool for building affordable housing, Redevelopment, in 2011, they didn’t let that stop them, working with state legislators to advocate and propose new legislation for affordable housing funding while finding creative ways to partner and keep affordable housing projects in the pipeline moving forward. Two such projects are Pacific Station South and Pacific Station North. Pacific Station South is a partnership with For the Future, Santa Cruz Community Health Center and Dientes, providing 70 units of affordable housing, along with high-quality, affordable and comprehensive medical and dental services downtown. The project will break ground this April.
Pacific Station North is a partnership with the METRO and First Community Housing, providing 94 affordable housing units, a new enhanced downtown transit center and a revitalized streetscape along lower Pacific Avenue. In December 2021, the City was awarded a $20.9 million grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG) program for its Pacific Station redevelopment projects, which included dedicated funding for the affordable housing, transit improvements and surrounding downtown infrastructure.
In late January 2022, the City was awarded an additional $29 million in funding for the 100-percent affordable Pacific Station North mixed-use project from the California Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program. The funding will provide $20 million for housing, $9.4 million for transportation and approximately $300,000 for programmatic elements of the project. Along with two other awards from the State Local Housing Trust Fund program, the Economic Development department has secured over $60 Million in affordable housing funding for public projects underway downtown in the last 18 months.
A project that the Chamber has followed and supported for the last decade, the Downtown Library Mixed Use project, has been approved by the City Council and is now in the Design phase. It will create a thirty-five-thousand-square-foot, 21st-century library, up to 125 affordable housing units, a community space, a childcare facility and consolidated public parking that will support the broader downtown business community and the housing development underway downtown. Bonnie and her team developed the motto of “Choose Santa Cruz,” the flagship program of the Department committed to being a responsive resource to businesses, helping our local economy grow and flourish.
Businesses of the Year:
1st Capital Bank, founded by a group of local business owners in 2007, is entering into its 15-year anniversary serving business owners, operators and professionals on the Central Coast. The guiding principle of the founders was to create a true community-based bank, providing credit, deposit and cash management needs to local area businesses.
Now approaching over $1 billion in assets, the bank continues to fulfill the dreams of the founders with its relationship approach to business banking, providing commercial, small business administration (SBA) loans and cash management service. With full-service banking offices located in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Salinas, King City and San Luis Obispo, they continue to provide financial services unique to each of these individual geographical markets.
Since its inception, 1st Capital Bank continues to support non-profits, education, housing development, financial literacy, health services and other community and civic organizations through sponsorships, donations and service hours by its employees. 1st Capital is proud that its officers are active board members and committee participants on organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs; YMCA; Dominican Hospital Foundation; Girls, Inc; United Way; Junior Achievement of Monterey County; and Second Harvest Food Bank, Cabrillo College Foundation and Walnut Avenue Family and Women’s Center to mention just a few.
They believe “People Bank with People.” Although they offer the same financial services as any other bank, their clients continue to bank and refer business to them because of their people. 1st Capital takes great pride in its relationship banking approach, which allows them to be proactive and responsive to their clients’ needs. Please visit them at their Santa Cruz offices located at 3110 Mission Drive. www.1stcapital.bank
Member FDIC | Equal Opportunity Lender | SBA Preferred Lender
Now approaching over $1 billion in assets, the bank continues to fulfill the dreams of the founders with its relationship approach to business banking, providing commercial, small business administration (SBA) loans and cash management service. With full-service banking offices located in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Salinas, King City and San Luis Obispo, they continue to provide financial services unique to each of these individual geographical markets.
Since its inception, 1st Capital Bank continues to support non-profits, education, housing development, financial literacy, health services and other community and civic organizations through sponsorships, donations and service hours by its employees. 1st Capital is proud that its officers are active board members and committee participants on organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs; YMCA; Dominican Hospital Foundation; Girls, Inc; United Way; Junior Achievement of Monterey County; and Second Harvest Food Bank, Cabrillo College Foundation and Walnut Avenue Family and Women’s Center to mention just a few.
