BusinessFebruary2006Vol. 13 No.2L O N G B E A C H

Chamber Hosts Mayor’s Final Address Leadership from the Inside Out Chamber Evaluates Governor’s Growth Plan

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California Chamber of Commerce “ADVOCACY PARTNER OF THE YEAR” for 2003, 2004, 2005

On Tuesday, February 21st, The Chamber will welcome California Secretary of State Bruce McPhersonas the special guest speaker for the 2006California Visionary Luncheon Series. Theluncheon will be held at the Hyatt RegencyLong Beach beginning with a reception at11:00a.m. followed by the luncheon promptlyat 11:45 a.m.

Bruce McPherson became the 30thSecretary of State of California on March 30,2005, after being nominated by GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger and unanimously confirmed by both the Assembly and the

Senate. He will serveuntil January 8, 2007,when the term expires.

McPherson, aRepublican, is a for-mer legislator fromSanta Cruz, who served in theState Assembly’s 27th Districtfrom 1993 until 1996, and theState Senate's 15th Districtfrom 1996 until he was termed

out at the end of his second term in 2004. While in theLegislature, he earned a reputation as a moderate andnonpartisan officeholder, a fiscal conservative who wasoften a social liberal.

As Secretary of State, McPherson heads an agency of490 employees involved in the elections, politicalreform, business programs, Uniform Commercial Codefilings, commissioning notaries public, and protectingand showcasing the state's history through the CaliforniaState Archives and the California Museum for History,Women and the Arts.

A graduate of Cal Polytechnic State University at SanLuis Obispo with a degree in journalism, he worked as areporter and editor of his formerly family-owned SantaCruz Sentinel from 1967 until 1992. Secretary McPhersonis a fourth-generation Santa Cruz native.

The Long Beach Chamber's award-winning CaliforniaVisionaries Luncheon Series and National LeadersLuncheon Series introduces prominent and dedicatedstatewide and nationally recognized public service individuals to the Long Beach business community.

Chamber President and CEO Randy Gordon said,“These luncheons were founded in 1998 and both

CA Secretary of State McPherson to Speak at Chamber Luncheon

programs have included many important decision makersthat impact our nation. We are pleased to bring so many

prominent public servants to ourbusiness community.” “Bothprograms are widely respectedthroughout the chamber ofcommerce industry,” Gordoncontinued.

Individual tickets are $35and sponsor tables are availablefor $500. Sponsorship includespremiere seating and programrecognition. For ticket informa-tion, please contact Janet Nguyen,The Chamber’s Vice President ofGovernmental & Public Affairs at(562) 983-1241 or via email atj nguyen@ lbchamber. com.You can also register online at www.lbchamber.com.

Kyser and Weiss Featured at Business Forecast in April

Previous California Visionary & NationalLeader Luncheon Series Speakers

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D)California State Controller Steve Westly (D)California Secretary of State Bill Jones (R)California State Senator and Minority Leader

Jim Brulte (R)Vermont Governor Howard Dean,

Presidential Candidate (D)Bill Simon, Candidate for Governor of CA (R)Thomas Donahue, President/CEO,

U.S. Chamber of CommerceCruz Bustamante, Lt. Governor of California (D)Andrew Cuomo, Secretary, U.S. Dept. of Housing

and Urban Development (D)Delaine Easton, California Superintendent

for Public Instruction (D)Don Knabe, Los Angeles County Supervisor

Bruce McPherson

Special Thanks to theMetropolitan Water District

of Southern California for being the

Keynote Sponsor of the luncheon.

The Chamber’s annual half-day conference, the BusinessForecast 2006, is coming up onApril 20th from 7:30 a.m. to1:30 p.m. at the Westin LongBeach. This year’s theme, “Pre-paring, Preserving, & ProsperingOur Long Beach Economy,” willaim to educate attendees ontopics ranging from counterfeit-ing, counter terrorism, andcrime prevention, along withLong Beach real estate trends,and the benefits of doing busi-ness in Long Beach. ConferenceChairman Blake Christian, Partnerfor Holthouse, Carlin, & Van TrigtLLP, has put together a terrificagenda for the conference andan impressive line-up of industryexpert panelists you won’t wantto miss.

Jack Kyser, Chief Economist and Sr. Vice President forthe Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation,returns by popular demand to give his highly-anticipatedeconomic outlook presentation featuring a current snap-shot of the regional economy. Another popular and well-received featured speaker, Richard Weiss, ChiefInvestment Officer and Senior Vice President for CityNational Bank, will give keynote remarks along withMayor Beverly O’Neill at the Entrepreneur of the Yearluncheon at Noon.

Special thanks to our major sponsors for making thisconference possible: City National Bank, Long Beach CityCollege, Greater Long Beach Workforce DevelopmentBoard, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, and thePort of Long Beach.

Save the date of April 20th for the most importantbusiness gathering of the year! And stay tuned for moreinformation and registration materials coming out soon.For sponsorship information, please contact Elisa Margoni,Vice President of Special Events for The Chamber, at(562) 436-2810 or email emargoni@lbchamber.com.

