Volume 2013, Issue 3

The Chamber Vista A monthly publication of the Sierra Vista Area Chamber March 2013

Volume 2013, Issue #3

“We Mean Business”

Update from

Executive Director

Amanda Baillie

2

Member Spotlight

National Bank

2

Ft. Bowie Hikes &

Tours 3

Chamber Business

Resources 3

Networking

Opportunities 3

The Chamber

Calendar 4

Chamber Events 4

March in Pictures 5

New Board of

Directors 6

Annual Awards

Gala 6

Member Page 7

Board of Directors

/ Chamber Staff 8

Chamber continues to act as a voice for the business community

By Amanda Baillie

Executive Director

With sequestration and budget cuts on all

of our minds right now, there is much to

concern local businesses.

The Chamber works to try and stay

abreast on as many issues as possible, at

the local, state and federal level.

One of our core values is to act as the

voice of the business community when it

comes to the

political and ad-

vocacy arena,

because if we do

not then nobody

else will.

Each month the

Chamber’s Leg-

islative Affairs

Committee

(pictured with

Board members

meeting with Congressman Ron Barber

last year) meets to discuss topics of inter-

est to our members.

One of the areas we would like to focus

on is building a healthy relationship with

our government representatives.

We are fortunate to have local govern-

ment representation on LAC. It means we

can talk face to face on a regular basis

with the likes of the Mayor, city councilors

and staff, express concerns and get di-

rect answers.

We also enjoy a good relationship with

Congressman Ron Barber, who recently

attended our Annual Membership Meet-

ing and has made it clear to the Chamber

that he is available to meet with us when

we need his ear.

And this month, on March 5, a small

group of Chamber members were due to

travel to the Capitol in Phoenix for the

annual Chamber Advocacy Day at the

Legislature.

Following a morning spent hearing from

legislative leaders, we hoped to meet

with our three District 14 representa-

tives—Gail Griffin, David Gowan and

David Stevens—to talk about business

issues. We also

invited each of

them to join us

for lunch that

same day.

At the federal

level, the Cham-

ber met with

U.S. Senator Jeff

Flake a couple

of times during

his campaign

and we had a representative of Senator

John McCain’s office attend our annual

meeting.

Of course, just as important as meeting

with our representatives is hearing from

our members about what is troubling

them. While we try to gauge what is going

on in the business community, we know

there must be issues out there we are not

aware of, unless someone tells us about

them.

So we encourage you to let us know

about an area of concern. While we can-

not promise to fix the issue, we will cer-

tainly do our best to help or pass on the

information to the relevant person or

agency.

While it may have only domi-

nated the headlines in the

last couple of weeks, se-

questration has been an

issue of concern for the

Chamber for many months

now.

During the election season,

we made it clear to both the

Congressional and Senate

candidates that sequestra-

tion would have a potentially

devastating impact on our

business community.

We also signed on to a letter

composed by the U.S. Cham-

ber of Commerce late last

year that urged Congress to

take action and avoid the

fiscal cliff.

And we have since conveyed

our frustration with the po-

litical process to Congress-

man Ron Barber during subse-

quent meetings.

At the time of this writing, it still

remained to be seen if Con-

gress would come to any kind

of decision regarding the na-

tional budget before March 1.

No matter which way things go,

local businesses will feel the

effects as Fort Huachuca and

other federal agencies continue

to operate under a tight

budget.

The Chamber will continue to

voice its concerns to our politi-

cal representatives on behalf of

our members.

Another area of worry is the

Affordable Healthcare Act and

what that means to the busi-

ness community.

We know that many business

people are confused by the law

and how it effects their bottom

line.

To help answer the many ques-

tions we know our members

must have, the Chamber is work-

ing to bring a representative of

the U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services to Sierra

Vista.

We plan to hold a seminar which

we hope will clear up any confu-

sion and help businesses navi-

gate through the law, which from

January 1, 2014, requires every

individual to carry health insur-

ance, with some exceptions, or

pay a penalty.

The Chamber will keep you

posted on when and where this

seminar will take place.

In the meantime, you can find

information about the law at

www.healthcare.gov

Chamber Update by Executive Director Amanda Baillie

“The Chamber will

continue to voice its

concerns to our political

representatives on

behalf of our members”

Page 2 The Chamber Vista

Member Spotlight: National Bank of Arizona, Fry Blvd. branch

By Amanda Baillie

Executive Director

When the recession hit nearly five

years ago, some banks and financial

institutions were struggling to ride

the economic and publicity wave.

At a local level, however, the National

Bank of Arizona has remained stead-

fast, thanks to its reputation of com-

munity involvement and striving to

put its customers first.

