Chamber Mixer Archives - Oakley Chamber of Commerce

Oakley Chamber 2015 Holiday Mixer at La Grande Event Center

This month’s mixer was hosted by the great people at The Monthly Grapevine!

After enjoying the ambiance of the La Grande Event Center, visitors, Chamber members, local business people and residents were able to enjoy eating together and networking. Then the raffle began and things got really interesting! It was an extremely popular event, with attendance reaching past the 80 to make it one of the year’s biggest mixers.

This month’s mixer was also sponsored by the Oakley Chamber Corporate Sponsors Cutino’s Tire Center & Feed Supply, the Oakley Grocery Outlet, the Oakley Press and Ridgewater Real Estate. Hosting an Oakley Chamber of Commerce Mixer is a great way to showcase your business and services to Oakley Chamber members, local dignitaries, invited guests, your clientele and people interested in joining the Chamber. Mixers are open to the public to increase visibility to the wider community. Mixers are an important social link for local area businesses.

October 2013 Mixer at Ironhouse Sanitary District

Hosted by Ironhouse Sanitary District

The October 2013 Oakley Chamber Mixer at Ironhouse Sanitary District started with a facility tour for those who hadn’t seen the fascinating combination of drums, aeration pools, filters, and UV rays that produce industrial grade water from Oakley’s sewers. See this post for more details on ISD’s facility.

Some members had difficulty finding the main entrance to the facility, due to the fact that the official address is on Walnut Meadows Road, where you normally find a closed gate and a sign saying “Enter on Main Street.” To get to Ironhouse, you need to drive East on Main Street and make a left on Oakley Road just after Rose Ave. Next time we hold an event there, we promise to include the map above.

In spite of the fact that some people had to drive around for a while because their GPS or phone insisted on taking them to the back entrance, the event was well-attended. The Ironhouse board was represented by Doug Scheer, Mike Painter, and David Contreras, with Tom Williams playing host. Tom showed off the latest industry award that Ironhouse had received, and also demonstrated that although “flushable” wipes will flush, they don’t break down, so they cause no end of problems in sewer systems and in the wastewater treatment plan.

Roni Gehlke represented the Delta Science Center and promoted the Fish Tales fundraiser, for which David Contreras donated a ticket to be raffled off. (Your Humble Correspondent had a pre-existing commitment and couldn’t make it, which is a pity–I would have enjoyed hearing Chris Lauritzen, Bill Atthowe and Bob Atthowe tell stories about the history of the Delta.)

Erica Rodriguez-Langley came to represent Assemblymember Jim Frazier, who donated a bottle of wine to the raffle. (Susan Morgan was the lucky winner.)

For once Steve Harland of Good Scents Florist did not take home all the raffle prizes; they were fairly evenly distributed among those who bought raffle tickets.

Others present include Larry and Sabrina Jones from Larry Jones Doors, Jimmy and Brenda d’Amico from Black Bear Diner, Helen Raoufian from Travis Credit Union, Diane Lasher from Di’s Impressions, Simeon from Transamerica, Jake Barrit from DMR Reporting, Dr. Kristin Mattingly from Oakley Chiropractic, Darci Bowen from Sutter Delta, Dr. Margaret Stahler from Madrona Naturopathic Healthcare, and Lindy Beasley, representing Delta Living Magazine and new member Get2Work Staffing.

September Chamber Mixer at Sutter Delta

The September 2013 Oakley Chamber mixer took place in the healing garden at Sutter Delta, the employer of board member Darci Bowen. Sutter provided an impressive spread, and Cindy Thomas of Wine Shop at Home was on hand to serve the wine.

In addition to several of Darci’s colleagues from Sutter (including the woman responsible for the amazing raffle prizes), there were guests from the Oakley Press, the Monthly Grapevine, ECC Bank, Shadow Lakes Golf Club, Madrona Naturopathic, and Scruffy Dog Productions. Chamber board members Diane Lasher, Sallie Goetsch, Stefan Didak, Wendy Lou Turner, and Kristin Mattingly were also present.