They believe “People Bank with People.” Although they offer the same financial services as any other bank, their clients continue to bank and refer business to them because of their people. 1st Capital takes great pride in its relationship banking approach, which allows them to be proactive and responsive to their clients’ needs. Please visit them at their Santa Cruz offices located at 3110 Mission Drive. www.1stcapital.bank
Member FDIC | Equal Opportunity Lender | SBA Preferred Lender
Bay Federal Credit Union’s story started in 1957, when eight local schoolteachers pooled their personal savings to form a credit union on the simple principle of “people helping people.” While Bay Federal has grown significantly over the years, the guiding principles have remained the same. They are just as dedicated to serving their member-owners today. This results in competitive, affordable financial products, and outstanding service from employees who care deeply about their members and community. This year, Bay Federal will celebrate 65 years of service!
Bay Federal serves the direct needs of diverse local communities with a focus on providing access to reliable, affordable, and convenient financial services. Bay Federal is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that has grown to be the largest member-owned financial institution in the area and stands today at $1.6 billion in assets and serves over 82,000 community members. In 2021, the credit union was awarded $1.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of the Treasury as part of the CDFI Rapid Response Program to deploy loans quickly to those affected most by the pandemic. The credit union made a significant impact in the business community by granting 205 Payroll Protection Program loans to businesses to help them keep their workforce employed during the pandemic. As part of their commitment to meeting the needs of the community, they also expanded their service offerings to include loans for small- and medium-sized businesses to help them grow and thrive.
Bay Federal has a long tradition of being a good neighbor. The credit union has an award-winning volunteer program in which employees donate their own money and volunteer hours of personal time to have an impact supporting non-profits and causes that contribute to community vitality. Between the pandemic years of 2020-2021, Bay Federal employees raised over $139,000 and contributed over 3,250 volunteer hours for local organizations. Bay Federal Credit Union is truly making a real difference on the Central Coast!
Bay Federal serves the direct needs of diverse local communities with a focus on providing access to reliable, affordable, and convenient financial services. Bay Federal is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that has grown to be the largest member-owned financial institution in the area and stands today at $1.6 billion in assets and serves over 82,000 community members. In 2021, the credit union was awarded $1.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of the Treasury as part of the CDFI Rapid Response Program to deploy loans quickly to those affected most by the pandemic. The credit union made a significant impact in the business community by granting 205 Payroll Protection Program loans to businesses to help them keep their workforce employed during the pandemic. As part of their commitment to meeting the needs of the community, they also expanded their service offerings to include loans for small- and medium-sized businesses to help them grow and thrive.
Bay Federal has a long tradition of being a good neighbor. The credit union has an award-winning volunteer program in which employees donate their own money and volunteer hours of personal time to have an impact supporting non-profits and causes that contribute to community vitality. Between the pandemic years of 2020-2021, Bay Federal employees raised over $139,000 and contributed over 3,250 volunteer hours for local organizations. Bay Federal Credit Union is truly making a real difference on the Central Coast!
Santa Cruz Community Credit Union (SCCCU) officially opened its first branch in Downtown Santa Cruz on August 16, 1977. The credit union will be celebrating its 45th anniversary throughout the year with a variety of celebrations and member appreciation events. What began as a way to provide credit and financial services to the underserved and unbanked residents of Santa Cruz County has expanded into a $184 million financial cooperative with over 14,000 members. SCCCU currently has three branches—Santa Cruz, Soquel, and Watsonville—and has been certified as a low-income and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) for over 25 years. The credit union is designated as a Juntos Avanzamos credit union, which is defined as a credit union committed to serving and empowering Hispanic consumers.
“The founders of the Credit Union crafted a guiding principle, which is to improve the quality of life for everyone in our community, especially those without a voice. We still live by this principle every day. We believe in empowering those who the status quo has marginalized. That is the lens we use before we do anything at the Credit Union,” noted Beth Carr, President and CEO.
