Business Address:
P.O. Box 1112
860 West 18th Street
Merced, CA 95341-1112
Phone: 209-722-3864
Fax: 209-722-2406
info@mercedcountychamber.com
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COMMITTEES |
EVENTS COMMITTEE: Every year the County Chamber hosts several community events and meetings including the Annual Pasta Calamari Dinner, Quarterly Awards Luncheon, Farm City Awards Banquet, Annual Installation Awards Dinner, Farm Safety Camp and the Bi-Annual Economic Development Manufacturing Summit. A new event project in the works is the Annual Chambers Roundtable Awards Luncheon. A substantial portion of the proceeds from these events is donated to community organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Castle Air Museum, California Highway Patrol Sober Grad Program and the Merced County Schools ROP programs. |
BUSINESS ADVOCACY COMMITTEE (BAC) The Business Advocacy Committee of the Merced County Chamber of Commerce was established on April 1st, 2004. The purpose of the BAC is to be a business advocate and effectively address prescribed issues that affect Merced County Business and Economic Development. The objectives of the BAC include, but are not limited to: encourage county-wide and surrounding community participation, promote business information programs, participate in the Legislative process regarding business issues and support other business advocacy councils in the community as well as the State. Identify and publicize issues affecting County Business, Economic Development and Smart Growth and Maintain the highest level of management integrity of all projects and campaigns. The BAC may do everything it considers necessary and desirable to carry out these objectives consistent with its stated purpose and as approved or ratified by the County Chamber Board of Directors. |
LAND BANK COMMITTEE We are all aware that communities with a planned balance of land uses enjoy long term economic stability. With the addition of the University of California, now more than ever Merced County needs to have evolving employment opportunities in addition to agriculture, housing and retail services to enhance its economic vitality. As our County continues to grow and change, we must continue to chart new directions of smart growth to successfully adapt and continue to thrive. It is incumbent upon our community and regional leaders to pursue the most equitable means of attaining these goals. Relevant to the revision process to update the County’s General Plan, in 2006 the County Chamber hosted an Economic Summit at UC Merced. We were joined by elected leaders and representatives from cities and county planning, the building industry, economic development associates, and land-use groups to discuss the growth management design referred to by some communities as “Land Banking.” The term “Land Banks” refers to a smart growth strategy utilized by progressive communities to judiciously allocate commercial and industrial land for economic growth. Communities utilized the period during the revision of their General Plan to set in place these entitled land appropriations. All mitigation involving land use/preservation, zoning, annexing and environmental impact concerns are resolved during this period. Thanks to the gracious support of all of the participants, the Summit was a grand success that guided the formulation of the Land Bank Committee, which will continue the journey of incorporating this Smart Growth Strategy into the Merced County General Plan. |
CHAMBERS ROUND TABLE For almost a century the City Chambers of Commerce and the County Chamber have been a driving force in the communities of Merced County and the Central Valley. Now more than ever, we are all committed to our communities and our business members, our agricultural members and our youth. We have all grown to become major players in our communities, not only as business and youth advocates, but also as official voices for our Central Valley. For over thirty years the Merced County Chamber’s Roundtable whose membership is comprised of the City Chambers and the County Chamber have pledged to make all of our Chambers stronger by working together. This will help guarantee a “Cohesive Voice” by which we can help each other relay Business and Smart Growth concerns and solutions from a City level to County level, thus aiding our communities in their endeavors to be a “focused force” in Sacramento and throughout California. |
AGRIBUSINESS BUSINESS COMMITTEE For over thirty years the Agribusiness Business Committee has been a positive non-political voice for agricultural education in the Central Valley. In addition to the Farm Safety Camp, Scholarships Program and the Farm City Agricultural Awards Banquet, the Committee and its many volunteers donate their time and resources to help other organizations including the County Fairs and many Chamber events. Just ask the 700 children from Our Lady of Fatima, Volta, LeGrand, Hopeton, Gustine, McSwain, Pioneer and Our Lady of Mercy Elementary Schools that attended the 5th annual Farm Safety Camps. “We loved the Fire Safety House,” exclaimed one enthusiastic assemblage of children while another group shouted, “ the Tractor Safety was our favorite.” The one-day hands-on workshop teaches safety precautions about tractor and hydraulic safety, safe use of small tools, power take off dangers, fire and water hazards, ATV safety, safety around large and small animals, chemical look-a-likes, firearms awareness and demonstrations from a search and rescue team…just to name a few. |
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
The new Merced County Chamber Education Committee is partnering with such great educational teams as the Merced County Schools, UC Merced and Merced College to help our community produce a better-educated workforce to support the economic vitality of our valley. The County Chamber is a charter member of the Merced County School’s P-16 Council, which is one of the pioneering programs in this challenge. The Education Committee will as well support such curriculum as the “Teacher of the Year” and the “Students of the Year” programs. |
STATE FAIR COMMITTEE For over seventy-five years, the County Chamber has created a beautiful County Exhibit at the California State Fair. The exhibit is a proud representation of our beautiful Merced County that is viewed by over a million visitors to the Fair. For several years the County Chamber has shared the project with the County Schools ROP programs donating over eight thousand dollars. We will carry on this wonderful tradition. For the past few years the participation in the program has declined to approximately 35 counties out of the 58 counties in California. The Merced County Chamber is a member of the California State Fair Exhibits Steering Committee and together with several other counties on the committee we will work together to regain the participation of these counties. |
PAST PRESIDENTS CLUB All the members of the Past Presidents Club are Past Presidents of the Merced County Chamber of Commerce. Once a year they host a Past Presidents Bar B Q to celebrate the wonderful 100 year history of the Chamber. They share stories from as far back as 50 years ago and enlighten the current leaders and members of the Chamber with their wisdom. It is an experience you will not forget. MERCED COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
A COUNCIL OF COHESIVE VOICES If you would like to volunteer for a committee, please call the Chamber at
(209)722-3864 or e-mail us at info@mercedcountychamber.com
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