Oakley Chamber Mixer August 2013–Oakley Executive RV & Boat Storage

Hosted by Oakley Executive RV & Boat Storage

The parking spaces have started to fill up at Oakley Executive RV & Boat Storage since the June 29th ribbon cutting, but there’s still plenty of space for anyone who needs secure covered storage for a boat or RV in Oakley. We got to see the security cameras in action (though the motion sensors don’t go into action until after closing time), and everyone who hadn’t yet had the grand tour had a chance to tour Bob Hayworth’s beautiful facility.

There were more than twenty people in attendance, including both long-time and prospective members. Mayor Kevin Romick dropped in briefly at the beginning, but wasn’t able to stay. Travis Credit Union‘s Helen Raoufian brought her manager, and Judy Hester brought a guest. Both Fred Ginsler and Greg Robinson attended on behalf of the Press. Tom Williams from Ironhouse Sanitary District generously purchased the wine from Cindy Thomas of Wine Shop at Home on behalf of the Chamber. Board member Darci Bowen brought the usual enormous raffle prize from Sutter Delta. Both Wendy Lou Turner of Glow Wellness and Dr. Margaret Stahler of Madrona Naturopathic Healthcare mentioned Dr. Oz. Dr. Kristin Mattingly of Oakley Chiropractic had to leave early, but the raffle prizes she contributed were welcome. Chamber director Shirley Darling had good news about the Oakley Seniors. Larry Jones and his wife Sabrina contributed some nice raffle prizes, and Roger Strauss of SDG Architects was vibrant in bright orange. As usual, board member Stefan Didak took the photos and Chamber president Sallie Goetsch attempted to herd the cats.

It took a bit of effort to persuade everyone to go upstairs where the food (provided by La Costa) was being kept warm in the kitchen, but we relocated the raffle prizes and Cindy Thomas brought the wine up as well. The raffle was a great success, with several of Oakley Executive’s employees, particularly Liz, winning prizes–enough for a party, in fact.

Jane Crockett provided the best line of the night, when twitted about her pronunciation of the word “almond.”

“So what’s the difference between an ‘ahhlmond’ and an ‘a-mond’?” asked Fred Ginsler of the Press.

“Well,” Jane answered, “Kenny always said that they’re almonds on the tree, but when you harvest them, you knock the ‘ell out of them.”

Oakley Chamber Mixer July 2013: Madrona Naturopathic Healthcare

Dr. Margaret Stahler of Madrona Naturopathic Healthcare hosted the July Chamber Mixer at Delta Valley Athletic Club. Pho Vietnam provided the catering and Black Bear Diner provided the wine, though Brenda and Jimmy d’Amico weren’t able to stay for the event.

Although several members of the Chamber Board were unfortunately out of town, a number of new people attended the event, including local author Glenn Ogura, whose novel Startup is now available in Barnes and Noble. (Larry Jones won a copy of the book in the raffle.) Dr. Gene Martin of the Fibromyalgia Relief Center of the Bay Area joined us, as did several representatives of Pacific Asset Management and Transamerica, as well as Margaret Quintana of Land Home Financial and Helen Raoufian of Travis Credit Union. (Yes, the money people were really out in force.)

Sue Servantes attended on behalf of the Monthly Grapevine, and Sallie Goetsch, Stefan Didak, and Kristin Mattingly held down the fort on behalf of the Oakley Chamber. Dr. Stahler’s young assistant Sam, daughter of the receptionist at the executive suites in the complex, helped pull the raffle tickets.

We had some unexpected excitement when someone working out in the club collapsed unexpectedly and the EMTs arrived. (Fortunately it wasn’t serious.)

June Chamber Mixer at SDG Architects

Hosted by SDG Architects

Roger Strauss has been a regular presence at Oakley Chamber events since his firm joined in February of this year, and we all enjoyed the chance to look around the building that SDG designed for itself. SDG has a staff of 25, including Roger and his two brothers, and manages the attached Brentwood Reprographics. (Ever seen a 62-inch printer?) The ground-floor workspaces are laid out in elongated zig-zag shapes; the in-house graphic designer and the civil engineering team work upstairs. If you want to see just one example of their work, check out the Vic Stewart’s restaurant and plaza.