Jack Kyser

Richard Weiss

L ong Beach is so fortunate to have a mayorthe caliber of Mayor Beverly O’Neill. She demon-strated once again at the 2006 State of the Cityaddress why Long Beach’s resurgence continuestoday—because of her engaging the issues head-on and her ability to build consensus. She focuseson what’s best for Long Beach.

That’s what our Chamber is all about—focusingon what is best for business in Long Beach. If weget it right, all of Long Beach benefits—that’s ourultimate objective.

During the activities surrounding the State ofthe City address, we were able to provide the1,500+ attendees with a “State of the Chamber”summary. I want to share some of what we talkedabout in that summary.

The work of this Chamber is done by a greatand committed team. That team is made up of awonderful and very capable chamber staff and acommitted board of directors.

This is the Long Beach Chamber of the 21stcentury. Our business advocacy efforts strive toensure that a unified business voice is clearly heardon major policy, legislation and regulation issues—locally and statewide.

This Chamber works on behalf of business forwhat our members and board of directors believeis the right course for our local economy and thecontinued resurgence of Long Beach—the city.

So, let me give you a brief summary of yourchamber’s efforts in 2005:• Last year the Long Beach Chamber of

Commerce was awarded the CaliforniaChamber of Commerce’s “Advocacy Partner ofthe Year” award for the third consecutive year.

• Our Vice Chair of Public Policy, Matt Kinley,received one of only six state wide CaliforniaChamber’s “Small Business Advocate of theYear” award.

• Our Long Beach Business newsletter and ouradvocacy web-site, www.LongBeachAdvocacy.bizwere award winners, recognized by our region-al chamber association representing 13 states.

• Also, our governmental and public affairs advi-sor, Shaun Lumachi received the “staff personof the year” award from the association.We are very proud of these recognitions. And,

those recognitions speak very well of yourChamber.

LONG BEACH BUSINESS2

Chairman’s Message Larry WhitleyBoeing IntegratedDefense Systems

“We have been listening, opening dialogues, and developing an

understanding of the issues that affect all of our communities.”

In her 12th and final State of theCity address on Tuesday, January 10,2006, Mayor Beverly O'Neill outlineda sweeping vision for Long Beach'sfuture, while highlighting its renais-sance during her tenure from ablighted city with a troubled econo-my to a dynamic and developingcommunity.

Roughly 1,500 city and corporateleaders, community members andactivists packed the Long BeachConvention Center grand ballroomfor the long-awaited address, whichis an annual event hosted by TheChamber. Below are excerpts fromher speech that lasted just under an hour:

Introduction“I can hardly believe that I have delivered eleven

State of the City presentations. It seems like just a littlewhile ago that I stood in front of about 700 of you at theHilton, and talked about the good things that were occur-ring in Long Beach—and there wasn’t much to discuss.”

“We had lost the Navy, suffered through aerospacedownsizing, a troubled economy and we were faced with50,000 lost jobs and an economic loss of more that twobillion dollars.”

Strength of Cities“We cannot have a strong nation without strong

cities. For example, The LA-Long Beach Metro economyis the second largest metro economy in the nation in2003, and the 18th largest in the world. We outrankedSwitzerland, Belgium, and Taiwan.”

“Long Beach is the 32nd largest city in the UnitedStates—larger than Cleveland, Atlanta, Miami,Minneapolis, and Pittsburgh. In my travels, Long Beach isconsistently spoken of in positive terms.”

Chamber Hosts Mayor’s Final Address

One World Trade Center, Suite 206Long Beach, California 90831-0206PH (562) 436-1251 ■ FAX 436-7099 w w w . l b c h a m b e r . c o mw w w . l o n g b e a c h a d v o c a c y . b i z

Mission StatementThe Chamber is the platform for business toprovide leadership, education and advocacy so thatthe Long Beach area thrives in the 21st century.

Vision StatementThe Chamber will be the acknowledged leader increating community consensus to support local,regional, and international business.

Graphic Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Via MediaPrinting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Seaside PrintingAssembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Goodwill Industries

Members wishing to submit articles, press releases, or membernews items for upcoming issues of Long Beach Business, please fax to (562) 436-7099, attn: Jackie Kuhl, or e-mailjkuhl@lbchamber.com.

Circulation: Long Beach Business is mailed directly to more than2400 Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce members, electedofficials and community leaders.

Chamber Staff:Randy Gordon . . . . . . President & CEO . . . . . . . . . (562) 436-6723Judy Donley . . . . . . . . Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . (562) 437-8823Janet Nguyen. . . . . . . VP Government Affairs . . . . (562) 983-1241Shaun Lumachi . . . . . . Advisor, Government Affairs (562) 843-0947Jackie Kuhl . . . . . . . . . Consultant, Publications. . . . (562) 843-0951Elisa Margoni . . . . . . . VP Special Events . . . . . . . . (562) 436-2810Judy Nelson . . . . . . . . VP Business Councils . . . . . (562) 432-8128 Michael Johnson . . . . VP Member Services . . . . . . (562) 590-9234Kelly Stortz . . . . . . . . . Assistant to the President . . (562) 432-7830 Bobbie Spohn . . . . . . Asst. to VP Member Services . (562) 843-0959Karen Vaughn. . . . . . . Information Specialist . . . . . . . . . . . . ext 100Linda Izzo . . . . . . . . . . Member Relations Executive . . . . . . ext 101

Changes“Time has changed Long Beach

during the past eleven years, someareas more than others. The dramaticchanges didn’t happen accidentally.They are the result of planning andimplementation that began back inthe 1990s—back when Long Beachwas forced to make decisionsregarding its future.”

