Meet & Greet with Senator Kelly Seyarto

Recently, the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce Legislative Action Committee hosted a roundtable discussion with Senator Kelly Seyarto, representative of the 32nd district. Eleven organizations, composed of government and small businesses, attended the roundtable, which was hosted at the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce office in Chino.

The discussion began with light introductions then delved into topics of concerns that are pressing to the senator. The discussion continued with The Senator introducing some of his main focuses and context around some of the ideals he holds. The Senator’s bills can be found on his website here, where a few of his main focuses are around mental health and small business advocacy. The organizations in attendance had the opportunity to share with The Senator some of their challenges they are facing in their business. “I don’t know if there’s a question in here,” said Deanna Margaritha, CEO, and Owner of Infuzion Zone as she was ending her testimony. “I don’t know if there’s an answer in here,” responded Senator Seyarto with light candor. Everyone in the room shared a laugh in understanding the complexity of the issues at hand facing small business owners today such as insurance policies and minimum wage increases. The discussion ended with comments from CEO/President of the Chino Valley Chamber, Zeb Welborn, who asked the senator what would be the best way for businesses to be involved legislatively. “Get the testimony from the people who are directly affected by that (bill),” emphasized Senator Seyarto. He described the value of having business owners attending committee hearings as they provide immense value to legislators when making such important decisions. “Make sure you communicate with your chambers so they can communicate with us,” said Senator Seyarto, ending the roundtable discussion.

Members of the Chino Valley Chamber can take advantage of our roundtables as moments of cross-collaboration and connection amongst leaders in different industries. If you’re interested in participating in a roundtable or proposing an idea for a roundtable, reach out to Community Engagement Director, Julia Cabrera, atjcabrera@chinovalleychamber.com.