July 20, 2009 (El Cajon) – San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce recently graduated 20 students from its Leadership program. The intensive nine-month program features a full day each month of seminars.

Planning for Effective Marketing

By Rama Beerfas

By Miriam Raftery June 27, 2009 (La Mesa)—“We’re changing many people’s lives. Our customers are getting off of canes, back on their feet, and back to work,” Linda Telge, a registered nurse and owner of Z-Coil Pain Relief Footwear in La Mesa, told me at the store’s five year anniversary party hosted by the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce this week.

June 23, 2009 (Santee) – Terry Klinker, owner of the Sport Clips store in Santee, donned the company’s “Sporty” mascot suit and joined with other members of the haircut store’s team to participate in the 2009 Arthritis Walk last Saturday. The retail chain raised more than $2,500 through the walk as well as through a “Cut-a-Thon” held at its nine San Diego County locations on June 3rd. Customers who donated at least $5 to the Arthritis Foundation received a free “MVP” haircut.

June 7, 2009 (Lemon Grove)—“What is special about this place is that we make the most challenging cakes—cakes that nobody else around town will take,” said Luis Francisco Montero, baker at the Grove Pastry Shop in Lemon Grove. Montero spoke with East County Magazine during an East County Chamber of Commerce reception earlier this week at the bakery, which celebrates its 54th year in business.

June 4, 2009 -- The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce reports victory in helping to defeat several bills it describes as “business UN-friendly bills." But a coalition opposed to Sunrise Powerlink has taken the Chamber to task for its opposition to one measure which supporters say would, in fact, create jobs in renewable energy production locally. The organization also seeks to persuade the Chamber to reconsider its endorsement of Sunrise Powerlink.

June 1, 2009 (El Cajon)-- The Rancho San Diego Jamul Chamber of Commerce is having its second annual golf tournament and networking event on June 26th. “Come join the fun. Last year’s event was a blast and this year is going to top it,” pledged Valerie Harrison, president. Guests who don’t golf or can’t attend are urged to sponsor a wounded veteran to play by calling the Chamber office at 670-8244.

Honored at Formal State Recognition Celebration - Selected from among 3.7 million small companies in California Editor's note: Can we pick 'em or what? Gio was one of the very first restaurants we covered when we launched, with a rave review by our "Vines & Steins" connoisseur columnist: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/?q=0809vinesteins

May 9, 2009 (Rancho San Diego)—Two new businesses, Savanna Grill and Realty Executives, teamed up to co-host a grand opening Cinco De Mayo celebration that proved both festive and successful.

By Miriam Raftery May 1, 2009 (San Diego)—“We are in a moment of historic change,” Phoebe Ellis-Lamkins, chief executive officer of Green for All, said in a program yesterday in San Diego titled “Green Jobs: Fighting Poverty and Pollution.” Sponsored by the Center for Policy Initiatives, the event drew a full house of community leaders, environmentalists and labor union members. “Do people know that there are trillions of dollars to be spent on a green economy?” she asked. “The reason I’m in San Diego is because San Diego is one of the places that is ripe for opportunity. .

By Darity Wesley

"Data is the pollution problem of the Information Age." -Bruce Schneier

April 28, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)--Just about every person delivers some form of data into the cyber-world at least once daily. We leave digital footprints with every website we visit, every tweet we Twitter, and every purchase we make either online or on the physical plane when using a credit or debit card. I had my first realization of this the first year I got my new California driver’s license with the magnetized strip on it and my first ATM card.

THE INTERNAL CUSTOMER--MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU MAY THINK> By Rama Beerfas May 1, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) --In our previous installment, we looked at customer service as your #1 marketing tool. (If you missed it, check it out at http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/?q=taxonomy/term/310.) This month, we focus on what exactly an internal customer is--nd why internal customers are just as important as your external customers to the success of your business.

April 26, 2009 (El Cajon)--County Supervisor Dianne Jacob is scheduled to be joined by several mayors of East County cities as featured speakers at the East County Chamber of Commerce’s “First Friday Breakfast” starting at 7:15 a.m., Friday, May 1, at Grossmont College’s Student Center on the eastern side of the campus. Also speaking at the breakfast will be Barry Jantz, 2009 chairman of the San Diego East County Economic Development Council (ECEDC), sponsor of the program.

Story by Miriam Raftery, Photos by Andy Phemister

SPAWAR Engineer meets with students

April 8, 2009 (El Cajon) - Over 1,500 eighth grade students from Cajon Valley Union School District learned about careers first-hand from dozens of local companies during Career Day at Grossmont College last week. Sponsored by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce, the event also featured a disc jockey who provided music and an emcee kept busy by selecting student winners of a “passport contest”. Any student who had proof that they had visited at least five business booths were eligible for giveaways.

By Rachel Ford Hutman

Photo by Tim Thomas Pastelist Molly Lipsher, oil painter Jack Jordan, Paul Henricksen, La Mesa Chamber CEO Mary England, gallery owner Shannon O'Dunn, Mayor Art Madrid, Miss La Mesa Stephanie Packard, and Miss La Mesa Teen Katrina Schweitzer.

March 29, 2009 (La Mesa)—Art aficionados flocked to the grand opening of O’Dunn Fine Art Gallery Thursday evening in La Mesa’s downtown village. The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce co-hosted the event with gallery owner Shannon O’Dunn, an artist and former dean of Fine Arts at Grossmont College. The modern gallery houses over 35 pieces of fine art by sixteen different artists, including the owner. Over 100 people stopped by the Gallery opening for a night of art, champagne and congratulations.