The WVCBA recently welcomed Crumbl Cookies as a new member! Crumbl is a special go-to dessert for fans of all kinds - they’ve taken every dessert imaginable and packed it into perfect cookie form. Owner Michelle Zins shares why she felt compelled to bring the nation's fastest growing cookie chain to her hometown.
Get to know Mellany Arbues, our "Maven of the Month" brought to you by the WVCBA Women in Business committee. Mellany is Area Director of Operations for Sonesta Hotels and has been in the hospitality industry for 25 years. She supports six hotels, including Sonesta Select Camarillo, which graciously hosted the Women in Business July networking mixer.
The WVCBA Political Action Committee (PAC) met last week to address the city council races in both Camarillo and Oxnard. After reviewing the field of candidates for three districts in Oxnard, the PAC believes the incumbent council members will best serve the residents and business community.
The WVCBA is thrilled to announce the 10 recipients of 2022 Camarillo Top Ten Community Awards, which will be celebrated on Friday, October 7, at 6:00 pm at Serra Center. Now in its 55th year, the annual awards honor individuals, organizations, and businesses that are making a difference in Camarillo and helping create a positive environment for business and community. Nominations are submitted by the public and reviewed by a selection committee.
The West Ventura County Business Alliance joins the Oxnard and Ventura County communities in mourning the loss of Ventura County Supervisor Carmen Ramirez. Ramirez had a profound impact on many aspects of life in Oxnard. She was a champion for the community’s underserved population and ardent advocate for the environment.
Now in its 72nd year, the Oxnard Community and Business Awards honor the city's top people, businesses and organizations. Since 1963, the Oxnard Trophy has been awarded by the WVCBA Board of Directors (previously as the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce) for bringing recognition to Oxnard and bettering the community. This year's recipient is Herzog Wine Cellars and its onsite restaurant Tierra Sur.
Herzog Wine Cellars and Tierra Sur are hidden gems in Oxnard. Well, they’re not really secrets to wine lovers, foodies or anyone who desires a Kosher food experience! They are the nation’s largest producer of Kosher wines and, year after year, attract visitors to Oxnard from all over California and around the world. Locals love it, too, whether they’re exploring the Ventura County wine trail or celebrating a special occasion. The WVCBA looks forward to celebrating the winners of the annual Oxnard Community & Business Awards. Honorees will be recognized at a luncheon on Thursday, August 18, at 11:30 am at historic Heritage Square in Downtown Oxnard. Tickets are available online.
Now in its 72nd year, the Oxnard Community & Business Awards honors outstanding individuals, businesses and organizations that make Oxnard a wonderful community to live, work and do business in. Nominations for nine of the awards are submitted by the public and reviewed by a selection committee. The 2022 winners are: The WVCBA recently welcomed Interface Children & Family Services as a new member! Interface provides comprehensive health and social services to individuals and families across Ventura County. Chief Development Officer Stacy Swanson shared more about the Camarillo-based nonprofit organization.
On July 15, participants of the Oxnard Leadership Program explored the present and future of farming for its fifth session of the year. The day focused on providing an understanding of the current state of local agriculture, innovations in farming, packing and distribution, and how the next generation is learning about an industry that's critical to Oxnard and all of Ventura County.
The WVCBA is thrilled to announce 10 recipients of its annual Oxnard Community & Business Awards, which will be celebrated on Thursday, August 18, at 11:30 am at the historic Heritage Square in Downtown Oxnard.
