Doug Riffenburgh is a FocalPoint Business Coach serving Ventura County.  As a certified coach, his role is to guide, assist and challenge business leaders to achieve their greatest business goals. Doug uses a proven and thought provoking coaching process that helps his clients drive positive change, grow the bottom line and become stronger business leaders.
 
Doug is a local surfer who has a strong affinity for the Central Coast.  He graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1989 with a degree in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and is proud to call Ventura his home. His mission is to serve the Ventura County community and to help local businesses grow and become more competitive.  
 
Doug brings over 25 years of experience driving year over year success in first rate commercial and non-profit organizations like IBM, Save the Children and Xerox. He has partnered with companies of all types, sizes, and at all management levels, from small business to fortune 500 corporations. As a result, Doug has a strong understanding of effective business principles and how people and culture impact business outcomes.

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Learn from Doug at our "Lunch and Learn" workshop on Wednesday, June 19, 2019. It's free to attend but you must register in advance. 

By Chair of the Board Stacy Miller

Sgt. Ron Helus, 54, of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department was one year away from retirement after 29 years on the job, but he was the first to enter the Borderline Bar and Grill on that fateful night when 12 people lost their lives in a mass shooting last November.  

That was the kind of dedication Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Ron Helus had, protecting others before himself.  On Saturday, June 29, our community has an opportunity to show respect and appreciation for Sgt. Helus and other members of law enforcement as part of the Ride for the Blue event.

If you are a motorcyclist, the Ride for the Blue event will start at the parking lot of Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, 99 Rolling Oaks Dr. Thousand Oaks, with registration beginning at 6:45 a.m. The actual motorcycle ride will begin at 7:50 a.m., with a lunch break at 12:30 p.m. and the event ending at 4:00 p.m. Participants will ride their motorcycles and briefly visit each law enforcement station in Ventura County to say thank you to the officers who are protecting and serving our communities.
 
If you would like to show your support for the Oxnard Police Department, we invite you and your family to meet in front of the Oxnard Police Department, 251 S. C Street, Oxnard. You should plan on being at the station at approximately 10:45 a.m. on June 29 to support and cheer on our dedicated law enforcement personnel and the hundreds of riders visiting our great city.

The event is free and open to the community to participate.  More information and registration is available at ridefortheblue.com, or you may call the event coordinator John Short III at (800) 606-1390 or email him at john.short@ubs.com.

​I hope you can join our local enforcement for this important event to show appreciation and support for those who work so hard every day to keep our community safe.

​City Manager Alex Nguyen also will speak at the June 7 luncheon
 
OXNARD, Calif., FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The Oxnard Chamber of Commerce will host Oxnard Mayor Tim Flynn for his annual State of the City address on Friday, June 7. Also speaking at the event is Oxnard City Manager Alex Nguyen.
 
The Mayor will deliver an update on the city’s economic development efforts, which he stated was his top focus in his 2018 address, as well as discuss the recently announced budget proposal.
 
"We sincerely appreciate the Mayor and City Manager accepting our invitation to address the business community," says Chamber CEO Nancy Lindholm. "It's not often that commerce and government are in the same room together. The State of the City address provides an update on what is happening in Oxnard and where the city's priorities are."
 
Flynn was first elected Mayor in 2012 and is now in his fourth term. Prior to becoming mayor, he was a city councilmember from 2004-2008 and 2010-2012, as well as a teacher for 25 years in the Oxnard Union High School District and at Oxnard College.
 
Nguyen was appointed City Manager in July 2018. He came to Oxnard with 20 years of California municipal experience in Oakland, Alameda and Riverside.
 
The State of the City is being held at the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Resort, which is located at 2101 Mandalay Beach Road Oxnard, CA 93035. It will begin with lunch at 11:30 a.m. and a welcome message from Oxnard Chamber Chair of the Board Stacy Miller, CEO of Stacy Miller Public Affairs. Nguyen will speak first, followed by Mayor Flynn’s address.
 
The event is open to the public. Lunch is $50 per person and reservations must be made in advance at OxnardChamber.org or by calling the Chamber office at (805) 983-6118.
 
The State of the City is sponsored by:
Title Sponsors – Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Resort and Southern California Edison;
Major Sponsors – Clear Channel Outdoor, The Port of Hueneme, and Procter & Gamble;
Supporting Sponsors – AGQ Labs, DCH Auto Group, Kaiser Permanente, Montecito Bank & Trust, Performance Therapy Center, Spherion Staffing, St. John's Regional Medical Center, UCLA Health, and Ventura County Credit Union.
 
