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Thursday, January 09, 2020Read Resignation HereCategories: Political, Press Release
Thursday, January 09, 2020Hello Santee!Another week into the new year and I am still feeling the love from this awesome community. For those of you who saw and participated in the first round of our Santee’s Favorites program, THANK YOU! This annual competition is a two-round process that allows Chamber member businesses or organizations to be voted as "Favorite" in their category by clients, Santee citizens, etc. Please ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Saturday, January 04, 2020Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, December 19, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, December 05, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Wednesday, November 27, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, November 21, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, November 14, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Friday, November 08, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Monday, October 28, 2019Read the full article from SD Voyager Magazine here:http://sdvoyager.com/interview/meet-chris-vertrees-sportsplex-usa-poway-santee/Categories: Chamber, Fun Facts, Human Interest, Community, General News Article
Thursday, October 24, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, October 17, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, October 10, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, October 03, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, September 26, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Wednesday, September 18, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Friday, September 13, 2019Hello 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, ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, September 05, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, August 29, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Tuesday, August 27, 2019Public 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 ...read moreCategories: Community, Education, Chamber, Economic
Thursday, August 22, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, August 15, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, August 08, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, August 01, 2019Hello Santee!Over the weekend I was a guest at the Concert at the Lakes. For those who love live music (usually classic rock), great food, and a fun atmosphere with great people, this event is for you! The event was held on Lake 5 at Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve and organized by the Santee-Lakeside Rotary Club and the Santee Lakes Foundation; these two local non-profits have been partnering ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, July 25, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, July 18, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, July 11, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Wednesday, July 03, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, June 27, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, June 20, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, June 13, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, June 06, 2019Hello 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 ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, May 30, 2019Hello Santee!This past weekend, the Santee Chamber of Commerce held it's 11th annual Santee Street Fair. This fair is the most work our Chamber puts into a single day event, the highest revenue generator for our organization and the largest public event in town. WE ARE PROUD of this fair! Like anyone who has organized a large scale event, you can probably relate to the exhaustion felt once those ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, May 23, 2019Hello Santee!A little over a week ago an old store received a new look in town… this store is known for its older things, in fact, it’s usually expected! That store is Goodwill in Santee on Mission Gorge Road (see image). For those who have been in Santee for a while, you might still slip up from time to time and refer to that location as Purple Heart (guilty!). Truth be told, when I go into a ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, May 16, 2019Hello Santee!This week, I had the privilege of being among the guests invited to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony for a much anticipated addition to Santana High School. This addition is a well-needed, state of the art events and physical education building, long overdue for the students and faculty. This building boasts over 21,000 square feet that brings together the performing arts ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, May 09, 2019Hello Santee!Tuesday night I did something for my very first time: I took a kickboxing class. This wasn’t just any class, it was an experience! Recently CKO Kickboxing Santee offered a promotion I couldn’t pass up ($19.99 for three classes and a pair of starter gloves). I came in about 20 minutes before the start of class so I could fill out the obligatory form and get a brief orientation. I was ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, May 02, 2019Hello Santee!Yesterday was an anniversary for two of our members. We would like to take a moment, digest our food, and congratulate The WrapShack for their two year anniversary and Raising Cane’s for their first anniversary in Santee! It was hard to resist the deal at WrapShack which they offered (and also did on their first anniversary) any entrée for just $5.01 – get it? Their anniversary is ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, April 25, 2019Hello Santee!Tuesday was my first day back to work after a short Easter getaway and quite a busy day for the Santee Chamber! We started our morning over at Office Depot with tips to grow your business and learn more about their everyday services (some I didn’t know they