Chamber News and Happenings
June 6, 2013- The San Rafael Chamber and Thirteen Chamber Member Businesses Recognized in NorthBay biz's Annual "BEST OF the North Bay" Readers Poll. The San Rafael Chamber of Commerce was voted the Gold Medal Chamber of Commerce in the North Bay.
June 5, 2013- Mover & Shakers- Chamber Board Chair, Laura Bertolli and five other Marin Woman honored for entrepreneurial efforts. Click here for story from Renaissance Marin
May 13, 2013 - The Chamber's Health & Wellness Committee will be holding a National Seniors Health and Fitness Day Celebration on Wednesday, May 29 at Drake Terrace. Healthcare professionals will be on hand with information on fitness, nutrition and overall wellness. Nutritious refreshments will be provided.
Please click here for more information.
May 9, 2013- Marin County Council of Chambers Invites Businesses to the 2013 Countywide Networking Opportunity. Wednesday, July 31, 5:30-7:30pm at Inn Marin in Novato.
Please click here for the event flyer
May 9, 2013 - Chamber announces support for the proposed city ordinance to expand the downtown Business Improvement District. Please click here to view the press release.
April 29, 2013 - Thursday, July 25 is San Rafael Chamber Night at the San Rafael Pacifics! Come out to historic Albert Park and take in a game and network with your fellow Chamber members. Tickets are only $5 for Chamber members!
Click here to register online and use promo code SRCHAMB13
Click here for the event flyer
April 24, 2013-The San Rafael Chamber is proud to annouce it's participation with Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy
The San Rafael Chamber is proud to announce that we are now on the path to become a local clean energy leader, and to help you become one also. We recently signed-on to participate in the new clean energy information hub called Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy. Our goal is to help you, our member companies, navigate the clean energy space, share best practices, spur business innovation and accelerate business competitiveness through clean energy.
All members of our chamber now have exclusive access to information about clean energy initiatives around the nation, incentives in our area, and connections to clean energy leaders throughout the U.S.
Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) is a network of local chambers of commerce focused on helping local chambers of commerce become clean energy leaders and providing participating chambers – like us – with clean energy resources. CICE shares best practices in the clean energy space. Our goal in participating in this new clean energy information hub is to help our member companies better navigate the clean energy space.
To learn more visit www.chambersforinnovation.com.
April 22, 2013 - The San Rafael Chamber recognizes the April Educator of the Month.
April's Educator of the Month is Peggy Dodge. Ms. Dodge has taught at College of Marin in the Early Education Department for 18 years. Her outstanding contributions are Curriculum Improvement, Instructional Excellence, Personal Involvement and Leadership and Overall Program Improvement.
Please click here to view the full press release.
April 10, 2013 - Chamber announces endorsement for Measures A and B to support local schools.
Click here to read press release.
April 9, 2013 -The San Rafael Chamber Congratulates this year's Businesses of the Year.
The winners were announced at the annual State of the City Awards dinner on March 14th at the Embassy Suites, where a sold-out crowd of 350+ business leaders, government officials and company CEOs gathered to celebrate the most outstanding businesses of the year and to hear Mayor Gary Phillips’ in-depth review of the state of San Rafael. Guests were also able to dine around Marin in one night, enjoying culinary samples of Chamber member restaurants.
Roots of Peace, Large Business of the Year
Il Davide, Small Business of the Year
California Film Institute, Joe Garbarino Green Business of the Year
April 9, 2013 - The San Rafael Chamber recognizes the February and March Educators of the Month.
February's Educator of the Month is Tara Devine, the school secretary at the Mary E. Silveira Elementary School. Tara has 12 years experience in education. Her outstanding contributions are Overall Program Improvement, Exemplary Support to the Classroom and Technological Leadership.
Please click here to view the full press release.
March's Educator of the Month is Kim Goodhope. Kim is a third grade teacher at Glenwood Elementary School with 11 years experience in education. Her outstanding contribution is Personal Involvement and Leadership.
Please click here to view the full press release.
April 3, 2013 - The San Rafael Chamber is sponsoring Export University 2013. Get the training your company needs to expand its business on the global level! Key topics will be export logistics, financing, and global marketing.
