Meet the Napa Chamber of Commerce
What Does the Napa Chamber of Commerce Do?
Mission Statement: As the membership organization for businesses, we promote our community’s economic vitality and quality of life through leadership development, advocacy, facilitation and education.
CREATING A STRONG LOCAL ECONOMY
The Napa Chamber of Commerce promotes the local economy by encouraging Napa Chamber of Commerce members and Napa residents to shop locally. All referrals given out by the Napa Chamber of Commerce are members. The Chamber of Commerce website at www.napachamber.com has detailed information about local businesses in the community. Chamber members can participate in our Member2Member Discount program, which offers Chamber members and their employees discounts at local member businesses. The Napa Chamber also provides many educational opportunities throughout the year such as Good Morning Napa Seminars, Napa County Economic Outlook and a Labor Law Workshop. To showcase local businesses, the Chamber also sponsors the annual Napa Valley Business Expo.
PROMOTING THE COMMUNITY
The Napa Chamber of Commerce promotes the local community in a variety of ways. We provide lists of community events and local non-profits as well as visitor, relocation and wedding information about the Napa Valley. This information is available in Napa Valley packages and on our website at www.napachamber.com. The Napa Chamber also holds an annual benefit golf tournament each year, which helps support several local non-profit community organizations. The Chamber’s Annual Dinner promotes local residents with awards that are presented to the Citizen of the Year, Healthcare Professional of the Year and Public Safety Employees, among others.
PROVIDING NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
The Napa Chamber of Commerce promotes networking by sponsoring monthly After Business Hours Mixers at local businesses. The mixers are an excellent opportunity to meet other Chamber members and learn about their businesses. These popular events are held on the third Thursday of each month. Other special events such as the Napa Valley Business Expo, the Economic Outlook and our Good Morning Napa’s also provide great opportunities for members to network with other business professionals.
REPRESENTING BUSINESS TO GOVERNMENT
The Napa Chamber of Commerce represents business concerns to local, regional, state and federal entities. While you keep your business running, the Chamber watches your back on issues like Workers’ Comp, Healthcare and job killer anti-business bills. Action Alerts and other legislative information is available on the Chamber’s website and is sent to members via e-mail throughout the year.
POLITICAL ACTION
The Napa Chamber of Commerce influences public policy on behalf of business. The Chamber also identifies, encourages and endorses business-friendly candidates in local, county, state and federal elections.
FIVE-YEAR COMMUNITY VISION
We invite you to read through the Napa Chamber of Commerce’s Five Year Community Vision. This document, created through countless hours of interviews with community members and hard work by Chamber volunteers, is the basis of the value system the Chamber leadership uses to make policy decisions on behalf of the business community in Napa Valley.
ECONOMIC VITALITY
• The Chamber will continue its strong support of our agricultural preserve, Napa County agriculture, and our world-renowned wine industry. The Chamber will support new and innovative land-use planning strategies that take pressure off expansion into agricultural land and open spaces.
• The Napa River Project will be nearing completion and will be celebrated nationwide for its design excellence and beauty, its re-creation of wetlands, and its revitalization of downtown Napa. The Chamber will support businesses that will enhance this economic revitalization effort.
• The Chamber will support publicly and privately funded efforts to retain existing businesses and to recruit new community-friendly businesses and industries that provide well-paying jobs, working in cooperation with city and county planning agencies, economic development departments and the Napa Valley Economic Development Corporation.
• The County of Napa will update its General Plan and its Airport Area Specific Plan. The Chamber will participate in the formation of those plans to insure that they include sound economic considerations.
• The Chamber supports and takes an active role in ensuring that the City of Napa is the County’s primary retail and commercial hub. The Chamber will continue its work to ensure that Napa is the tourism hub focusing on cultural and performing arts, dining, conference and lodging facilities.
• The Napa business community and the Napa Chamber benefit from its culturally diverse population. The Napa Chamber will provide programs and resources to enhance the creation, growth and success of all businesses, including minority owned and ethnically diverse businesses.
EDUCATION
• The Chamber is committed to ensuring that educational facilities are efficiently improved, modernized and well-maintained.
• The Chamber will promote collaboration between education and business to better prepare students for the workforce.
• The Chamber will advocate for rigorous educational standards so all students will be prepared for college, vocational training and/or the workforce.
• The Chamber will encourage education and training to enhance literacy and other skills necessary for the adult workforce.
WORKFORCE HOUSING / JOBS & HOUSING BALANCE
• The Chamber endorses and supports Napa County and its five cities in their creation, adoption and implementation of a housing plan that meets state housing laws.
• The Chamber endorses and supports a coalition / consensus effort to collaborate with the County of Napa and its five cities to jointly adopt stable sources of permanent funding for affordable housing.
• The Chamber endorses and supports Napa County and its five cities in their efforts to thoughtfully create a balance between the total number of jobs, the total number of appropriate housing units, and community infrastructure to support jobs and housing.
• The Chamber will advocate for quality high-density residential design policies and mixed-use projects to support “affordability in local housing” to take pressure off expansion into agricultural land and open spaces.
TRANSPORTATION MAINTENANCE & IMPROVEMENT
• The Chamber will strongly advocate funding for the widening improvements to Highway 12 and its associated intersections and interchanges.
• The Chamber will advocate for environmentally sound short-range and long-range solutions and funding for our community’s transportation requirements, including highway accessibility to and from Napa, road maintenance, parking, public transit systems and improved pedestrian and automobile safety.