offered!). I went downtown in the late morning as a guest of Barona Resort & Casino as we enjoyed the beautiful spring weather at ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, April 18, 2019Hello Santee!We had a wonderful night last Thursday at Lantern Crest as we hosted a multi-chamber networking event. It actually feels selfish to say “we” hosted because Lantern Crest did all the hard work. From their creative parking solutions, to amazing catering and friendly staff, they really make us feel as if we are an extension of their pool of residents. In fact, if I were 55 years old, I ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, April 11, 2019Hello Santee, A few weeks ago I was invited to be part of a three-person panel for Office Depot managers from all around San Diego County. Local Store Manager for the Santee Office Depot, John Torrevillas, invited me to join their team-building for the afternoon down at Liberty Station and I had no clue what I was in for! I sat down for lunch then was quickly introduced to a group of people who I ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, April 04, 2019Hello Santee, Friday marked a very special day for the Santee Chamber as we hosted our first ever, Santee Heroes Luncheon. This sold out luncheon was the spin-off from our annual Awards Night event where we were able to showcase our community leaders and celebrate their many accomplishments from 2018. Better yet, the Santee Chamber was able to name our 2018 Person of the Year, Buddy Rabaya. Many ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, March 28, 2019Hello Santee, Some weeks I feel like I can fill an entire magazine with what's been going on and what's upcoming, and this month, we did :) Keep a lookout in your mailbox for the first of four issues of The Santee Magazine today as the Spring issue is set to arrive! This issue focuses on women in business and I feel like we barely tapped the surface of what Santee has to offer. For those who need ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, March 21, 2019Hello Santee, This time next week we will be in full prep-mode as the Chamber gets set to host our inaugural Santee Heroes Luncheon! The concept isn't necessarily new... we have been hosting community awards as long as I've been at the Chamber (which mind you, is only the past five years). However, these awards have traditionally been given at our annual Awards Night event which was just held last ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, March 14, 2019Hello Santee, On Tuesday our Chamber celebrated the Grand Opening of EBIS (Enhanced Benefits Insurance Solutions). For those who were paying attention, their office is in La Mesa. This was a fun surprise when we had a few folks ask why we were doing a ribbon cutting there or why they wouldn't just use La Mesa's Chamber for the task. First I'd like to note, all are welcome. The Santee Chamber is ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, March 07, 2019Hello Santee, Last week Chick-fil-A celebrated their 6th year of being in Santee! A lot of things have changed in Santee over the past six years and a lot of chicken has been served, by more than just Chick-fil-A! I know sometimes we joke about the plethora of options we have for fast food dining and poultry options in town, but I am very honored each time I’m around the owner of Santee’s ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, February 28, 2019Hello Santee, Last week we celebrated local businesses at our Annual Awards Night atBarona Casino & Resort. The night was full of high energy as we scaled back our regular program to focus on our members and showcase some standout stars in Santee. Thank you so much to all who attended, donated to our auction/raffle and helped with logistics for the evening. A special thanks to our amazing staff, ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, February 21, 2019Good Morning Santee! As a quick notice, our office will be CLOSED TOMORROW (Friday February 22) as we give our staff a day off, anticipating a long working day today. That’s because TONIGHT we will be at the lovely Barona Resort & Casino as we ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, February 14, 2019Hello Santee! The rain has returned to Santee and it’s a great reason to be thankful. Living in Southern California we know how precious rainfall truly is. This past fall I completed the Citizens Water Academy offered through the San Diego County Water Authority and it gave me a huge education on our local water sources and a newfound appreciation for those who work in the industry. It can be easy ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, February 07, 2019Hello Santee! Yesterday I began my first of three days at a conference in Anaheim. I’m accompanied by over 400 other professionals in the chamber industry, all trying to take our organizations to the next level. Not only do I feel incredibly blessed to have a job I love, but I also realize what a huge opportunity it is to be part of a conference which allows me to stay at the Happiest Place on ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, January 31, 2019Hello Santee! Last week I was able to spend several hours in a member’s place of business, learning just how special it is that Santee has an exclusive performing arts venue: Off Broadway Live. We host several lunchtime workshops there throughout the year, but otherwise, it was embarrassing to admit to owner, Steve Rolf, that I had yet to join him for an evening show he puts on (and saying it’s ...read moreCategories: Chamber
Thursday, January 24, 2019Hello Santee! I am so blessed to be surrounded by good people who love Santee. Last week I joined Todd Tolson of Riverview Community Church for lunch (at 52 East Eatery....mmmmm) and learned what all the hype was about! This guy is the real deal... loves our town, helps his neighbors, slays his personal goals, and gives more than what seems humanly possible. He sat across from me, letting his ...read moreCategories: Chamber
