The Sacramento Metro Chamber announces recommendations on eight important statewide ballot propositions appearing on the Nov. 2 ballot, with decisions framed by each initiative’s impact on how they will create a consistent and stable business environment for building jobs and prosperity. These positions were developed after research and investigation by a special chamber Task Force. Its recommendations were forwarded to the chamber’s Executive Committee for vote and then to the entire 76-member board for ultimate adoption. “We have carefully considered each proposition, making sure that our stance is consistent with our declared Guiding Principles and previous positions,” said Matt Mahoo

Third District Congressman Dan Lungren, R-Gold River, will brief Arden Arcade business and civic leaders Thursday, Sept. 9, on issues and pending legislation that will impact the business community. Rep. Lungren will attend the monthly Arden Arcade Meet & Greet/Arden Arcade Business Council meeting, set for 8-9:30 a.m. at the Sacramento Metro Chamber office, One Capitol Mall, Suite 300, Sacramento. “We are pleased that Congressman Lungren will share his insights with our member businesses,” said Dion Dwyer, vice president of membership. “This is one of the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s signature functions: To provide an opportunity for businesspeople to share with elected officials what the

For the second time this year, the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Leadership Sacramento program will be honored for its positive impact on the community. Lilliput Children’s Services will name Leadership Sacramento the organization’s “Business Hero” during its 30th anniversary celebration on Saturday, Sept. 11, at the California Museum. “This outstanding recognition befits Leadership Sacramento’s mission of cultivating well-informed, compassionate leaders who are not only in touch with the needs of the community, but who also understand the impact that can be made when businesses collaborate to benefit a common cause,” said 2010 Leadership Sacramento Chair Michael Smith of Teichert. Founded

The region’s Metro Pulse program, managed by the Sacramento Metro Chamber, today received international acclaim for its impact in promoting success and growth of Sacramento’s region’s businesses. At the Business Retention & Expansion International Conference being held in New Orleans, Metro Pulse was given the BR&E Project/Program Impact Award, in part for its high-volume outreach effort. Over the last three years, Metro Pulse has conducted nearly 5,000 business visits and business walks where economic development and business officials meet directly with owners and managers of retail, commercial, service and manufacturing businesses of all sizes. In the award citation, Metro Pulse prog

Two local transportation projects that were part of the Sacramento Metro Chamber 2010 Capitol-to-Capitol advocacy program have received Congressional funding. The city of Sacramento will receive $500,000 for improvements to the Sacramento Valley Station. The funds will help construct access for vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists for the Amtrak, Capitol Corridor, light rail and bus station. The county of Sacramento will receive $400,000 to upgrade the Highway 50 interchange at Watt Avenue, where the initial segment of a bus rapid transit system will be installed, linking it with light rail and making the congested area safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. The announcements were made by

The announcement this week that Intel Corp. and General Electric Co. will create a joint venture health care company in the Sacramento area further confirms a Sacramento Metro Chamber study that found existing health care industries in the region will serve as a catalyst for new business development. By uniting Intel’s Digital health Group and GE Healthcare’s Home Health division, the two companies will be innovating by creating new models of care delivery that promote healthy, independent living at home and in assisted living communities around the world, focusing on three major segments: chronic disease management, independent living and assistive technologies. Intel Corp has been a Met

Two acclaimed speakers set for Perspectives 2010 approach career excellence from diametrically opposed start points: Marcus Buckingham believes you should find your strengths and manage your weaknesses while Chef Jeff Henderson says passion and hard work are needed for success. In its 16th year, Sacramento’s premier speakers forum will also feature former Governors Howard Dean and Sarah Palin. The Sacramento Metro Chamber brings Perspectives to the Sacramento Convention Center on Friday, Oct. 15, with presenting sponsor Bank of America/Merrill Lynch. Marcus Buckingham Co-author of the best-selling book series on managing workplace strengths, Marcus Buckingham is an internationally acclai

The Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Business Walk heads to Rancho Cordova on July 23. Partnering with the Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce and the city of Rancho Cordova, the Metro Chamber will visit more than 120 businesses, asking three simple questions: How’s business, what do you like about doing business here and what can be improved? The Business Walks are part of a regional “best practices” strategy for business retention and expansion. Over the last two years, that strategy—called Metro Pulse—has logged visitations of more than 2,300 businesses. In 2009, the Metro Chamber and its partners held five Business Walks, and currently the 2010 schedule will double that figure. “The City o

On Broadway—that’s where the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Business Walk heads on Thursday, June 10. Partnering with the Greater Broadway Partnership and the city of Sacramento, the Metro Chamber intends to visit all of the businesses in the Broadway District, asking three simple questions: How’s business, what do you like about doing business here and what can be improved? The Business Walks are part of a regional “best practices” strategy for business retention and expansion. Over the last two years, that strategy—called Metro Pulse—has logged visitations of more than 2,300 businesses. In 2009, the Metro Chamber and its partners held five Business Walks, and currently the 2010 schedule wi

Doors open at 12:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, May 25, for Metro Expo, the Sacramento Metro Chamber's annual business-to-business trade show. The event will be held on the Third Floor at the Sacramento Convention Center. Seven free workshops will help business learn how to connect with more profits. The workshops run 1-5 p.m. (See list below). A networking reception 5-7 p.m. will conclude the day of networking. Tickets are $35 for Metro Chamber members and $45 for nonmembers. Get more details at metrochamber.org/expo. METRO EXPO WORKSHOPS CONTRACTING WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES Learn about different small business programs and requirements from a panel of government agencies. Find out if your bu

