Join a Committee
The best way to forge long-term business relationships is by working closely with people to accomplish goals that help the community. At committee meetings and events, you will have the opportunity to network and talk face-to-face with government officials, business owners, and community leaders.To join a committee, simply show up at the next committee meeting or email membership@smchamber.com to start receiving committee email reminders.
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Ambassadors
Co-Chairs
Evan Pozarny, Muselli Commercial Realtors
Gary Loeb, Chezgal Merchandise Creations
The Ambassadors Committee provides critical membership liaison services and serves as the Chamber’s “hospitality corps” of active Chamber business leaders. This vital committee meets the second Wednesday of each month at 5pm and is responsible for assisting with the following activities: Business @ Sunset Mixers, Member-to-Member Networking Breakfasts, Membership Retention Services, Speed Networking and the New Member Mentor Program. Follow this link to learn more about becoming an Ambassador.
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Education
Co-Chairs
Linda Tisherman, SSI - DBA The Corporate Alternative
Nancy Schmidt, Santa Monica-Malibu PTA Council
The Education Committee supports excellence in education and promotes meaningful business/education relationships with public and private schools. The committee plans the Education Celebration each year, an event welcoming the new teachers and administrators in all Santa Monica area schools. The committee also sponsors a mentoring and internship program, connecting students with employment experience in Santa Monica’s main industry sectors.
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Professionals Emerging as Business Leaders (PeBL)
Co-Chairs
Mark Olson, Southern California Edison
Shannon Parry, City of Santa Monica Office of Sustainability & the Environment
This committee coordinates the Annual Santa Monica Cares Festival held in May on the Third Street Promenade and arranges for health-related seminars at the Chamber. The committee also organizes “To Your Health,” a program where chamber members in the healthcare industry give health-related talks at local businesses.
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Homelessness
This committee is working with the City, social service providers, and area chambers to find solutions to homelessness. The Chamber’s goal is to give businesses and their customers the tools they need to deal with homelessness, and to resolve this important issue by transitioning people out of homelessness. The committee’s recently launched Business Cares program highlights ways that local businesses are positively making a difference on this front.
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Land Use
Co-Chairs
Buy Local Expo
Co-Chairs
Linda Gross, Santa Monica - Malibu Education Foundation
Jennifer Taylor, City of Santa Monica Economic Development Division
This committee plans the Buy Local Expo. This premier event focuses on business-to-business networking opportunities and showcases all business sectors of the Santa Monica community. In addition, representatives from various City offices are available as a resource to both exhibitors and attendees.
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Hospitality Committee
Co-Chairs
Lynne Thomas, The Lobster
Richard Slosberg, RLS Entertainment Agency
This committee helps plan the Taste of Santa Monica event and fosters networking connections between members of the hospitality community in Santa Monica.
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Tech Committee
Co-Chairs
Dave Nelson, Tegner Miller Insurance Brokers
Scott Bly, IT Freeway
This committee discusses technology as it relates to business and also plans the Chamber's monthly educational events ("Tech Talk Tuesdays"). To learn more about the Tech Talks, check out our Educational Workshops page.
The Education Committee supports excellence in education and promotes meaningful business/education relationships with public and private schools. The committee plans the Education Celebration each year, an event welcoming the new teachers and administrators in all Santa Monica area schools. The committee also sponsors a mentoring and internship program, connecting students with employment experience in Santa Monica’s main industry sectors.
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Professionals Emerging as Business Leaders (PeBL)
Co-Chairs
Megan Sheehy, Locanda Del Lago
Evan Pozarny, Muselli Commercial Realtors
Professionals Emerging as Business Leaders is made up of young urban business professionals who will be our future leaders and who are bringing a whole new perspective to the Chamber. Their mission is to lead the Chamber in developing ideas and fostering understanding on the ways we are doing business today and how business trends will change in the future. Learn more>>
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Environmental Affairs
Evan Pozarny, Muselli Commercial Realtors
Professionals Emerging as Business Leaders is made up of young urban business professionals who will be our future leaders and who are bringing a whole new perspective to the Chamber. Their mission is to lead the Chamber in developing ideas and fostering understanding on the ways we are doing business today and how business trends will change in the future. Learn more>>
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Environmental Affairs
Co-Chairs
Mark Olson, Southern California Edison
Shannon Parry, City of Santa Monica Office of Sustainability & the Environment
The Environmental Affairs Committee promotes an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable community. The committee’s Sustainable Quality Awards Program recognizes local businesses for their sustainability. In collaboration with the City of Santa Monica, this program is at the heart of fulfilling our responsibility to the future while appropriately recognizing those who are actually doing something to assure it.
