Making a Difference...Helping Members Grow Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Report 2005 2005 Annual Report 2005 Annual Report Christopher C. Martin FAIA Russell J. “Rusty” Hammer Chief Executive Officer President & CEO AC Martin Partners Los Angeles Area 2005 Board Chair Chamber of Commerce To Our Members: The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce responded to pressing issues in 2005 with a strong, unified front resulting in significant progress for our region’s business community. The L.A. region is one of the most vibrant places in the world to do business and to live. Each day we advocated for change— supporting initiatives for the education of our children and pushing to rebuild our infrastructure. Since its founding in 1888, the Chamber has been serving the needs of the Los Angeles business community through business development, public policy and advocacy initiative programs. More than a century later, the Chamber has been more active than ever in raising its voice on critical business and political issues on topics that matter the most to our members. This annual report highlights the Chamber’s activities in 2005, including programs that helped enhance members’ companies and Access advocacy trips to Washington, D.C., Sacramento and Los Angeles City Hall. Through our partnerships with other business organizations across the L.A. region, we created a powerful voice for businesses. Our Chamber leaders and committees led the way to great achievements in 2005. Sincerely, 1 2005 Annual Report Mission By being the voice of business, helping its members grow and promoting collaboration, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce seeks full prosperity for the Los Angeles region THE VOICE OF BUSINESS Advocacy & Public Policy Initiatives Major Public Policy Accomplishments Business advocacy at the local, state and federal level remained a focal point for the Chamber in 2005. As the voice of business, the Chamber sought to bring about change for the betterment of the Los Angeles region. The organization created partnerships with other chambers and with those in the political and civic arenas. The Chamber organized events to raise public and business awareness for issues affecting our community, including transportation, health care and the environment. The Chamber’s signature Access series connected business owners with policymakers through trips to Washington, D.C., Sacramento and L.A. City Hall. Other policy events included our monthly Accenture Pancakes & Politics, Mobility-21 and task forces for issues of interest. The Chamber continued distributing The Business Perspective, an influential weekly commentary on political and public issues. Entertainment • The Chamber aimed to combat runaway production by lobbying in Sacramento for support of AB 777, which seeks to strengthen the local entertainment industry by providing tax credits for certain types of films, television programs and commercials based in California. • The Entertainment Industry Business Council held a series on changing main stream entertainment content to attract diverse audiences. Transportation • Transportation & Goods Movement Committee Chair Fran Inman, Majestic Realty Co., chaired a task force to review the infrastructure improvement bonds. • The Chamber applauded Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway’s proposed Southern California International Gateway Project, which would help relieve congestion on local “At the Chamber, the real work freeways and improve air quality throughout the region. of public policy gets done without • The Chamber supported Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to include getting mired in fights…There are $1.3 billion in transportation funds in this year’s budget. so many issues in Los Angeles that • The Chamber lobbied in opposition to SB 1024, a $7.6 billion bond that includes an are important to our company— earmark to cover cost overruns of the Bay Bridge seismic retrofit project. and any issue you can think of is Health care going to affect all businesses.” • The Chamber advocated for a new, independent health authority led by health care —Edward Munoz and hospital professionals, instead of the current system in which L.A. County Chamber Board Member Supervisors govern day-to-day operations. Director of Government Relations, Corporate West, Raytheon Downtown • The Chamber urged L.A. City Councilmembers to support subsidies for a new hotel adjacent to the L.A. Convention Center. The hotel, part of the Anshutz Entertainment Group’s L.A. Live project, is expected to create 3,000 construction jobs and provide permanent work for about 1,000 hotel employees. L.A. Inc. estimates more than $130 million in tax revenue from the project. 2 2005 Annual Report Environment • Past Chamber Board Chair George Kieffer, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, was appointed to represent the Chamber on the California Environmental Quality Act Improvement Advisory Group. The group worked with members of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s cabinet to propose improvements to CEQA to speed in-fill housing and other reforms. Housing • The Chamber opposed proposals to mandate a high percentage of low-income units in all new developments, which could drive homebuilders out of L.A. and CASH FOR COLLEGE. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa greets one further reduce the city’s affordable housing stock. of the students at a press conference during the Chamber’s annual Cash For College convention in October. Education • The Chamber led teams of education administrators and teachers to previously failing schools in Boston, San Diego and Seattle, which have been reinvented as successful small schools and learning communities. • The Chamber endorsed the universal preschool initiative, which would provide free voluntary preschool for all four-year-olds in California. International Trade The Chamber promoted international trade and increased awareness among L.A. businesses of opportunities in foreign markets. The International Trade Division conducted several events highlighting trade, including: • World Trade Week 2005, an annual program that promotes the importance of international trade to the L.A. economy • Trade relations sessions with Brazil and Israel, providing members access to international markets • One Global California conference spotlighting how the L.A. region’s small and mid-sized businesses can navigate the opportunities offered by the Central American Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement In addition, the Chamber lobbied Congress to pass the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement during its Access D.C. trip in April. President Bush signed the agreement in July. Leadership, Education and Workforce Development College-Ready Initiatives “We are an emerging global capital, an economic powerhouse, and a Cash For College More than 10,000 students, parents and educators visited more vibrant community—but we must than 100 college and career exhibitors and attended financial aid workshops during the Chamber’s annual Cash For College convention in October. rise to overcome the challenges our rapid growth has brought about.” Work-Ready Certificate Program The Chamber’s Education and Workforce Development division created a Work-Ready Certification, a portable credential to —Chris Martin improve youth access to jobs. 2005 Chamber Board Chair CEO, AC Martin Partners L.A. Youth at Work The Chamber hosted a L.A. Youth at Work event in June, matching nearly 400 students with summer employment. An August job fair helped provide more than 150 students with leads for construction industry work. Principal for a Day and Executive for a Day Business leaders offered LAUSD school principals a look in today’s corporate workplace and in turn received an up-close view of the workings of our region’s school system. The program increases mutual understanding and fosters a spirit of civic involvement and commitment to L.A.’s public schools. Leadership L.A. The Chamber continued to foster Leadership L.A., a community leadership development program, designed for L.A. business leaders who want to expand their civic involvement. The program’s curriculum addresses major issues affecting the L.A. region. 3 2005 Annual Report HELPING MEMBERS GROW Business Development Programs “The policy committees have given me Affordable Advertising Programs a lot of knowledge and insight…they Members increased their visibility via high-exposure advertising in the help you become a better thinker and Chamber Voice quarterly newsletter, weekly e-mail newsletter and the Annual a better citizen.” Magazine and Member Directory. —Vicky Panossian Ambassadors Club President, IMD, The Chamber continued to recruit candidates for the program, allowing Integral Market Developer Ambassadors to connect with new Chamber members and hundreds of existing members. Bottom Line Benefits Program The Chamber highlighted a variety of products and services to help members reduce their cost of doing business. Discounted offerings include package delivery by DHL, office products from Office Depot, parking at LAX from The Parking Spot and job listings from NationJob Network. Member Advantage, the Chamber’s member-to-member discount program, provides a promotional channel and valuable exposure for member products and services. Industry Councils The councils met quarterly to bring together member companies from similar industry segments to discuss issues and concerns, and assist the Chamber in identifying programs to help their businesses grow. The councils included International Trade & Investment