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Thursday, June 04, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 06JUN20
Hello Santee!I have always been utterly confused when two parties can feel so passionately opposite about the same topic. For me, I feel if we give each other the ample amount of compassion, we can listen, learn and grow at least enough to find our way to the middle together, having both gained some mutual respect for the other side we had previously misunderstood. I am blessed to not have anyone in my life who condones the act of racism (something clearly intolerable) and that which has never called for a
Thursday, May 28, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 28MAY20
Hello Santee!WM is essential! Our team has been working overtime during COVID to ensure your waste and recycling continue to be collected during these unprecedented times. Although we have seen somewhat of a decline in commercial collection due to businesses being temporarily shutdown, we have seen about a 40% increase in residential collection due to the Stay Home order. As we move into later phases of the re-opening of our City, we anticipate the commercial collection to bounce back to normal levels, as I
Thursday, May 21, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 21MAY20
Hello Santee!On Tuesday morning I was live streaming the regularly scheduled meeting for San Diego's County Board of Supervisors. (These meetings are always accessible to the public and I encourage you all to tune in when possible.) Listening in I was able to learn about two measures which were introduced that can help move our region's economy toward reopening and getting #BackToBusiness! Under the first, the County will submitted a plan to the governor’s office that, if approved, would move San Diego
Thursday, May 14, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 14MAY20
Hello Santee!TO OUR VALUED BUSINESS MEMBERS: We want to be here as a resource during this challenging time our world has been facing. We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many small businesses to close temporarily, cut back hours, and has even been forced to let some employees go. With the many changes taking place, we would like to offer an extension to your current membership with the chamber to have an additional 60 days. We hope that by extending your membership it will bring you some
Thursday, May 07, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 07MAY20
Hello Santee!I have to admit- I really don’t like the phrase “New” Normal. I am so missing the “Old” Normal as most of us are. This last month instead of focusing on the things we miss, we have had some time to reflect on how much has been gained. Getting out of the “normal” has allowed opportunities to grow and to develop new skills, disciplines and character traits. The Santee Coffee Corner team has learned to be adaptable as we deal with frequent updates to County Health Orders which affect the way we do
Thursday, April 30, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 30APR20
Hello Santee!As we start to see the light at the end of this tunnel, I am reminded repeatedly of just how amazing our community is. It’s no wonder that we miss our old way of life, it was great. We’ve held back and missed out on just enough to really recapture some gratitude for the gifts we are given each day. We have new information surrounding us daily and it seems guidelines and regulation requirements can change by the hour. But in the midst of all the chaos, life goes on and we lost a resident who was
Thursday, April 16, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 16APR20
Hello Santee!“Give yourself some grace.” This was said to me right when I needed to hear it. It’s so relevant to me as a business owner, a mom, a wife, and the goal oriented person that I am. Like many of you, our business has been adversely affected by this pandemic. As an essential business we remain open—but obviously it is not business as usual.Sometimes being a business owner can feel lonely. We have a big responsibility to our employees and customers—employment stability and safety. It has been
Friday, April 10, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 10APR20
Hello Santee!Another week has come and gone with orders to “shelter in place” as we are all trying to find our new normal. The Santee Chamber staff is happy to announce we are all still working (remotely) and available, and honestly looking forward to connecting with you all in hopes to find more ways to provide resources and guidance during these times. I know it has been quite the challenge for businesses and we feel for you all… many of you are not just members/clients, but our mentors, friends and we
Friday, April 03, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 03APR20
Hello Santee!What a whirlwind the last few weeks have been for families, schools, community leaders and local businesses. As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve on a daily basis, we are all having to learn how to adjust in a new and unfamiliar situation. We are in uncharted waters, which is requiring a level of flexibility and adaptation like never before. Some of you are still open for business, but experiencing a decline in the demand for your services, some of you have had to temporarily close
Thursday, March 26, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 26MAR20
Hello Santee!As we all practice our new normal, I am proud to say the Santee Chamber is abiding by the good rule of social distancing as we are working remotely from the comfort of our homes. For me personally, I am enjoying the change and trying to embrace the extra time gifted with our kids while balancing the dispersing of relevant information to our business community and residents. We will continue to share said information via our website which we are updating regularly. As for other news, I forgot to
