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| Volume 3, Issue 2 |
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Holds 138th Annual Dinner
The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce held its 138th Annual Dinner, presented by AT&T, on the evening of January 27, 2009, at the Town & Country Convention Center. Over 1,000 regional business and government leaders were on hand to hear 2009 Chair Benjamin Haddad of California Strategies outline his vision for 2009.
“Our community needs us,” declared Haddad. “If the mayor and council, the county board of supervisors, and all the cities in our region are to navigate these tough times, they will need the assistance of a vibrant private sector.”
Haddad went on to identify four policy areas where the Chamber will strive to play a more pro-active role: 1) water reliability for our region, 2) engaging the community on much-needed civic projects such as the convention center expansion, 3) helping the mayor and council arrive at a fair and balanced budget, and 4) ensuring San Diego receives its fair share of the federal economic stimulus package. Haddad pledged to pursue collaborative solutions, but indicated that the Chamber would not shy away from the hard choices.
“Business as usual is simply not an option, because today, business as usual means going out of business,” stated Haddad.
The Chamber also presented three awards for outstanding community service. The Regional Unity Award, given each year to an individual who helps bring the people and interests of our region together, was presented to the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine. San Diego State University was honored for their leadership in science and technology. Finally, the Spirit of San Diego Award, given annually for outstanding civic leadership, was presented to 2008 United States Open Championship Chairmen Jay Rains and Rich Gillette.
Special thanks to sponsors for making this event possible: Title sponsor: AT&T Award sponsors: ESET and Kaiser Permanente Gold sponsors: Bank of America, California State University San Marcos, California Strategies, Cox Communications, Life Technologies, Manpower, Point Loma Nazarene University, SAIC, San Diego Padres, Scripps Health, SeaWorld San Diego, Sempra Energy, Union Bank of California, U.S. Bank, Viejas Enterprises, and Wells Fargo.
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