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ABOUT THE OXNARD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The Oxnard Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst for business growth, a convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion for a stronger community. Founded in 1908, today the Chamber empowers 500 businesses and organizations that employ more than 30,000 people. It promotes the business and economic well-being of Oxnard’s diverse community to benefit enterprises, large and small, through advocacy, networking, education, services, business exposure and promotion. Learn more at OxnardChamber.org.

By Nancy Lindholm, President & CEO of the Oxnard Chamber

Governor Gavin Newsom addressed California's business leaders on May 23 at the 94th annual Sacramento Host Breakfast. It is a tradition that the governor is the keynote speaker for the long-standing event. This year was no different.

Governor Newsom began his remarks by explaining his entrepreneurial background. When he was fresh out of college, he lined up some investors and started a small business - a wine store in San Francisco. With its success, he turned that into 23 businesses and, at its peak, employed 1,000 people.

Newsom went on to outline his top state issues for 2019 and the coming decade:

Debt and Demographics
California is poised to pay down $34.7 million in debt that Jerry Brown inherited. This is thanks to a bustling economy and growth in the state's GDP. However, we have an aging population and that comes with many challenges to our workforce and medical services.

Energy and Climate Change
California had 16,600 wildfires in the past two years. Those fires caused the bankruptcy of PG&E. However, Newsom outlined what he called progressive and aggressive goals. "We are radically changing the way we produce and consume energy," he said. Goals include achieving 100% renewable energy by 2045 and increasing the number of electric vehicles to 4.5 million by 2030.

IT Globalization
Governor Newsom said we are no longer an interconnected world, but an interdependent world. The future of "work" will be very different.

Additional Remarks
Newsom also commented on California's fiscal health. We have a $21.5 billion surplus this year. Unfunded pensions of $9 billion will be paid off from the general fund this year. Regarding the threat of a coming recession, the Governor remarked, "This sate is in much better fiscal shape that it has ever been."

He admitted that California is not the cheapest place to do business, but said it is the best place to do business. In the last five years, California has seen a 3.8% growth in GDP, 109 consecutive months of net job growth, and a $3 trillion annual economy.

However, Governor Newsom expressed his concern about the fact that we have become a society of "haves" and "have nots." There are more people living in poverty in California that any other state. Housing is one of the state's greatest challenges. The homeless population in California exceeds 130,000. Newsom stressed, "Homelessness happened on our watch. We own it. It can be solved. I don't think that, I know it!" He also said we have the political will to address housing affordability.

I certainly wish Governor Newsom well in accomplishing his goals. And I hope we still have a surplus when he's done!

Did you know that The Port of Hueneme is the only deep-water port between San Francisco and Los Angeles? Have you ever wondered what happens at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC)?

For their fifth session of 2019, participants in the Oxnard Leadership Program went behind-the-scenes at The Port and NBVC Point Mugu to gain a better understanding of how each impacts the local economy and community.

The day started at NBVC Point Mugu, which is one of the base’s three operating facilities in the region (the others are in Port Hueneme and on San Nicolas Island). NBVC Commanding Officer Captain Jeff Chism shared the history of the base, the role it plays in national security, and its economic impact on the community. 

With 20,000 military and civilian employees, NBVC is the largest employer in Ventura County and has an economic impact of $2 billion.

After, the group toured the base with Public Information Officer Theresa Miller. They stopped at its combat training facility and the hangar that houses a MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft, which is part of the Navy’s first-ever Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP-19).

The afternoon was spent exploring The Port of Hueneme, which is the most productive and efficient commercial trade gateway for niche cargo on the West Coast. They were led by Dona Lacayo, Chief Commercial & Public Affairs Officer, who gave an overview of port operations and what it does for the community.   

The Port of Hueneme moves $9 billion in goods each year and consistently ranks among the Top 10 U.S. ports for automobiles and fresh produce. Port operations support the community by bringing $1.5 billion in economic activity, creating 13,633 trade-related jobs and generating more than $93 million in annual state and local taxes, which funds vital community services.

​Every year, the Oxnard Leadership Program leads participants through 10 unique, day-long experiences to gain a better understanding and appreciation of Oxnard and the surrounding areas’ realities, opportunities and challenges. Each session includes visits to various locations and provides participants with a unique opportunity to meet key business and government leaders who play integral roles in the region.

