October Chamber Vista

Volume 2012, Issue 10

The Chamber Vista A monthly publication of the Sierra Vista Area Chamber October 2012

Volume 2012, Issue #10

“We Mean Business”

Chamber Members Support Wounded Warrior Weekend Getaway War stories abounded as four

Wounded Warriors shared their

experiences of the global war on

terrorism and their tour(s) of

duty to Iraq and Afghanistan

with several Vietnam veterans

as part of the first Wounded

Warrior Weekend Getaway. The

event was sponsored by the Fort

Huachuca-Sierra Vista (FT-SV)

Chapter of the Association of

the United States Army (AUSA)

and the Arizona Territorial

Chapter of AUSA. Three mem-

bers of the Warrior Transition

Unit (WTU) located on Fort

Huachuca, and a medically re-

tired wounded warrior from the

Phoenix area were treated to a

weekend of horseback riding,

quad riding, hiking, mini-horse

carriage rides, and the opportu-

nity to view the stars and sun

through specialized telescopes

provided by a local astronomer.

The action took place at the DD

Gamble Guest Lodge and the

Hideout Ranch, both located

near Portal, Arizona.

The hosts of DD Gamble Guest

Lodge, Tom and Alicia

Davidson, prepared delicious

meals and everyone enjoyed

sitting down with the hosts and

local guests, many of whom See

Wounded Warrior, pg. 2

An Update From

Executive

Director Amanda

Baillie

2

Mall at Sierra

Vista Wins Silver

U.S. MAXI

Award

3

Center for

Lifelong Learning

3

Calendar of

Events

4

Events at a

Glance

5

Funding

Transportation

Infrastructure in

Arizona

6

Air Evac Adds

Additional

Aircraft

6

Member Page 7

Board of

Directors/

Chamber Staff

8

Following a highly successful

Home & Business Expo last

month, the Chamber is now

focusing its efforts on promoting

local home based businesses and

non-profit organizations.

On Saturday, November 10, we

will again be holding the annual

Mini Expo at The Mall at Sierra

Vista, and more than a quarter

of the space available has

already been sold.

The Mall has proved to be a

wonderful location for our expo

events, with many of our

September show vendors noting

they had seen a marked increase

in traffic and real business leads

on previous years.

The goal of the Mini Expo is to

offer our home based companies

and non-profits (churches and

service organizations) the

opportunity to promote their

goods and services at an

affordable price and at a highly

visible site.

We also open this event up to

non Chamber members, which

last year resulted in many of

them joining our great

organization – the more

members we have, the better

placed we are to offer improved

programs and benefits for all.

It is hard to believe that the

holiday season is fast

approaching, but with thoughts

turning to Christmas, we know

that many of the region’s home

based businesses offer a wide

variety of gift giving ideas.

This event is also a timely

opportunity for non-profits to

remind people about the

increased need for donations.

Vendors who sign up for this

show will also be featured on

the Chamber’s website, as well

as in the weekly ads running in

the Sierra Vista Herald. So the

sooner you register, the more

exposure your business or

organization will receive.

In the past 12 months or so, the

Chamber has been welcoming

an increasing number of home

based businesses to the

community, and we are de-

lighted to be able to offer them

this chance to get their

marketing message across.

The cost to register for the Mini

Expo is $99 for members and

$149 for non-members. All

vendors will receive a six foot

table, tablecloth and two chairs.

The event will run from 10 a.m.

until 4 p.m.

Go to

www.sierravistachamber.org to

register and pay online or call

458-6940.

Gearing up for the Mini Expo

On behalf of the Chamber and its

staff, I would like to thank

everyone who helped to ensure

our Annual Home & Business

Expo was a great success.

From the vendor participation to

the public turnout, this event

embodied all the reasons why the

Chamber exists – to promote

business and help create a strong

local economy.

First and foremost, we would

like to thank The Mall at Sierra

Vista’s General Manager Ken

Cecil and his dedicated staff.

They all went above and beyond

to help us stage the best show

possible.

Secondly, thanks to our

sponsors: SSVEC, Sierra Vista

Herald, Cherry Creek Radio,

Cox, Southwest Gas, Rosemont

Copper, Grasshopper Landscaping,

KKYZ Radio, Mr. Fix It of Sierra

Vista and CIS Information

Technology Services.

Without sponsors, the Chamber

would not be able to offer events

like this.

