Message from the Chamber
A Message From the Chairman of the Board
Welcome to the St. Helena Chamber of
Commerce website and guide to our wonderful community, long known to locals as
the "the heart of the Napa Valley."
On behalf of the Chamber's Board of Directors, I wish you and your business
prosperity and health in the New Year. The St. Helena Chamber of Commerce's
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 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.
We are proud that the Chamber continues to grow and is recognized as one of the
largest small town Chambers in the western United States, with more than 500
members in our community of 6,000 residents. 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
The Chamber Staff is headed up by
CEO/President, Nancy Levenberg and includes Tiffany Wing, Sales & Membership,
and Cindy Lepore, Administrative Assistant. Carolynne Gamble is our Writer &
Assistant Editor for our monthly newsletter
First Thursday. Visitor Center staff members are Gaida
Straumens and Pat Dell. Under the Board of Directors' leadership, our small
staff maximizes membership services while continuing our traditional projects
and marketing efforts. I encourage you to call the Chamber office for
information or general assistance for you and your business. 2008 - in brief
We focused our efforts on our four core competencies:
- Strengthening the local economy: In 2007 we initiated
an annual project to analyze city and county financial data since
understanding the areas' financial foundation is the first step in planning
how to sustain our economic vitality. This year we continue that project as
well as implementing the following programs, initiatives and investments in
marketing our area as a destination to contribute to a sustainable and
vibrant local business climate.
- Public Relations campaign
launched: In December of 2008,
we hired the local PR firm of Glodow
Nead after an extensive selection
process carried out by our Economic
Improvement Committee.
- Shop Local: The St.
Helena Chamber of Commerce trumpets the
many advantages of shopping locally
through all our media outlets and
activities. For our downtown merchants,
we sponsor a number of events to bring
customers to town. We have worked
closely with local businesses to promote
slow food and sponsored other
local events highlighting this important
issue. We also publish and distribute
our annual guide, Exploring St.
Helena, throughout the community
each year in order to serve as a "yellow
pages" for upvalley businesses. 20,000
of these guides are printed and
distributed each year. We support the
St. Helena Farmer's Market both with
advertising dollars and by staffing a
table at the market.
- Business and Visitor
Referrals: Another function of
the Chamber is to operate a visitor
center on Main Street. We provide our
Exploring St. Helena guidebook,
maps, tasting coupons, up-to-the-minute
restaurant menus, real estate and bank
business cards, etc. to many visitors
each month who inquire about lodging,
restaurants, wineries and other
amenities. We send out information
packets and answer a surprising array of
phone, email and snail mail requests. We
help businesses connect with customers.
And customers connect with businesses.
- The Chamber's Website: At
www.sthelena.com we have detailed
information on local businesses, including free hotlinks for all members to
their own websites. Several new functions were added this year as we
continue to build our website and add to its functionality.
- Educational Opportunities: We offer a wide range of
educational opportunities to our member businesses each year: from election
information to hands-on training on how to market your business.
The Board of Directors is committed to making decisions that
will keep the St. Helena Chamber strong and effective. Please contact me or
other Board Members to let us know how we can work for you.
Mike Fisher
Chairman of the Board
How To Reach Us
The Chamber is located immediately north of Merryvale Vineyards and across
Main Street from Taylor's Refresher.
St. Helena Chamber of Commerce
1010 Main Street Suite A
St. Helena, CA 94574
Telephone: 707-963-4456
1-800-799-6456
Fax: 707-963-5396
e-mail: info@sthelena.com
St. Helena Chamber of Commerce Staff
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