The West Ventura County Business Alliance is proud to present Oxnard Mayor John C. Zaragoza’s 2023 State of the City address on Friday, June 16. He will discuss the city's overall stability and socio-economic impacts on local government, as well as provide updates about the City Council's priorities, citywide restorations, and economic development.
Through various pronouncements, both the IRS and state of California have announced that since residents of California were affected by recent disasters, most Californians have until October 16, 2023 to file individual and business tax returns. The time to remit payments is also extended. Only three California counties are not included in these pronouncements (Lassen, Modoc, and Shasta). Anyone residing in a designated disaster area will automatically qualify for the postponed deadline.
Keep reading for additional details from WVCBA Chair-elect Andrew Kiefer, Managing Director of CBIZ & Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. Last month, the Oxnard Leadership Class of 2023 experienced Public Safety Day, which included lunch with County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko and meetings with Oxnard Police Department, Oxnard Fire Department, Ventura County Probation Agency, and Ventura County Sheriff's Department. The jam-packed day was coordinated by Tom Cady, WVCBA Board Member and Former Assistant Chief of Police of Oxnard.
Coalition of chambers fight to protect State of the City addresses and other community events3/28/2023 Last week, WVCBA and nearly 50 other chambers of commerce and similar organizations statewide wrote a letter to California Deputy Attorney General Ryan B. McCarroll to voice support for community events, specifically “State of the City” style addresses. These events are currently under review by the the Department of Justice at the request of the Ventura County District Attorney’s office to determine whether the Brown Act applies if a majority of the legislative body (i.e. City Council) attends.
WVCBA recently welcomed venturapowerprogram.com/Ventura Power Program as a new member. Through the Ventura Power Program, provides solar power generation, intelligent energy storage and management solutions in Ventura County.
WVCBA recently welcomed Devoted Care Services in Camarillo as a new member! They are a non-medical caregiving agency specialized in caregiving for dementia patients in Ventura County. Since 2017, they have been providing care for the elderly and people who need help with daily living.
The WVCBA has joined a coalition of 64 employer groups and chambers of commerce in California to support Senate Bill 703 that would allow for an employee-selected flexible work schedule. Read the coalition's letter to the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee, that states "California should allow employees to set hours that work for an employees’ personal and family obligations rather than continuously trying to impose new mandates on employers, which burden their ability to afford to hire."
BAC receives updates on Santa Clara River Levees and state legislation impacting businesses3/14/2023 At the March 13 WVCBA Business Advocacy Committee (BAC) meeting, Glenn Shepard of Ventura County Watershed Protection provided a report on the status of the Santa Clara River levees, SCR3 and SCR1. They also received a brief report on California legislation from Chris Collier, consultant for the Tri-County Chamber Alliance, of which the WVCBA is a member. Get to know Maegan Profeta, our "Maven of the Month" brought to you by the WVCBA Women in Business committee. She is the Business Services Coordinator for the Russell Fischer Business Collection (RFBC) at the Camarillo Public Library. The RFBC offers free business resources and services to benefit the small business community and residents of the greater Camarillo area.
For its second session, the 15 members of the 2023 Oxnard Leadership Program met with leaders to learn about important conversations happening around local housing, redevelopment, and transportation, and their impact on communities (and vice versa). Land Use and Transportation Day was first introduced in 2022 and is coordinated by Oxnard Planning Commissioner Daniel Chavez Jr, a Leadership '19 graduate.
The WVCBA has joined a coalition of 250 chambers and organizations across the US to oppose the FTC’s proposed rule on non-compete agreements. This sweeping rule would invalidate millions of contracts around the country that are beneficial for businesses and employees. Read the coalition's letter to Congress urging it to exercise its authority over the FTC, which lacks constitutional authority to issue such a rule.
The WVCBA has sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in support of the City of Camarillo’s RAISE grant application for the bridge replacement at Las Posas Road. The bridge serves as a gateway for many economic centers throughout Ventura County and is important for the continued movement of goods and services in the region. Even with the reduction in commuter traffic observed due to the pandemic, millions of dollars worth of goods and materials rely on safely traveling through this intersection. Funding for this important regional project will ensure the continued operation of this critical transportation lifeline for years to come. Construction of this project will produce jobs and much needed support to the regional economy. WVCBA recently welcomed Nate's Place, A Wellness and Recovery Center as a new member! Nate's Place's mission is to deliver targeted programs, healthy replacement activities, and peer support recovery coaching to teens and young adults (ages 13-25), to maintain sobriety and mental health in a safe, healthy manner.
