Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "chamber"

Chamber leader's legacy may be collaborative region

2011-05-18T00:41:20Z

Sacramento Metro Chamber President and CEO Matt Mahood leaves behind a more unified business community as he moves on to take over the helm of the San Jose chamber this summer, colleagues and associates said Tuesday.

Mahood, 45, has a reputation for being upbeat and optimistic, even as he's guided the chamber through the recession. He served as a dynamic leader for the organization and a spokesman for the region on local, state and national level s.

At 6 feet 7 inches, he towers over many of those he works with in business and politics. He's known for being thoughtful and having an even-handed way for approaching issues in the job he's held for nine years.

His most lasting legacy in Sacramento may be his work as a collaboration builder garnering support for crucial policy decisions and economic development efforts.

Mahood became a prominent leader in the effort to stop the Sacramento Kings from leaving and to rally regional support for a new arena. He led a push that gathered more than $10 million in financial support for the Kings from regional businesses if the team stayed another year.

"Matt was a force of nature," said PRIDE Industries President Mike Ziegler, who chaired the chamber's board when they hired Mahood in 2002. "He became a driving force to make this region a better place to live, work and play."

The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce board voted Friday to hire Mahood as president and CEO of that organization. He will remain with the Sacramento Metro Chamber until at least the Fourth of July weekend.

An interim CEO will be chosen to guide the Sacramento Metro Chamber during the search for a new top executive.

As a 36-year-old hired by the chamber in 2002, Mahood didn't have any experience working at a chamber of commerce. But that was seen as an advantage by the chamber's search committee, Ziegler said.

Mahood had worked previously as vice president and general manager of grocery business Webvan.com and district manager at the shipping company BAX Global, as well as with UPS and FedEx.

He lived in Carmichael for four years as a child but mostly grew up in Pleasanton in the East Bay. Mahood is taking the job in San Jose partly so he can live closer to his mother, who just turned 80, and his three sisters. He said he'll miss taking his ski boat and wakeboard out on Folsom Lake with friends and family on hot summer days.

However, Mahood said he also wants to pursue fresh opportunities.

"Nine years is a long time to be in one place, especially at a chamber of commerce," he said. "I am ready for some new challenges in a new community."

Mahood was a champion for the region's economic development. He was instrumental in forging a good working relationship between the chamber, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership and the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau, as well as area businesses and other business organizations, and then collaborating on mutually identified priorities, DSP Executive Director Michael Ault said.

"Matt did a tremendous job of not only managing and growing the chamber, but really building a coalition amongst area business organizations," Ault said.

Mahood will help launch the search process for his replacement. He said he's proud of the Metro Chamber's hard-working staff and volunteer leaders and their ability to reach the chamber's goals each year.

Although he'll be leaving, he said he'd like to see the Metro Chamber and its partners build a stronger, more positive "sense of self" and brand for the region after its image has been pummeled by being included on Forbes' list of "most miserable cities" and from stories about high foreclosure rates, unemployment and other government problems.

Mahood said he thinks cities and counties and some nonprofit organizations should collaborate more and even consider consolidating functions to become more efficient and bring taxpayers and other funders more return on investments. He said he'd also like to see the Metro Chamber and partners finalize and put out a regional economic development strategy based on good data, followed by an action plan that will create jobs.

"Housing and construction are not coming back anytime soon, and the state budget mess will continue to hit this region hard," he said.

Many people expressed sadness at Mahood's departure. Mayor Kevin Johnson described Mahood as a "champion" for the business community during the worst economy since the Depression.

"It's worth noting that his final achievement was playing a lead role in organizing the corporate and business community in the successful drive to keep the Kings and NBA in Sacramento," Johnson said in an emailed statement Tuesday. "Our community would not have been able to over-deliver on support and sponsorships without Matt's work, and we will surely miss his leadership."

The San Jose chamber is eagerly awaiting the new opportunities and direction a new president will bring, said the chamber's current president, Pat Dando.