“No community I know of hasmatched our remarkable changeoverfrom what we had been for most ofthe 20th century to what we havebecome for the 21st century—a

dynamic coastal community, strategically located forbusiness growth and becoming a tourist destination ofchoice throughout California.”

“Long Beach will continue to change. Cities thatdon’t accept the fact that change is necessary aredoomed to house empty storefronts, empty streets andneighborhoods littered with trash. In the words ofCharles Handy, ‘Communities, like all humankind, needto develop and grow or they’ll die.’ Long Beach is stilldeveloping.”

Decade of Growth“Let me just list of few of the reasons why I feel we

should be proud of the progress we’ve made and why weshould all be optimistic about our future:

• Since 1994, sales tax revenue has grown 96%.• Transit Occupancy Tax has tripled.• Assessed property valuation is up 60%.• The number of construction permits is up 52% and

construction valuation has tripled to $295 million.• Secured property taxes have increased 35%.• In the past decade, we have added or refurbished

more that 2 million of square feet of retail space withadditional retail venues under development.

Continued on page 6

Continued on page 6

Creating a Stronger Community

LONG BEACH BUSINESS3

This is an exciting time for Leadership Long Beach: atime of renewal, growth, exploration, and celebration.As an immediate past member of the board of directorsand as a graduate of the class of 2002, I am honored toserve in the role of executive director of Leadership LongBeach.

Leadership Long Beach was founded in 1989 bysome of our community’s most influential and visionarystakeholders. These founders envisioned the formationof a civic improvement program that would serve thecommunity by educating and motivating leaders onissues important to the future and sustainability of ourcity. An additional purpose was to create a network ofknowledgeable and informed community leaders whowould be able to support and benefit from each other asthey continued in their selected areas of endeavor.

Our mission is to “develop and connect principled

leaders to strengthen the community.” This means morethan simply training people to lead. It means instilling inthem a sense of dedication to the community of LongBeach—creating a passion within each graduate for thebetterment of the city, and a commitment to workingtogether to achieve it. The leaders produced by theLeadership Long Beach program have shared experi-ences, associations and values that enable them to setimaginative, yet realistic goals, and achieve themthrough coordinated and effective strategies.

We offer three principle centered leadership programs, including: Leadership Long Beach, ExecutiveQuick Start, and Youth Leadership Long Beach. I am

Leadership from the Inside OutBy Michelle R. Perrenoud, Executive Director, Leadership Long Beach

proud of the work we do; how we develop individuals todiscover the leader within, and develop connectionswithin our community by creating relationships amongits leaders.

I believe…• Leadership is the core and essence of the character

we possess as individuals, and is the nucleus of thegreater society in which we live and contribute.

• Leading lives of commitment in a complex worldrequires grounding in a common fire, mission-drivenlabor, and an understanding that this life’s contribu-tions are yet a part of the greater whole. At the heart of our mission is the notion of community

leadership. We seek to develop a clear sense of collec-tive responsibility and ethical leadership to prepare ourgraduates to become wise stewards of our community.It calls us to be intentional about “walking our talk” asprincipled leaders and to maintain our focus on leader-ship through civic engagement and community service.It is our heritage, our calling, and our legacy.

I also believe…• Self-image and vision sets the boundaries for

accomplishments; • The quality of our expectations determines the

quality of our actions.• Arriving at one goal is the starting point for yet

another.Leadership Long Beach has recently gone through

a self-reflection period. The information gathered waspresented during our annual board retreat culminating inchallenging the strategic planning committee to focusthrough different lenses on the future state of our organ-ization. I am looking forward to keeping the best of whatwe do and to exploring the enhancement of our pro-grams through a more rigorous leadership curriculum,offering additional products and services, and partneringwith other organizations to develop the leader withinand strengthen our community.

As we honor our past and celebrate our 17th anniver-sary, we know our future is bright and the year ahead isexciting! With an active Alumnus of over 600 key stake-holders throughout community, we know Our Mission isin Action! We are thankful for so many who give theirtime, talent, and resources to make our mission possibleand powerful.

For more information on Leadership Long Beach visitwww.leadershiplb.org or call (562) 997-9194.