Along with both of Roger’s brothers and several of the SDG employees, we were joined by Erica Rodriguez-Langley from Assemblymember Jim Frazier’s office, future member Helen Raoufian from Travis Credit Union, new members Land Home Financial Services, Fred Ginsler from the Oakley Press, Deb Dutcher from Energy Unlimited, Alan Peterson from Peterson Studios, Dr. Margaret Stahler from Madrona Naturopathic Healthcare (who is planning to join in time to host the July mixer and has recently appeared in the Oakley Press and 110° Magazine), two new members, a tax preparer and a natural supplements representative, Larry Jones and his wife Sabrina, Darci Bowen and her colleague Kathy from Sutter Delta, Dr. Kristin Mattingly from Oakley Chiropractic, Shirley Darling from the Oakley Seniors, Stefan Didak from Ignyter (with the camera), and Sallie Goetsch from WP Fangirl. Tom Williams from Ironhouse Sanitary District paid for the wine, provided by Cindy Thomas of Wine Shop at Home, and Oakley Chamber office manager Lynn Stahli kept everything together.

Roger gave a bit of the history of SDG, after which everyone introduced themselves, with a bit of good-natured rivalry among those in competing businesses. Sallie Goetsch then announced several upcoming events: the Oakley Seniors open house on June 15th and 16th; the luncheon on June 19th to discuss California’s economic climate; the Citizen of the Year Awards Ceremony on June 25th; and the Home-based Business Roundtable on July 23rd.

Without Steve Harland around, a few other people had a chance to win raffle prizes. Larry Jones took home a nice golf shirt from SDG Architects; his wife won tickets to El Campanil Theater from the Oakley Press. Fred Ginsler of the Press, on the other hand, won a set of bath soap. Roger Strauss landed both a spot treatment from Dr. Margaret and a $25 gift certificate to Carpaccio from Alan Peterson, while Deb Dutcher nabbed the 30-minute massage from Oakley Chiropractic. Sallie Goetsch took home the big folding tote from Sutter Delta, which proved to contain a sweatshirt, a pedometer, a multi-function timer/stopwatch/clock, a portfolio clipboard, and a set of golf balls.

Other prizes included more El Campanil tickets, gift certificates for business cards from Brentwood Reprographics, a set of decorative coffee mugs from the Oakley Seniors, a gasoline gift card, and a second bath kit. (The odds are good when you participate in Oakley Chamber raffles.)

If you’d like to host a mixer, contact Lynn Stahli at (925) 625-1035.

Oakley Chamber Mixer March 2013

Relay for Life (the American Cancer Society) sponsored the March Chamber mixer, which took place at Peterson Studios. For those not familiar with it, Peterson Studios, which started as a fine art pottery studio, now offers kitchen design services at prices equal or better to those of Home Depot.

The Relay for Life Oakley team turned out in droves and purple shirts with trays and trays of food, including cakes by TL Cakes (Tena Loves Cakes) in Brentwood. (We’re trying to get her to join the Oakley Chamber.) Oakley’s Relay for Life event is May 18th at Freedom High School, starting at 9 AM and continuing for 24 hours. Visit the My Relay page to find a team or a fundraiser event if you’d like to participate.

Chamber director Wendy Lou Turner is on the Oakley Relay for Life team this year and is as impressed as anyone with the level of organization they show.

New Chamber members Jorge and Vince from Make Me an Offer also had a chance to explain their business (reselling the contents of abandoned storage units) and invite people to come by (it’s right next to the Oakley Chamber office) to look for antique lamps and other treasures.

Oakley Chamber Mixer February 2013 – Edward Jones

We had a great turnout for the February 2013 chamber mixer at Edward Jones, even though it was all the way over in Brentwood. (That’s right, you can join the Oakley Chamber of Commerce if you live or work in Brentwood. Or in Antioch. Or Concord. Or Bethel Island. All you need are clients or customers who come from Oakley.)