Thursday, March 19, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 19MAR20
Hello Santee,As we are all overwhelmed with the rapidly evolving news of the COVID-19 epidemic, I want to first start by saying that we are a strong community and we will persevere. I know as each and every one of us feels the impact of this, our anxiety rises and our mental health becomes less stable. I encourage you all to remain calm and mostly, remain KIND. The Santee Chamber of Commerce will remain available as much as possible but the best way to contact us will be through our general email account as
Friday, March 13, 2020Santee Chamber Urgent News
The Santee Chamber of Commerce will be postponing all events and programs effective immediately. Due to information obtained regarding COVID-19, we feel it is in the best interest of our community to be cautious during this sensitive time. Experts say that suspending large-gathering events for the next few weeks will provide a gap that may help curtail the expansion of the virus. We will continue to monitor the situation and will update you as we have more information. For the most up-to-date information
Thursday, March 12, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 12MAR20
Hello Santee!This week has brought some rain as we draw in toward the end of our winter – please remain safe and patient on the roads as well all remember how to drive in the drizzle &##128522; These past few days have given me plenty of opportunities to engage with my children at their schools and be thankful that these districts are also active participants in our business community as members of the Santee Chamber. PACK Day at West Hills was last Friday (thank you for that opportunity GUHSD) where I was
Thursday, March 05, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 05MAR20
Hello Santee!It’s that time of year again where winter is coming to an end (if we can even call it that here!) and spring is nipping at our feet. With that comes a lot of activity around town… hopefully you all just voted on Tuesday in the primary elections, we have our Santee Heroes Luncheon approaching soon and kids will be on their two week hiatus from schools before we know it. The Chamber has our second annual Santee Heroes Luncheon at the end of the month, we are less than 90 days out from our Santee
Thursday, February 27, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 27JAN20
Hello Santee!Last Thursday was our annual Business Awards Night hosted at Barona Resort Casino. This sold out event gathered 200 of our local business members for a night of networking, sharing and honoring. It was my absolute pleasure to formally introduce Curtis Anderson of Salon Thrive as our Santee Young Professional of the Year (make sure to wish him a happy birthday today!) and Chick-fil-A Santee as our Business of the Year. Their contributions throughout 2019 have been so hard to measure, but I’m
Thursday, February 27, 20202020 Santee Chamber Business Awards Night
On February 20th, we held our Annual Awards Night and below is a list of the winners we celebrated! Santee Young Professional of the Year: Curtis Anderson, Salon Thrive SanteeBusiness of the Year: Chick-fil-A SanteeAutomotive: Lloyd's Collision & Paint CenterBanking Institution: Navy Federal Credit UnionBeauty & Salon Services: Raymond's BarbershopBrewing & Distilling: Pacific Islander Beer CompanyBusiness Resources: East County MagazineConstruction & Contracting: Raceway Electric & SolarDental &
Thursday, February 13, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 13FEB20
Hello Santee!Last week, Santee went to Portland, Oregon! Well, maybe not all of town went and it was just me who visited the Pacific Northwest. Luckily, I was surrounded by over 400 other chamber professionals as I attended the annual Conference hosted by the Western Association of Chamber Executives. This was my third year in attendance and the best conference for me thus far. I guess I am bias as I have also been attending an annual Academy via W.A.C.E. each summer and after completion of said program,
Tuesday, February 11, 2020Chamber Executive Graduates from Professional Development Program
Kristen Dare, the CEO at the Santee Chamber of Commerce, was among the 28 chamber executives to graduate last Friday from Academy, a professional development program presented by the Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.). Academy is an interactive 3-day (three year) training program on chamber management essentials designed for today’s chamber executives and staff professionals. “We congratulate all of the graduates and their chambers for having the vision to invest in professional
Thursday, February 06, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 06FEB20
Hello Santee!Mast Park is now OPEN! It’s been 13 months of anticipation for the residents of Santee and let me assure you, it was well worth the wait. On Saturday at 11am, Mayor Minto welcomed over two thousand guests as they were among the first to enjoy what is Santee’s oldest park, now considered their newest! After an extensive $12 million overhaul, they truly have put the “park” in sparkle. After finding the nearest parking space at Carlton Hills School and starting my walk to the park, I laughed a
Thursday, January 30, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 30JAN20
Last Thursday the City of Santee kicked off a series of events starting with a relay around town, to hosting Olympic trials and ending with a 5K run under the beautiful Santee sunset. I want to personally thank Bree Humphrey who has been with the City’s staff for many years and made a name for herself with her strong work ethic and high standard for producing impactful events for our community. She invited the Chamber to participate in the relay and it was my pleasure to be part of the celebration. Thanks
Thursday, January 23, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 23JAN20
