Chamber’s November endorsements

In 2006, The Lodi District Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors voted to endorse political candidates for the first time in selected elections that have an effect on the community. At that time, the Board recognized a void of pro-business voices which is always a voice for economic improvement for the community. The goal of the candidate endorsement panels is to question all candidates in selected races and to choose the candidate that bests reflects the values of Lodi District Chamber of Commerce and our 800 members.

Over the course of the past two weeks, an endorsement panel made up of chamber members from a myriad of industries interviewed candidates running in the Lodi Unified School District, San Joaquin Delta Board of Trustees, Lodi City Council, State Assembly, and District 9 Congressional races. The outcomes of these candidate endorsement panels are as follows:

In the Lodi Unified School District races, the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce endorses Bonnie Cassel in Area 1, Kanwaljeet Gill in Area 4, and Ron Heberle in Area 5. The panel believed that Ms. Cassel’s experience and student-driven decisions, as well as her suggestions for one-on-one advisory sessions for at-risk students and continued growth in career technical education (CTE) courses, were factors that elevated her above her competitor. Mr. Gill’s statement, “The primary objective of a LUSD board member is to the students,” resonated with our panel, as well as his views on engaging parents in their children’s education and the importance of “setting the standards high” as the kids will rise to meet them. Mr. Ron Heberle has years of experience in community service, on top of his years on the school board. He has been a crucial player in Vision 2020 here at the chamber, as well as the Workforce Development Vision Action Team, and has been very vocal on the Board to move the school district towards CTE with a focus on getting students prepared for the workforce. These three candidates really mirrored the thoughts from the panel and therefore, have our endorsement. We will state, however, that we were very pleased with all of the candidates running for Lodi Unified School District Board of Trustees and hope each one of them remain involved in the community, especially within our schools.

For the San Joaquin Delta Board of Trustee races, the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce endorses Charles Jennings in Area 4. Over the past four years, the chamber and many leaders in Lodi have been critical of San Joaquin Delta College and the lack of support that our last Area Representative provided. We hope to open a new chapter in Lodi’s relationship through Charles Jennings, a former teacher and Delta administrator. Mr. Jennings knows there is room for improvement and sees the same areas of opportunity as the chamber and its membership. First would be a reestablishment of an agriculture program at Delta with a concentration on viticulture for Area 4. Secondly, there needs to be a greater number of students going through the CTE pathways leading to a family supporting wage in industry.

In the State Assembly race, the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce endorses Assemblyman Jim Cooper for re-election over his opponent Harry He. Jim is well-known as a moderate Democrat. He has defended our ag community well, as well as the entire business community. Only on rare occasions, he voted squarely against interests for business, but on those occasions, his vote in opposition of his party would not have made a difference. He has authored legislation that would curb Proposition 47 to reform the ill-effects, i.e. release of career criminals, the large spike in property crime, and the shoplifting epidemic where criminals can go unpunished if they steal less than $950. In addition, Cooper has recently secured $1 million in funding towards troubled Lodi Lake to fight the effects of erosion and to maintain the nature trail. We appreciate candidate Harry He’s willingness to be a community servant and thank him for the time he spent with our endorsement panel.

On behalf of our 800 members and their 13,000 employees, we would like to thank the volunteer endorsement panel for their time. This panel is in concert with the mission of the Chamber of Commerce, which is to be a catalyst for business growth, a convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion of the community.