“The founders of the Credit Union crafted a guiding principle, which is to improve the quality of life for everyone in our community, especially those without a voice. We still live by this principle every day. We believe in empowering those who the status quo has marginalized. That is the lens we use before we do anything at the Credit Union,” noted Beth Carr, President and CEO.
Santa Cruz County Bank, as a community bank, has made a significant impact on the community for the past 18 years. The Bank has grown to over $1.7 billion in assets and ranks 4th in total deposit market share in the county of Santa Cruz. Since its inception in 2004, Santa Cruz County Bank has been committed to building longstanding relationships with business clients, community partners and neighbors in the communities it serves. The Bank supports the local economy through the reinvestment of deposits, funding of loans and through its community engagement. During the pandemic, the Bank processed 4,204 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications totaling $573.7 million, saving approximately 50,000 jobs and ensuring that businesses were able to keep their doors open and their employees on the payroll. Santa Cruz County Bank is also committed to supporting local nonprofit organizations, providing thousands of volunteer hours and vital sponsorships for programs providing resources to local families and children.
For 18 years, Santa Cruz County Bank has been a trusted banking partner, and has earned the loyalty of its clients and accolades in the community, a clear response to the Bank’s call to “Put your money where your life is.” For 9 consecutive years the Bank has been voted Best Bank in the annual Best of Santa Cruz County Good Times Readers' Poll; for 8 years they have been the number one bank in the county as voted by Santa Cruz Sentinel readers; and received the 2018 Business of the Year Award from the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, and in the same year, honored by the Farm Bureau of Santa Cruz County and Agri-Culture with the Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award for ongoing support of the agricultural industry.
Santa Cruz County Bank continues to be a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County, Silicon Valley, and the state. In 2021 the Bank ranked 27th in the state of California for 7a SBA lending, and was named in the Silicon Valley Business Journal Top 25 SBA Lenders in Silicon Valley.
Santa Cruz County Bank celebrates its 18th anniversary, with 7 branches spanning Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Santa Clara Counties, and it plans to open a full-service branch in Salinas.
For 18 years, Santa Cruz County Bank has been a trusted banking partner, and has earned the loyalty of its clients and accolades in the community, a clear response to the Bank’s call to “Put your money where your life is.” For 9 consecutive years the Bank has been voted Best Bank in the annual Best of Santa Cruz County Good Times Readers' Poll; for 8 years they have been the number one bank in the county as voted by Santa Cruz Sentinel readers; and received the 2018 Business of the Year Award from the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, and in the same year, honored by the Farm Bureau of Santa Cruz County and Agri-Culture with the Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award for ongoing support of the agricultural industry.
Santa Cruz County Bank continues to be a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County, Silicon Valley, and the state. In 2021 the Bank ranked 27th in the state of California for 7a SBA lending, and was named in the Silicon Valley Business Journal Top 25 SBA Lenders in Silicon Valley.
Santa Cruz County Bank celebrates its 18th anniversary, with 7 branches spanning Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Santa Clara Counties, and it plans to open a full-service branch in Salinas.
Organization of the Year:
entes Community Dental Care, for the past 30 years, has been on a mission is to create lasting oral health for the underserved children and adults in Santa Cruz County and neighboring communities. Serving 11,000 low-income patients a year, Dientes provides comprehensive, high-quality dental care through three full-time clinics in Santa Cruz and Watsonville and a 30-location Outreach Program so that everyone can have the dignity that comes from a healthy smile. Dientes serves publicly insured and uninsured patients of all ages throughout the County offering affordable sliding scale fees for those without insurance.
While Dientes has grown significantly in recent years, there is more to come with their fourth clinic currently in construction. Part of a mixed-use project in the heart of Live Oak, Dientes has teamed up with Santa Cruz Community Health and Mid-Pen Housing. This Health & Home project is a crucial step toward increasing access to healthcare and affordable housing in Santa Cruz County, with the goal of providing healthcare for up to 10,000 patients and affordable housing for 157 people.