"We also think Matt will bring strong leadership to the chamber – just looking at what his time with the Sacramento chamber produced," she said. "He seems to have a real knack for achieving a collaborative effort in the business community toward the common good."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Perspectives 09: A day of controversial views

2009-10-10T00:52:33Z

It was a day of speeches, but it was anything but dull. At the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Perspectives 2009 event, no topic was too controversial. Really. One of the speakers even quoted Chairman Mao Tse-Tung.

Five heavy-hitters in a variety of fields, including Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, took the stage at the Sacramento Convention Center Friday and delivered speeches that were decidedly energetic and provocative.

The high-profile speakers spoke to about 2,000 people during the chamber’s event, which was titled “An American Experience.” Rice shared the spotlight with entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki, finance expert Jane Bryant Quinn, author James Bradley and creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson.

Rice praised the private-sector, saying it should lead economic growth. The private sector is “creative, innovative and risk-taking,” she said. By contrast, Washington, D.C., cannot be described with those three words, she said.

Private sector-led growth is crucial to global economic growth, she said, adding that if the U.S. “does not stand for free trade, no one will stand for free trade.”

Quinn’s speech provided a sharp contrast to Rice’s remarks. Quinn said the nation’s recession is coming to a close “almost entirely” because of the billions of dollars President Barack Obama’s administration put into the economy. “Sometimes the government is the solution, not the problem,” she said.

Kawasaki turned the typical power-point presentation upside down with plenty of controversial statements. He promoted the concept of revolution as he gave pointers to the audience on producing innovative work. When you’re creating something new and different, you’re allowed to have a first version that’s simultaneously revolutionary and flawed, he said. “Don’t worry, be crappy,” he advised.

In another example, he urged innovators to not get hung up on marketing to one particular audience. He quoted Mao to illustrate his point: “Let 100 flowers blossom.” You don’t know which kinds of people are going to embrace your product, he said, so don’t think about your market narrowly.

Also on Friday morning, about eight demonstrators gathered outside the convention center, holding signs opposing Rice's policies. One sign referred to Rice as a “Bloody War Monger.”

Asked to comment on the presence of protesters, Metro Chamber President Matt Mahood said: “It’s great. It’s what freedom of speech is all about.”

Inside the building, audience members chatted with each other during lunch. Tiffany Stokes, a student ambassador for Cosumnes River College, attended the event with other student leaders in the Los Rios Community College system. She said she found Kawasaki’s presentation helpful and plans to use his points in a presentation to fellow students.

Kawasaki was also popular with attendee Mike Motroni, the chief financial officer of Nor-Cal Beverage Company. Motroni described Kawasaki’s presentation as “dynamic” and “enjoyable,” and also said he was looking forward to hearing Rice’s perspectives on international affairs.

The aim of Perspectives is to “bring world-class figures to Sacramento, so business and civic leaders can hear their points of view,” Hal Silliman, communications director of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, said. Another goal is to familiarize the leaders with Sacramento, he said.

The event also provides attendees with an opportunity to network and host customers and clients, Mahood said.

Businesses, civic leaders and elected officials attend Perspectives, Mahood said, describing the attendees as the “who’s who in the business community.”

Metro Chamber officials said the poor economy affected this year’s turnout. Silliman estimated about 2,000 people turned out for Friday’s event. About 2,400 people attended the event last year, said Mahood, noting that the best year for Perspectives was 2006 with an attendance of 3,500 people.

Mahood declined to release figures for the amount of revenue the event generated through ticket sales this year. He noted that the chamber’s budget is about $5 million per year.

The revenue from the event goes toward the chamber’s work and advocacy throughout the year, he said, adding that the group’s work includes policy advocacy, economic development efforts and promotion of the Sacramento region.

Photos by Kati Garner.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Sacramento Press contributor Kati Garner contributed to this report.

Sacramento Metro Chamber to host Congressional Representatives Lungren, McClintock: Business, civic leaders invited to annual California Leadership Forum

2009-09-22T23:51:35Z

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@metrochamber.org.