2005-2006 Chairman’s CircleDiamond

DeVry University ■ Hilton Long Beach ■ Long Beach Memorial Medical Center ■ Port of Long BeachPress-Telegram ■ Verizon

PlatinumLong Beach City College ■ The Boeing Company

GoldCity National Bank ■ Community Hospital of Long Beach ■ Epson America, Inc. ■ Farmers & Merchants Bank

Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt, LLP ■ Hyatt Regency Long Beach ■ Keesal, Young & Logan ■ NextelSt. Mary Medical Center ■ Seaside Printing Company, Inc. ■ Sound Energy Solutions

Toyota Affiliated Companies ■ Universal Care

SilverBP Products North America, Inc. ■ California State University, Long Beach ■ Catalina Express

Denso Sales California, Inc. ■ Lennar Corporation ■ Long Beach AirportLong Beach Business Journal ■ Long Beach Ice Dogs ■ Long Beach Towne Center

Marriott/Renaissance Properties ■ Sea Launch ■ Southern California Edison ■ Tredway Lumsdaine & Doyle, LLPWestland Construction, Inc. ■ Windes & McClaughry Accountancy Corporation

BronzeAEG Home Depot Center ■ Aquarium of the Pacific ■ Boeing Realty/Douglas Park ■ Brookfield Homes

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. ■ Center for Judicial Advocacy ■ Camden Development ■ Charter CommunicationsColdwell Banker Residential Brokerage ■ Color Broadband ■ Comerica Bank ■ Construction Consultant Services, Inc.

Davis Group ■ DDR/City Place/The Pike ■ DirectTV-California Broadcast Center ■ Earth TechEnsemble Investments LLC ■ Ford West ■ Genesis Real Estate ■ Guzman & Gray, CPAs ■ HR-Network

Long Beach Armada Baseball Team ■ Long Beach Convention & Entertainment CenterLaserfiche Document Imaging ■ The Marketing Arm ■ Matson Navigation Company, Inc. ■ Moffatt & Nichol Engineers

Paragon Steel ■ Parkers’ Lighthouse ■ The Queen Mary ■ Spirit Cruises ■ Tax Technology ResearchTHUMS Long Beach Company ■ Urban Pacific Builders ■ Via Media Graphic Design

Water Replenishment District of Southern California ■ Watson Land Company ■ The Westin Long Beach

The “Chairman’s Circle” is a special group of members that have committed to support the LBACC through sponsorships at various financial levels and at special events. If your company would like to become a member

of the Chairman’s Circle, please contact Randy Gordon, President/CEO, at (562) 432-7830 for details.

www.longbeachadvocacy.bizDaily. Interactive. Relevant.

Our mission is to develop and connect princi-pled leaders to strengthen the community.

You’ve made a commitment to your health.

So have we.

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

Serving as the Voice of Business

LONG BEACH BUSINESS4

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered hisannual State of the State address on January 5, 2006 proposing a comprehensive Strategic Growth Plan toinvest in California's transportation, education, water,public safety and public service infrastructure.

“Infrastructure improvements are a top priority for theLong Beach business community,” Randy Gordon,President and CEO of the Long Beach Chamber stated.

The Governor is committed to partnering with theState Legislature to prepare to meet the infrastructureneeds of Californians in the 21st century. The Long BeachChamber will review the specifics of the Governor'sStrategic Growth Plan and take official positions on theplan in the coming months.

The Governor believes we “must build a Californiaeager to meet the challenges of the 21st century withoutreluctance or fear.” The Governor’s plan is now in thehands of the State Legislature to debate and make finaldecisions on the Strategic Growth Plan.

The Governor also believes we “must not onlyexpand the concrete highways that connect Los Angelesto San Francisco and Stockton, but the digital ones thatconnect Stockton to Shanghai, Sydney and Seoul.”

“According to the Governor’s office, California’s population is expected to increase by 30 percent overthe next 20 years,” said Larry Whitley, Long BeachChamber Chairman of the Board. “It is estimated thestate faces more that $500 billion in infrastructure needsover that same period,” added Whitley.

Governor Schwarzenegger’s Strategic Growth Plan isthe first phase of a 20-year investment to meet theseexpected needs for Californians. The plan leverages $68 billion dollars in bonds over the next 10 years toinvest more than $222 billion in the state's infrastructure without raising taxes.

The following details the specifics of the Governor'sStrategic Growth Plan:

Transportation & Air Quality• $107 billion total investment in transportation

infrastructure over the next decade. • $47 billion from existing funding sources such as

Proposition 42 and federal funds.• $48 billion in new funding is proposed from leverag-

ing existing funds.• $12 billion in new bond funds to attract increased

federal, local and private funding. These bondswould be approved by California voters in two $6 billion authorizations in 2006 and 2008.

• Protecting Proposition 42 permanently through aconstitutional amendment to eliminate the option forfuture governors and legislatures to suspend funding.

• Using design-build contracting and design-sequenc-ing construction to deliver projects more quickly andefficiently.

• Pursuing public-private partnerships to completeprojects such as high occupancy toll lanes, regular tolllanes, truck lanes and freight movement facilitieswhere a predictable revenue stream will be created tore-pay capital investments.

• Road and port congestion produces pollution whichdecreases productivity and increases health carecosts. For this reason, the Governor's plan alsoincludes $1 billion in bonds to be matched by $1 billionin funding from other sources to reduce goods-move-ment related pollution.

Education• $26.3 billion total investment in K-12 education over

the next decade through general obligation bonds. • The initial $7 billion bond would come before voters

in 2006. Subsequent bond measures are proposedfor the general elections every two years beginning in2008 and ending in 2014.

