Santa Monica’s business community converged Tuesday morning at the SGI Auditorium for the annual State of the City breakfast where a common theme of “game changers” was heard throughout the event.
The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce handed out three awards to those who have made significant contributions to the city.
The Community Excellence Award was given to RAND Corporation, the Economic Excellence Award was given to Edward Thomas Company (Shutters on the Beach and Hotel Casa Del Mar), and the Individual Community Excellence Award was given to retiring Santa Monica City Manager Rod Gould.
Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce president Laurel Rosen spoke about the the tremendous synergy in Santa Monica between the business community and the city itself.
Open communication between local business owners and leaders with city officials is imperative to continue building Santa Monica’s thriving and prosperous community, said Julia Ladd, Chair of the Chamber of Commerce and Assistant Vice President, Property Management, Santa Monica Place.
“The annual State of the City event provides an important update by our city leaders as well as offering a robust and ambitious business discussion with some of Santa Monica’s game changing leaders,” Ladd said.
Santa Monica City Manager and award honoree, Rod Gould, agreed.
“The State of the City breakfast is an excellent means of getting the latest in what’s happening in Santa Monica, and the 2015 event is focused on ‘game changers’ – the trends, projects, and individuals who are shaping our fair city’s future,” he said.
Santa Monica Mayor Kevin McKeown spoke about a number of game changers, including the rise of residents.
A “Game Changers Panel” was moderated by Trammell Crow’s Brad Cox; the panel featured Caroline Beteta (Visit California), Dr. David Feinberg (UCLA Health System), and Tony Karrer (TechEmpower).
See Friday’s edition of The Mirror for a full recap of the State of the City.