“We always try to do the right thing

by our clients,” explained Fry Blvd.

Branch Manager Anita Farrow, who

has been at this location for 15

years. “It really is about the customer

experience. We want our customers

to have a good experience when they

come in, no matter which branch

they go to.”

Since opening its doors in 1998, Na-

tional Bank of Arizona has grown to

become an organization that offers

everything a larger financial institu-

tion might have.

From front line tellers and personal

bankers, to commercial loans and

executive client services, National

Bank of Arizona can help.

“We are very business friendly and

we will work with you to try and meet

your needs,” said Anita. “We also

have a staff member who works with

our executive clients, which includes

personalized office visits.

“We want a relationship with all of

our clients. It’s not just about getting

them through the door.”

It is this kind of outlook that has

landed the company the title of Ari-

zona’s Number One Bank by Ranking

Arizona Magazine for five consecu-

tive years. The latest award is the

10th time National Bank of Arizona

has received this recognition. For

more details on how National Bank

of Arizona can help your business,

call 439-5469.

Chamber 101 is a comprehen-

sive membership orienta-

tion. In a Chamber 101 ses-

sion you will learn how to maxi-

mize the benefits of your

Chamber investment. The

meeting is open to new and

existing members alike.

Chamber 101

March 29, 2013

11:30 am to 12:30

COX Resource Room,

Chamber Office

Lunch is provided.

RSVP before March 27th to

John Hargraves,

Membership Director

Email:

jhargraves@sierravistachamber.org

Page 3 Volume 2013, Issue 3

Sierra Vista

Woman’s Club

Fashion Show

Tickets are now on sale for the 36th Annual Fashion Show sponsored by the Sierra Woman's Cub. Tick-ets are $25. Show will be held April 6th at the Thun-der Mountain Activity Cen-

ter, Fort Huachuca. This event starts at 11:00 AM and includes lots of great food, fun and activities and is open to the public. Call 520-803-6869 for tickets.

SATURDAY VAN TOURS: March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 at 10 am.

Participants will be transported by van to the visitor center where they can join the ranger for a 45-minute guided walking tour of the fort ruins or enjoy the site on their own. The van will leave the visitor center at noon. The van and the visitor cen-ter are accessible by wheelchairs. Space on this tour is limited to 11 people so reservations are strongly encouraged. To make reservations, contact the visitor center at 520-847-2500 x 1.

SUNDAY GUIDED HIKES: March 3,10,17,24,31 at 10 am.

The 1.5 mile, one-way hike to the fort ruins will focus primarily on the chronology of events that led to the establishment of the fort. Partici-pants can return to the parking lot

at their leisure. No reservations are necessary for this hike.

For both programs meet a park ranger at 10 am at the Fort Bowie NHS trailhead on Apache Pass Road. All programs are open to both individuals and groups. Par-ticipants are encouraged to bring water, a snack or picnic lunch, sun protection, layered clothing, and a camera.

For driving directions and more in-formation visit: www.nps.gov/fobo

Cochise County

P.R.A.I.S.E.

Prison Ministry

Join us for our

Changing Lives, Changing

Futures Fundraising

Banquet

Celebrating 5 years of

Ministry

April 26, 2013 • 6:30 pm

Kino Hall

Maximize Your Chamber Benefits

Mar. 15 at 1:00 pm, Bonanza

Cleaners is celebrating their

new location at 17 S. Hwy. 92.

Mar. 22 at 1:00 pm, Bonanza

Cleaners is remodeling their

original location at 2221 E. Fry

Blvd.

Mar. 22 at 5:30 pm, Timeless

Therapeutic Day Spa is cele-

brating its 5th Anniversary.

Fort Bowie NHS Offers Ranger-led Programs

Ribbon Cuttings

Chamber Resources to give your business a boost

When you join the Sierra Vista

Area Chamber, you instantly gain

a wealth of resources to boost

your business. We realize it can

be a bit overwhelming keeping

up with the myriad of details that

come with beginning your entre-

preneurial journey, so here are a

few simple steps to just some of

the benefits that you have ac-

cess to

1. Make it a priority to attend

Chamber 101. Membership

Director John Hargraves

holds them the last Friday of

the month. Call us to RSVP.

2. Attend networking events.

Business at Twilight is a

popular, fun event that of-

fers invaluable networking

opportunities.

3. Setup your business website

and populate information,

integrate social media. The

interface is user friendly, but

we’ll be happy to assist.