• $11.7 billion total investment in higher educationover the next decade.

• The plan calls for $5.2 billion in bonds over the nextfive years, $6.1 billion from 2011 to 2016 and $400million to fund the expansion of University ofCalifornia telemedicine programs.

Water and Flood Control• $9 billion in general obligation bonds to be issued in

two installments, one $3 billion installment in 2006and $6 billion in 2010.

• $26 billion in non-state funding resources. • Establishing a Water Resources Investment Fund for

additional water management efforts. • Implementing legislation to reform flood manage-

ment and the financing of flood control improve-ments and to allow flood management projects toproceed more quickly.

Public Safety• $14.8 billion in total investment to protect public

safety. • An initial $6 billion bond for local jail construction to

provide beds for approximately 45,000 offenders.This bond is proposed for the first five years.

• A second $6 billion bond in the second five years alsofor local jail construction.

• $1.1 billion in bonds to build new prisons and juvenilefacilities for the California Department of Correctionsand Rehabilitation.

• $600 million in bonds in the first five years and $1.1billion in bonds in the second five years to fund criti-cal public safety projects in the Department ofForestry and Fire Protection, a DNA lab for theDepartment of Justice and to improve the MilitaryDepartment's facilities.

Courts and Other Public Services• $1.8 billion in bonds over the next decade for trial

courts, $800 million in bonds for fiscal years 2006-07through 2010-11 and $1 billion in bonds for years2011-12 through 2015-16.

• $400 million in bonds over the next five years to seis-mically retrofit other high-risk state buildings andaddress health and safety needs at state park facilities.

• In addition to setting forth his vision to build for thefuture needs of our state, the Governor also calledupon the Legislature to join him in taking action thisyear to improve the lives of Californians in 2006.

Chamber to Evaluate Governor’s 2006 Strategic Growth Plan

“Infrastructure improvements are a top priorityfor the Long Beach business community,”

—Randy Gordon, President/CEO, The Chamber

Governor ArnoldSchwarzeneggerdelivers his annualState of the Stateaddress before a joint session of theCalifornia StateLegislature.

Highlighting the Membership

LONG BEACH BUSINESS5

Westwood College, a leading provider of high-quality,hands-on, career-focused education, will celebrate thegrand opening of its new campus in Torrance onThursday, March 2. Fellow Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce members are invited to join campus representatives and community VIPs at a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting event, followed by refreshments, campus toursand other festivities. The new campus, located at 19700S. Vermont Ave. (#100) in Torrance, offers bachelor’s degreeprograms in: Criminal Justice, Animation, Game Art &Design, Interior Design, Visual Communications, ComputerNetwork Management, and Information Systems Security.Westwood also offers associate’s degree programs in:Computer Aided Design/Architectural Drafting, GraphicDesign and Multimedia, and Computer Network Engineering.Enrollment is open now for the March 15 term. Foundedin 1953, Westwood College is a national system of privately operated colleges. In addition to the new cam-pus in Torrance, the system includes 17 WestwoodCollege campuses, three aviation campuses and anonline division. More information about WestwoodCollege’s grand opening is available at 310-965-0888.The Web site address is www.westwood.edu.

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Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggerhas appointed Re/Max College Parkrealtor and community activistHelen Najar to the Commission onEmergency Medical Services. TheCommission oversees the CAEmergency Services Authority, whosemission is to “ensure quality patient

care by administering an effective statewide system ofcoordinated emergency medical care, injury prevention,and disaster medical response.” Najar was an integralmember of the historic re-opening of the CommunityHospital of Long Beach and currently serves as a mem-ber of the governing Board of Directors. She also serveson the Board of Directors of Operation Jump Start inLong Beach and as an appointed commissioner by L.A.County Supervisor Don Knabe for the Los AngelesCounty Department of Social Services.

Richard W. Greenbaum, PC ishighly devoted to the prevention oflegal problems, working with clientsfrom the inception of their businessand assisting them in achieving their

business goals. The Law Offices of Richard W.Greenbaum PC commenced operations on April 1, 2005.As a practicing attorney for twenty-five years, RichardGreenbaum has seen many businesses suffer financiallyand legally as a result of taking action, without first con-sulting an attorney. As a result, the firm intends to focusits practice on serving the businesses of Long Beach, LosAlamitos, and surrounding areas. The Long Beach BarAssociation recently awarded Patricia Margosian ofRichard W. Greenbaum, PC, the title of Legal Staff Personof the Year. She serves as director of business develop-ment of the Firm. www.rwgreenbaum.com

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Long Beach Community College(LBCC) has been selected to host theU.S. Small Business Administration’sSmall Business Development Center(SBDC) Program in the Los Angeles

Region beginning Jan. 1, 2006. The SBDC program is theSBA’s most extensive economic development program,helping small businesses create jobs and strengthen localeconomies. LBCC, one of four applicants, was named asthe new SBDC lead center after a highly competitive andcomprehensive review process. The SBDC program is theSBA’s largest counseling and training network with locations in every U.S. State and Territory. SBDCs provideservices such as development of business plans, andassistance in manufacturing, financial packaging, pro-curement contracting and international trade. LBCC willoperate the seventh largest federally funded SBDC in thenation and will be be the largest regionally funded LeadCenter SBDC network in the nation. The SBDC programis designed to match dollar for dollar every federal dollarthat it receives with state, community or private funds.The Los Angeles SBDC Network received $2.7 million infederal funds last year for a total package value of over$5.5. million. The new Los Angeles SBDC Lead Centerwill be housed within LBCC’s Office of Economic andResource Development at its campus in Long Beach,Calif. For more information about the SBDC Program callLBCC at (562) 938-5004 or to locate the SBDC nearest toyou, visit online at www.sba.gov/sbdc.