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Government Affairs
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Government Affairs
Co-Chairs
Nat Trives, New Visions Foundation
Tom Larmore, Harding, Larmore, Kutcher & Kozal
The Government Affairs Committee monitors and recommends positions to the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors on issues impacting the business community. With the participation of the offices of local state legislators and city administrators, this committee monitors the legislation and motions of elected officials and reviews governmental operations on multiple levels throughout the community.
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Health
The Government Affairs Committee monitors and recommends positions to the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors on issues impacting the business community. With the participation of the offices of local state legislators and city administrators, this committee monitors the legislation and motions of elected officials and reviews governmental operations on multiple levels throughout the community.
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Health
Co-Chairs
Jean McNeil-Wyner, Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital
Sara Hinojosa, Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center & Orthopaedic Hospital
This committee coordinates the Annual Santa Monica Cares Festival held in May on the Third Street Promenade and arranges for health-related seminars at the Chamber. The committee also organizes “To Your Health,” a program where chamber members in the healthcare industry give health-related talks at local businesses.
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Homelessness
Co-Chairs
McKinley Williams, OPCC
Rick Stoff, Chrysalis
This committee is working with the City, social service providers, and area chambers to find solutions to homelessness. The Chamber’s goal is to give businesses and their customers the tools they need to deal with homelessness, and to resolve this important issue by transitioning people out of homelessness. The committee’s recently launched Business Cares program highlights ways that local businesses are positively making a difference on this front.
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Land Use
Co-Chairs
Chris Harding, Harding, Larmore, Kutcher & Kozal
David Hibbert, David Forbes Hibbert, AIA
This committee focuses on many of the regulatory and other issues that affect the mechanics of opening and operating a business in Santa Monica. Permitting, zoning, parking, access and change of use regulations are all topics of potential discussion and action within this committee. Committee members have been actively involved in the City’s General Plan Update, attending community meetings and speaking before City Council on the draft plan. This committee strives to make the process of doing business in Santa Monica fair and reasonable.
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State of the City
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State of the City
Co-Chairs
Debbie Lee, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
Jenna Linnekens, Extraordinary Events
This committee is responsible for producing the annual State of the City event, held at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage. This event addresses issues regarding the impact of the current global and state economic situation at a local level. The committee is also responsible for securing the expert panel, which in the past has included the Senator Diane Feinstein, City Manager P. Lamont Ewell, Mayor Ken Genser, and various notable economists.
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This committee is responsible for producing the annual State of the City event, held at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage. This event addresses issues regarding the impact of the current global and state economic situation at a local level. The committee is also responsible for securing the expert panel, which in the past has included the Senator Diane Feinstein, City Manager P. Lamont Ewell, Mayor Ken Genser, and various notable economists.
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Co-Chairs
Linda Gross, Santa Monica - Malibu Education Foundation
Jennifer Taylor, City of Santa Monica Economic Development Division
This committee plans the Buy Local Expo. This premier event focuses on business-to-business networking opportunities and showcases all business sectors of the Santa Monica community. In addition, representatives from various City offices are available as a resource to both exhibitors and attendees.
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Hospitality Committee
Co-Chairs
Lynne Thomas, The Lobster
Richard Slosberg, RLS Entertainment Agency
This committee helps plan the Taste of Santa Monica event and fosters networking connections between members of the hospitality community in Santa Monica.
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Tech Committee
Co-Chairs
Dave Nelson, Tegner Miller Insurance Brokers
Scott Bly, IT Freeway
This committee discusses technology as it relates to business and also plans the Chamber's monthly educational events ("Tech Talk Tuesdays"). To learn more about the Tech Talks, check out our Educational Workshops page.