In June, session six will focus on public services with visits to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, City Maintenance Yard, Del Norte Regional Recycling and Transfer Station, and more. 

Learn more about the Oxnard Leadership Program.  

By Chair of the Board Stacy Miller

Considered one of the healthiest foods on the planet and great when mixed with chopped onions and cilantro, California-grown avocados are beloved around the world. In Oxnard, Mission Produce has been answering the international call for this superfood for the last 35 years by producing the world’s finest avocados.

Mission Produce of Oxnard is the largest avocado provider in the world with long-term, year-round retail and food service relationships throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Mission Produce houses North America’s largest and the world’s most technologically-advanced packing facility, packing 1,000 pallets of fruit daily.

During the growing season, the Oxnard facility employs 202 employees. Internationally, Mission employs nearly 3,000 employees.

Mission Produce got its start by packing and marketing avocados from Oxnard, California. Today, Mission continues to pack and market throughout the sunny coastal areas of California and has developed partnerships with the state’s top growers to provide high-quality avocados to markets all over the globe.

Mission Produce celebrates its strong ties to our community by supporting several organizations and events including the Big Brother/Big Sister organization, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Food Share, American Heart Association of Ventura County, Casa Pacifica and the Ventura County Fair’s Kids in Agriculture program.
 
Thank you, Mission Produce, for your investment and commitment to Oxnard!

Is This Avocado Ripe?

If you are one of those people who needs to feel your avocados prior to purchasing them, then according to Mission Produce avocado experts, you are selecting your avocados correctly.

“It’s all in the feel—color is not an indicator of ripeness. The best way to judge ripeness is to feel for uniform softness,” explains Denise Junqueiro, Director of Marketing for Mission Produce.

Your avocado’s not ripe enough to eat? Here’s a tip from Mission Produce: Place avocados in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana. Close the bag and leave on the counter or windowsill for 24-48 hours. Check periodically. The avocado ripening process is stimulated by the release of ethylene gas from its companion fruits. Once the avocados have reached desired ripeness, they can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
 
Need More Reasons to Enjoy Oxnard-Grown Avocados?

According to WebMD, avocados offer nearly 20 vitamins and minerals in every serving, including potassium (which helps control blood pressure), lutein (which is good for your eyes), and folate (which is crucial for cell repair and during pregnancy). Avocados are a good source of B vitamins, which help you fight off disease and infection. They also give you vitamins C and E, plus natural plant chemicals that may help prevent cancer.
 
Avocados are low in sugar and contain fiber, which helps you feel full longer. In one study, people who added a fresh avocado half to their lunch were less interested in eating during the next three hours.

“The young professionals are the business leaders of tomorrow, so by investing in them through networking and leadership, we are enhancing the future of business,” says Taylor Penny, Annual Campaigns Coordinator for St. John’s Healthcare Foundation.

Penny helps lead Oxnard Young Professionals, also known as OXYP, with co-chair Miguel Valencia, Account Executive with United Staffing Associates. OXYP launched in late 2017 as a platform for the next generation of leaders to build strong connections, develop leadership skills, partner with business and community leaders, and interact with elected officials.

“The vision is to have a group in the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce that will be able to service the community, volunteer, support Chamber members and yield new members to come,” says Penny. “We feel that there are a lot of young professionals in the city who are becoming community leaders and having an influence on the generations to come.”

With more than 30 members, OXYP is open to individuals between the ages of 21-40. Membership is free for those employed by a Chamber member business; all others can join for $100 per year.

“One thing that might surprise people about this group is the amount of hard-working people that want to make a difference in this community,” says Penny. “We have new people join all the time and it is great to see them so eager to join and want to get involved.”

There are many opportunities for members to connect and grow their businesses and networks: The Chamber’s monthly Happy Hour 1.5 mixers, monthly OXYP meetings, monthly networking breakfasts at member businesses, and other special events.

In May, breakfast will be hosted at JR Bookkeeping, and in June, OXYP is hosting a Young Professionals Regional Mixer at the Annex Food Hall.

​“We are excited about all the business relationships that we have been exposed to and that are on the horizon,” says Penny. “We want to have a group of members that can continue to make great connections, want to grow their business, yield business, and to grow as a young professional in the City of Oxnard.”

Learn more about OXYP.