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20455 Silverado Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 Tel (408) 252-7054 www.cupertino-chamber.org Anjali Kausar Chief Executive Officer 2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS BOARD OFFICERS Claudio Bono, President Cupertino Hotel Sean Panchal, President-Elect First Maganson Holdings, Inc. Keith Warner, Vice-President Finance Pacific Workplaces Rod Diridon Jr., Vice-President Apple Inc. Mike Rohde, Vice-President Main Street Cupertino Marisa Spatafore, Vice-President De Anza College John Zirelli, Vice-President Recology BOARD MEMBERS Rich Abdalah Abdalah Law Offices Donna Austin Cupertino Historical Society & Museum Michael Blecman Benihana Restaurant Polly Bove Fremont Union High School District Catherine Chen State Farm Insurance Danielle De La Torre Bay Area Stone and Tile Paul Medawar Hyatt House Hanh Mo Kaiser Permanente Josh Selo West Valley Community Services Thalia Swangchaeng Pineapple Thai John Tang San Jose Water Company Stacy Yao Cupertino Union School District March 1, 2022 RE: SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CUPERTINO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Dear Honorable Mayor and Council Members, On behalf of the Chamber Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to contribute some information and background to discussions at recent Cupertino City Council meetings regarding the City of Cupertino’s membership in the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and remuneration for services from that membership and relationship. While the economic health and prosperity of the community have always been an overriding concern for the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber and the greater Cupertino community that it serves have changed profoundly over the years. From Varian to Apple; from Key Chevrolet to Whole Foods; from Kerley’s Gun Shop to Trailhead Cyclery; and Cali Brothers to the Juniper Hotel. The services provided by the Chamber to the community have changed with the economy and the city. Ongoing programs from the Chamber include: • Provide economic development support to existing and prospective businesses in the City. • Develop and implement programs that complement, support, and enhance City economic development initiatives. • Maintain and distribute an official directory of the City of Cupertino. • Provide the City with copies of directories as needed. • Update the directory as needed. (Historically every two years). • Produce information packets for distribution upon request and at special events. • Develop and initiate business development and public outreach programs consistent with the city’s Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP). • Update economic development outreach program as economic conditions warrant. • Produce supporting economic development data packets relevant to existing and prospective businesses. • Asian American Business Council. • Legislative Action Committee. • Support ad-hoc requests for information and services from individuals, organizations, and businesses that pertain to the greater Cupertino community. • Ribbon cuttings and grand openings. • Marketing and promotion of all events held in Cupertino. • Education and outreach re: new city rules and regulations (wages, waste reduction, transportation, etc.) The Chamber continues to provide community forums in close cooperation with the city on small business support in multiple languages, with special public meetings on everything from Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), women in business, Mandarin small business seminars, to parenting students. of 2 2
During the Covid-19 pandemic, through Cupertino Together, the Chamber was the first to immediately collect donations so meals from local restaurants could help food-insecure members of our community. In addition, Cupertino Together worked most closely with the Cupertino Senior Center. During the past two years, special programs have included: • The Chamber has been the only organization to conduct a door-to-door survey of all businesses in Cupertino during the pandemic, a significant continuing effort. • I Love Cupertino; open to all businesses and organizations, ILoveCupertino.com provides a free means of sharing information on Cupertino's local businesses, community organizations, and activities. • #ShopCupertino and #CupertinoCares are two campaigns that have come to the fore as the continued pandemic and online shopping have combined to create an existential threat for most small and medium-sized businesses. • A job fair, and services and presentations on staffing and recruitment. • Seminar topics include predatory ADA lawsuits that increased during the pandemic, bankruptcy, PPP loan forgiveness, Employee Retention Tax Credit, California Capital Access Program (CalCAP) for Small Business, Go Green Financing, etc. We sincerely hope that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Cupertino and the Chamber can help both parties to serve our changing community better. Respectfully yours, Claudio Bono, President Cupertino Chamber of Commerce