M A G A Z I N EM A G A Z I N E

SUMMER 2015 SPECIAL EDITION ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! www.saclatino.com

Manuel Cosme, Jr. Shares the CHCCʼs Accomplishments and

Goals for 2016

Alice Perez, One of Californiaʼs Top Executives

Meeting Challenges Head On

Table of Contents

Latin American Festival AdPage 2

Editorial: Publisher’s MessagePage 3

Cover Story: Manny Cosme Jr., The CHCC’s Chairman of the BoardPage 4

Cover Story: Ignite! The CHCC’s Annual Conference in Sacramento, CAPage 6

Mariachi Festival AdPage 7

Cover Story: Alice Perez, An Executive Meets Challenges Head OnPage 8

Feature Article: California’s Drought will Cost $2.7 Billion and over 14k JobsPage 10

Central Valley NewsPage 12

Latin American Celebration AdPage 16

The Staff: Adrian Perez, Publisher/Editor-In-Chief

Cris Perez, Chief Operations Officer/Video Production Mgr

Fredrick Romero, Photojournalist Michael A. Chavez, Photojournalist

TB Player, Account Executive/Video Assistant Cecelia Perez, Illustrator/Graphic Design

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" Water seems to be the major discussion in social media, the press and among government and elected officials, after all, we are experiencing one of the worst droughts in modern history. But, is that really the issue?

! For the many Latinos living in the Central Valley the answer is a resounding YES! As the drought continues and political leaders focus on other less pressing projects, jobs and food production are at stake. And, in some communities, health is also at risk, especially in communities like Porterville, where many homes go without running water for days at a time.! With Latinos becoming a plurality in California, so does the need to engage us in key discussions regarding water, education, economic development and political inclusion. In Sacramento, the local Latino community is taking charge by discussing key issues in a monthly open forum and then taking action collaboratively to effectuate change. Modesto has been successfully doing this for a couple of years, but now there exists opportunities for the entire Central Valley to create coalitions and include ourselves in discussions regarding education, the environment, economic development, and political influence.! The California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is taking such a lead with small businesses. The rest of us need to create a dialogue and become part of the solutions being discussed. I welcome your feedback.

About SacLatino! SacLatino Online, SacLatino Magazine and SacLatino.com are published and owned by POP-9 Communications, a private, for-profit public relations and communications business. For comments, information, or submit articles, email us at saclatino@saclatino.com.

Any article and/or opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the views of SacLatino Online, SacLatino Magazine, SacLatino.com or POP-9 Communications, but remain solely those of the author(s).

SacLatino Online, SacLatino Magazine and SacLatino.com are copyrighted and its contents may not be copied or used without prior written consent. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.

Adrian PerezPublisher/Editor-In-Chief

Publisherʼs Message

Feature Article

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Manuel Cosme, Jr. Shares the CHCCʼs

Accomplishments/Goals for 2016

Manuel Cosme, Jr. Shares the CHCCʼs

Accomplishments/Goals for 2016

" When Manuel “Manny” Cosme, Jr., was elected Chairman of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerceʼ (CHCC) Board of Directors in the summer of 2014, he made a series of promises to reenergize and strengthen the stateʼs largest organization for Latino businesses. Taking over as Chair when the organization faced many obstacles was no easy task, but through determination, negotiation and advocacy, Manny has helped make the CHCC a statewide leader again.! A business owner since 1990, Manny took a personal interest in advocating for some of his clients after seeing them getting sued for noncompliance of the Americans with Disabilities Act. At that time, two disabled attorneys were canvassing local businesses, especially restaurants, and measuring bathroom sizes, door widths, counter heights, and parking pavements, then filing lawsuits against those busi-

nesses if they failed to comply with federal regulations. ! “Iʼm not saying that businesses shouldnʼt comply with the ADA,” Manny said in a 2009 interview. “What Iʼm saying is that the law needs to be changed to give businesses a chance to come into compliance instead of going to court first.”! Seeing a need for public policies to be more business friendly, and believing “unless youʼre at the table, youʼre part of the menu,” Manny ran for State Assembly. Although he lost to a formidable opponent, Manny managed to bring attention to the many policy issues facing business owners. His efforts did not go unnoticed, and Manny soon found himself as an active member of the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

Continued...

Cover Story Continued...

