Members and invited guests braved the bitter cold and wind-driven rain to attend the Founding Conference of the Green Chamber of Commerce Saturday, January 26th, 2008 – an event hosted by EBMUD in their lovely green-certified building in downtown Oakland.

EBMUD Director Andy Katz welcomed the crowd gathered there, an enthusiastic super-charged group that included fifteen business members -- many firms represented by several individuals -- and more than twenty other invited guests. Director Katz outlined the hard work being done by EBMUD to insure a clean water supply, as well as many innovative programs currently underway to treat waste and conserve water.

Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson strongly supported the formation of our Chamber, pointing to the great need to combat global warming, develop the next clean green generation of energy, and create green collar jobs. He outlined the many positive steps undertaken by the County of Alameda and City of Oakland to dramatically reduce their carbon footprint.

Supervisor Carson has been on the cutting edge of addressing the issues facing both residents and businesses in their efforts to reduce global warming and conserve natural resources. As one of the founders of StopWaste.org and past president of Economic Development Alliance for Business (EDAB) he has played a key leadership role in significant progress being achieved locally. Supervisor Carson enthusiastically endorsed efforts by the Green Chamber of Commerce (GCC) to help develop a partnership between business and government needed for success in creating a sustainable economy nationwide.

Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin outlined the challenges facing the green business movement in her city, and cited the growing success of efforts to attract sustainable businesses there. She pointed to the achievements of “Greening Richmond,” an event organized by our Chamber October 21st. 2007, as an example of how to successfully educate both the business community and the community at large about the challenges posed by global warming and  conserving natural resources while promoting local green and sustainable businesses.

Mayor McLaughlin also pointed to successful efforts locally such as Solar Richmond, and the relocation of green businesses to that town – firms like Vetrazzo, another Chamber member.

Addressing the need for business and residents to address the international issue of global warming and the challenges it poses, she pointed out that the Chinese characters for difficulty also include a pictograph that translates into the word "opportunity."

“Where there is difficulty there is also opportunity,”  Mayor McLaughlin declared.  And we whole-heartedly agree.

GCC Board member Olivia Teter described with passion her evolution as a designer to her current position as chief creative officer for Vetrazzo. Ms. Teter shared with the audience at our Founding Conference both her personal commitment - and that of our Chamber -- to taking into careful account People, Planet and Profit. She stressed how essential it is that we do business in a socially responsible manner.

Berkeley City Council member Kriss Worthington spoke enthusiastically about the Green Chamber of Commerce. Councilman Worthington has attended every event staged by our young Chamber, including Greening Albany, Greening Richmond, and our four business mixers – quite a number of events for an organization that is less than eight months old.

Councilmember Worthington also pointed to the crucial work that lay ahead for environmentalists, green businesses, public servants and individuals.

Mara DeFilippis (Invest Green) – Co-Founder of the Green Chamber of Commerce and Founder of the GCC chapter in Arizona - described the conditions that face green businesses in that state. “We have a lot of work to do,” she said. “There is no Green Business Program, no StopWaste.org, not even curbside recycling – much less compost collection – available for businesses in our area,” she said. “In fact, there are some people in Arizona who still don’t get it and question whether global warming is real or a hoax,” Ms. DeFelippis said.

Ms. DeFelippis made many important points that our Chamber must take into account when we form chapters across the country. “You just can’t assume that everyone has the resources, is on the same page, or has the same level of commitment that you do,” she explained. “We face a challenge just getting people to the table.” Ms. DeFelippis declared that the Arizona Chapter of the GCC was determined to make a difference.

Three people – including Phoenix GCC member Stacy Wilde – took time from their busy business schedules to come to the Bay Area from Arizona for our Founding Conference. Next year we are confident we'll have delegates from around the country.

Acting Chamber President James Carter said there were people and organizations in Portland, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Tampa who have expressed interested in forming chapters. “This is just the beginning,” Carter said. "We're going to grow like wildflowers now."

The Conference

For the next three and 1/2 hours, members and invited guests went over our proposed mission statement with a fine tooth comb, key elements of our by-laws, and our membership requirements.

Scott Barrett, a most capable member of the Board of Directors, organized the Founding Conference, and capably displayed via PowerPoint each and every issue and retooled sentence and phrase considered by the Founding Conference. Scott - who is also with Vetrazzo - will be forming a Chapter of the Green Chamber of Commerce in Marin County soon.

The conference ended with loud cheers and applause as the members gathered there celebrated a historic event -- the Founding of the national Green Chamber of Commerce!

Photographs by Joel Puliatti