2019 January Paso Robles Magazine

TRUST THE PROCESS:
PASO CHAMBER
EYES DIVERSIFIED
FUTURE
By Tom O’Brien
Before Gina Fitzpatrick took the
helm of the Paso Robles Chamber of
Commerce three years ago, the organization
was in a sort of doldrums. Saddled
with a substantial amount of debt, a frayed
relationship with the city government and a
CEO on the way out, the organization was in
desperate need of new leadership.
In stepped Fitzpatrick, a branch manager
and business development officer in the local
banking industry. A veteran in the financial
world for a dozen years, it didn’t take long for
her to determine the best course of action.
“What we had to do was really take a deep
dive and truly see where we were on all levels:
everything from the day-day operations,
staffing models, our financial position, even to
what we were offering through visitor services,”
she said.
What we had to take a deep dive
and see where we were on all levels.
The Chamber with Fitzpatrick at the helm
also delved into how it could best impact positive
economic development that would benefit
the community. “Once we really were able to
assess the situation and break it all down, we
took an absolute clean slate and then went to
build it back up,” she explained.
Fitzpatrick then set a series of goals: in five
years, the Chamber would be Paso Robles’ lead
agency for economic development; the “go to”
business resource for owners and entrepreneurs;
and have a trusted relationship with the city.
She only needed three.
In 2016, the Chamber and the city began
forming an agreement to create an economic
development division for Paso Robles, with
the city providing funding and the Chamber
taking the lead.
According to Fitzpatrick, forming a strong
relationship with city officials came down to
two things: trust and accessibility.
We need to make sure we have
a seat at the table.
“It was about making resources available to
both the city and businesses and showing how
we could be a resource to put business owners
in touch with city officials who can best help
them,” she said.
Likewise, the city can call on the Chamber
for vital information on Paso’s business community,
such as data on where residents
are working, how far they’re traveling, and
what companies are bringing employees into
the area.
One such project Fitzpatrick said the Chamber
was eyeing for 2019 tracks Paso Robles
residents’ commute on an average workday.
“It’s really looking to see how many people
are driving,” she added, “are they going over the
grade or are they going to Bakersfield?”
Recently, city officials approached the
Chamber to sit on the board for its new
parking program, which has become a point
of contention among local business owners.
“Some people really want meters, some are
completely against them, some really want
timed parking and others are completely
against that,” Fitzpatrick said. “So we’re
really been trying to find a way for everyone
to meet in the middle but it’s going to
take time.”
And it’s only a piece on the Chamber’s
full plate for 2019. The organization hosts
multiple events throughout the year, including
education programs, leadership summits, and
the annual State of the County in conjunction
with the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce.
“As far as events are concerned this is just the
beginning,” Fitzpatrick said.
One new event this year was the inaugural
Business Walk, where Chamber members and
volunteers conducted short surveys with participating
companies about their financial health
and needs.
Fitzpatrick said another focus for 2019 and
beyond was ensuring Paso Robles has a voice
in all major economic discussions.
“We need to know what dots are on the
horizon,” she added. “What activities could
impact us? We need to make sure we have a
seat at the table, access to resources, and able
to voice our concerns if something’ not going
to benefit us.”
Another key issue that Fitzpatrick and the
Chamber want to steer the local business community
toward is a philosophy that embraces
diversification and sustainability.
As far as events are concerned,
this is just the beginning.
“We are in that process right now of becoming
a ‘Chamber of the Future,’” Fitzpatrick
said. “We’re looking at things like, ‘What
might downtown look like five years from now?’
and ‘What will visitors need?’ or ‘How do we
become more sustainable with an economy that
isn’t so dependent on tourism?’
“We’re doing so well in tourism right now
but we don’t know what the future holds,
so we need to make sure we diversify at all
levels,” she added. “If our roles as a chamber is
to keep our business community strong, a
big piece of that is sustainability and a diversified
approach.”
We are in that process of becoming
a Chamber of the Future.
30 | pasomagazine.com PASO Magazine, January 2019