4. “Like us” on Facebook and

“Follow us” on Twitter. The

use of social media in busi-

ness is growing. We are

approaching 500 fans on

Facebook and we can help

get the word out about your

specials and events.

5. Email your special deals and

happenings to mdil-

lard@sierravistachamber.org

for inclusion in the weekly E-

Blast.

6. Put a flyer in next month’s

Chamber Vista. This 8-page

newsletter is packed with

information and is sent to

approximately 630 mem-

bers.

Advertise to 600+ local businesses

for about 20 cents each! Business at Twilight by

Sparks Furniture Thursday, March 14th,

5:00 pm

15% off purchases that evening!

Food! Raffles! Prizes!

Win a $100 gift card, 2 memory foam pillows ($99 value ea.) and a clock ($98 value). The grand prize giveaway will be a 14 inch mem-ory foam mattress ($1,400 value.)

These monthly mixers are a great way to learn more about the Chamber, other local businesses and to promote your own! Don't

forget your business cards and bring another

business owner with you!

No RSVP required.

Save The Date!

Annual Awards Gala April 25, 2013

Thunder Mountain

Activity Center

The cocktail reception has been ex-tended to include a casino, where

guests can play blackjack, roulette or craps and win some great prizes, in-cluding a $500 Fry’s gift card and a

$100 Olive Garden gift card.

Casino sponsored by Large Business of

the Year-CGI and Small Business of the

Year Goin’ To Grandma’s.

Schedule of Events

Mar. 12—LAC Committee Meeting, 8-9 at

the Cox Resource Rm., Chamber

Mar. 13—Leadership Sierra Vista

Mar. 14—Business at Twilight, Sparks Furni-

ture, 316 Fry Blvd. 5 pm.

Mar. 15—Board of Directors Meeting, 7:30

am, Cox Resource Rm., Chamber

Mar. 15—Ribbon Cutting, Bonanza Cleaners,

17 South Hwy. 92, 1 pm.

Mar. 19—Ambassadors Committee Meeting,

Delios, 5:30 to 6:30 pm.

Mar. 20—Military Affairs Committee Meet-

ing, 8 am, Cox Resource Rm., Chamber

Mar. 22—Ribbon Cutting, Bonanza Cleaners,

2221 E. Fry., 1pm.

Mar. 22—Ribbon Cutting, Timeless Thera-

peutic Day Spa, 5100 E. Hwy. 90 #D, Open

House: 5 pm. Ribbon Cutting: 5:30 pm

Mar. 29—Chamber 101, 11:30 am, Cox

Resource Rm, Chamber

Page 4 Newsletter Title

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 Health,

3 4 5

6

7

8 9

10 11 12 LAC

Committee Meeting

13 Leadership

Sierra Vista

14 BAT-Sparks

Furniture

15 Board of Directors Meeting Ribbon Cutting Bonanza Cleaners

16

17 18 19 Ambassa-

dors Committee Meeting

20 MAC Meeting 21

22 Ribbon

Cutting-Bonanza Cleaners

23

24

31

25 26 27 28 29 Chamber

101 30

March 2013

Reach over 625 businesses in Sierra

Vista and surrounding communities

Take advantage of this member-only

benefit!

We insert and mail for you!

Super low advertising rates! Members

pay only $99. Executive Club Members

pay just $49.

SPECIFICATIONS: Inserts must be on

8.5x11, flat, non-glossy, standard weight

(20lb.– black & white, 24/28lb.— color)

paper.

April NEWSLETTER DEADLINE:

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

NOTE: Insert space is limited and is pro-

vided on a first come, first serve basis.

For information, call the Chamber at

458-6940 or email:

mdillard@sierravistachamber.org

Page 4 The Chamber Vista

Page 5 Volume 2013, Issue 3

Events at A Glance

For upcoming events please visit us at www.sierravistachamber.org/events

Ribbon Cutting at Valor Health Care. Ribbon Cutting at Valor Health Care.

Below: February’s Military Af-

fairs Committee Luncheon

awards presented to December,

January and 2012 4th Quarter

awardees.

Bottom: Cochise College Small

Business Development Center

seminar to educate business

about exporting to Mexico. Ribbon Cutting at Valor Health

Care.

Business at Twilight at Cochise Oncology.

