Under the banner of Next Economy, Sacramento sets out to raise our economic stature and redefine our future through implementing a set of shared priorities. With a steady focus on defined economic development strategies, community-wide support for the arts, bipartisan dialogue among the region's mayors, and proactive efforts to attract major sporting events, our visit to Denver will show us a collaborative culture that spans public and private sector leadership. Metro Denver is recognized nationally and even internationally for its collaborative approach to economic development. In the last three decades, the Metro Denver region successfully cleaned up its air and diversified its oil and

On Wednesday, August 15 at 7:00 PM, Time Tested Books (1114 21st Street, Sacramento) hosts a book signing and talk for my new book, "Sacramento's K Street: Where Our City Was Born." From its early existence as a path from the Sacramento River to Sutter's Fort until the present day, K Street was the axis upon which the city of Sacramento turned. From its beginnings as a riverboat dock and nexus for stagecoach lines, K Street grew into the city's main business street. Fortunes were made and lost along K Street in the tumultuous decades of disaster and ambition that followed the Gold Rush. This era ended with the completion of America's first transcontinental railroad, a project started almo

Regions, not states or nations, will power future economies, and attracting, educating and retaining a skilled professional employment base is essential to regional economic vitality. With a diversified economic base ranging from energy to aerospace and bioscience to information technology, Metro Denver has emerged as a national leader for producing scientific talent and ranks today as the nation's second-most highly educated workforce. "Metro Denver is repeatedly recognized as a bright spot in the national economy, thanks to our diverse array of high-tech businesses, relatively low cost of doing business, active and highly educated population, and ability to attract and retain a young an

As the Sacramento region sets out to bolster our next economy and cultivate a business-friendly culture that generates jobs and new investment, what can we learn from Denver? Over the past two decades, Metro Denver has successfully diversified its economy with industries ranging from energy to aerospace and bioscience to information technology. CNBC ranked Colorado fifth in "America's Top States for Business" in 2011 and the state ranked especially high for business friendliness, economy, and access to capital. Creating a clear path to job creation and business development is an essential economic foundation in thriving communities and, under the banner of Next Economy, the Capital Regio

For the past 14 years, the Sacramento Metro Chamber has organized an annual Study Mission to different cities across the country. Throughout our travels we have witnessed new, innovative and alternative approaches to growing the economy, and improving a regions quality of life. Spanning multiple days of conversations and experiences, we have revealed brilliant ideas for ongoing success. More importantly, we have forged lasting partnerships and learned important lessons to apply in our own community. The purpose of the Study Mission program is to frame the civic discourse for the coming years.  With their successful regional development and high level cooperation, Denver remains an ideal p

Former Assemblyman Roger Niello will be the new CEO of the Sacramento Metro Chamber starting Jan. 1, coming back to an organization he led in the 1990s as the area struggles to come out of the recession. “For me, it’s sort of coming full circle, and I find it very exciting that way,” Niello said. “The chamber in a way was sort of my launchpad into politics, and now I’m coming back, still with my business roots, and will be working with the leadership to expand business.” Niello, who spent a quarter century running retail and auto dealerships with his family’s business, the Niello Auto Group, was elected to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors in a special election in 1999, where he

In what Mayor Kevin Johnson called an unprecedented event, 14 chambers of commerce from the Sacramento region announced Thursday that they support an entertainment and sports complex in downtown Sacramento. Johnson said the backing of the regional business community, which came after a four-county bus trip for Think Big Sacramento, is a commitment to the promise he made to the National Basketball Association earlier this year in New York City that Sacramento is an NBA city and can build a new arena. “I did not sell Sacramento, I sold our region,” he said, adding that a common commitment to a downtown sports and entertainment complex will provide a more vibrant community. The major obsta

The message from officials at Wednesday’s third annual State of Sacramento County forum was that things might be tough now, but hard work today is laying the groundwork for prosperity in the future. “We should always question our assumptions that things tomorrow will be as they are today,” said Roger Dickinson, chair of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and State Assemblyman-elect. The Metro Chamber event was held at Sacramento International Airport, and 260 people attended, according to Communications Director Hal Silliman. Dickinson said the $1.08 billion airport expansion – also known as “The Big Build” – is iconic of what is in store for the county and will “inspire us to f