! “Advocacy is first and foremost,” says Manny, a Tax and Bookkeeping expert. “There are so many policies that impact small businesses.”! Since becoming CHCC Board Chair in 2014, Manny has kept true to his word about advocacy.! “Iʼm proud to announce we are now getting invited to the table,” he says. “We now have the best and most committed legislative committee weʼve ever had and I am proud to be part of the team to develop it. We also now have a lobbyist, a Latina lobbyist, to represent the interest of the CHCC.”! Manny adds that a year ago, when he got elected Chair, he promised that the CHCC would make some positive movement toward the better. Based on some of the accomplishments made in the last 12 months, it is evident the CHCC has in fact moved forward. For example, they were able to clear up prior years of financial issues through their Finance Committee, comprised mostly of accountants; they institutionalized the Business Leadership Institute with leadership training at each regional meeting; quarterly Board meetings now include roundtables and receptions with local elected officials; they conducted two very

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successful events, The Economic Summit and the Governorʼs Joint Reception for Latino/Latina appointees.! “My goals for this coming year are to continue to develop our relationship with local, federal and state elected officials,” Manny says. “And to keep building our Board members to high-profile business owners; continue to provide needed resources and training for our members; and, to re-launch the International Trade Committee.” - SacLatino

TOP: The CHCC had one of their most successful “Legislative Day” this year, holding over 40 meetings with Legislators.

BOTTOM: The CHCC held a joint reception with Governor Jerry Brown recognizing Latino State Government Appointees.

Cover Story

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Hundreds of Small Business

Owners to Gather in

Sacramento, CA

! The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, the premier organization promoting the development of Hispanic entrepreneurs andemerging Latino businesses in California, will showcase its business community at the 2015 annual Convention in Sacramento.! The three-day convention, from Aug. 20 to Aug. 22, will be headquartered at the Sheraton in downtown Sacramento.! "We are excited to bring our 2015 Convention to Sacramento," said Alice Perez, President and CEO of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. "With the Latino population now making up the majority in California, our 36th convention will focus on the growth of Latino businesses and the impact they are making statewide in the economy. With Sacramento's Latino business community growing rapidly, it's a great time to showcase Latino businesses for the entire state."! This year's convention theme - "Ignite our Business Community for California's Economic Success" - highlights the power of Latinos and how they are changing the economic and political forces as workers, entrepreneurs, taxpayers, and community members, and the impact they are making in California's overall economy recovery. ! This year's star-studded event will include speakers like award-winning journalist Sonia Nazario, former NASA Aerospace Engineer Shayla Rivera, andmore. ! Mimicking the popular TV series, the CHCC will present its own version of SHARK TANK at this

year's convention. The CHCC's SHARK TANK is the premier platform for Latino start-ups to connect with investors. This live event will allow start-ups to have direct access to potential investors that could potentially take their business to the next level!! "With the Latino population growing rapidly and becoming the majority in California, it is vitally important that we continue to provide as much support as possible to Latino businesses. We need to arm them with the tools, information and networking opportunities they need to so they can have an even greater economic impact on our state," said Manuel Cosme, Chair of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Board of Directors. "At this year's convention, we look forward to celebrating the wonderful contributions and sharing the many success stories that Latino businesses are experiencing throughout California." ! Cathy Rodriguez, President and CEO of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber is very excited that Sacramento has been chosen to host this major business event.! "The CHCC Annual Convention is a tremendous opportunity to showcase the Sacramento region and what it's doing in business, arts, sports, and culinary experiences," Rodriguez said., "The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will continue our goal of connecting members to more successful ways of increasing their business and meeting or exceeding their goals."! To register for the convention or to inquire about the business expo or sponsorships, please visit www.cahcc.com or call (916) 444-2221.

Executive Director was hired and fired, two Board Chairs resigned, and the CHCC was in an obvious tailspin. Moreover, member Chambers were not talking to each other and many questioned the Boardʼs leadership election processes.

! W h e n the CHCC sent o u t t h e j o b announcement recruiting for the o rgan i za t i on ʼs Pres ident and CEO, Alice saw it as a challenge a n d a u n i q u e oppor tun i ty to t u r n a v e r y i m p o r t a n t s t a t e w i d e o r g a n i z a t i o n around.

Continued...

COVER STORY

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" Alice Perez is a tough person who never shies away from a challenge. Since her days as a bank executive, she has accepted positions where her skills sets were put to test as a manager and marketer. To the many who know her,

Alice is seen as a go-getter and doer, taking positions that are not easy and in need of repair, and turning them around.