Of course, we could not host this

show without the vendors. We were

thrilled with the participation level,

which saw every available booth

space sold.

The more businesses that take part,

the better the public turnout. I hope

everyone agrees that we had a good

crowd throughout the day, providing

wonderful opportunities for our

members to gain exposure and new

customers.

The wide variety of booths also

demonstrated just how easy shopping

locally can be.

Next, a big thank you to our

Ambassadors Committee, which

helped us set up and break-down, and

run the Forks & Corks event. Their

hard work was much appreciated by

the Chamber team, especially after a

very long and tiring day.

Finally, I would like to recognize the

Chamber staff – Diane Erwin, David

Elkins, John Hargraves, and Toni

Rogers – who put in a huge amount of

effort and long hours because they

each wanted to stage an event our

members could be proud of and would

benefit from.

We appreciate all the feedback we

have been given and we are looking

forward to hosting an even better expo

next year.

Chamber Update by Executive Director Amanda Baillie

“more businesses that

take part, the better the

public turnout …

providing wonderful

opportunities for our

members to gain

exposure and new

customers.”

Page 2 The Chamber Vista

Wounded Warrior Continued from pg. 1

were Vietnam veterans.

The Davidsons also own miniature horses

and gave classes on how to drive a mini-

horse drawn carriage, and allowed the

guests to help feed their

herd of more than 30 mini -

horses. Craig and Tamara

Lawson, owners of the

Hideout Ranch, provided a

morning of horseback riding

that gave the participants a

chance to “ride the range.”

Ray and Dori Brooks, astronomers who

travel the world in search of the next solar

eclipse, shared their specialized tele-

scopes to allow star gazing Saturday night

and sun gazing early Sunday morning,

to the delight of the group.

The FT-SV Chapter of AUSA worked with

the WTU leadership, sister AUSA chapter

leaders, and with the hosts of DD Gamble

Guest Lodge and the Hideout Ranch to

coordinate this unique weekend getaway.

The Lawley Automotive Group graciously

provided transportation for the Fort

Huachuca wounded warriors, CPT Anna

Patton, SGT Laurentin Walker, and SPC

Steven Hays. The FT-SV Chapter vice

president, Tim Soliz and his wife, Michele,

accompanied the WTU Soldiers, and the

AZ Territorial Chapter president, Gene

Rafanelli, accompanied the wounded

warrior from Phoenix, SPC Richard Cruz.

Alicia Davidson of the DD Gamble Guest

Lodge said, “We had such a wonderful

time…” with the honored guests, and she

further noted, “I don’t know who had more

fun—you folks or us.”

That was the sentiment of SGT Walker and

SPC Hays, who commented on the ride

back to Fort Huachuca that they had a

great time, and asked when we would be

doing something like this again. And SPC

Cruz said he enjoyed the

weekend so much he’d like

to move to the Portal area so

he could enjoy the atmos-

phere full time.

The FT-SV Chapter of

AUSA would like to thank

the AZ Territorial Chapter,

the Tucson-Goyette Chapter, and the 7th

Region AUSA for promoting and provid-

ing funding for this event. We would also

like to thank the Lawley Automotive

Group for the use of its spacious van for

transportation. And in addition to thanking

the hosts from the Portal area, we espe-

cially want to thank CPT Anna Potter,

SGT Laurentin Walker, SPC Steven Hays,

and SPC Richard Cruz for their

outstanding contributions to the global war

on terrorism. Job well done!

Page 3 Volume 2012, Issue 10

Mall at Sierra Vista Wins Silver U.S. MAXI Award.

The International

Council of Shopping

Centers (ICSC) is

pleased to announce

that the Mall at Sierra Vista was presented

with a silver U.S.

MAXI Award. All

winners represented

the highest caliber of

marketing excellence

and exemplify col-

laboration, execution and achievement

within the retail real estate industry.

The 2012 ICSC U.S. MAXI

Awards honor and recognize the premier

marketing, community outreach, sales

promotions and visual merchandizing

programs undertaken solely with the U.S by U.S.-based retail real estate profession-

als and companies. These awards not only

enhance and compliment the other industry

regional award programs offered by ICSC

but provide information and insight to the

entire retail real estate industry on what it

takes to achieve the highest level of

recognition in marketing and specialty

leasing within the U.S.

The Mall at Sierra Vista decided

to target cross border Mexican nationals, whose shopping dollars could significantly

impact the mall’s bottom line, who were

bypassing the center in favor of standalone

big box retailers and malls to the north. To

redirect them, the center created an

interactive platform for communication

with targeted cross border shoppers.

