Chamber Hosts Successful State Of The City

Last Friday, the Chamber hosted its annual State of the City at the stunning Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, drawing a crowd of over 400 attendees. Mayors and city managers from Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria presented informative sessions, highlighting their visions for the future. Kristen Miller, President and CEO of the Chamber, initiated discussions on collaboration between government and the private sector to enhance economic development on the South Coast, strengthen workforce development and champion for housing for that workforce. To that point, the Chamber aims to establish two housing consortiums by year-end. Read more here.

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte, and Carpinteria Mayor Al Clark delivered presentations on the current state of their cities. This was followed by a panel discussion featuring Goleta City Manager Robert Nisbet, Carpinteria City Manager Michael Ramirez, and Santa Barbara Assistant City Administrator Rene Eyerly, focusing on housing, financial security, and workforce development. Housing, a persistent issue along the Central Coast, was a major topic of discussion. View the photo album.

Read more on Noozhawk, Santa Barbara Independent, Pacific Business Times, and KEYT.