On Wednesday,February 22, 2006 theQueen Mary 2 (QM2)will sail into LongBeach for an historic

salute to its legendary predecessor and namesake, TheQueen Mary. Both considered the very finest ocean liners of their day, the two ships offer a range of fascinat-ing similarities and differences. Today, the Queen Mary isone of Southern California’s most recognizable icons andcontinues to educate and entertain visitors from allaround the world, offering tours, exceptional exhibitions,a calendar of festivals and numerous social and specialevents year-round. The QM2 is considered the grandestliner ever built carrying 2,620 guests in degrees of comfortand style ranging from pampered elegance to almostunimaginable luxury. The Long Beach Convention andVisitors Bureau introduced a web site detailing this mem-orable “salute” to the world's largest luxury ocean linerand its mother ship. Visit www.thequeenmarysmeet.comfor more information.

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Several months ago, MayorBeverly O'Neill visited the areas devastated by Katrina, after which sherecommended to the City Council thatLong Beach, CA adopt Long Beach,

MS to help the rebuilding effort. Friends of Long BeachAnimals (FOLBA) adopted Long Beach Animal Control,Mississippi, and campaigned for donations—all of whichwill go for rescue work or vet care for the Katrina animals.Recognizing that our City had adopted Long Beach, MS,Shirley Vaughan, President of FOLBA, contacted AnimalControl Officer Evelyn DeDuel to find out what theirneeds were. Evelyn shared that she had lost everything,except her truck which had been parked out of the hurricane-damaged area. Evelyn said she really needed asmall building to hold the frightened and homeless animals as she caught them one by one. FOLBA provid-ed a Ketch-All Pole to catch the animals, and a pre-fabbuilding along with large and small cages. This is a temporary shelter until the animals can be transported to a Mississippi adoption center. FOLBA has sent the balance of its Katrina fund to Long Beach, MS to buymore cages, food, and medical supplies. Visitwww.folba.org for more information.

For more information call: Aaron Gordnier Office: (562)624-5008 • Cell: (714)715-0863

LONG BEACH BUSINESS6

Focusing on Small Business

Chairman’s MessageContinued from Page 2

When I assumed the role of Chairman in July 2005, Iestablished a theme for the year as “Building Unity in theBusiness Community”—emphasizing our commitment towork collaboratively with other organizations and associ-ations that focus on business issues in Long Beach.

We are establishing alliances and coalitions in areasthat we believe will assist this city in making decisions oncritical matters that impact the business community. Wehave been listening, opening dialogues, and developingan understanding of the issues that affect all of our communities.

As a mid-term summary:• We have met with each City Council member, Mayor

O’Neill, and senior members of the City staff to discuss positions and possible solutions on a myriadof city issues. And we will continue those discussionsin 2006 and beyond as appropriate.

• The Chamber’s workforce diversity committee hascontinued their important work of promoting diversityand inclusion in the business community. On January18th, we will present our 2005 Workforce Diversitychampion award to a most deserving and respectedorganization—the International City Theater. We arealso continuing our dialogue with the CambodianAmerican Chamber of Commerce, the RegionalHispanic Chamber of Commerce, the AfricanAmerican Chamber of Commerce, the AsianAmerican Professional Association, and other business-oriented organizations as we move forwardon critical business issues.

• We have provided and will continue to provide freequarterly Better Business seminars for you. Theseseminars concentrate on bottom-line benefit topicssuch as customer service and employment law. OurBusiness Forecast Conference is scheduled for April20 at the Westin Hotel.

• We also initiated our new Candidates Academy lastsummer, and believe it will help add depth to the leadership capabilities within the Long Beachcommunity.I stand with a great team—the Chamber board of

directors, the outstanding Chamber staff, and you—our1,800-plus members.

And…The journey continues!

• Since 1995, Long Beach has successfully completedfour Navy re-use plans completing adaptive re-use for700 acres.

• A total of 859 $2,000 start-up grants have beenawarded to small businesses.

• The Economic Development Bureau has provided256 loans totaling more that twenty million dollars toarea businesses.

• The Long Beach Enterprise Zone program has issuedover 15,000 vouchers, each representing a job for aneconomically disadvantaged individual, while savingLong Beach businesses more than $250 million ontheir State income taxes.

• We’ve added 25% more sworn police officers andcompleted two public safety facilities in the west andnorth divisions. This is in addition to the new state-of-the-art Emergency Communications and OperationsCenter on Redondo.