While Dientes has grown significantly in recent years, there is more to come with their fourth clinic currently in construction. Part of a mixed-use project in the heart of Live Oak, Dientes has teamed up with Santa Cruz Community Health and Mid-Pen Housing. This Health & Home project is a crucial step toward increasing access to healthcare and affordable housing in Santa Cruz County, with the goal of providing healthcare for up to 10,000 patients and affordable housing for 157 people.
Lifetime (Legacy) Award:
Willy Elliott-McCrea - Chief Executive Officer, Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County. Second Harvest Food Bank’s mission is to inspire and support Santa Cruz County to provide nourishment for all community members. One in three people in Santa Cruz County face hunger, including one in four children.
Under Willy’s guidance, Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County is recognized a national leader in the food bank sector. Willy began his food banking career in 1978, as food bank warehouse manager and driver. From assisting community members and managing intense program acceleration in the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and later the 2008 recession, Willy has ushered the food bank to its present-day iteration as a community-wide alliance between food insecure neighbors, community volunteers, food donors, staff, and board members.
He entered the world of food and nutrition somewhat by accident. After studying Community Studies and Political Science at Oakes College UCSC and learning inventory and process engineering from three years at Lazy Day Leather, Willy had the opportunity to join Food & Nutrition Services, Inc. which operated The Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, WIC and a number of others. In 1978, he was hired as Warehouse Manager / Driver and a few months later took on Purchasing as well. He was promoted to Food Bank Director in 1988 and became CEO in 1993. It is hard to single out the highlights of his distinguished career, but one of Willy’s most proud moments was during 1989 the terrible 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, when Second Harvest was ground zero for disaster relief (the epicenter was five miles from their warehouse) — scaling services six-fold for the first month and doubled ever after.
Over the years, Second Harvest built a very strong reputation and network of partners from every sector of our community. Of the food they distribute, 87% is nutritious and more than 60% is fruits and vegetables! As Founding President of California Association of Food Banks from 1995-98, he also has played a small role in helping food banks throughout California become the strong organizations that they are today.
As they say, some leaders are born but most are recognized by their actions. Willy is an icon on the Central Coast and the Chamber is delighted to award him our Legacy Achievement Award.
Under Willy’s guidance, Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County is recognized a national leader in the food bank sector. Willy began his food banking career in 1978, as food bank warehouse manager and driver. From assisting community members and managing intense program acceleration in the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and later the 2008 recession, Willy has ushered the food bank to its present-day iteration as a community-wide alliance between food insecure neighbors, community volunteers, food donors, staff, and board members.
He entered the world of food and nutrition somewhat by accident. After studying Community Studies and Political Science at Oakes College UCSC and learning inventory and process engineering from three years at Lazy Day Leather, Willy had the opportunity to join Food & Nutrition Services, Inc. which operated The Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, WIC and a number of others. In 1978, he was hired as Warehouse Manager / Driver and a few months later took on Purchasing as well. He was promoted to Food Bank Director in 1988 and became CEO in 1993. It is hard to single out the highlights of his distinguished career, but one of Willy’s most proud moments was during 1989 the terrible 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, when Second Harvest was ground zero for disaster relief (the epicenter was five miles from their warehouse) — scaling services six-fold for the first month and doubled ever after.
Over the years, Second Harvest built a very strong reputation and network of partners from every sector of our community. Of the food they distribute, 87% is nutritious and more than 60% is fruits and vegetables! As Founding President of California Association of Food Banks from 1995-98, he also has played a small role in helping food banks throughout California become the strong organizations that they are today.
As they say, some leaders are born but most are recognized by their actions. Willy is an icon on the Central Coast and the Chamber is delighted to award him our Legacy Achievement Award.