A delegation of Sacramento business and political leaders returned from a four-day tour of New Orleans with fresh insight into what it takes for a city to recover and thrive after a disaster, including improving transportation methods, sustainable housing and flood protections. “New Orleans had a unique opportunity to reinvent itself because of all the investments made there after Katrina,” City Councilman Kevin McCarty said Tuesday. “We need to look at how we can reinvent ourselves here, too.” On Tuesday, Council Members Angelique Ashby, Steve Cohn and Kevin McCarty and Mayor Kevin Johnson shared the lessons learned from the people in New Orleans about methods of recovery the city has u

Metro PAC, the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s political action committee, is supporting Mayor Kevin Johnson’s re-election bid as mayor of Sacramento. Several weeks ago, Metro PAC gathered together more than 50 business leaders for a Coffee & Conversation in support of the mayor where chamber members could have a candid conversation about the city’s business climate. “We believe Mayor Johnson is the right choice for Sacramento as we did in 2008,” said Metro PAC Chair Ardie Zahedani. “The mayor has the right idea of making Sacramento more business-friendly. This town was founded as a crossroads of commerce, and we need elected leaders like the mayor who understand that when businesses are able

Responding to the region’s sluggish economy, a collaborative effort to reignite the region’s business climate was launched at today’s State of the Region Forum produced by the Sacramento Metro Chamber. A broad and diverse slate of stakeholders has joined together to begin formulating the Capital Region Prosperity Plan to take the Sacramento region to the “Next Economy.” This initiative is being organized by the Metro Chamber, the Sacramento Area Commerce & Trade Organization, the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance and Valley Vision in partnership with a cross section of regional community and business leaders to pursue economic revitalization that improves the lives of the 2.1 m

What will be the driving forces of the region’s next economy? That question will be explored during the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s annual State of the Region Forum, set for Friday, Aug. 26. In addition, a new regional collaboration in a shared economic prosperity plan will be announced. Speakers will take a look at opportunity industries and examine strategies to rebuild the region’s economy—those likely sectors that will help lead our businesses and be job growth areas over the next decade. The event is presented by UC Davis and UC Davis Health System. “Our experts will look at how an economic recovery plan can be crafted that makes the most of current and emerging industry sectors tha

The region’s international award-winning Business Walk program arrives in Arden Arcade on Aug. 25, when volunteers will canvass local businesses to find out what’s happening with the economy and how conditions can be improved. The Arden Arcade Business Walk is presented by the Arden Arcade Business Council, Fulton Avenue Association and Sacramento County, in partnership with the Sacramento Metro Chamber and supported by the region’s Metro Pulse partnership. The business walks have won acclaim from international economic developers and most recently as an outstanding chamber program for strengthening local economies. “The County of Sacramento is dedicated to supporting the local businesse

The Sacramento Metro Chamber is pleased to announce that Pat Fong Kushida has been named President & CEO of the 2,000-member organization that serves businesses in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. Fong Kushida comes to the Metro Chamber from the Sacramento Asian-Pacific Chamber of Commerce where she has served as President & CEO since 1993. She also serves as President & CEO of the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, which she formed in 2006. “Pat clearly has the vision, experience and energy to lead our chamber,” said Greg Eldridge, chairman of the Metro Chamber Board. “Her deep knowledge and commitment to our region as well as her entrepreneurial

As the Sacramento Metro Chamber prepares for its 16th annual State of the Region Forum in August, a nationwide search is working on the state of the organization’s leadership. The chamber has been conducting a nationwide search for a new president and CEO since Matt Mahood left the position in June to take a lead position at the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce. “We are attracting some great talent,” said Greg Eldridge, vice president and area manager at CH2M Hill and chairman of the Metro Chamber board. According to its website, the Metro Chamber represents nearly 2,000 member businesses and business organizations in the six-county Sacramento region on issues affecting busin

Secretary of defense 2006-11, CIA director, university president and a historian: Dr. Robert M. Gates has spent a lifetime as a student of history in the intelligence and defense arenas, serving eight U.S. presidents and earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor. Gates will round out the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s 17th Perspectives set for Friday, Sept. 23 at the Sacramento Convention Center. Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and Olympian Dara Torres will also speak at the event, which has a new half-day format. Gates began his government service in 1966 when he joined the Central Intelligence Agency and then spent nearly 27 years as an intelligence professio

The Sacramento Metro Chamber applauds the much-needed economic growth plan for the state of California released today by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. The plan incorporates principles for state regulatory reform long-espoused by the Metro Chamber and supports the chamber’s long-practiced strategy of regional economic collaboration to promote business growth. In February, business and government representatives from across the state gathered at the Metro Chamber to discuss reform of the state’s regulatory system and permitting process. Later that month during the chamber’s State Legislative Summit, Newsom told chamber members that their legislative agenda provided a long-needed list of specific r

Perspectives 2011 will feature five-time Olympian swimmer Dara Torres who has proven that age doesn’t limit your dreams. At age 41, Torres, then a new mother, returned to compete in the 2008 Beijing games, winning three silver medals. In all, she has competed in five Olympics—a feat unprecedented for an American female swimmer. Torres joins Twitter co-founder Biz Stone on stage during the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Perspectives, set for Friday, Sept. 23 at the Sacramento Convention Center. The event returns for its 17th year in an all-new half-day format that will run 8 a.m. to noon. The final speaker will be announced Aug. 4. In 2007, at the age of 40, Torres twice broke her own America