Nate’s Place was founded in memory of Nate Rhoades, who sadly passed away at the age of 21 after a car accident on January 20, 2022. Get to know Juliann Laufer, our "Maven of the Month" brought to you by the WVCBA Women in Business committee. She represents Soroptimist International Oxnard (SIO) and Guild Mortgage.
A big welcome to the seventh class of the Oxnard Leadership Program! The Class of 2023's first session on January 27 was focused on government and set the stage for many of the topics they will explore over the remaining nine months. This year's class includes 15 participants who represent an array of businesses, agencies and nonprofits in the county (scroll down for the class roster).
The WVCBA recently welcomed Jubilee Legal as a new member! Jubilee Legal offers legal advice and assistance for dealing with debt. "I have a particular expertise in student debt, and I love to assist community members in any way possible," says Founder Sparky Abraham.
Leaders from all around Ventura County convened at Spanish Hills Club for the WVCBA's Annual Meeting & Installation of Directors on Friday, January 20. It was a celebratory affair highlighting WVCBA accomplishments in 2022, congratulating outgoing Chair Dawn Simmons, and welcoming 2023 Chair Dona Lacayo. It also served to honor recipients of the Chairperson's Awards of Excellence, the Ken Cunningham Award winner and the Ambassador of the Year.
Political Action Committee endorses Michaela Perez in the March 7 City of Oxnard special election1/17/2023
After reviewing the field of candidates, the WVCBA Political Action Committee (PAC) has announced its endorsement of Michaela Perez in the City of Oxnard's March 7 special election for the vacant District 6 seat. District 6 represents parts of south Oxnard and became vacant when Councilwoman Vianey Lopez was appointed by Governor Newsom to serve out County Supervisor Carmen Ramirez’s term following Ramirez's death in mid-August.
The WVCBA is pleased to share this year's honorees of the Chairperson's Awards of Excellence, our Ambassador of the Year, and the Ken Cunningham Award winner, all of whom, by tradition, were selected by outgoing Chair of the Board Dawn Simmons, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones. Honorees will be celebrated at the WVCBA's Annual Meeting, which takes place Friday, January 20 at Spanish Hills Club. presented by the Port of Hueneme and sponsored by Southern California Edison Company.
The WVCBA recently welcomed Integration Works Inc. as a new member! Integration Works is a licensed adult day program for individuals served by Tri-Counties Regional Center (TCRC), providing employment preparation and community integration training services with a focus on soft skills training, job matching, and paid internship development. Job Developer Ryan Gonzales shares more about their life-changing programs.
The WVCBA is pleased to announce its Executive Committee for 2023. The Board of Directors is responsible for setting WVCBA policy as well as direction for the organization. The Executive Committee is comprised of officers elected by the Board and monitors the Alliance's operations. The Board is made up of 18 directors plus eight Lifetime Directors, as well as non-voting Board liaisons from like-minded organizations.
On December 7, the WVCBA celebrated the sixth and largest graduating class of the Oxnard Leadership Program since it began in 2016. The ceremony took place at Heritage Square Chapel with alumni, friends, family and employers cheering on the 15 graduates who completed the 10-session program in just nine months (condensed due to the COVID surge in early 2022).
At our Business & Economic Outlook luncheon on December 1, 2022, we welcomed Bruce Stenslie of Economic Development Collaborative, Shelby Day of Meissner Filtration Products, and Neil McMillan of Express Employment Professionals to discuss today's workforce challenges. It was an insightful discussion for businesses and organizations struggling to attract new workers and retain current employees. We received numerous inquiries for presentations and resources from the event so we compiled it here on our website for all to access.
With questions about the ongoing drought, new food waste rules, and Measure E updates, Oxnard Leadership 2022 got answers directly from the city's Public Works department. This was the 10th and final session for the Class of 2022, which is the largest cohort since the program began in 2016.
The WVCBA recently welcomed StretchLab Camarillo as a new member! StretchLab provides 1-on-1 assisted stretching and is on a mission to "Live Long" and help people do the things that they love, better. No two bodies are the same and no two stretches at StretchLab are the same. Owner Lauren Glick shares why leaving a career at the fire department led her to open this life-changing business.
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