Page 6 The Chamber Vista

Annual Dinner promises a night of celebration, recognition and fun

Next month the Chamber will honor its Businesses of the Year recipients at its Annual Awards Gala. This special event will be held on Thursday, April 25, at the Thunder Mountain Activity Center, Fort Hua-chuca. Our 2013 dinner will see some excit-ing changes and additions which will really take this awards evening to another level. The cocktail reception has been ex-tended to include a casino, where guests can play blackjack, roulette or craps and win some great prizes, including a $500 Fry’s gift card and a $100 Olive Garden gift card. The casino is sponsored by CGI and Goin’ To Grandma’s, 2012 Large and Small Businesses of the Year respec-tively. Following the plated dinner, we will be recognizing outgoing, current and newly elected members of the board, as well as hearing from the outgoing

chair, Dee Dee Hoeft, of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, and incom-ing chair, Mike Ben-son, of TDY Housing. Our Ambas-sador of the Year will be honored before we move on to the other business accolades. This year, for the first time, we will be including a Business Person of the Year Award, chosen by the 2013 Businesses of the Year nominating committee. The awardee’s name will be a secret until that night. The Chamber will also be presenting a Special Recognition Award, also to be announced during the event.

Finally, we will announce the winners of the Home Based, Small and Large Businesses of the Year titles, chosen by a public vote. This is going to be an evening to re-member for the business community and we are offering sponsorship op-portunities to companies looking to support this event and gain recogni-tion during the evening, on the Chamber’s website, in the newslet-ter, email blast and via social media. Table sponsors are available for $250 on a first come first served basis. The cocktail and casino reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m. Be sure to mark this event in your calendar and watch for invites arriv-ing in the mail this month. For more details on sponsorships, call the Chamber at 458-6940.

Chamber members vote

for new Board Directors

The results are in. The Board of Directors will be wel-coming four new members at its monthly meeting in May, following the recent annual election. Joining the board for the first time will be Linda Brown, of Sierra Vista Regional Health Center, Kevin Peter-son, of CGI, and Mary Tieman, of Ari-zona Workforce Connection. Returning to the board for a second, three-year term is Rick Shelley, of Horizon Moving Systems. The Chamber would like to thank the other three candidates who also ran for a seat: Glen Cobb, of Sierra Suites, Jon Galchik, of TASC, and Nor-maJean Center, of Holiday Inn Ex-press. It is thanks to the willingness of all of these business people to step up and volunteer that our members are able to have an impressive choice of can-didates to vote for.

The Chamber has

launched a new

group aimed at

celebrating and

helping women in

business. Power

of Women (POW)

will involve three

annual social events, with the first kick-

ing off on Friday, April 12, at Sierra

Suites. Power of the Purse will run from

5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. and will focus

on helping women to dress and acces-

sorize appropriately for the work place.

Staff from Dillard’s will be on hand to

help attendees with questions about

putting an outfit together, as well as

offering ideas on how to give an old out-

fit new life through accessories. As part

of this event, attendees will also get to

choose a free accessory—a purse, pair

of shoes, scarf or piece of jewelry. Right

now, the Chamber is asking for dona-

tions of gently used items. We all have a

pair of shoes or a purse that seemed

like a good idea to buy at the time, but

have since never seen the light of day.

Take this as an opportunity to clear out

your closet and have your items go to a

good home. The Chamber will also be

selling these items for up to a maximum

of $10 and the proceeds will help pay

for two business women to attend our

Leadership Boot Camp this summer.

Items can be dropped off at the Cham-

ber. Any pieces not sold will be donated

to local member charity stores. There

are also a limited number of vendor op-

portunities at this event for just $30 for

members and $50 for non members.

Tickets for this event will cost $30,

which will include a glass of wine, hors

d’oeuvres and the choice of one free

accessory. In addition, the first 100 peo-

ple to buy a ticket will receive a $10 gift

Bath & Bodyworks gift certificate, cour-

tesy of The Mall at Sierra Vista. Look

out for more details coming soon. Our

next Power of Women event will be held

in August, entitled Power of Networking.

For more information call the Chamber

at 458-6940.

Page 7 Volume 2013, Issue 3

Thanks to these members for renewing their commitment to the business community

A Special Welcome to Our New Members!

Executive Club Members

American Family Insurance

American Systems

Arizona Water Company

BrightStar

CACI, Inc.

Campstone Transfer, Inc.

Castle & Cooke Arizona, Inc.

Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC

CerendipiTees *Home Based Business of

2012*

CGI *Large Business of the Year 2012*

Cherry Creek Radio

City of Sierra Vista

Coca-Cola Refreshments USA, Inc.

Cox

Data Systems & Technology, Inc.

Dental Village

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott

Farmers Insurance-Ginny Francis

Garden Terrace Assisted Living Home

General Dynamics Information Tech.

Horizon Moving Systems of Sierra Vista, Inc.

Huachuca Mountain Insurance Agency

JR's Food and Spirits

KKYZ Radio

Landmark Cafe

Lawley Automotive Center

Lawley's Team Ford

Life Care Center

Long Realty Co.