Export University 2013
May 9, 8am-12pm
Rooster Run Golf Club, Petaluma
Please click here for more information
March 27, 2013 - The Chamber is partnering with Redwood Credit Union to present 'A Bite of Reality', an event to teach teens basic money management in a safe, fun setting. Bite of Reality is a hands on simulation that appeals to teens while giving them a taste of real world financial realities.
The Bite of Reality is taking place Wednesday, April 24, from 8:30-11:30am at the San Rafael High School gym.
Teens are given a fictional occupation, salary, spouse and family, student loan debt, credit card debt, and medical insurance payments. The teens then walk around to various table-top stations to “purchase” housing, transportation, food, clothing, household necessities, day care and other needs. This interactive activity will teach teens how to make financial decisions and give them a better understanding of the challenges of living on a budget. Teens will have to deal with “pushy “car salesperson” and a commission based “realtor”, and weigh their wants versus their needs. Fortunately, the game also includes advisors to help with their financial needs.
We are inviting Chamber members to participate by volunteering at a station to play the role of various real life merchants. We are looking for the following businesses:
- Housing & Utilities (Realtors, Mortgage lenders, Inspectors)
- Transportation (Auto Dealers, Insurance Sales, Mechanics)
- Groceries & Dining (Restaurants, Grocers, Coffee Shops)
- Entertainment (Travel Agents, Theatre Workers, Gym Owners)
- Household Needs (Furniture Sales, Decorative Artists/Vendors)
- Child Care (Daycare workers, Preschool teachers)
- The Mall-Wants & Extras (cell phone, recreational toys, and electronic vendors)
Bring advertising materials and props to endorse your industry and your business to "sell" to approximately 100 of San Rafael's future buyers! Please contact Robert Friedman at Redwood Credit Union for more information and to sign up. Robert can be reached at 707-775-9614 and by email at rfriedman@redwoodcu.org.
Please click here to view the press release
March 11, 2013 - The North Bay Business Journal will be holding the Impact Marin Conference on Wednesday, April 3 at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael. Registration starts at 7:30am, and the program is 8-10am.
This conference will take a close look at critical issues currently impacting Marin County business with an eye on how they may shape the future. Results of the first-ever Marin business survey will be released.
Please click here for more information
January 30, 2012 - The San Rafael Chamber has released its 2012 Annual Report. Please click here to learn how the Chamber worked for you in 2012!
January 28, 2013 - If you live, work or go to school in Marin County and are 18 and over, you may now register your cell phone or VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone to receive emergency alerts sent by call, text, or email from the County of Marin. Emergency officials use the Telephone Emergency Notification System (TENS) to deliver incident-specific information or potentially life-saving instruction to the precise geographic area(s) affected. Emergency situations may include:
- flooding, wildfires, and subsequent evacuations;
- public safety incidents including crimes that affect your neighborhood; and post-disaster information about shelters, transportation, or supplies
To sign up please visit http://www.alertmarin.org/
January 24, 2013 - The San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Education Committee recently selected educator, Professor John Stayton - Assistant Professor at Dominican University of California and Co-Founder & Director of Venture Greeenhouse as one of the recipients of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Awards for 2012-2103.
The San Rafael Chamber Education Committee has honored over 100 deserving recipients with these awards over the past 15 years of sponsorship. The committee consists of education leaders from the San Rafael and Dixie School Districts, Dominican University and College of Marin. The business members include representatives from businesses with a long history of supporting education and individual members passionate about the interests of business and education.
The Chamber Education Committee will select one educator per month from November- April and recognize all honorees at an Award Ceremony during the Chamber's monthly business mixer on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at Cornish & Carey Commercial, located at 1101 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael. The event is from 5-7pm. All honorees will receive a $250 check from Chamber business sponsors in appreciation of their outstanding and continuous service to our students.
December educator of the month is sponsored by Bank of Marin
view full press release
January 17, 2013 - The Chamber announces a new Membership Referral Program -- get YOUR membership for free! Chamber members who refer a prospective member to the Chamber have the chance to earn a $50 credit toward their membership dues, or a $50 reward to the company representative who made the referral.