The staff of Ackerman & Towson Dentistry down the hall crowded in to join hostess Jennifer Jost, her office manager and the Oakley Chamber board (Chamber President Sallie Goetsch of WP Fangirl, Chamber Vice President Jimmy d’Amico and his wife Brenda of the Black Bear Diner, Chamber Treasurer Diane Lasher of Di’s Impressions, Directors Darci Bowen of Sutter Delta and Stefan Didak of Ignyter Software Development, and office manager Lynn Stahli), as did several others including Cindy Thomas from Wine Shop at Home, Deb Dutcher, the Energy Unlimited Coach, Dori Anderson and Hal Hutchens from Cypress Lakes Realty, Tom Cusack from Scruffy Dog Productions, Theresa Bragg and her daughter Renee from The La Grande, Dave Hansen from Ridgewater Real Estate, Jeff Scalier from Blue Star Heating & Air Conditioning, Roger Strauss from SDG Architects, Theresa Galvan from Unique Visions, Kristen Harjo from Silpada Jewlery, Fred Ginsler and Sonia Beasley from the Brentwood Press, 2012 Chamber President Doug Scheer of Scheer Security, and last-minute arrival Dr. Margaret Stahler of Madrona Naturopathic Healthcare, who was two-timing us at the Brentwood Chamber Mixer.

Members were encouraged to visit the Chamber website to check their profile pages for accuracy and submit photos, logos, and other information (such as deals and special offers or upcoming events) to webmaster [at] oakleychamber [dot] com.

We announced upcoming events such as TechPalooza, Spring Into Oakley, and the Poker Tournament. (You can buy your tickets here on the website if you missed the mixer.)

The winner of the drawing for the $100 Visa card for renewing by January 15th was Laura Cunha of Stonecrest Lending.

The food was provided by Dino’s Sandwich Shop, which is owned by Jennifer Jost’s office manager Renee Isola and her husband Robert. Everyone raved about the tomato soup in sourdough bread bowls, the garlic spread, and pretty much everything else, which is all of a piece with the Yelp reviews, so I suppose we can forgive them for being in Brentwood. (Especially if they wanted to join the Oakley Chamber of Commerce.) You can read an article that Oakley Chamber member Charleen Earley wrote about Dino’s in the Press.

For more pictures of Chamber Mixers, visit our Flickr Group.

Oakley Chamber Mixer January 2013

Hosted by Oakley Chamber Of Commerce

The Oakley Chamber of Commerce held the January mixer at its Main Street offices and introduced the 2013 Board of Directors: Sallie Goetsch (President), James d’Amico (Vice President), Diane Lasher (Treasurer), Darci Bowen, Jane Crockett, Shirley Darling, Stefan Didak, and Wendy Lou Turner. Secretary Kristin Mattingly was absent (in Las Vegas for a chiropractic conference). Lynn Stahli continues as office manager and Cecilia Nichols-Fritzler as City Liaison.

Taquiza Limon, one of Oakley’s newer businesses, donated the food. Everyone admired the new Website Benefits Brochure. The biggest winner of the evening was Diane Lasher of Di’s Impressions, who took home three raffle prizes. (Rumor has it she headed out to buy a lottery ticket when she left.)

Join us February 21st, 2013, for the mixer hosted by Jennifer Jost of Edward Jones.

Holiday Mixer 12-13-2012

Hosted by:

Scheer Security

Oakley Chiropractic

Held at the White House Community Annex and hosted by Scheer Security and Oakley Chiropractic.

The Boy Scout Troop donated centerpieces and mini Christmas trees to make the event festive, and Cindy Thomas of Wine Shop at Home provided the drinks.

Kevin Romick, newly re-elected as Mayor of Oakley, made an appearance, and the city staff was well-represented by Cecilia Fritzler-Nichols and her colleagues.

Doug Scheer‘s son drew the raffle tickets and announced the prizes. Steve from Good Scents Florist was probably the most frequent winner, even passing one of his prizes on to Tom Johnson of Les Schwab Tires as a thank you for great service.

Sallie Goetsch of WP Fangirl took home the door prize, but only because Tom Williams of Ironhouse Sanitary District had already left by the time of the drawing.

We even had a few new members join the chamber at the mixer. That’s what we like to see: we’ll even waive the $25 administrative fee if you fill out the registration form on the spot.