Hello Santee!We are right in the middle of awards season in Hollywood and I feel full of glee as we are one and the same in Santee. Yesterday I was able to stop in and personally congratulate a few members of our Chamber who have made a difference in 2019. First was Curtis Anderson, Co-Owner of Salon Thrive. He will be receiving the Santee Young Professional of the Year award and we couldn’t be more thrilled. He too was all smiles as I delivered his congratulatory giant donut (Thanks, Mary’s!) and he proved
Thursday, January 16, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 16JAN20
Hello Santee!Today was our Annual Board of Directors Retreat. This Annual Retreat serves as an opportunity to plan out what goals need to be accomplished and how those goals will be met. Our directors that sit on the board are completely on a volunteer basis. We appreciate how much time and effort they put in with us throughout the year and without them it would be too much to handle for Jennae and I. We had the opportunity to welcome back our Board of Directors that will be continuing with a new
Saturday, January 04, 2020Santee Chamber Weekly Update 04JAN20
Hello Santee!Welcome to 2020… I’ve been loving all the new year posts whether they are photos of how you all rung in the new year, motivation for fresh starts or even jokes about staying the same! Holidays and special occasions are really when social media shines and this past few days have been no exception. As I gear up for our annual retreat for our all-volunteer Board of Directors, I wanted to take a quick moment to introduce our 2020 Chair of the Board, Darcy Fagerwold. I’ve talked about Darcy before
Thursday, December 19, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 19DEC19
Hello Santee!On Monday night I was able to join the local Santee Kiwanis Club for their bi-monthly meeting at Mimi’s Café. Guest speaking in groups can sometimes be intimidating but I am glad to report, I was greeted kindly, offered a chair at their table, and instantly felt like one of their own. The group is small but mighty, offering annual activities for kids you may already be familiar with such as the Junior Olympics in the Spring and fishing days at Santee Lakes in December. But what I didn’t know
Thursday, December 05, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 05DEC19
Hello Santee!This evening was our 32nd Annual Taste of Santee. This event was a great start to the holidays and it was rewarding to see so many toys donated towards the Santee Santas. If you did not have a chance to attend the event but are still wanting to give please consider donating towards the Santee Santas here! I would like to personally thank the food vendors that participated and shared part of their evening with us. Thank you Pacific Islander Beer Company, Carlton Oaks Country Club, Walmart, The
Wednesday, November 27, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 27NOV19
Hello Santee!Thanksgiving is tomorrow and the holiday rush is now here (just go to any grocery store to verify)! I am always thankful for my family first, of course, who give me purpose in life and reason to work hard at the Chamber. I am grateful for my hardworking husband who gives me the “yes” answers more than the “no” when I am wanting (which is often). Case in point, he is taking me and our kids to California Adventure tomorrow to celebrate in a less traditional way, but a way sure to be building
Thursday, November 21, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 21NOV19
Hello Santee!I often see people online who have mixed feelings about growth in Santee. Change is inevitable and I understand the sense of mourning that comes along with the loss of something nostalgic. Even as an adult with kids of my own, I still reminisce or about days at Santee School where the now-empty lot awaits development, or the hours upon hours I spent at Roller Skate Land where the first friend I made there as a seven year old turned out to be the girl who rushed me off Santana’s campus during
Thursday, November 14, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 14NOV19
Hello Santee!I love our big, little town, I also love the beauty surrounding it and the fact that we live in an amazing county with so much diversity and unique culture which shapes who we all are and how we live. Last night I spent a little bit of time out of Santee as I celebrated my dad‘s birthday with my mom and brother at a San Diego Gulls game down at the Sports Arena. For me, it was the perfect way to wrap up an elongated Veterans Day weekend. My dad is, naturally, my favorite veteran and also very
Friday, November 08, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 08NOV19
Hello Santee!These past few weeks have been BUSY for us. With two larger events back-to-back, I have been running myself ragged. This is not a complaint; I love staying busy. With work, volunteer roles and my family life all pulling me in different directions, it makes sense that many people ask me, “How do you do it all?” My answer is simple, because I have an amazing support system. From my family, to my neighbors, to my PTSA Board at Rio Seco, to my Board of Directors at the Chamber… I am constantly
Monday, October 28, 2019Meet Chris Vertrees of Sportsplex USA
Read the full article from SD Voyager Magazine here:http://sdvoyager.com/interview/meet-chris-vertrees-sportsplex-usa-poway-santee/
Thursday, October 24, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 24OCT19
Hello Santee!Yesterday I was invited to celebrate “10 Years of Excellence” as Edgemoor Hospital celebrated the first decade in their new building. The ceremony was quite interesting for those who don’t know how deep the history is, rooting back to the 1920s when the County purchased land with a farm and used the buildings to care for the poor and elderly. Before Social Security, and long before Santee’s incorporation, it was a place for the oldest and poorest citizens of our community to reside who were