Now in its 72nd year, the Community & Business Awards honors outstanding individuals, businesses and organizations that make Oxnard a wonderful community to live, work and do business in. Nominations are submitted by the public and reviewed by a selection committee. In addition to the nominations, the WVCBA Executive Committee selects an individual, business or organization to receive the Oxnard Trophy for bringing recognition to Oxnard and bettering the community. Tickets for the celebratory luncheon are $75 (includes lunch) and can be purchased online at www.wvcba.org or at https://bit.ly/oxcbawards22. The 2022 honorees are: Entrepreneur of the Year: Jose Celedon Distinguished Citizen of the Year: Patty Paumier Volunteer of the Year: Pedro Chavez Young Professional of the Year: Emma Grossman Nonprofit of the Year: Nyeland Promise Small Business of the Year: Reardon Funeral Homes Large Business of the Year: St. John's Regional Medical Center Community Influencer of the Year: Visit Oxnard Best Place to Work: Gold Coast Transit District Oxnard Trophy: Herzog Wine Cellars & Tierra Sur Restaurant More details about each awardee will be shared soon. We're shining a light on Meadowlark Service League, an all-volunteer organization of local women that provides charitable donations to Ventura County nonprofits! Meadowlark Service League contributed $270K to 30 local charities and 25 college scholarships in June 2022. One of their major fundraisers is coming up on July 31 -- The Taste of Camarillo, a fun afternoon of food, drinks, boutique shopping and live entertainment at the Camarillo Ranch grounds. Vice President Gwen Speakes shares more about Meadowlark. How and when did the organization get started? Meadowlark has been around for 51 years. Started by a few hard-working women raising funds for Camarillo initially and extending to Ventura County charities in recent years. What is your mission? To raise funds for Ventura County local charities through our fundraising events. What’s one thing you're known for? All volunteer, low cost, well managed fun events, maximizing funds raised for local charities. Reputation as a hard working group of women that seek to give back to their community with their time, financial support and talents. Why did the business choose Camarillo as its location? The women in this organization live, work and thrive in this community and seek to help local non-profits. This year we granted funds to 30 deserving charities. Are there any new or upcoming events? The next event is our Taste of Camarillo Wine, Brew and Food Festival on July 31st. Tickets are available to this fun tasting, dancing and shopping day at the Camarillo Ranch grounds at www.TasteofCamarillo.com. The Wine Auction Gala will be on November 11th and the Charity Luncheon Tennis/Pickleball Tournament in March. These events are critical to our meeting out fundraising goals. How can the community help? Join and help us continue to give back. Attend our events. Sponsor our events. Contribute your service to help us in our events. Please add any additional details or information you want readers to know. Meadowlark Service League contributed $270K to 30 local charities and 25 college scholarships in June 2022. We are unique in our efforts to vet our charities well and contribute to charities that effect our local community in critical ways. Some are small and some are major organizations. We do not contribute to salaries and prioritize those that are volunteer organizations impacting our community in multiple ways. We impact youth, the elderly, education, the arts, the disabled and more. The organization has had a profound impact on our community. CONTACT Gwen Speakes, Vice President meadowlarkserviceleague.org 805 630-7257 gespeakes@earthlink.net The WVCBA recently welcomed STAGES Recovery Group in Camarillo as a new member! STAGES was inspired by the overwhelming need for affordable, accessible, and quality services for those impacted by substance use disorders. We had a wonderful time celebrating their ribbon cutting ceremony in June!
The WVCBA recently welcomed Reardon Funeral Home in Oxnard as a new member! Reardon Funeral Home in Oxnard has been family owned and operated since 1937, and is rated as the top Funeral Home in Ventura County when it comes to affordability and customer service, according to parting.com.
Video is now available for those who missed Oxnard Mayor John Zaragoza's State of the City address on Friday, June 17, hosted by the WVCBA. In addition, below you will find the Mayor's answers to five questions he wasn't able to respond to during audience Q&A due to time constraints. In his address, he highlighted the city's second year of a positive budget, progress on its Five-Year Priorities, plans for funding received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and his focus on improving the gateways into Oxnard.
On June 17, participants of the Oxnard Leadership Program explored the past, present and future of local energy. They met with leaders from Southern California Edison, Western States Petroleum Association, Clean Power Alliance, CFROG, and CalNRG. They also received exclusive tours of the California Oil Museum and the Saticoy Battery Energy Storage System that features 142 Tesla Megapacks.
Our Member Spotlight this week is from Don Tillquist of Coastal Embroidery, Inc., a family-owned and family-operated business in Camarillo. He attended our Business@Breakfast earlier this month and was selected to be featured in our newsletter, social media and website. The monthly, in-person breakfast series features a guest speaker and 20-second introductions by every attendee for incredible networking. Get to know Don and his business.
