Community Affairs
The Santa Cruz Area Chamber offers many ways for member businesses to influence public policies that affect business and community life throughout Santa Cruz County. The Community Affairs Committee works to identify issues affecting our community and develops forums and programs to examine and act on those issues at the local and state level. The Community Affairs Committee meets monthly to review local, county, state and national legislation which directly or indirectly impacts our Chamber members, business community, and the community as a whole. Whether it is an individual Chamber member-business or an entire industry, legislation which positively or negatively impacts either is a major concern of the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Santa Cruz Area Chamber offers many ways for member businesses to influence public policies that affect business and community life throughout Santa Cruz County. The Community Affairs Committee works to identify issues affecting our community and develops forums and programs to examine and act on those issues at the local and state level. The Community Affairs Committee meets monthly to review local, county, state and national legislation which directly or indirectly impacts our Chamber members, business community, and the community as a whole. Whether it is an individual Chamber member-business or an entire industry, legislation which positively or negatively impacts either is a major concern of the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce.
- Effective Communications: The Chamber provides mechanisms for efficient and effective communication within the economic community and with policy makers and the electorate. Communications focus on positive economic development, building efficient markets, shared understanding of policy decisions and economic forces creating a positive working and living atmosphere.
- Decision-Maker Networks: The Chamber works with business, government, and community leaders to strengthen ties within the community through events, communities of interest, and online networks.
- Policy: The Chamber influences public and private policies affecting community economics in its areas of interest, including transportation, housing, water, education, economic development, and health care. The Chamber monitors proposed policies and their application, representing its constituents in supporting or resisting those policies having significant impact on community economics and quality of life.
- Implementation: The Chamber identifies areas for policy initiatives, evaluates and makes recommendations regarding policy proposals, formulates recommendations regarding those policies, and disseminates those recommendations.
- Entrepreneurship: The Chamber initiates and collaborates with others to encourage technology transfer, the commercialization of new technologies, and the nurturing of local entrepreneurship.
- Information Access: The Chamber collaborates with media, policy makers, and larger businesses on issues affecting business, government, nonprofits, and the residents of Santa Cruz.
- Santa Cruz Brand: The Chamber leads a local effort to improve and extend the brand recognition of the community and its principal industries both among residents and the suppliers, customers, investors, and industry peers through California, the U.S., and the world.
- Capital Attraction and Formation: The Chamber collaborates with the university, local governments, local investors, and others interested in the investment of capital in Santa Cruz to facilitate such investments.
- Worker attraction and retention: The Chamber collaborates with public and private organizations to attract, develop, and retain a strong, diverse, and skilled labor force in Santa Cruz.
Please contact the Chamber if you would like to get involved with the Community Affairs Committee or have a particular public policy need or interest.
Community Affairs Committee 2019 Calendar (2nd Thursday of month 12:15-1:45 pm)
- Thursday, January 10: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH Board Room
- Thursday, February 14: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH Board Room
- Thursday, March 14: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH Board Room
- Thursday, April 11: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH Board Room
- Thursday, May 9: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH Board Room
- Thursday, June 13: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH Board Room
- Thursday, July 11: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH Board Room
- Thursday, August 8: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH Board Room
- Thursday, September 12: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH Board Room
- Thursday, October 10: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH UNAVAIABLE
- Thursday, November 14: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH Board Room
- Thursday, December 12: 12:15pm-1:45pm MAH Board Room