Guest column by Victoria Valencia: Mission is to make Gilroy the best place to live, work and play

Since January, we have organized two job shadowing events and a career fair

By Victoria Valencia

Victoria Valencia

The Gilroy Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to make Gilroy the best place to live, work, and play. Your investment  in the Chamber allows us to do just that ­— and more!

We not only host events like the most recent Garlic City Car Show, which brought nearly 10,000 people to our downtown, we actively promote our members on social media, our website, and even through referrals. Since 2020, the chamber has taken an active role in workforce development and economic development, convening our community partners to focus on goals that will move the needle on projects in Gilroy, benefiting our businesses and residents.

Here are a few notable items:

In partnership with the city of Gilroy, Visit Gilroy, Gilroy Gardens, Gilroy Economic Development Corporation, Gilroy Downtown Business Association, and the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association, we created the Gilroy Economic Development Partnership focusing on three key initiatives: bringing Sharks Ice to Gilroy, developing Gourmet Alley, and activating the Recreation Gateway Area (Gilroy Gardens and surrounding lands). We are proud to say the ball is rolling on all of these projects, with Gourmet Alley infrastructure renovations to be completed by June 2024.

Since January, we have organized two job shadowing events and a career fair in partnership with CordeValle, Gilroy Gardens, and Mt. Madonna High School, showcasing local opportunities to more than 300 high school students.

This fall, we will be hosting our annual Rock the Mock in coordination with Gilroy Unified School District, where students will get to participate in workshops and a mock job interview session that aim to prepare them for future employment.

On an ongoing basis, we are also tracking legislation on your behalf, and advocating for business-friendly policies. We work with CalChamber and the Silicon Valley Chamber Coalition to stay up-to-date on the latest legislation that could potentially affect your business. We continuously provide resources to keep your business on track with ever changing labor laws.

We also nurture our relationships at the city, county, and state level to make sure the business community has a seat at any table where business decisions are being made.

If you and your team are looking for additional engagement opportunities, here are a few options:

• Connect and engage at monthly networking events. The Chamber hosts a monthly breakfast, after-hours mixers and a pop-up lunch series. Visit gilroy.org/events for a list of upcoming events.
• Let us know what’s new with your business! Send us a 150-word blurb and we will include it in our next online newsletter (Business Focus).
• Sign up for one of our monthly member spotlights. We’ll send a team member out to take pictures and spotlight your business across our social media channels, getting your business in front of more than 5,000 followers.
• Join our Facebook group, Explore Gilroy, to connect with more than 6,500 community members looking for places to eat, drink, shop, and play locally.

How can we best serve you? Please don’t hesitate to share ideas, provide feedback or ask for assistance. Call our team at (408) 842-6437, or reach out to me directly at [email protected].

Thank you for your contribution to the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, and to our community. If we haven’t already had the pleasure of connecting, I look forward to meeting you soon.

Victoria Valencia is the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce CEO