Merger will give members greater opportunities to network
The Venice Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome members of the Mar Vista Chamber of Commerce to its Chamber community. Established in 2014 by founding team members Sarah Auerswald, David Kent, Staci Boggeri, and Elaine Wood, the Mar Vista Chamber of Commerce was created to support and promote the evolving and thriving small business community.
With all the challenges that accompany a completely volunteer-operated organization, the Mar Vista Chamber board of directors decided that joining a larger and more established Chamber would provide its members with greater opportunities to network and would elevate advocacy for their growing business community.
“Our Chamber has always been about our Mar Vista community and pushing to further the success of Mar Vista professionals and business owners, but over the past few years, from COVID-caused membership falloff to insufficient staffing to run the organization, we haven’t been able to provide the benefits and resources that you expected. This merger of community interests will allow our members to take advantage of the Venice Chamber’s wider reach and larger member base and help our community’s members meet other like-minded business professionals in our area,” the Mar Vista Chamber of Commerce said in a press release. “Our board of Directors, David, Allison, Eric, Staci and Cynthia, will still be involved in the combined Chamber, while all-new committees (for us) will provide lots of opportunities for community involvement at all levels, from participation in chamber events, to educational workshops, to input into city policy initiatives.”
As a neighboring Chamber with compatible interests, the Venice Chamber was the ideal choice.
“The Venice Chamber of Commerce is a strong voice for our small business corridors and we are happy to expand our service area to welcome and represent the community of small businesses in Mar Vista,” said VCC president Sunny Bak. “We look forward to hosting events and advocating on their behalf.”
As a part of this merger, all active Mar Vista Chamber members will receive complimentary one-year memberships.