Named as one of the country’s best sites to relocate a business and called the “coolest place” to start a business, New Orleans’ economic recovery six years after disaster struck has been called a miracle by many. Driving New Orleans’ comeback are the connections and new economic ecosystems created by business, community leaders and nonprofits. This is what the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s annual Study Mission, Oct. 4-7, will explore for means to grow the Sacramento region’s battered economy and for lessons in flood protection and disaster preparedness. This year, Site Selection magazine, a journal targeting economic development professionals who choose where businesses are established, na

A speaker lineup to include Twitter co-founder Biz Stone kicks off the new format for Perspectives 2011, offering more businesspeople the opportunity to attend the region’s premier annual speakers forum. “As with so many things these days, it’s not business as usual,” said Sacramento Metro Chamber Vice Chair of Events and Sponsorships Kathy McKim of AT&T. “We wiped the slate clean and started over—re-designing a program from the ground up that will meet the needs of more businesspeople and provide a greater networking and educational experience. We are especially thrilled to have Biz Stone in our lineup this year for this reason.” Over the last decade, Stone has been instrumental in craf

The Sacramento Metro Chamber welcomes the California Winter Games Committee naming Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom as chair in its bid to hold the next available Winter Olympic Games in the Tahoe area. The announcement was made on “Olympics Day,” celebrated at the State Capitol on June 23. The Metro Chamber board voted to support the winter games effort, recognizing that pursuing an Olympic bid offers an opportunity to highlight regional assets and strengths on the world stage. The games would provide a significant economic impact for the region and for all of California. The infrastructure investments, job creation, tourism and business development can create significant benefits for countless Cal

The region’s international award-winning Business Walk program arrives in Natomas on June 15, when volunteers will canvass local businesses to find out what’s happening with the economy and how conditions can be improved. The Natomas Business Walk is presented by the city of Sacramento and Natomas Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Sacramento Metro Chamber and supported by the region’s Metro Pulse partnership. The business walks have won acclaim from international economic developers and most recently as a chamber outstanding program for strengthening local economies. The business walks help initiate contacts with businesses in the region and is the start of an ongoing conversat

Dodgeball and volleyball, that is.  And for a good cause! Metro EDGE , Sacramento’s leading network of 40-and-under young professionals, is excited to announce its second annual “A Day on the EDGE” fundraiser.  The event will feature two dodgeball and volleyball tournaments complete with great music, food, and drinks – all to benefit Junior Achievement of Sacramento. Metro EDGE, a program of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, identifies and supports a local nonprofit organization through volunteerism and philanthropic giving every year.  For 2011, the group has chosen to support Junior Achievement of Sacramento, an educational organization that teaches financial literacy, entrepreneurship, wo

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 levels. 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 Sacr

The Sacramento Metro Chamber is pleased to join The Downtown Sacramento Partnership and The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau as supporters of RoundRock 3on3 for the first annual three-on-three basketball tournament to be played June 11-12 on the city streets of downtown and Old Sacramento. RoundRock 3on3 will feature players and teams from throughout Northern California, playing on up to 40 blocks throughout Old Sacramento, Downtown and Midtown. The designated streets, including Capitol Mall, will be sectioned off and organized into a series of half-courts, where the various divisions will play their games. The city of Sacramento has approved the street closures. “This is a bask

In celebration of Small Business Week, businesspeople from the six-county region gather Thursday, May 19, for Metro Expo at the Sacramento Convention Center, the business-to-business showcase for resource finding and network building. Produced by the Sacramento Metro Chamber, the trade show is the largest in Northern California, with nearly a thousand businesses across the region expected to participate. “In a half day, you can make hundreds of important connections,” said Matthew Mahood, president and CEO. “Workshops will help attendees learn how to become certified with local and statewide agencies. And on the trade show floor, you can meet area businesses that are offering cost-saving

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told 265 delegates of the Sacramento Metro Chamber's Cap-to-Cap program that Medicare and Medicaid will evolve into a "value purchaser" to protect federal dollars by lowering costs and improving outcomes by reducing hospital injuries and readmissions. Sebelius addressed the delegation at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., Monday, May 9, as the group began three days of extensive promotion of the region, with 244 appointments set up with Congress, the Senate, the Administration and other federal officials and agencies. The Secretary was introduced by Congresswoman Doris Matsui of Sacramento, who Sebelius credited with taking a

Nearly 270 Cap-to-Cap delegates arrived in Washington, D.C. this weekend for the Sacramento Metro Chamber's 41st annual advocacy program, May 7-11. Kicking off the program on Monday will be keynote speaker U.S. Secretary of Human and Health Services Kathleen Sebelius. Health care reform and the Sacramento region's groundbreaking community development issues are topics on the agenda. Secretary Sebelius will speak for about 15 minutes and then do a hefty 15 minutes of direct questions from the chamber's delegation. Considering the immense role that health care plays in our region's economy, Sebelius' appearance is a rare opportunity for the region's business and civic leaders to hear direc