Committee Listings

Committees offer variety of opportunities to get involved

Joining a committee is a good way to get involved with the Chamber and meet more business people. If you’re interested, call the Chamber office at 760-726-1122 or the committee chair; all committees welcome new members at any time! (Meeting dates are subject to change, please call the Chamber to confirm.) Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are held at the Chamber, 127 Main St. (map). Here are the details on our committees:

Ambassador Committee – Organizes Sundowners, attends ribbon cuttings and assists at other Chamber events. Meets first Thursday, 8:30 a.m. Chairman Margo Cobian of EDCO, (760) 727-1600 x111. To see a current list of Ambassadors, click here.

Business Expo Committee – Organizes the Vista Business Expo, typically scheduled for October each year. The 2012 Expo featured 90 business exhibitors, including 9 Vista microbreweries and 4 gourmet food trucks. Businesses can participate by serving on the committee, sponsoring the event, and purchasing an exhibitor booth. Click here for details on the Expo. Meets seasonally. Chairman: Open.

Business Park Council – Monitors local issues that affect the Vista Business Park , which includes 800+ businesses employing 23,000+ people. Meetings at 7:30 a.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month at varying locations in the Business Park. Chairman is Cindy Erie of E-World Recyclers, (760) 599-0888 and Don Sando of Strategic Results Group, (760) 518-3148.

Golf Committee – Organizes annual Golf Tournament, a fun fund-raiser held every summer. Meets seasonally. Chairman: Open.

Government Affairs Committee – Holds monthly meetings with government officials and their staff, takes positions on business issues, organizes State of Community Luncheon and candidate forums. Meets first Thursday of the month, 12 Noon, at Chamber office. Chairman: Amber Starbuck, SDG&E: (619) 696-2000.

Christmas Parade Committee – Organizes annual WinterFest Christmas Parade held on the first Saturday of December. Meetings are held seasonally. Chairman Jim Fraker,

Latino Business Committee – Mission is “To reach out to local Latino business owners by providing business resources, education and leadership skills while creating positive role models for the youth in our community.” Meetings include guest speakers, networking, success stories, open discussion. Meetings are varied. Chairman Robert Franks of State Farm Insurance, (760) 758-1090.

Membership Committee – Organizes Networking Breakfasts, Lunch~and~Learns, visits prospective members to explain Chamber benefits. Meets first Tuesday of the month, 8:00 a.m. Chairman Ashley Bedard of Realty Executives, (858) 449-5383. To see a current list of members, click here.

Strawberry Festival – Organizes the annual Vista Strawberry Festival that is held on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend.  In 2012, the Strawberry Festival included such events as the Strawberry 5,000, Strawberry Pie Eating Contest, Strawberry Idol, Ms. Strawberry Shortcake and more. The event drew over 55,000 attendees.  For more information, click here.  The Steering Committee meets monthly. The sub-committees meet as needed to plan their portion of the event. Chairman: Open.