2019 February Paso Robles Magazine

VIRGINIA LOCKYER
2018 AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR
OWNER OF THE GIFTED BASKET HONORED
BY PASO ROBLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Photo and story by Meagan Friberg
Being named the Ambassador of the Year
by the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce
at its annual Gala was a true honor
for Virginia Lockyer, owner and operator of
The Gifted Basket. To say she was surprised by
the award is an understatement.
“I was absolutely flabbergasted when I
learned I was chosen as the Ambassador of the
Year,” Lockyer said. “What an amazing and
pleasant surprise!”
What makes this award special is how the
voting is conducted. The Chamber Ambassador
Team members submit anonymous ballots,
making it a peer-to-peer award, according to
Chamber Events Coordinator Shanay Brown.
“They select an individual who has dedicated
a lot of time and energy to the Chamber and is
present at most of our events,” Brown said. “Everyone
in Paso Robles knows Virginia because
she is usually the first person to greet them at
our events such as ribbon cuttings, mixers, and
our Restaurant of the Month award ceremonies.
She is very deserving of this award.”
Among the current Ambassador team, Lockyer
has been serving the longest. After moving with
her husband, Phil, to Paso Robles in 2006, Lockyer
joined the Chamber in 2007. Approached to become
an Ambassador in 2008, she took on this
important role and has been helping to promote
the Chamber for more than a decade.
“One of the things I enjoy the most is the
ribbon cuttings we do for new local businesses,”
Lockyer said. “This gives me the opportunity
to meet a lot of people and help them launch
their business forward. Another way I am able
to meet community members is by greeting
and signing people in at our Chamber mixers
— I get to see everybody!”
She is friendly, genuine, committed
to our community, and sees the value
of business-to-business relationships.
Brown has worked with Lockyer for more
than six years. She said Lockyer recognizes
the value of giving her time to the local community
and is almost always one of the first
people to volunteer for whatever the Chamber
has going on.
“To put it simply, Virginia shows up and gets
things done,” Brown said. “To stick with serving
as an Ambassador for as long as she has is just
amazing. She is friendly, genuine, committed
to our community, and sees the value of business-to-business
relationships. It is truly evident
that she cares not just about the success of her
own business, but about all of the businesses in
our community.”
Some of the positive changes Lockyer has seen
during her time serving with the Chamber include
the leadership of CEO Gina Fitzpatrick and the
partnership with the City of Paso Robles and
Main Street. Lockyer looks forward to continuing
her role as an Ambassador while also running
The Gifted Basket, a business she started about
three years before moving to the area.
“It was a challenge rebuilding my business in
a new area, but the Chamber has been a huge
help with referrals and promotions,” Lockyer
said. “That is what I like to share with other
newcomers to the area, just how dedicated the
Chamber is to their success.”
In her spare time, Lockyer enjoys exploring the
area with her husband and staying active at the
gym and outdoors. She is also a member of the
Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association,
and the North County Realtors Association.
We just love Paso Robles and now,
to be recognized for helping the
Chamber promote our beautiful city,
I am truly honored.
“Paso Robles is such a friendly and cohesive
city,” Lockyer said. “There’s always something
happening here; so much to do and so many
ways to keep active and involved. We just
love Paso Robles and now, to be recognized
for helping the Chamber promote our beautiful
city, I am truly honored.”
18 | pasomagazine.com PASO Magazine, February 2019