Thursday, October 17, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 17OCT19
Hello Santee!Many of us have had the pleasure of purchasing a home in town, some of you, several times! For my husband and I, we are still in our “starter” home, totally loving the neighborhood we inherited and the amazing friends we’ve made, a stone’s throw away. We have an unofficial neighborhood watch when we leave town, a safe environment for our kids to play in the street, and caring people who have been there for our family during our hardest times. Although we sometimes fantasize about the next
Thursday, October 10, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 10OCT19
Hello Santee!This week I decided to look back through my social media and find an old photo… not too old, just from last year. I wanted to show an image of me with two of my dearest friends at the church where we all grew up together. Brian, Kimberly and I all met probably somewhere around first grade while attending catechism classes at Guardian Angels Church. We didn’t attend the same grade school or high school, and all took different paths as young adults, but our friendships remained in tact and we had
Thursday, October 03, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 03OCT19
Hello Santee!Tuesday morning I was given a VIP tour of our two local high school campuses: West Hills and Santana. (Mind you, my husband and I have a son currently attending WHHS and we are graduates of SHS, so I am quite familiar with the campuses!) With fellow guest, City Manager Marlene Best, the District Superintendent, Dr. Tim Glover, and other key staff, this tour opened my eyes to the future our high school students have in the vast array of career choices which await them after graduation. These
Thursday, September 26, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 26SEP19
Hello Santee!Here at the Santee Chamber, we love local businesses! Sounds obvious, but we do. We love that being part of a community provides us with experiences that are very similar to those of a family. In a family, it’s not uncommon to celebrate milestones for the ones you love. We at the Chamber get to treat each member as if they were our babies and mark those milestones in fun and unique ways. A grand opening can feel like a baptism, a good merger like a wedding, and certain anniversaries like those
Wednesday, September 18, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 18SEP19
Hello Santee!This past Saturday evening it seemed like we saw every adult in town at the annual Santee Bluegrass Festival. The night went by in a flash as a few good conversations can take up a chunk of the evening which traditionally flies by regardless. I think this was the year where I spoke to the least amount of people, ate only two samples of food provided and took only one picture while there! Luckily it was before the night became too hectic and I grabbed a quick selfie with my staff, Jennae and
Friday, September 13, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 12SEP19
Hello Santee!On Tuesday the Santee Chamber partnered with 7 other local organizations to provide an East County Economic Crimes Forum at no cost to members of the public and regional businesses. We were happy to share ideas and resources as folks from all walks of like attended to learn about how scams and cyber-crime impact our businesses and communities at this first-ever event. At the event, you were able to learn about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud and cyber crimes, as DA staff
Thursday, September 05, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 05SEP19
Hello Santee!This past week was such a nice break from the norm. For some, the long holiday weekend meant more work, extra sales and promotions and extended hours. But for most, it was an extra day off from work or school and an opportunity to spend time any which way they chose. For me, I chose family. I took a step away from work and enjoyed a couple of days up in Mammoth Lakes celebrating my mother-in-law and spending time with my husband’s side of the family. Taking time away from the office (in
Thursday, August 29, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 29AUG19
Hello Santee!Saturday we celebrated a special member of our Chamber, the Santee Coffee Corner. I was introduced to this business before my time with the Chamber began, as friend Clint August was a regular at their Carlton Hills location. I would often pop in on Friday mornings as he made himself available for friends and conversation, and even though he always had a crowd around him, he would always make room at his table for the next friend who arrived. I slowly got to know the family behind the Corner,
Tuesday, August 27, 2019Economic Crimes Forum in East County
Public Invited to First-of-its-Kind Economic Crimes Forum in East County Seven Chambers of Commerce Coming Together to Host the Event Members of the public are welcome to attend the first-ever Economic Crimes Forum in East County hosted by seven chambers of commerce to learn how scams and cyber-crimes impact businesses and the community. At the event, experts from the District Attorney’s Office will teach attendees how to protect themselves and their businesses from becoming victims of fraud and
Thursday, August 22, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 22AUG19
Hello Santee!Last night we held a business mixer at Sportsplex USA, right in the heart of Santee in Town Center Community Park. For those who remember, Sportsplex entered into a partnership with the City of Santee back in 2003 but finally opened their doors to the public in 2010. This 20-acre sports park still manages to impress me 9 years later. You can read all about their nearly 4 million visitors and the highlights and economic impacts of this premier sports complex in the next issue of The Santee