Tuesday, May 25, is your chance to connect with more than 1,000 business people in just one afternoon at the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s annual trade show Metro Expo at the Sacramento Convention Center. This business-to-business trade show features more than 150 exhibitors, a slate of state and government agencies eager to do business with small business and seven workshops that will help business improving their bottom lines. Metro Expo doors open at noon. A 5-7 p.m. networking reception will top off the day. Two-for-one tickets are available until 5 p.m. Friday, May 21; after that time, tickets available on-site are $35 for members and $45 for nonmembers. Get details at metrochamber.or

More than a thousand businesses from across the region will gather Tuesday, May 25, at the Sacramento Convention Center to discover new contacts, exchange leads and obtain useful management skills and information on the latest products and services. Metro Expo is part of Governor Schwarzenegger’s Collaboration Conference, which is an ongoing effort to connect small business with contracting opportunities and certification information. Metro Expo features city, state and federal agencies (below) seeking small- and medium-sized vendors for bid opportunities. The annual business-to-business trade show hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber will also include more than 120 top service and pro

Two former governors will headline the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Perspectives 2010 line-up: Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. They will appear Friday, Oct. 15, at the Sacramento Convention Center. “We are pleased once again to bring dynamic speakers whose current contribution to our nation’s political dialogue will captivate the Perspectives audience,” said Matt Mahood, president & CEO. Other speakers for this 16th annual event will be announced shortly. Dean, a physician, served for six terms as governor of Vermont. He is the former Democratic National Committee chairman, a 2008 presidential candidate and founder of Democracy for America. Palin burst onto the natio

WASHINGTON D.C.—U.S. Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu told Sacramento Metro Chamber Cap-to-Cap delegation that the region’s collaborative efforts have been “instrumental” to the success of leveraging $200 million in stimulus funds for clean energy projects and $127 million for the Sacramento smart grid project—“one of the largest awards of its kind in the country.” Speaking in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill, Chu addressed the delegation of 300 from the Sacramento region, currently here in the nation’s capital on the annual advocacy program, working together to lobby for the six-county region’s top priorities. Introducing his remarks, Chu said the Obama administration is

WASHINGTON D.C.—Central Intelligence Agency director Leon Panetta told 300 Sacramento Metro Chamber Cap-to-Cap delegates that the next “Pearl Harbor” is likely to be an attack on the United States’ power, financial, military and other Internet systems. Panetta addressed the Sacramento delegation that includes 43 elected officials and hundreds of business and civic leaders who are in Washington D.C. for the annual program that advocates for the region’s most pressing policy issues. He spoke on Monday, April 19, during the Cap-to-Cap opening breakfast. “Cyber terrorism” is a new area of concern for the CIA, Panetta said. The United States faces thousands of cyber attacks daily on its Inter

With Earth Day’s 40th celebration just days away, the Sacramento Metro Chamber proudly announces that 300 delegates travel for the Capitol-to-Capitol advocacy program is “green.” Metro Chamber member Sacramento Municipal Utility District has once again provided carbon offsets for the official travel portion of each Cap-to-Cap delegate. This is the third year in a row that SMUD has sponsored reduction of the delegation’s carbon footprint. “SMUD’s carbon offset program is retiring 295 tonnes of greenhouse gas offsets on behalf of our delegation,” said Metro Chamber President & CEO Matt Mahood. “For each delegate, that would be .93 tons of CO2 for a roundtrip flight Sacramento to Washington

The Sacramento Metro Chamber announces that the 2010 Metro Expo trade show will be held Tuesday, May 25, at the Sacramento Convention Center. It will offer hundreds of opportunities for small businesses from around the region to meet other small business owners.   In a post-event survey, 49 responding businesses who exhibited in the 2009 Metro Expo reported inking deals worth more than $1 million. That’s more than $20,000 for each surveyed business. Last year’s trade show attracted more than 1,500 participants.   Case in point: Sue Peppers of Peppers TV, a Mather-based video production company. “From that event, we signed a $22,000 contract,” Peppers wrote in a thank-you letter.   Me

The expert on the state's transit industry and financing, Joshua Shaw of Shaw/Yoder, Inc. will be the featured speaker at the State of RT Breakfast, Friday, March 19. Shaw is executive director of the California Transit Association. Mike Wiley, RT General Manager/CEO, will also address the transit service priorities of the Sacramento region. This breakfast event will focus on TransitAction, RT’s new transit vision that will shape the future of transportation over the next 25 years. The event, hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber and the Sacramento Regional Transit District, also includes the annual TransitAction awards, given to organizations and individuals promoting public transit.

Curious about the region’s newly proposed entertainment and sports facility and what else is happening in the city of Sacramento? Members of the Sacramento First Citizen’s Task Force will review the proposed projects and the process for consideration at this year’s State of the City Address, hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber on Thursday, Feb. 25. And in the tradition of this 18th annual event, the Mayor of Sacramento will also speak. More than 700 business and civic leaders have already confirmed attendance at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento for the 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. luncheon. The event is presented by Drexel University and Umpqua Bank. “If you want to get an insider’s scoop on t

A thousand business people and civic leaders will gather at the Sacramento Metro Chamber's 115th Annual Dinner & Business Awards tonight at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. The event is sold out. During the evening, 2010 Metro Chamber Board Chair Randy Sater of StoneBridge Properties will be inducted, and the Metro Chamber will recognize business leaders for their entrepreneurial and civic accomplishments. SACRAMENTAN OF THE YEAR—David M. Higgins Sr., Retired President of Harbison-Mahony-Higgins Builders Inc. AS THE FORMER CEO OF HARBISON-MAHONY-HIGGINS BUILDERS INC., MR HIGGINS IS A TRUE ICON IN OUR REGION’S COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS. HIS WORK – INCLUDING THE OUTSTANDING RESTORATION