New chamber board has momentum on its side

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn NEW YEAR-Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said government and business cooperation is commendable during an Agoura/Oak Park/Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce meeting. See story, above left, and related photograph on page 19.

Businesses are joining a local chamber of commerce in record numbers despite the worst recession in years.

During a board of directors installation luncheon last week of the Agoura/Oak Park/Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce, a representative of the 50-year-old organization reported that its membership is now at an all-time high.

Officials say the chamber has grown to 600 members, a three-fold increase over the late 1990s when the group fell into a rut financially and saw its roster of businesses dwindling.

As the millennium came to an end, the chamber fired its executive director and closed its offices on Kanan Road. Today, the organization has new office space on Agoura Court with a new staff and a new board of directors.

"There were times when I attended board meetings and they were hanging on by their nails," said Agoura Hills Mayor Denis Weber, a former city council liaison to the chamber. "There’s more of an effort to embrace other parts of the community, like Oak Park. There’s more energy."

The addition of Oak Park to the chamber last summer brought in dozens of new businesses—and the membership fees they contribute. The board of directors, meanwhile, grew from 15 to 25.

‘The chamber has a lot of passion for reaching out to the community," said Barry Garapedian, the board’s third vice president. "It’s about building relationships. What you put into it is what you get out."

For many years, Oak Park businesses felt disenfranchised, according to chamber president Alex Soteras. Efforts have been made to change that perception, he said.

"The stereotype was that only a few people were involved in the chamber. We spoke to many businesses in Oak Park, and they felt they had been ignored as a community for a long time by the larger chambers and had no identity."

Many credit the 40-year-old Soteras, now in his second year at the helm, with giving the organization new life.

"What the president has done is that he’s put people in a position that they enjoy and excel in," said Don Dusablon, first vice president.

Dusablon, a commercial real estate owner, serves as the chamber’s representative to local cities. While both Agoura Hills and Calabasas have had disagreements with their chambers in the past, Soteras said he believes the fences in Agoura Hills, at least, have been mended.

"We have the strongest relationship with the city in the chamber’s history," Soteras said, adding that the chamber helps the city in the recruitment of business vendors for its annual SpringFest event.

While not disclosing exact amounts, Soteras said the chamber is "in the black" and currently making plans for a large Casino Night fundraiser in conjunction with the Wellness Community of Thousand Oaks.

The chamber once relied on a personal loan from one of its former presidents to stay afloat.

Under the leadership of Soteras, the chamber started a "business booster" networking group that meets every Wednesday. In March, the chamber continues with its quarterly "What’s Happening With Your Money Now" breakfasts, featuring panel members discussing how local businesses can weather the economy.

"The recession has had an impact on some of the small businesses," Soteras said. "A few have closed, but many more are opening."

"I have no complaints," said Giovanni Bolla, owner of the Oak Park restaurant La Cupola. "We were a little slow after [Sept. 11] but it’s picked up."

The restaurant recently added a Sunday buffet and expects new customers this year.

"I continue to personally visit businesses on an almost daily basis," Soteras said. "They seem to appreciate the personal approach in finding out from them how the chamber could help develop their business."

In July, the chamber continues with a policy of honoring local sheriff and fire department officials. September brings the Educator of the Year awards, recognizing outstanding teachers of both Las Virgenes and Oak Park unified school districts.

"A lot of the businesses got interested in the chamber because of the new programs," said Pat Soteras, Alex’s mother and the chamber’s executive director.

Zev Yaroslavsky, a Los Angeles County supervisor who attended the 2002 chamber installation, applauded the local businesses for surviving tough times.

"This little corridor, the Conejo Valley, has become a little engine and we want to encourage that," Yaroslavsky said. "We’re all working to make this an economically viable area."

Other board officers who were sworn in include newcomer Jack Dvir, second vice president; Ken Kossoff, secretary; and Howard Lauterbach, treasurer.