Click here to learn how you can take advantage of this new program!
January 2, 2013- The San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Education Committee recently selected educator, Rebecca (Becky) Rosales as one of the recipients of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Awards for 2012-2103.
The San Rafael Chamber Education Committee has honored over 100 deserving recipients with these awards over the past 15 years of sponsorship. The committee consists of education leaders from the San Rafael and Dixie School Districts, Dominican University and College of Marin. The business members include representatives from businesses with a long history of supporting education and individual members passionate about the interests of business and education.
The Chamber Education Committee will select one educator per month from November- April and recognize all honorees at an Award Ceremony during the Chamber's monthly business mixer on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at Cornish & Carey Commercial, located at 1101 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael. The event is from 5-7pm. All honorees will receive a $250 check from Chamber business sponsors in appreciation of their outstanding and continuous service to our students.
December educator of the month is sponsored by Louis Napoli Attorney at Law.
view full press release
December 7, 2012- The San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Education Committee recently selected educator, Jennifer Thomas as one of the recipients of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Awards for 2012-2103.
The San Rafael Chamber Education Committee has honored over 100 deserving recipients with these awards over the past 15 years of sponsorship. The committee consists of education leaders from the San Rafael and Dixie School Districts, Dominican University and College of Marin. The business members include representatives from businesses with a long history of supporting education and individual members passionate about the interests of business and education.
The Chamber Education Committee will select one educator per month from November- April and recognize all honorees at an Award Ceremony during the Chamber's monthly business mixer on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at Cornish & Carey Commercial, located at 1101 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael. The event is from 5-7pm. All honorees will receive a $250 check from Chamber business sponsors in appreciation of their outstanding and continuous service to our students.
November educator of the month is sponsored by College Cash Solutions.
view full press release
December 5, 2012 -- Make sure your customer base knows you are a Chamber member! A national survey of 2,000 adults reveals that being active in a local chamber of commerce is an effective business strategy because two-thirds of consumers believe that such companies use good business practices, are reputable, care about their customers, and are involved in the community. Click here to learn more.
Also be sure to download our logo for use on your website and other materials to let your customers know you belong!
(Valued Member Logo; I Belong Logo)
December 5, 2012 -- The San Rafael Chamber of Commerce congratulates 26 Chamber businesses on their membership milestones with the organization and the community. Companies will be honored at the December mixer co-hosted by Marin Honda and Cal-Pox, Inc. on Wednesday, December 12th from 5:00-7:00pm at Marin Honda-2 Shoreline Parkway, San Rafael. For a complete list of honoress, please click here.
December 4, 2012 -- Did you know the State of California can fine businesses up to $17,000 for not displaying a current Labor Law poster? Make sure you are compliant in 2013! Pre-order your posters from the SR Chamber today -- click here for the order form.
December 4, 2012 -- The SR Chamber has partnered with the Marin County Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote Marin County Restaurant Month in January 2013. Please click here to view the press release.
Click here to view the list of participating restaurant on MCVB's website!
November 21, 2012 -- The City of San Rafael has released its quarterly sales tax update for the second quarter of 2012.
November 7, 2012 -- Chamber endorsed candidates Marc Levine and Jared Huffman win elections!
November 1, 2012 -- Marin Economic Forum Fall 2012 Bulletin has been released. Click here to view the Bulletin.
October 30, 2012 -- The California Business Round Table (CBRT) and others are working with a consultant to conduct a study. If you would complete a survey regarding the state’s business climate and the reforms needed to get it back on track, it will help inform our public policy advocacy. The survey should only take 10 - 15 minutes of your time. This is a generic survey – it is not a CBRT survey.
Link: https://www.surveysonthego.net/survey/start/839
October 30, 2012 -- Nominate San Rafael's Business of the Year. Winners will be announced at the State of the City/Taste of San Rafael Dinner on Friday, February 1, 2013 at Embassy Suites.
Marin businesses celebrate the county's largest solar installation
Please click here to view the photo gallery
BioMarin Ribbon Cutting Celebration - Thursday, October 18
Target Groundbreaking Ceremony - Tuesday, October 9th
City of San Rafael 2nd Quater Sales Tax Newsletter
