A Message from Chamber CEO Douglass Wilhoit:

June Was A Month of Firsts For Stockton 

July 2007 -- Well, June has been a great month for Stockton and to those of you who have been true believers, thank you for all your support. For the others I have mentioned so many times in the past who have, shall I say, “been a pain in the backside” to those who have had so much vision, courage and dedication in moving this community forward, maybe now it is starting to sink in that in the past this community was not moving forward but the time is now at hand when we are, as a community, on the high road to success as an even greater community!

I am writing this on Wednesday June 20, 2007 the morning after the California/Carolina League All Star Game. I am looking out the window of my office at the entire North Shore at the Ball Park, Arena and soon to open Sheraton. I can still hear the noise of the crowd, the smiles on everyone’s face, the families having fun TOGETHER, and the wonderful diversity of our community in one place at one time enjoying the evening and each other. Wow, what a night.

To make my point I want to use part of Record Sports Editor, Bob Highfill’s words from his article of June 20, 2007 on the All Star Game.  If you have not read it in the paper, you can go to www.Recordnet.com and read it all. I will only take parts to support my point and Bob’s feelings.

“Not long ago, Stockton couldn’t have hosted an event like the California/Carolina League All-Star Game. Just three year ago, this area’s sports scene was dormant. … The Ports’ home was Billy Hebert Field, an aging relic of a ballpark. … Now, Stockton has a gem of a ballpark, and events like Tuesday’s Single-A baseball showcase are possible. Similar events are coming to town in the next eight months.” (ECHL and MISL All Star Games). “Former Stockton Mayor Gary Podesto envisioned a renovated downtown … He took a bold step. He turned the empty promises of previous civic leaders into action. Ground was broken. Crews went to work. Costs exceeded budgets, but something, finally, was happening. … But what price can be placed on civic PRIDE?”

He ended his column with, “A night like Tuesday proved that Stockton got it right.”

Thank you Bob for saying what we at the Chamber and the majority of Stocktonians have been saying for at least eight years!

On June 5^th and 6^th Huell Howser was in our great city filming for his “Road Trip with Huell Howser” series. He had a ball and was totally impressed by what he saw, the places he went and the people of Stockton he was able to meet. You can see what he saw on Thursday July 5^th at 8:00 PM on Chamber Member KVIE channel 6. The Chambers Conference and Visitors Bureau’s Wes Rhea and I had a ball watching Huell learn about all the great parts of YOUR community.

Congratulations to Chamber Board Member Mark Plovnick on the very successful San Joaquin Venture Funding and Entrepreneurs Conference held at University of the Pacific on June 21^st. It was most informative and what was learned will also help move this community forward from within and from without with investments to compliment those that have already been put forward. The pieces of the complex puzzle of community revitalization are coming together.

Also on the evening of June 21^st the Chamber had another wonderful Annual Installation Dinner at Stockton Golf and Country Club where we thanked Charlynn Harless for a job well done, outgoing board members for their hard work, committee chairs for their dedication. Mayor Chavez swore in Rick Aschieris as the 2007-2008 Chamber President along with your officers and new board members. Thanks to our staff and the SG & CC for a great job!

I look forward to a great 2007-2008 Chamber year. We cannot do it alone and need the membership to work side by side with us as we continually strive to improve all sectors of YOUR community!