Strategic use of a Spanish language email

and social media campaign consistently

engaged them in mall discussions and

activities, while geographically targeted

offers aided in defining and tracking

results.

Professional recognition for this

award was given to Kenneth Cecil, general

manager, The Mall at Sierra Vista, Rouse

Properties; Sabra Albritton, common area

coordinator, The Mall at Sierra Vista,

Rouse Properties; Tami Ivy, SCMD,

director, field marketing, Rouse Properties,

Inc.; Carlos Fuentes, president & CEO, Narrowcast Digital; and David Gonzales,

operations manager, The Mall at Sierra

Vista, Rouse Properties.

Founded in 1957, ICSC is the

premier global trade association of the

shopping center industry. Its more than

55,000 members in over 90 countries

include shopping center owners,

developers, managers, marketing

specialists, investors, retailers and brokers,

as well as academics and public

officials. As the global industry trade

association, ICSC links with more than 25

national and regional shopping center

councils throughout the world.

For more information, visit

www.icsc.org.

Center for Lifelong Learning

I wish I could find a computer

training course for my employees. I wish I

could find a customer service course for

my employees. I wish I knew how to use

the Internet and social media to increase my sales. I wish I could find some safety

training at reasonable cost.

Do you have a training wish list

for your business? The Cochise College

Center for Lifelong Learning is in the

business of granting those wishes. The

Center for Lifelong Learning has long

been providing training for businesses and

employees in Cochise County. Now, the

CLL has the Community and Corporate

Training Office devoted exclusively to

customized training for businesses and

government entities in the county.

Sharon Gilman, Director of the

Cochise College Center for Lifelong Learning says, “We are excited about our

revitalized effort to assist the Cochise

County business community as we

assertively work to create customized

training and education programs.” The

CLL recently hired Mr. Larry Catten to

head up the community outreach program

to identify business and community

training needs, and develop and apply col-

lege assets to address those needs. While

there may be some very specialized train-

ing that CLL cannot meet, in most cases,

the CLL can develop a training program,

and provide qualified instructors, for most

business training needs. Equally

important, CLL can customize the training program at a cost that is reasonable and

affordable.

Gilman emphasizes that, “CLL

can tailor our training to meet local

business and industry workforce

development needs. We recognize that

time is important, and we work with cli-

ents to schedule training at the client’s

convenience.” Mr. Catten as the

coordinator will work hand-in-hand with

managers to offer high-level training to:

• Improve knowledge, skills, and

abilities

• Increase productivity and safety • Encourage the application of

new technologies’

Gilman also makes this request to business

and community leaders, “When Mr. Catten

contacts you, we are hopeful that you will

invite him to engage in a discussion about

your training needs. The need may not be

immediate, but if we are on your ‘radar

screen,’ and you are on ours, we can be

immediately available and ready when a

training need does arise.”

Cochise College is committed, as

an important element of its vision and

mission, to working closely with all

business and government entities in the county. Community and business training

can truly help the community grow and

prosper.

Business at Twilight

Hosted by:

Prestige Assisted Living

October 11th

5:00 pm

4400 Avenida Cochise

Walk the red carpet and join us for a four star event,

dressed as your favorite past or present Hollywood

icon or character. There will be a $50 gift card for

the best dressed star! Enjoy wine and appetizers,

while you mingle and network at Sierra Vista’s first

Oscar Party!

Congressional District 2 Forum

Buena High School PAC

Wednesday, October 17th

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Learn what the Congressional District 2 candidates,

Congressman Ron Barber (D) and Martha

McSally (R), have to say about issues affecting you

and your community. Sponsored by the Sierra Vista

Area Chamber.

Schedule of Events

October 9th - Legislative Affairs

Committee Meeting, Sierra Vista

Chamber, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

October 10th - SCF Luncheon, Sierra

Vista Chamber, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

October 10th - Ambassador’s Meeting,

Sonoita Vineyards, 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

October 11th - Business at Twilight,

Prestige Assisted Living, 5:00 p.m.

October 17th - Leadership Sierra Vista -

Government Day

October 17th - Congressional District 2

Forum, Buena High School PAC, 6:00

p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

October 24th - Military Affairs Meeting,

Sierra Vista Chamber, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00

a.m.