Longhorn Restaurant

Mall at Sierra Vista

ManTech Telecommunications & Info Sys-

tems

Mr. Fix It of Sierra Vista, LLC

National Bank of Arizona

Navy Federal Credit Union

Netmedix IT Solutions

New Frontier Animal Medical Center

Nina’s Salon

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Patio Pools & Spas

Pioneer Title Agency

Pueblo del Sol Country Club

Rosemont Copper Company

Sentrillion

Sierra Vista Ace Hardware

Sierra Vista Herald & Bisbee Daily Review

Sierra Vista Regional Health Center

Southeastern Arizona Contractors Assoc.

Southwest Gas Corporation

Southwestern Eye Center

Specialists in Dermatology

Stachel & Associates, P.C.

Stilwell's Learning Center, LLC

Suburban Extended Stay Hotels

Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Coop.

Sun Canyon Inn

Systems Integration

Tailored Living

TDY Housing, LLC

The Boeing Company

TownePlace Suites by Marriott

University of Phoenix-Sierra Vista Campus

Waddell & Reed Financial Advisors, David

Burnett

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Wayland Baptist University

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Inc.

Windemere Hotel & Conference Center

Beacon Group (520) 622-4874

Dr. Dorothy Bonvillain LLC (520) 249-8585

Dr. Maria Church International (520) 559-5106

Genesis Natural Medicine (520) 495-4400

Graceful Beginnings Healthcare Consulting Services, LLC (520) 230-5820

JP Morgan Chase Bank (520) 459-1235

JR's Food and Spirits (520) 458-8458

Keller Williams Realty - Gabriel Chavez (520) 234-3088

Kidder Brothers, LLC (866) 267-4810

Intelligent Design Air Conditioning & Heating (520) 918.4651

Las Brisas Apartments (520) 459-2977

Lockheed Martin (214) 356-4327

Miramonte Homes (520) 615-8900

Nina’s Salon (520) 236-3312

Sierra Vista Farmers Market (520) 678-2638

Solar Plus - A Division of Stelcor Energy (520) 603-6222

SW Motivational Dynamics/Shaklee (520) 236-6260

Tailored Living (520) 378-3461

The Russell's Law Firm (855) 707-7246

Tierra Antigua Realty -- Deb DeShae (520) 255-0804

Valley Oasis Pools (520) 293-5818

AUSA

Butterfly Gardens, Inc.

Cochise County Sheriff

Cochise Water Project

Eco Water

Edward Jones Investments, Jeff Lane

JB Photo & Video

KE & G Construction

Lowes Sierra Vista

New Jerusalem Community Church

Prestige Assisted Living

The Salvation Army

Sierra Antigua Apartments

Sierra Hearing Center, LLC

Sierra Vista Woman's Club

Tactical Tracking Operations School, Inc

Tierra Antigua Realty

Village Meadows Baptist Church

21 E. Wilcox Dr.

Sierra Vista, AZ. 85635

The Chamber Vista is a publication of the Sierra Vista Area Chamber 21 E. Wilcox Drive, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 (520) 458-6940, Fax: (520) 452-0878

www.sierravistachamber.org Mission Statement The Sierra Vista Area Chamber promotes business and provides leadership for the improvement of the community. 2012-13 Board of Directors Executive Officers Chairwoman - Dee Dee Hoeft, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Past Chairman - Frank Gonzalez, Lawley Automotive Member at Large— Jean Giuffrida, Long Realty Treasurer/Chair Elect - Michael Benson, TDY Housing Secretary - Rick Shelley - Horizon Moving Systems of Sierra Vista Board Members Elsie MacMillan - Sierra Toyota Ken Cecil - Mall at Sierra Vista Phil Vega - Sierra Vista Herald / Bisbee Daily Review Jack Blair - Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative Anita Farrow - National Bank of Arizona Nancy Nash - Stuff ‘N Baskets Nathan Williams - Nathan Williams, Law Office

Sierra Vista Area Chamber PRESORTED

STANDARD

US POSTAGE PAID

HEREFORD, AZ

PERMIT NO. 29

CURRENT RESIDENT OR

Chamber Staff Executive Director - Amanda Baillie, abaillie@sierravistachamber.org Membership & Marketing Director- John Hargraves III, jhargraves@sierravistachamber.org Communications Director - Margaret Dillard, mdillard@sierravistachamber.org Office Manager - Toni Rogers, officem@sierravistachamber.org Events Coordinator - Diane Erwin, derwin@sierravistachamber.org