Get to know Jaclyn Madrid Mercer, our "Maven of the Month" brought to you by our Women In Business committee. Jaclyn is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional who joined Ellevest in 2019 and has worked in the financial services industry for over a decade. Ellevest was founded in 2014 by Sallie Krawcheck with a goal to be the #1 investing platform for women. They provide investment management, financial planning, retirement planning, and impact investing services. In addition to Jaclyn being Maven of the Month, the WVCBA also is excited to welcome Ellevest as a new member!
The WVCBA recently welcomed Personal Parent Care, Inc. as a new member! They provide geriatric care management & consulting, including FREE facility placement referral services and caregiver referrals.
On May 20, participants of the Oxnard Leadership Program explored the connections between housing, community development and transportation during a newly created session for 2022.
OXNARD, Calif., FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The West Ventura County Business Alliance will host Oxnard Mayor John C. Zaragoza’s annual State of the City address on Friday, June 17. He will reflect on accomplishments from 2021, and share highlights and initiatives for 2022.
“As you can see throughout Oxnard, we are in the process of restoring many of our streets and alleys and landscape maintenance that was deferred for many years," said Mayor Zaragoza. "I'm excited to share with the community the progress we have made with one full year of Measure E funding and our City Council's vision to continue reinvesting in our community. The State of the City is being held at the Courtyard by Marriott Oxnard located at 600 E. Esplanade Drive. The luncheon is open to the public and begins at 11:30 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online at https://bit.ly/oxrsotc22 or by calling the WVCBA office at (805) 738-9100. Event registration ends at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 10, and costs $55 for WVCBA members and $65 for non-members. The State of the City is hosted annually by the WVCBA and made possible by Title Sponsors American Medical Response, Procter & Gamble Paper Products and Southern California Edison Company; Major Sponsor The Port of Hueneme; and Supporting Sponsors Dignity Health – St. John's Hospitals, Montecito Bank & Trust, UCLA Health, and Ventura County Credit Union. ### ABOUT THE WEST VENTURA COUNTY BUSINESS ALLIANCE The West Ventura County Business Alliance (WVCBA) is the Chamber of Commerce serving the cities of Camarillo and Oxnard in California. In March 2021, the membership of the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce voted to unite with the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce and form the WVCBA. The WVCBA is the voice for the interest of business with government, promotes economic development, works to improve the regional economy, and protects the interests of the two communities. Learn more at wcvba.org. Our Member Spotlight this week is Andrew Kiefer of CBIZ & Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. He attended our Business@Breakfast in May and won an opportunity to be featured in our newsletter, social media and website. The monthly, in-person breakfast series features a guest speaker and 20-second introductions by every attendee for enhanced networking. Get to know Andrew and his business.
Congratulations to the WVCBA's Educator of the Month for May: John Gonzalez, Science Teacher at Adolfo Camarillo High School! The ceremony was held on May 20 at the school with John attending virtually. According to Principal to Matt La Belle, John is a teacher that "goes above and beyond for his own class as well as others."
The WVCBA recently welcomed County Schools FCU as a new member! They provide financial services and are celebrating the opening of a new branch in Ventura at 3954 E. Main Street. Marketing coordinator Cynthia Romo looks forward to meeting members of the WVCBA community and building a relationship with one another.
On April 29 at the Pacific View Tower Club, the WVCBA welcomed CSU Channel Islands' Richard Yao, Ph.D. who delivered his first State of the University address as President. Yao was appointed the fourth president of CSUCI in January after serving as interim president since January 2021.
The WVCBA recently welcomed John Barrick, Senior Deputy District Attorney as a new member! John is running for Ventura County District Attorney and began his campaign in November 2020. He grew up and currently lives in Oxnard. Learn more about John and why he is running for DA.
*Please note: Member Spotlights are a benefit to all members when they join. This article is not equivalent to an endorsement from the WVCBA. |