The 5th Annual Women in Leadership Luncheon was held on Wednesday, November 28th at the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley. Over 200 attendees heard Gaslamp District pioneer and restaurateur Ingrid Croce and honored women in the fields of Art and Culture, Business, Education, Government, Non Profits and Healthcare. The recipients included Cheryl Hinton in Arts and Culture, Jean Strouf in Business, Dana Quittner in Education, Mary England in Government, Maryann Cone in Healthcare and Becky Burgstiner in Non Profit Organizations. A special Founder’s Award was also presented to Nancy Dennison.

The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the holidays with a Holiday Business After Hours hosted by Oakdale Heights on Wednesday, December 18th starting at 5:30 p.m. The senior care facility is located at 5740 Lake Murray Blvd. in La Mesa.
Cost for the event is $10.00 for members and $15.00 for potential members. To reserve call the Chamber reservation Hotline at (619) 440-0706. .

A party celebration for retiring President CEO Terry Saverson will be held at On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina located at Westfield Parkway in El Cajon on Wednesday, January 9th starting at 5:30 p.m. The event will feature a no host bar and hors d’oeuvres will be provided on On the Border’s heated patio. Come by and reminisce on her 13 years of service and wish Terry good luck on her future endeavors.

The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce’s Second Friday Breakfast will start the New Year with strategies to protect companies and their employees from Identity Theft. The speaker will be Pete Tworoger, President of General Personnel Management.
The breakfast is being sponsored by El Cajon Valley High School.

The breakfast will be held Friday, January 11, from 7: 15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. at the El Cajon Elk’s Lodge located at 1400 E. Washington in El Cajon.

Did you know that both the California and federal minimum wage will increase effective January 1, 2008? You must post a compliant Employment Poster in a conspicuous place in the workplace where all employees and applicants can see it. The poster must also include information about your workers’ comp benefits. Pay day schedule and emergency contacts. You may need to order several to ensure that your business, branches and satellite offices are displaying the poster according to law. And remember in any of your company’s workers are Spanish speaking, you will need to order the Spanish version.

Posters will cost $20.00 for Chamber members and $25.00 to the general public.

AIG AMERICAN GENERAL
QUANTUM CONSTRUCTION & RESTORATION
THE PERMIT PRO CONSULTANT
R.J. WATKINS & COMPANY
WACOVIA

The San Diego Better Business Bureau has recognized five San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce organizations for ethical business practices with their annual BBB's annual Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.
Selected as winners of a 2007 BBB Torch Award were (categories were based on number of employees which appear in parenthesis Sycuan Resort and Casino of El Cajon (more than 500); and North Island Credit Union (250 to 499). Also recognized as finalists were Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air, Inc. of El Cajon (25-to-99);Toyota of El Cajon (100-to-249); and Cabrillo Credit Union (Charity/non-profit)

President George W. Bush and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez recently announced that Sharp HealthCare is one of five organizations to receive the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest Presidential honor for quality and organizational performance excellence. Sharp HealthCare holds a long term lease and operates Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa. Sharp Grossmont Hospital is a Chairman’s Club member of the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce.

With the retirement of Terry Saverson, the Chamber Board of Directors has created a search committee to handle the process of finding a new permanent President/CEO for the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce. Andy Phemister has been named interim President/CEO until a permanent leader has been selected. For more information on the position click on FULL STORY

Come meet the new Leadership East County class, and renew acquaintances with Alumni of the award winning Leadership East County program at a Mixer at Mangia Bene Restaurant in El Cajon on January 10 starting at 5:30 and going till 7:00 p.m. Cost for the mixer is $10 and proceeds go to Alumni’s scholarship fund. Please RSVP at the Chamber at (619) 440-6161.

LEGACY CORPS SAN DIEGO
NEIGHBORHOOD NATIONAL bANK
VALERIE L. PECK, MBA, CDFA

Click on Full Story for January Chamber Calendar

The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce wishes to recognize the following businesses for their continued support and encourages you to patronize these establishments. The following list represents members who renewed between early November and mid December (December 14, 2007)