Despite nationally known speakers Sarah Palin and Howard Dean headlining the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Perspectives 2010 forum, it was the lesser-known speakers who had a greater effect on the audience. Terrence McNamara, a Sacramentan in the construction industry, said he found management consultant and author Marcus Buckingham to be the most interesting. “I’ve been coming to this for seven years, and it’s always the speaker you’re not interested in seeing who has the biggest impact,” he said. Buckingham offered his views on dealing with strengths and weaknesses. Traditionally, Buckingham said, people tend to think that weaknesses need to be worked on. According to Buckingham, howeve

As Harriet Tubman once said, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” On September 11th, as over 200 Sacramento community members gathered at the California Museum to celebrate the 30 years that Lilliput Children's Services has been serving the state's most vulnerable children and their families, Lilliput was humbled to remember exactly who they are helping and why.   Founded in 1980, Lilliput is committed to building families and making dreams come true, and has completed over 4,500 adoptions for California foster children.  Throughout the evening, guests enjoye

 Mayor Kevin Johnson and regional leaders held a press conference at City Hall Tuesday afternoon to discuss a lobbying trip to Washington, D.C., to request more federal funding for Sacramento. The trip is scheduled April 17-21 and is part of an annual event sponsored by the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (Metro Chamber). It brings the regional priorities of California's capital to the attention of the nation's capital, called "Cap-to-Cap." Johnson was joined at the conference by West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, Metro Chamber CEO Matt Mahood and Mike McKeever, executive director of Sacramento Area Council of Governments. "Cap-to-Cap is one time you can lobby people

Mayor Kevin Johnson called for city government reform, the launching of a green initiative, increased public safety and moving forward with the arena project at his second State of the City address Thursday. “The state of the city is in our hands,” Johnson told the members of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. “The key is not about getting hit, it’s about getting up again.” Johnson discussed the hits the city has recently taken, including an increase to 13 percent unemployment from about 5 percent just a couple years ago, high crime rates and lackluster business performance, but he emphasized the need to be optimistic. “This is our time, Sacramento,” Johnson said. He high

How’s business? What can be done to make it better? With those questions, more than two dozen business people and Sacramento County staffers are visiting businesses Friday in the Arden Arcade district for the annual Business Walk to find out what kind of assistance can be brought to help improve the business environment. It’s expected that more than 100 shops, offices and stores will be visited today along eight commercial corridors—including Watt Avenue, Fulton Avenue, Auburn Boulevard and Hurley Way, among others. Business Walks help county officials make improvements in services to the districts, according to Howard Schmidt, chief of staff for Supervisor Susan Peters, District 5, whe

Business and civic leaders are invited to join the Sacramento Metro Chamber when it hosts Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Third District, and Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Fourth District, on Monday, Sept. 28, at Le Rivage Hotel, Sacramento. “The Metro Chamber is pleased once again to provide one of the few forums where businesspeople can meet their elected officials for an open discussion on current issues affecting the region and the nation,” said Matt Mahood, president & CEO. The breakfast will be held 8-10 a.m. at Le Rivage Hotel, 4350 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento, 95822. Register by noon Friday at http://www.metrochamber.org/events. For event information, contact Lindsay Ono at 916-319-4262 or lono@met

Business and civic leaders  are in Vancouver, B.C. through Friday, Aug. 22, to study successful strategies for eco-commercialism and regional sustainability. They are part of the Sacramento Metro Chamber's annual Study Mission. Previous cities visited include Portland, Salt Lake City, Charlotte, Austin and San Antonio, and San Diego. Thirty participants are taking four days to interview experts on how Vancouver has become an international gateway to the Pacific-Asian market. The Vancouver region has also developed strategies for converting new ideas into business start-ups and jobs. Randy Sater, the 2010 chair of the Metro Chamber Board kicked off the Study Mission yesterday (photo). Oth

I’m a new business owner. Actually, I’m not all that new. I have had a Web consulting business for nearly four years, after having “retired” from corporate life. Last year, I decided to start a second adjunct business, and one key target market area that I wanted to grow into was Sacramento. So I decided to hatch an experiment, and this article will be the first of a series of articles about my experiences. It may document a success or two, or maybe it won’t, depending upon the outcome. Time will tell. Background To give you, the reader a bit of background, I’m a computer technologist coming from a twenty-one year history of working in a corporate environment with data centers, programm