• By 2010 there will be 5,000 additional living spacesdowntown, bringing more than 10,000 new full timeresidents.

• Throughout the City we have repaired more that 3million square feet of sidewalks, curbs, and guttersand more than 770 miles of neighborhood streets.

• In Central Long Beach, we’ve added Atlantic Villas,new town home units for first time homebuyers andRenaissance Walk, with 50 new town homes and achildcare facility.

• In the north section of Atlantic Avenue, in addition toa new police substation, we have successful businessessuch as Trader Joe’s, Orchard Supply, and Von’s.

• The RDA is working with community groups in NorthLong Beach to design a strategic Guide toRedevelopment that will guide future developmentinvolving pedestrian-oriented retail streetscape, park-ing improvements, and pocket parks.

• America’s Promise Alliance, originally headed byColin Powell, selected Long Beach as one of the top100 best communities in the nation for children &youth.

• The prestigious Meyers Group has recently namedLong Beach as the most livable city in SouthernCalifornia.

Closing“It has been an honor to be your mayor for eleven

and a half years. We live in a special place and we areblessed because of it. We need to protect it and allow it

Chamber Hosts Mayor’s Final AddressContinued from Page 2

to become all it can be. You have all had a hand in re-shaping Long Beach—a strong and caring hand. Don’tstop now. Become engaged, don’t just ride in the wagon,drive it. You have all left footprints on my heart and I willnever forget you. In the enduring words of lovers, as Ihave said before: it’s morning again, Long Beach, and Istill love you.”

Other featured speakers at the State of the Cityluncheon included Long Beach Chamber Chairman ofthe Board Larry Whitley. He gave a five-minute State ofthe Chamber address highlighting the accomplishmentsof 2005 and outlining his vision for continued Chambersuccess. Long Beach Memorial Medical Center was thespotlight sponsor of the event and kicked off their 100thanniversary celebration with a video presentation andremarks from former CEO of Long Beach Memorial,Byron Schweigert, PharmD.

State of the City AttendeesOffer Positive Comments“The Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, and itspresident, Randy Gordon, deserve a nod for hostinganother fine luncheon. The Chamber provided goodspeakers, strong audio-and-video content and got everyone back to work in a timely manner so they could make the money that keeps the cityhumming.”—Press-Telegram

“Wow! What a fantastic event. I am so glad that TheChamber is the lead for this event. Randy, I was soproud to know you as I watched you do what you dobest—command an event. You're the best in whatyou do and kudos to you and the staff.”—Bianca Sovich, Owner, Bianca’s Historic Costumes

“Once again, The Chamber hosted an amazingevent. Everything was perfect and the Mayor madeus all realize that these are the days of our lives andwe are lucky to be in Long Beach when...Bev wasMayor. Congratulations.” —Judy Seal, Executive Director, Long Beach Education Foundation

“Randy, you and your staff, once again produced an“over the top” State of the City Event! By allaccounts, all aspects of the event were seamlesslyexecuted. Kudos to you all. —Janet McCarthy, President/CEO, Goodwill Industries of Long Beach-South Bay

“Absolutely great job with the Mayor’s luncheon.”—Bob Graham, President, Rotary Club of Long Beach

“The State of the City was wonderful!”—E. Jan Kehoe, Superintendent-President, Long Beach Community College District

Chamber Chairman of the Board Larry Whitley provides aState of the Chamber summary at the recent State of theCity Luncheon.

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Volunteer Opportunities

Achieve Personal Growth with WC

Happy New Year! Make a resolution this New Yearthat will benefit both you and your community. Becomemore involved in the Women’s Council, taking advan-tage of its supportive environment for business profes-sionals to network, achieve personal growth and con-tribute to the betterment of the Long Beach community.

As you might’ve noticed, WC in Action, the Women’sCouncil’s cable television show hosted by ClareDellemann on Channels 65 and 69 on Thursdays at 6p.m., has been in re-runs for the holidays. New guestswill be on the show beginning in January 2006.

Women’s Council is now accepting applications forscholarships for female business and health care students from Long Beach City College and Cal StateLong Beach. The application deadline is March 21st.

Experience Speaks, one of our premier events, willbe held at the beautiful offices of Keesal, Young andLogan on February 23rd. Panelists will include powerfulpoliticians from all levels of our local government. Dr.Minnie Douglas will be our Mistress of Ceremonies forthe evening. There will also be a silent auction to bene-fit “Women from Shelter to Workforce.”

For those of you who are hockey fans, look for detailsin the near future on our March 31, 2006 Ice Dogs fundraiser. Tickets are $15 and the excitement on the ice willbegin at 7:30pm. March will also bring those of you look-ing for more networking opportunities a chance to meetand exchange business cards at another evening mixer.

For more information on the events mentionedabove, please contact Judy Nelson at (562) 432-8128. Ilook forward to seeing you in the New Year!