October 26th - Chamber101, Sierra Vista

Chamber, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Page 4 Newsletter Title

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9

LAC

10 SCF/

Ambassador 11

BAT

12 13

14 15 16 17 Leader-

ship/ CD2

Forum

18 19 20

21 22 23 24

MAC

25 26

101

27

28 29 30 31

October 2012

Page 5 Volume 2012, Issue 10

Events at A Glance

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

Clockwise from top left: John welcoming the public

into the Forks & Corks Exhibit; Grasshopper Land-

scaping, Oasis Water Harvetsing, and the Cochise

Water Project decoration for Forks & Corks; Ven-

dors gaining exposure and SALES during the Home

& Business Expo; An overhead picture at the start

of the Home & Business Expo; Galleria de Coro-

nado celebrating their grand opening with a ribbon

cutting ceremony. Ann-Eve Pedersen, President of

Arizona Education Parent Network, giving a pres-

entation on Proposition 204 at the Chamber; Laser

Cosmetic’s Business at Twilight; Au Naturale

Health & Wellness Center celebrating their grand

opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Page 6 The Chamber Vista

Funding Transportation Infrastructure in Arizona

Few realize how big Arizona really is - only six other states are larger. In

terms of transportation, this means

planning and maintaining 28,348 lane

miles, nearly 30,000 freeway signs and over 4,700 bridges. Your Arizona

Department of Transportation,

(ADOT) is more than just about building freeways--we are a

multi-model agency also responsible

for planning transit and many aviation

operations throughout Arizona.

ADOT’s leadership believes that there

is a strong and direct link between a

quality transportation system and a vibrant economy. The swift movement

of goods, services and people are

critical to a thriving economy and a

high quality of life in Arizona. Recognizing that transportation

infrastructure is one of the key

foundations of economic development, ADOT developed the Long Range

Transportation Plan (LRTP) which was

adopted by the State Transportation Board in November of 2011. This

multi-modal plan identifies the needs

at $88.9 billion with projected reve-

nues of $26.2 billion over a 25 year

timeframe.

So how do we pay for this? ADOT’s

traditional funding sources include the gas tax, vehicle licensing fees and

monies from federal programs. But

these funding sources are highly sensitive to economic conditions and

political decision making at the state

and federal levels.

Many consider the federal or state gas tax as the ultimate user fee and the

foundation for transportation funding.

While true, neither the federal or state gas tax has changed since the early

1990’s. For every gallon of gas

purchased, the state receives 18.4 cents

in revenue and the federal government receives 18 cents in revenue. Fuel

consumption dictates the health of this

fundamental funding source for ADOT. Recent rising gas prices, the

economy and driver habits have im-

pacted behavioral changes and resulted

in a decline in gas tax collections for

Arizona.

This decline means ADOT must adjust

its business plan for the future. ADOT

has been known as an agency of high-way expansion, traditionally spending

76% of revenues on new capacity.

With declining revenues, our agency’s

business plan will shift to largely pres-ervation and maintenance, with limited

funding for new highway expansion.

ADOT’s Office of Public Affairs is reaching out to inform local

government leaders, chambers of com-

merce, trade associations, the business

community and you on the status of today’s transportation needs. ADOT

understands the key to Arizona’s eco-

nomic recovery is a vibrant multi-modal transportation system. By

working together to build partnerships

in the community, we can address

these important fiscal issues with inno-vative solutions while ensuring a sus-

tainable transportation system for gen-

erations to come.

Visit our blog to learn more about how

transportation is funded in Arizona:

http://adotblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/

funding-arizona-transportation.html

For the past 7 years, Air Evac 22’s Sierra Vista Airport base has played a

critical role in providing air medical

services to the community. Air Evac

22 in Sierra Vista has served as a model program for Air Evac, as well

as other air ambulance programs.

After a thorough review of our

operations in Sierra Vista, we made the decision to focus on our core

business and to invest in areas that

provide the greatest benefit to the

community.

It is with great pleasure that we

announce that we have added an

additional aircraft to the area to serve

the community.

The new base started operations on

September 14, 2012 and is now located

at Sierra Vista

Regional Health Center. This location

at the hospital will be known as Air

Evac 24 Sierra Vista.

The exiting base, Air Evac 22 located at the Sierra Vista Airport, will remain

at its current location.

Together both of these bases along with the UMC neonatal transport team

will work closely to serve

Sierra Vista and its surrounding

communities to fulfill our mission “of providing worldwide helicopter

services that are unsurpassed in safety

and customer satisfaction”.