Alice Perez, President/CEOCalifornia Hispanic Chambers of Commerce

Alice Perez: One of Californiaʼs Top

Executives Meeting Challenges

Head On

! Aliceʼs experience has taught her that leadership relies heavily on building a strong team, with a shared understanding of how all the components work together, yet independently to accomplish organizational goals. But, how does her corporate executive experience translate into running stateʼs largest Latino business organization, the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce?! “Historically, I give a lot to our community and when I was given an opportunity to take on the role with the local Hispanic Chamber, it was a challenge,” Alice says explaining her role as President/CEO of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “I am passionate of that Chamber, as many of us are, and to see it fail after so many years of success, I took on the challenge. I believed in that organization and I got others to believe also and we plot out a vision, got a good team in place and look where the organization is today.”! The CHCC was different, however, posing a much bigger challenge because of visible Board dysfunction, dwindling local Hispanic Chamber members, and corporate sponsors questioning their continued support. In 2013 and 14, the 8th and 9th

Cover Story Continued...

“I firmly believed that given the opportunity, I could help turn that organization around, but it wouldnʼt happen by me alone, it would have to happen as a team and having a Board working in conjunction with me,” says Alice. “Most importantly it had to be about the members, working together collaboratively towards a common mission.”! Alice has been in her position with the CHCC for 15 months and her work is far from over, but she has made major strides toward taking the organization to new heights, with the support of the Board.! “Weʼre slowly achieving a new level of Board sophistication, where the Board is focused more on policy and not on the day-to-day administrative functions,” adds Alice. “As a result, weʼve developed mentorship and leadership programs that add to membership value and we have more meaningful meetings where we discuss priorities and promote advocacy for our members.”! As an indicator of their growing success, Alice points out that the CHCC has become a key contact for legislators and special interest groups seeking legislative support, which demonstrates the growing respect the organization is once again commanding. Earlier this year, the CHCC hosted a Governorʼs Reception for Latino Appointees, where Gov. Jerry Brown spoke and introduced his appointees. In addition, during the CHCCʼs annual legislative day, they had 45 appointments with legislators to advocate on behalf of small and Latino owned businesses. There are still challenges that need to be addressed including increasing the number of Latino owned business in California and the need to work collaboratively with o t h e r b u s i n e s s a n d community organizations to l i f t t h e s t a t e ʼ s L a t i n o community. “There is still a need for all Latinos to unite, because only collaboratively can we make a difference,” says Alice. “The theme of our conference says it all, ʻ I g n i t e O u r B u s i n e s s Community for Californiaʼs

Economic Success.ʼ This highlights the power of Latinos and how we are changing the states economic make up.”! The three-day Conference, which is being held at Sheraton Hotel in downtown Sacramento, California, runs from August 20th to the 22nd. It will feature two unique components focused on the changing business climate: Shark Tank, where entrepreneurs share their ideas with potential investors; and, A Town Hall discussion, where statistical data will be presented. In addition, the

annual Latina Luncheon will f e a t u r e p a n e l s o n opportunities in energy and technology.! T h e C o n f e r e n c e workshops and business expo are open to the public. Luncheon, reception and gala events require purchased tickets. For more information about the Conference or to purchase tickets, visit the C H C C w e b s i t e a t www.cahcc.com. - SacLatino

Alice with Vice Chair Frank Montes

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Central Valley drought will cost $1.7 billion and over 14,500 jobs

" In what is perhaps the most significant drought in Californiaʼs recent history, state regulators and end users have been looking for solutions to avoid the potential disaster a future drought could cause the state. The current drought conditions are projected to cost $2.7 billion and 14,500 jobs.

FEATURE STORY

! Unfortunately, much of the discussion seems to focus on whom to blame versus looking for options to prevent this disaster, that is, until now. ! Obvious drought-caused impacts ranging from brown lawns to farm fields being fallowed, to limited fishing are drawing much angst among politicians, env i ronmenta l is ts , fa rmers , munic ipa l i t ies , corporations and even college students. Each is pointing at the other, blaming them for over watering lawns, growing too many crops, bottling too much water, pushing policies to save fish, etc. But to see what got us Californians here, we need to look at climate history, past public policies, and deviation from water system plans.! Californiaʼs climate history is easy to track by analyzing tree rings. Based on this method, scientist have found that more severe droughts occurred hundreds of years ago, where a drought actually lasted over 200 years. They also found that the 20th

