The St. Helena Chamber of Commerce mission is to strengthen and promote member
businesses while enhancing the unique quality of life in our community.
Our Mission Statement truly says it all and it has not changed much since our
inception as a board of trade in 1897. At that time, the organization's founding
principles were to promote industries and furnish information to farmers and strangers.
"We want to assist in establishing industries and help the town and valley in every
way possible," according to an article printed in the local newspaper on April 9,
1897. One of the founding trustees went on to speak about our splendid climate,
the most perfect in the state, of our beautiful valley and fertile soil, and reviewed
the rise and fall of the wine industry.
Not much has changed; we continue to enjoy the support of businesses large and
small and provide a range of member services including the following:
- strengthening the local economy
- promoting the community
- providing networking opportunities and referrals
- representing the interests of business with government
Promoting the Community
The St. Helena Chamber of Commerce makes it a priority to promote the local community.
The Chamber kicks off each year with an Annual Dinner, at which we recognize the
Business and Employee of the Year, St. Helena's Citizen of the Year, St. Helena's
Firefighter and Police Officer of the Year. A Civic Pride Award is also presented
to the St. Helena business contributing the most to the beautification of downtown
St. Helena. Thousands of locals each year enjoy the Chamber's Musical Picnics in
Lyman Park, a free summer concert series. The Chamber's annual Bocce Tournament
raises scholarship funds for a St. Helena High School student to continue his/her
education at the college level. The Chamber also provides a community calendar of
events on its website- www.sthelena.com/events/.
Representing the Interest of Business
The St. Helena Chamber of Commerce represents local business concerns to local,
regional and state entities.
Providing Networking Opportunities and Referrals
The St. Helena Chamber of Commerce's monthly mixers are an excellent networking
opportunity. The mixers are held on the third Wednesday of each month at different
host business locations. There are many other networking opportunities provided
by the Chamber each year, including many of the special events and involvement on
Chamber committees. Referrals are a major benefit of Chamber membership. The Chamber,
which refers member businesses, serves as St. Helena's Visitor Center. Thousands
of visitors to St. Helena come to the Chamber each year seeking information on where
to sleep, where to eat and which wineries to visit, among other things. The Chamber
staff also handles thousands of telephone inquiries each year with many of those
same questions. The Chamber's websites www.sthelena.com and
www.sthelenachamber.com
work 24 hours a day 7 days a week referring member businesses.