• The Chamber will continue its strong support of Napa County airport as a key element of the County’s transportation and economic infrastructure.
PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
• The Chamber will continue to support the management and maintenance of quality resources to ensure an adequate supply of fresh and treated wastewater to provide a balance between agricultural, residential, environmental, commercial and recreational needs.
• The Chamber will support the creation of an equitable process for grape growers to plant / replant that also increases protection for the Napa River watershed.
• The Chamber will support the extensive re-use of treated wastewater throughout the County and while using/conserving our freshwater supplies efficiently.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
• The Chamber will continue to support government efficiency and cost-effective services and programs.
• The Chamber will continue to oppose government mandates and regulations that impose undue burdens and costs on private business and property.
• The Chamber will continue to strongly support and participate in processes that solve local and regional issues through coalition and consensus building.
• The Chamber will continue to shape public policy though communication with members, their employees and the general public regarding the Chamber’s Community Vision to preserve, guard and improve our quality of life.
• The Chamber will continue to actively identify, educate and endorse candidates and officials with the integrity, leadership and courage to advance and advocate the Chamber’s Community Vision.
NAPA CHAMBER COMMITTEES & TASK FORCES WORK TOWARD A BETTER COMMUNITY
Business Builders
Committee members of this group meet once a month to plan and organize professional development and education seminars in the form of Good Morning, Napa! and other programs. The group also coordinates the Job Fair at Napa Valley College and helps prepare the future workforce by advising on résumés, interview skills and professional appearance.
Infrastructure & Transportation Task Force
This task force brings together representatives from all areas of transportation at the city, county and state level. Areas of concern are Napa traffic improvement both current and future, the Flood Control Project, and how businesses can cope with employee transportation issues.
Membership Services Committee
Promote your own business while welcoming new members of the Chamber to the organizations. Meets on the fourth Tuesday of the Month at noon at different locations.
Benefit Golf Tournament Committee
This committee is responsible for planning the annual event held in July. The committee chooses the beneficiaries for the event and awards $5,000 in donations. Join this committee if you are committed to making a positive difference where we live and work.
Legislative Action Committee
One of the most active committees of the Napa Chamber of Commerce is the Board appointed 19-member Legislative Action Committee. This committee is charged with thoroughly investigating any public policy issue that the Chamber is asked to take a position on. All subjects are reviewed by being compared to the Chamber’s 5-Year Community Vision. Balanced presentations of the pros and cons of each issue are followed by discussion, lively debates and ultimately, recommendations to the Board.
CHAMBER BUSINESS EVENTS
Labor Law Update
Held each year, this workshop is conducted by experts in the field of labor law compliance, Rybicki & Blevans, LLP, and provides you with the latest information on how to stay within the law in this difficult but critically important portion of your business.
Annual Dinner
This elegant evening includes the installation of the incoming Chamber Chairman of the Board, Executive Officers and Board of Directors. Awards honoring the Citizen of the Year, Business of the Year are also presented.
Napa Valley Non-Profile Fair
Held for the first time in October of 2004, this event strives to match up local non-profit organizations with people interested in volunteering in the community. This event is becoming a popular bi-annual event supported by over 50 non-profit organizations.
Napa Valley Business Expo
This annual event, held in April, brings businesses of all types together to share their products and services with other members and the community at large. Over 80 businesses showcase their offerings, giving guests a close up view and the opportunity to meet business leaders from throughout the Valley and the region.
Community Awards Luncheon
The Napa Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with The Mechanics Bank to present this first event in 2007. The event will pay homage to local heroes, great organizations, teachers and students, service club members and more!
Annual Benefit Golf Tournament
This fun-filled day of good-natured competition and camaraderie provides not only good times for the participants and sponsors, but also funds for donation to important causes in Napa. Thousands of dollars have been donated to local organizations and high school scholarships from the proceeds of this event.
Economic Outlook
The full day of presentations and activities promises to inform, enlighten and entertain. Clear, concise and usable information is presented in a form that you can take back to your business and use in decision making for the upcoming year. Presented in partnership with the Napa Valley Economic Development Corporation, the goal of the Outlook is to disseminate valuable perspectives on our local, state, national and world economics. This event is held in October each year.
Good Morning Napa
Whatever the topic, the information is always fresh and useful at these early morning educational forums. Hosted by the Business Builders of the Chamber, you can always count on great coffee and lively discussions.
After Hours Mixer
Hugely popular, these bi-monthly events are attended by more than 200 people wanting to network and socialize with business people from all over the Valley and beyond. Held on the third Thursday of the month from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. at member businesses. Local wineries, caterers and restaurants also get an opportunity for exposure. Location changes each month. $2 admission for Chamber members, $10 for non-members — or purchase a Mixer Kit for $10 which includes your admission, beverage tickets and raffle tickets. No reservations are necessary.
5-Minute Networking
At these highly effective, “speed-networking” events you will have the opportunity to meet up to 20 individuals, one-on-one, in 5-minute increments. In this period, you can describe your respective businesses, exchange business cards and pass on helpful referrals. When you hear the bell ring, it’s time to move to another table and meet someone new! All events are optimized by event facilitation software which ensures that you meet new people at every event and provides online follow up tools! These events are held bi-monthly on the third Thursday of the month from 5:30pm – 7:00pm. Please check www.napachamber.com for locations and to make your reservation for the event.