Century was the wettest in several hundred years. Conclusion: Droughts occur in California and they could last up to 200 years. Solution: Plan for more drought years to come in the future.! When coupled with more people living in the state (nearly 40 million), urban development and sprawl, increased demand for agriculture, and no water system being built in over 30 years, it is easy to see how this drought is spelling anxiety and disaster. But, itʼs not like we didnʼt know it was heading to this. The snowpack measurement done twice a year has been telling us for the last 4 years that a drought was looming. Moreover, in a 2011 critical report, the Public Policy Institute of California highlighted the need for the State to take steps toward addressing an antiquated water system, which has the potential of increasing drought and flood periods. Specifically, the report stated: “Current policies have proved inadequate to meet diverse and growing demands for

Feature Story Continued...

water supply reliability and water quality, flood protection, and ecosystem health.” Four years later, California has still not taken steps toward addressing the competition for water by urban, environmental and agricultural interests. So why didnʼt our state leaders take action?! Unlike technological advancements and urban sprawl, the environment moves very slowly and its negative impacts take years to be noticed. The extinction of numerous native fish and birds did not occur overnight, but the progressive rise of a new building or sale of new personal gadgets can be seen daily. As a result, pubic policy makers did not react to the 2011 snowpack measurement or the PPIC report because neither demonstrated an urgent response, that is until industries and municipalities began to react. ! Is California running out of water? No. However, we are in danger of increased flooding, dramatic changes to ecosystems, and major economic loss if logical and well developed water management plans are not adopted. Here is why that is so important. ! Regardless if you believe the causes of climate change, the fact is the earth is in a constant change, something most of us learned in elementary science. To accommodate for this change, the stateʼs policy makers in the 1960s/70s embarked in developing state and federal water projects, which were halted in

the 70s, through today, to accommodate for new political views. The end result has been the near depletion of reservoir surface water and the rationing of water use by small, yet powerful state agency, the

State Water Resources Control Board. To address the water concerns, Governor Jerry Brown has proposed the building of twin tunnels in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Bay Delta at a projected cost of $25 billion. Through these tunnels, water would be pumped to Central Valley farmers and to Southern California. ! As a selling point, the proposal includes a 50-year guarantee to restore the e n v i r o n m e n t , e s p e c i a l l y endangered fish like salmon, sturgeon, smelt and other wildlife. Seeing the guarantee as unattainable, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service led a number of Federal agencies to

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Central Valley News

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By 2020 Kern County will be over 50 percent Latino

The Bakersfield Californian is reporting that Kern Countyʼs Latino population will hit 62 percent by 2050, based on population projections. It states that Latino population growth continues to outpace other groups. The White population has been on a decline since 1990.

! The report is based on a study conducted by the Kern Council of Government tasked with looking at population, housing and employment trends. Its population growth is expected to hit one million by 2022 and over 1.6 million by 2050.! Other findings for the county include: The addition of 218,000 jobs, with less being farm jobs; Industry growth will be seen in mining, logging, and oil and gas; and, transportation will be at capacity.! The report is expected to be adopted by the county in November after full public review. Ben Raymond, who is leading the report for the Kern COG, says it will be used for planning in the areas of transportation, schools, water use, and land use.! An obvious missing component are teachers, which it already lacks and needs more.

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oppose the plan unless the 50-year guarantee was dropped. The guarantee is a key component for Water Districts to pick up the cost of the tunnels and a major selling portion to Northern California voters. But, in April of this year, Gov. Brown opted to drop the 50-year guarantee, putting the project in jeopardy since environmentalists could claim it to be a major water-grab by Southern California. So what options are available?! Last week, the Governor and the Department of Water Resources introduced a plan called The California Waterfix. Its intent is to take a combined practical and economic approach in resolving Californiaʼs future water distribution. Although it continues to propose the development of the twin tunnels, itʼs design would be modified to minimize the use of concrete and overall power needs. ! Perhaps the most important components of this plan are the considerations necessary to address environmental, conveyance and flows, which have an impact on the cost of implementing such a plan. The

alternative considerations are too cost prohibitive. For example, the Poseidon Desalination plant in San Diego will produce potable water at a cost of $2,200 per acre foot. The recycled water project San Francisco has introduced would cost $8,000 per acre foot. The California Waterfix is projected to cost from $500 to $1000 per acre foot.! Such a plan would create better water flows to reduce ecosystem deterioration and reduce the potential of levee disasters from happening. It would allow for farms to continue producing crops while providing water to families in urban settings.! The California Waterfix will be scrutinized in public hearings scheduled over the next three months, but at least it is a discussion that should have taken place four years ago. What is still missing from the discussion are the development of storage facilities, especially for the completion of reservoir surface water projects that were stopped in the early 1970s. Itʼs never too late for that. - SacLatino

Governor Brownʼs Proposed Twin Tunnels

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