We are looking forward to making a more pronounced positive impact on

the area.

Please feel free to call me anytime if

you have any questions. Thank you again for your continued support of Air

Evac Services. We look forward to

continuing to serve you.

Rachel Alvarez

Regional Director

Air Evac Adds Additional Aircraft

Page 7 Volume 2012, Issue 10

Thank You to These Members for Renewing Their Commitment to The Business Community:

A Special Welcome to Our New Members! Cookie Lee with Misty Dennis -

(910) 987-6615

Great Living Waters -

(520) 826-1977

Griggs Online -

(800) 370-5652

Huachuca Business Spouses Club -

(910) 987-6615

Huachuca Shuttle & Taxi -

(520) 439-0439

Kanda Candles -

(520) 335-2471

MV35 Concrete LLC -

(520) 456-1733

Tony's Cards -

(520) 459-7768

Valor HospiceCare & PalliativeCare -

(520) 458-9450

All Saints Catholic School

Apria Healthcare

Arizona’s G&T

Bisbee After 5

BrightStar

CGI

Clark Information Systems

Cochise County Workforce

Development

Famous Sam’s Fun, Food, &

Spirits

Freedom from Bookkeeping,

LLC.

Hal Thomas

Hampton Inn

ICE (Intelligence Communica-

tions & Engineering)

Immanuel Lutheran Church

J & L Auto Specialties/

Newman Glass Co

Jack Furrier’s Wester tire &

Cauto Care

Liberty Utilities

Long Realty Company

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

– Eric Witt

Office Smart, Inc.

Quality Inn

Rodeway Inn & Suites

Saguaro Podiatry Associates,

PLLC

Screaming Banshee Pizza

Southwest Systems Engineer-

ing Corporation (SSEC)

Stan’s Fence Company

Sutherlands

Tap Into Wellness

Truly Nolen

Wendy’s

Executive Club Members A+ Texture

American Family Insurance

American Systems

Arizona Water Company

Best Buy

BrightStar

CACI, Inc.

Campstone Transfer, Inc.

Castle & Cooke Arizona, Inc.

Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC

CGI

CerendipiTees

Cherry Creek Radio

City of Sierra Vista

Coca-Cola Refreshments USA, Inc.

Cox Communications

Data Systems & Technology, Inc.

Dental Village

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriot

Farmers Insurance - Ginny Francis

Garden Terrace Assisted Living Home

General Dynamics Information

Technology

Horizon Moving Systems of Sierra Vista,

Inc.

Huachuca Mountain Insurance Agency

KKYZ Radio

Landmark Café

Lawley Automotive Center

Lawley’s Team Ford

Life Care Center

Long Realty Co.

Longhorn Restaurant

Mall at Sierra Vista

ManTech Telecommunications & Info

Systems

Mobile Marketing Blueprint

Mr. Fix It of Sierra Vista, LLC

National Bank of Arizona

Navy Federal Credit Union

Netmedix IT Solutions

New Frontier Animal Medical Center

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Patio Pools & Spas

Pioneer Title Agency

Pueblo del Sol Country Club

Restless Wings Photography

Rosemont Copper Company

Salient Federal Solutions

Sentrillion

Sierra Vista Ace Hardware

Sierra Vista Herald Bisbee Daily Review

Sierra Vista Regional Health Center

Southeastern Arizona Contractors

Association

Southwest Gas Corporation

Southwestern Eye Center

Stachel & Associates, P.C.

STG Inc.

Stilwell’s Learning Center, LLC

Suburban Extended Stay Hotels

Sulpher Springs Valley Electric Coop.

Sun Canyon Inn

The Boeing Company

TDY Housing

TMS - Ty Media Services

TownePlace Suites by Marriott

University of Phoenix -Sierra Vista

Campus

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Wayland Baptist University

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

Windemere Hotel & Conference Center

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 Chair Elect - Jean Giuffrida, Long Realty Treasurer - 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 Randy Sueskind Pamela Anderson - Landmark Café Jack Blair - Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative Anita Farrow - National Bank of Arizona Joe Stroud - Edwards Financial, Inc. 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, [email protected] Membership & Marketing Director- John Hargraves III, [email protected] Communications Director - David Elkins, [email protected] Office Manager - Toni Rogers, [email protected] Events Coordinator - Diane Erwin, [email protected]