InternationalBusinessAssociationPresident, Terry GeilingProfessional Business Services

Women’sCouncilPresident, Ivy GoolsbyInternational Realty &Investments

Tech Point TechnologyCommitteePresident, Alan ArmijoMy Web StandTech International

Women’s Council is now accepting applica-tions for scholarships for female business and

health care students from Long Beach CityCollege and Cal State Long Beach.

Reaching Out

The IBA’s theme for the balance of the New Year canbest be described as reaching out. Reaching out to localbusinesses, residents and students. Reaching out toidentify the significant changes international trade ishaving on our business and personal lives and reachingout to analyze the impact of these changes.

In his State of the Port presentation at the IBA’sJanuary meeting, Port of Long Beach Executive DirectorDick Steinke reached out to demonstrate the success ofhis GreenPort program. He highlighted the many posi-tive steps the Port is taking to mitigate the environmen-tal impact of its explosive growth.

We are reaching out to address the explodinggrowth of Chindia—the combination of China and Indiathat has become the newest 500 pound King Kong inour backyard. The Chinese language symbol for prob-lems is the same as the one for opportunities. Should weview the growth of Chindia as a problem or rather see itas an opportunity for growth? The IBA is actively work-ing to help you sort through this issue. For our missionto China this March, almost 100 people have signed upto get a first hand look at the new China business model.In conjunction with that timely trip, the IBA is finalizingeducational programs to help you identify the changes,examine how those changes may impact you and reviewthe options available to capitalize on these changes.Stay tuned—you won’t want to miss this “front burner”program.

The IBA is also reaching out to help local businessmanagers meet new contacts and develop new businessopportunities. Our next social mixer on Wednesday,March 8th will be held from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Berth55 Restaurant. This unique “on the waterfront” local iconis down by the docks on Pico Ave. It will be the perfectplace for you to have refreshments and pupus, greet oldfriends and make new business connections. See you allthere and bring plenty of business cards.

Extra Sense of Security at Cabrillo

Cabrillo High School students returning from theirholiday break were welcomed back to an extra layer ofcampus security and safety. Three wireless security cam-eras were installed over the break and three more cam-eras are coming soon to the sprawling Westside campus.In addition, the school is receiving one portable wirelessrouter to broaden campus wireless internet capabilities.

The security cameras and wireless access points arecourtesy of Tech Point.

Most people do not realize that Cabrillo High Schoolhas 4,000 students on a 65-acre campus. Campus secu-rity and student safety has been an issue in the past. Wefeel that the security cameras will help provide an addi-tional sense of security and safety to the students so theycan concentrate on their academics and be “at home” intheir own school. Frankly, I have never seen schooladministrators so genuinely interested in the studentswell being as I have at Cabrillo. We hope the securitycameras will assist and contribute to that caring effort.We are looking forward to evaluating the project as a whole and are still requesting additional sponsorsinterested in this project and future Tech Point commu-nity technology initiatives.

Sponsors of the Tech Point “Cabrillo Project” includeTech Point, Color Broadband, Pacific PrivateInvestigations, Brooks College, Inside Technologies,Milestone Internet Solutions, My Web Stand as well asSign-A-Rama on 7th St and North Long Beach

Tech Point invites you to participate in our On LineTechnology Auction. Please visit www.lbtechpoint.com.

We feel that the security cameras will helpprovide an additional sense of security and safety to the students so they can

concentrate on their academics…

PRESORTED STANDARD

US POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 416LONG BEACH, CA

One World Trade Center, Suite 206Long Beach, California 90831-0206

Upcoming EventsFebruary 2006

See Enclosed Flyers

Help put veterans back to work! How? By working with VETERANS INDUSTRIES!Veterans Industries can place veterans at your worksite or perform the work at our onsite sheltered workshop. How can working with Veterans Industries benefit you?• Reduces your costs because there is no workers’ compensation, social security, medical insurance, vacation/sick pay

or other “employee” costs.• Performs assembly, packaging, sorting, labeling, and other jobs at our workshop.• Provides you with a pool of pre-screened workers.• Lowers your costs while meeting your production needs.• Brings together qualified veterans and employers for the benefit of both.• Competitive bids without cost or obligation.

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California Visionary Luncheon SeriesFeaturing: CA Secretary of State, Bruce McPherson

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 200611:00 AM RECEPTION

11:45 AM LUNCHEON

Hyatt Regency Long Beach$35 Individuals / Sponsor Tables $500

Janet Nguyen (562) 983-1241 • jnguyen@lbchamber.com

Women’s CouncilExperience Speaks Program

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 20065:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Keesal, Young & LoganJudy Nelson (562) 432-8128 • jnelson@lbchamber.com

2006 Business ForecastConference

“Preparing, Preserving, & Prospering Our Long Beach Economy”

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 20067:30 AM – 1:30 PM

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:Jack Kyser, Chief Economist,

L.A. County Economic Development Corp.Richard Weiss, Chief Investment Officer,

City National BankWestin Long Beach

Elisa Margoni (562) 436-2810 • emargoni@lbchamber.com

Cal Chamber’s CaliforniaBusiness Legislative Summit

APRIL 24-25, 2006Sacramento Convention Center

Janet Nguyen (562) 983-1241 • jnguyen@lbchamber.com