Thursday, August 15, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 15AUG19
Hello Santee!Last week was leadership overload for me, in all the right ways! I was invited as a guest of Todd Tolson from Riverview Community Church, to attend a two day summit which is held in Chicago but globally broadcasted allowing us to attend a local viewing in East County. Maybe some of you have heard of it, participated in a viewing venue or even attended in Chicago for this annual Global Leadership Summit. For Todd, this is something he’s probably been participating in for about 20 years. For me,
Thursday, August 08, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 08AUG19
Hello Santee!Last Tuesday was such a great day. I started out my morning at City Hall to participate in a project working group for the Santee Active Plan. Some may not have heard about this yet as it is in the early phases but, the City of Santee is developing a Comprehensive Active Transportation Strategy, which will identify safe, healthy, and effective ways for residents, visitors, and employees to access destinations within the City on foot, on bicycles, and using transit. The Santee Chamber was
Thursday, July 25, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 25JUL19
Hello Santee! Last week I received an invitation for myself and a guest to the attend the soft opening of California Fish Grill in El Cajon's Fletcher Marketplace (thanks to member Rachel Lynch of Courtyard Marriott El Cajon for passing along the opportunity!) Most of you know the site as the former home of the El Cajon Police Station but it is now housing the recently moved In-N-Out, Urbane Cafe and more. I took one of my best friends along (Lauren Gaines Geber of Mission Realty Group - Santee) to check
Thursday, July 18, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 18JUL19
Hello Santee!Since working for the Chamber, we have continued a very common tradition of hosting monthly socials for our members. For most, we know them as “mixers” - a term which my husband now knows means I won’t be home for dinner! Last night, we hosted our monthly Business After 5 Mixer at Lloyd's Collision & Paint Center. The Lloyd family has been hosting a mixer annually for several years now, with the bar set high in terms of guests’ expectations. They always have a lot of food (most famously the
Thursday, July 11, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 11JUL19
Hello Santee!I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday with friends, family and fireworks last week. Congratulations to the City of Santee on another successful Santee Salutes and to Riverwalk Grill for holding down their fort for the second year in Town Center Community Park. So much work goes into these large scale events and I really would like to take a moment to say “thank you” to everyone behind the scenes and those out front who go on payroll while we enjoy the fun. While feeling grateful, I’d like to
Wednesday, July 03, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 03JUL19
Hello Santee!This version of our Weekly Update is coming in a tad early, due to tomorrow’s holiday. As a reminder, our office will be closed Thursday and Friday of this week as we take some time off to enjoy our independence! As I get geared up for Independence Day, I start to think about how we are so blessed with freedoms others will never know. I know it’s easy to get sucked into the political rants on social media, but for now, I just want to be thankful and surround myself with those who appreciate
Thursday, June 27, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 27JUN19
Hello Santee!Saturday morning the Santee Chamber of Commerce hosted interviews for the final portion of this year’s Miss Santee and Miss Teen Santee Pageant. Although the format was changed this year to not include a stage portion, I was so impressed with the quality of the production. Former title holders Alex Kuty (now Marketing Manager at Santee’s Chick-fil-A!) and Sierra Carruth were prime examples for these ladies of what it means to be a true ambassador for your city. These two women took their
Thursday, June 20, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 20JUN19
Hello Santee!Before I became CEO of the Santee Chamber, I had several other job titles here. It took me a while to realize how unimportant these titles were, with no disrespect intended for my current position… it was just semantics. Our Chamber is advised by a Board of Directors who meet monthly but also host annual retreats. At a retreat over a year ago, I proposed an idea of focusing back on some core basics as a chamber, calling them our five pillars. I’ve had to remind myself often that these five
Thursday, June 13, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 13JUN19
Hello Santee!Summer is here! Well, at least in our house with both Grossmont Union High School District and the Santee School District now both done with their 2018-2019 school year. This is such an exciting time of year. I love watching families around town jumping into new activities, less dictated by their normal schedules. Santee is full of these opportunities… I thought I would take a moment and highlight just a few to kick off this week... The City of Santee does an amazing job continually providing
Thursday, June 06, 2019Santee Chamber Weekly Update 06JUN19
Hello Santee!This past week has been busy despite me taking a long weekend off after the Santee Street Fair. Let’s start with the groundbreaking of the new labs and classrooms for Grossmont Union High School District’s Health Occupation Center located adjacent to West Hills’ campus. This project funded through the Construction Bond Program (supported by Proposition U and Measure BB) is a much needed upgrade from the site’s current modular buildings. The new buildings will continue to support career-training
