Chamber Weekly | Serena Josel to be Installed as Chairwoman at Installation and Impact Awards 2021

Out & About with Donna

Donna Attends Aloha Celebration Showcase with Bourque Music

What a treat! This past Saturday afternoon, I attended an Aloha Celebration Showcase produced by Bourque Music. The virtual event highlighted performers, ages five – 17, who sang and played piano.

What made this event so memorable was how much fun everyone had. Miss Logan, a very enthusiastic master of ceremonies, welcomed guests and as part of an ice breaker asked those in attendance to respond to, “what’s your favorite part about summer” by putting their response in the chat. The responses included popsicles, camping, video games, swimming, playdates, hiking, ice cream, and drinking fresh orange juice. Read more.

News

Serena Josel to be Installed as Chairwoman at Installation and Impact Awards 2021

Jon us for the Installation and Impact Awards this Thursday, June 17th at 8:30 am. This annual event recognizes and installs incoming Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce 2021-2022 Chairwoman of the Board, Serena Josel by Senator Steve Bradford with Mark Waronek as Master of Ceremonies and honors individuals and/or businesses who have displayed outstanding performance. Registration is live. Register at w ww.torrancechamber.com/virtualimpact2021/

J. Walker Owens Volunteerism Award to be Presented to Jennifer Olvera

Jennifer Olvera, Green Hills Memorial Park, will be recognized with the J. Walker Owens Volunteerism Award at the Installation and Impact Awards this Thursday, June 17th. This recognition is reserved for the Chamber’s most dedicated volunteers.

Olvera is a 2004 graduate of Leadership Torrance, she has been a mentor to high school students and a co-chair of the LEAD program; she has served on the Women of Influence, 5K, Business Expo, Police and Fire Appreciation committees; she was a co-chair of the Summer Fest event and hosted a HYPE after hours mixer at Green Hills Memorial Park. Olvera also chaired a Career Fair for Veterans and served on the chamber’s board of directors.

New COVID-19 Workplace Mask Rules Align with CDC Recommendations

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) released new, revised language outlining proposed COVID-19 workplace rules as the state prepares to re-open tomorrow. Importantly, the present emergency regulation remains in effect until the new proposed text is passed by the Standards Board and approved by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL)—meaning the new text will not go into effect until some time after June 15. The Cal/OSHA Standards Board will vote on these revisions to the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) at their next meeting on June 17. Read more.

Three Job Kill Bills Still Active; Would Impose Onerous Labor Mandates

Following last Friday’s deadline for legislation to move out of the house in which it was introduced, just three of the 25 job killer bills the California Chamber of Commerce identified this year are still moving.

The surviving job killer bills would impose onerous labor and employment mandates, and increase liability for employers.

Torrance Citywide Wayfinding and Signage Draft

The City of Torrance is excited to announce that public comment on the draft Citywide Wayfinding and Signage Plan will be open from June 4 to June 18, 2021. View Torrance Citywide Wayfinding and Signage Plan DRAFT. To submit feedback, please reach out to The Office of Economic, EconomicDevelopment@TorranceCA.Gov or 310-618-5807.

Wayfinding can make navigating the city easier and more intuitive, and should be prioritized in the following areas:

On routes to important destinations
On key transit routes and near new and existing transit centers, like the Torrance Regional Transit Center
In places where people are most likely to walk or bike to reach their destination
In places where people sometimes have difficulty finding their way

Learn more at the City of Torrance's site for Wayfinding Signage Plan

Maximize Social Media for Your Business

The Torrance Chamber is partnering with Greater San Fernando Chamber and many other Chambers to present the FREE webinar "Social Media Tips for Restaurants" June 22, 9:00-10:00 am with an optional session immediately following to review individual profiles Learn to maximize social media for your business by learning about: engagement, the problem with "growing your following," business vs influencer, conversion vs following, using data to drive your content and more! Register now!

Torrance Chamber: Promoting Torrance as an Industrial Center Since 1913

Did you know back when the Chamber started, 80 members carried all of the work? That's right! As Torrance budded as a community, it was determined that an organization was needed to promote Torrance as an industrial center. Even through World War I, though activity was slowed, the Chamber formed its board of directors and was later incorporated. Read more from the Torrance Herald. 1981

California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program

Governor Gavin Newsom announced a plan to invest an additional $1.5B into the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program.The Selection process will continue through June 18th, 2021. If you are selected to move forward, Lendistry may contact you by email, phone and/or text (if authorized) to assist you in verifying the information you submitted and your client portal will update to say Selected, Pending Validation.

An applicant is preliminarily determined to meet the eligibility requirements for the grant and is in line for Selection. This grant is not first come, first serve, and there is a limited amount of funding. Applying and Selection does not guarantee funding. For additional questions, please contact the Lendistry call center at

888-612-4370. Please expect long hold times due to the high volume of calls.

Businesses Must Provide Paid Leave for COVID-19 Vaccine

The Employee Paid Leave for Expanded COVID-19 Vaccine Access Ordinance temporarily requires all private Employers in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County to provide paid leave for Employees to receive COVID-19 vaccine injections.Employees covered by the Employee Paid Leave for COVID-19 Vaccine Access Ordinance began earning paid leave effective January 1, 2021 to August 31, 2021.

For more details, including how to download the County's required posting for businesses, visit dcba.lacounty.gov/vaccineleave

Testimonial Monday

I have been an enthusiastic and active supporter of the chamber since Pediatric Therapy Network opened its doors. This fall, PTN will celebrate its 25th anniversary of helping children of all abilities live a more fulfilling and independent life. There will be a lot to celebrate as I am also retiring at the end of 2021. In my role as the Founder and CEO, I immediately got involved with the chamber. It was instrumental in my professional growth but also for PTN’s business growth and development. In thinking about what the chamber means to me and PTN, so much comes to mind. Perhaps the best way to share them is in these words: Education, Visibility, Awareness, Resources, Connectivity, Credibility, Mentorship, Access, Empowerment, Leadership, Advocacy, Celebration, Fun, and Lifelong Friendships.

Terri Chew Nishimura, MA, OTR/L

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Pediatric Therapy Network