Home>News>The stars come out at Chamber's 2008 Annual Meeting
The stars come out at Chamber's 2008 Annual Meeting
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This year’s Annual Meeting of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce recognized and celebrated its members, the lifeblood of the organization.
The 103rd Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon was recently held at the Scottish Rite Center across from Lake Merritt in Oakland.
The following companies, organizations and individuals honored at the event were:
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Dennis Richmond, “Lifetime Achievement” – Richmond recently retired from KTVU Channel 2 after a 40-year career – 32 years as the anchorman for the 10 O’clock News – and his dedication and professionalism are known nationwide. Behind the scenes, Richmond has been a major supporter of nonprofit organizations throughout the Bay Area, and is the recipient of the Humanitarian Award of Oakland, the highest honor given in the city, and was honored as the Good Scout of the Year by the San Francisco Bay Area Council, Boy Scouts of America in 2004.
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Dr. Mark Walters, “Oakland on the Map” – Dr. Walters is a pediatric hematologist and oncologist who leads the world renowned blood and marrow transplant team at Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland. Since its establishment in March 2000, the program has delivered cures to some 125 children with cancers or other deadly blood disorders. The blood and marrow transplant program leads the nation in the treatment of sickle cell anemia in the volume of children it treats, the research that it conducts, and the care it provides.
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Jim MacIlvaine, “Friend of Oakland” – The special events coordinator for the city of Oakland, MacIlvaine was honored for his exceptional and tireless work with the Oakland Holiday Parade. On parade day he works 12 hours making last-minute preparations, handling the de-staging area, and helping with the entire clean-up. According to parade director Ray Pulver, MacIlvaine is “the spirit of the parade.”
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Brandywine Realty Trust, “Breaking New Ground” – Under the leadership of Dan Cushing, Brandywine’s senior vice president, the company has helped Oakland develop its first “green” block. Brandywine will soon be receiving a “LEED Gold” certification for its new office building at 2100 Franklin St. and is in the process of obtaining the adjacent building, 2101 Webster St. When the greening of that building is complete, Brandywine will own a full green block that can be used as a model for replicating other blocks in Oakland.
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Numi Organic Tea, “Small Business” – A leader in the organic and fair trade tea industry, Numi has held a position in the top ten out of 281 specialty tea companies in the United States. Celebrating its ninth anniversary in August, Numi has been ranked by Inc. Magazine number 24 out of America’s 100 fastest growing inner city companies. The company has also been honored for its use of sustainable packaging and general waste-reduction initiatives.
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Samee Roberts & Steve Huss, “Arts Advocates of the Year” – Roberts, who manages the city’s Cultural Arts and Marketing Department, and Huss, the cultural arts program coordinator, work together to not only present performances for the cultural enjoyment of Oakland residents, but also to fund school programs for children who might otherwise not hear live music. Roberts is responsible for countless city programs, including Art & Soul, which now draws 65,000 people for three days over the Labor Day weekend in downtown Oakland.
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Oakland Rotary Club #3, “Community Service” – Currently celebrating 100 years of service, Rotary is involved with a seemingly endless amount of quality programs, many of which are held abroad. Certainly, the bulk of the work is done in Oakland, where Rotary has granted $11,500 to organizations that provide food to the needy, conducted an e-waste recycling event that resulted in tons of e-waste being recycled, and purchased a commercial refrigerator for the Bread Project, which provides hard-to-employ individuals with training and hands-on experience to get and keep jobs in the food industry.
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American President Lines, “Impact” – A leading global shipping line, APL is currently celebrating the completion of two years of reconstruction at its Oakland marine terminal, doubling cargo-handling capacity without expanding its footprint. The project has also improved terminal operating efficiency, permitting future cargo volume growth in Oakland while minimizing environmental consequences. The terminal, which has been renamed “Global Gateway Central,” was jointly funded by APL and the Port of Oakland.
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Ahmad Mansur, “Leadership Oakland” – A graduate of the Chamber’s Leadership Oakland 2001 program, Mansur is currently the director of workforce development for the Peralta Community College District. He is also an advisory board member for Juma Ventures, a youth organization that teaches high school students how to run a business, and is a fellow at the Aspen Institute, a global think tank where he meets with leaders of economic development from around the world.
The Chamber also acknowledged members of the business community who have been critical in their work in Oakland Partnership. Those honored were Bill Abouti, AB Trucking; Natalie Alavi, NBA Engineering; Larry Batiste, Pure Delite Music; Julia Bussey, Geomatrix; Amy Jewel, URS Corporation; Peter Leahy, Incubate Group; Patrick MacIntyre, Blue Sky Bio Fuels; Joel Makower, Greener World Media; Erick Mikiten, Mikiten Architecture; Spencer Nilsen, Ex’Pression College for the Digital Arts; Greg Pasquali, Community Design & Architecture; and the staff in the Sustainable Community Division of PG&E as well as the Pacific Energy Center.
The meeting also featured a change in Chamber leadership, with chairman of the board Reid Edwards stepping down after two years at the reigns and handing the gavel to the Chamber’s new chair, Bettie Coles, the senior vice president and East Bay area manager for Kaiser Permanente.
The event presented members with an opportunity to celebrate a year of Chamber accomplishments, a chance to network with new and award-winning members, and a way to show support for the Chamber and its many programs.
Award Sponsors for the 103rd Annual Meeting were Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland; Chiodo Art Development; The Clorox Company; KTVU Fox 2; Port of Oakland; Wells Fargo; and Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP.
Inner Circle Sponsors were Kaiser Permanente and Oaksterdam University.
Patron Sponsors were Brandywine Realty Trust; the City of Oakland’s Cultural Arts & Marketing Department; Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley LLP; MBH Architects/Turner Construction; Oakland Convention & Visitors Bureau; OneCalifornia Bank; and Pankow Special Projects.
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