Chamber Looks to Boost Job Growth

The steering committee for the proposed Aliso Viejo Chamber of Commerce held their first meeting Wednesday, welcoming 71 interested individuals and business professionals.

Wednesday morning’s breakfast gathering at Cosmo’s Italian Kitchen in Aliso Viejo outlined the mission of the steering committee and asked for the participant’s suggestions. With a mission to encourage economic prosperity within the city, the Aliso Viejo Chamber of Commerce hopes to work closely with city officials to create more jobs.

“The core for economic development is jobs. We need to create a vehicle for businesses of all types,” said Bob Bunyan, member of the AV Chamber of Commerce steering committee.

The steering committee, which includes volunteer members of the community as well as chamber members from surrounding cities, like Darren Wilson who helped build Lake Forest’s Chamber of Commerce, looks to focus on four main areas:

• Small businesses, professionals
• Large business (and their community involvement)
• Collaborations with city government (including accurate business listings and connectivity for members)
• Community involvement (local non-profits)

Julie Wright, the steering committee chairperson and an Aliso Viejo real estate agent, said she was pleased with the turnout of this first meeting.

“The timing is really good for this,” Wright said adding that the chamber would not only help businesses, but help schools as well.

One of the goals of the chamber would be to match businesses that want to use their resources to help the community with local non-profits and educational programs.

The South Orange County Regional Chamber of Commerce dissolved some of the individual city chambers about three years ago, including the chamber in Aliso Viejo. Many of those cities, like neighboring Lake Forest have recently built their own chambers. Aliso Viejo is one of the last to do so, Wright said.

“This chamber would fill the gap left by the regional chamber…looking out for small businesses,” Wilson said.

Wright said they hope to have the Aliso Viejo Chamber of Commerce up and running by September.