Chamber makes new start with old name
In a “back to the future” move this week, the Silicon Valley Organization announced it had rebranded itself as the San Jose Chamber of Commerce — signaling another change for the valley’s largest business advocacy group in the past year.
Derrick Seaver took over as CEO of the SVO in April, succeeding Matt Mahood, who resigned in the aftermath of a scandal involving a racist political ad that drove away many members. The group dissolved its political action committee, and now has jettisoned the SVO name after four years.
But will it be enough to revive the chamber’s tarnished reputation?
Seaver says that remains to be seen in time, noting the chamber’s swerve away from politics is coupled with a renewed emphasis on helping small- to medium-sized businesses. “We’re going to have to back it up,” he said at the San Jose Chamber BBQ on Thursday night, where the new name was announced to about 700 guests.
While founded in 1886 as the Santa Clara Valley Board of Trade, the group was known as the San Jose Chamber of Commerce for most of the 20th century, until 1988 when it became the San Jose Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1997.
Everyone I talked to at the barbecue at History Park on
Thursday night supported the name change (including a few people who backed the change to the Silicon Valley Organization in 2017).
Jim Cunneen, who served as CEO of the chamber from 2001-05, said he was a fan, too. “It’s going back to its roots and to a smart city brand that you know will have a reservoir of good will,” he said.
Ditching the Silicon Valley Organization name was high on Seaver’s to-do list and the only question the board deliberated on was whether it should be “San Jose” or “Silicon Valley.”
“It was a unanimous vote and not just for show. We haven’t had anything with this level of unanimity like this,” he said. “San Jose is the 10th largest city in the country and it deserves its own chamber of commerce. It’s getting recognized now, or it will be soon, and we want to be part of that.”
WILDER WELCOME >> There was quite a surprise waiting for Valley Medical Center Foundation Executive Director Chris Wilder when his wife, Kate Wilder, wheeled him out of the Sobrato Pavilion at VMC on Friday afternoon. About three dozen friends and co-workers were waiting outside to cheer him on as he left the rehabilitation center where he’s been recovering from a stroke in March.
Wilder waved to the group — which included San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Michael Elliott, the VMC Foundation’s acting executive director — and it was pretty obvious he was smiling beneath his mask. No doubt the outpouring of support will help Wilder during the next stage of his recovery.
SV PRIDE UPDATE >> The board of directors of Silicon Valley Pride released a statement Friday that delved further into their decision to not have uniformed law enforcement officers marching in today’s parade in downtown San Jose.
“Silicon Valley Pride seeks to address the concerns from LGBTQ+ community members and allies over having a large law enforcement presence at the event,” the statement said in part. “We believe that we can increase the strength of relationships between our LGBTQ+ community and law enforcement by meeting and engaging as individuals outside of the uniforms that represent our careers. Welcoming the many officers that are members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community to attend in civilian clothes is our way of addressing such concerns.”
AUTOS IN ALVISO >> Car fans can come out Labor Day weekend to see hundreds of hot rods, vintage Mustangs and cool Corvettes at the Santos Family Car show, a free event taking place for the 15th year on Sept. 4 on North First Street in Alviso. There’s no registration fee for cars at the show, which opens at 7 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m.
“We have been very successful all these years, thanks to the many volunteers and the support of the community,” Richard Santos said, adding that proceeds from a raffle at the show will go toward the Santa Visits Alviso scholarship program.
BOO>> It seems there are few things scarier than an uptick in COVID-19 cases because the Boo Crew that constructs an elaborate haunted house on Church Drive in South San Jose decided to pull the plug on plans for this year.
“With the current rapid rise in the virus variant and how it is now causing many children to become ill, we feel we can not endanger our small fans, especially in the enclosed environment,” the Facebook announcement said. “Policing our fans would take away from the thrills and scares we would want to share with you all.”
Funds raised through a garage sale this year will be banked for the 2022 project, and donations made through GoFundMe will be refunded back to fans.