Danielle Cook, president and CEO of the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce, presented the Chamber’s annual report to the City Council, saying the organization represents nearly 300 members that collectively employ about 12,000 people and saw a 16.3% membership increase year-over-year with a 79% retention rate.

Cook described recent Chamber accomplishments — 226 events posted on the Chamber calendar this year, strong social-media engagement and signature events such as business mixers, the Hootenanny and the Wine & Dine. She highlighted partnerships with local institutions, interns from Cal High’s iQuest program and collaboration with San Francisco State University MBA students to develop marketing plans for outreach to new businesses.

On advocacy, Cook said the Chamber endorsed California Assembly Bill AB 470 (telecommunications modernization) and supported city action to remove a 25% cap on nonretail use of business space. The Chamber also plans workforce-development work to address skill gaps identified in a member survey (47% reported communication skills as an area of need) and will launch an 'Ignition' young-professional program in partnership with the Danville Area Chamber in January.

Council members asked detailed questions about membership dues (a sliding scale with discounts for nonprofits and small/home-based businesses), how the Chamber calculated employee counts, and whether the change to the 25% cap had influenced new business recruitment; Cook said the Chamber has built relationships with shopping centers and corporate landlords and will publicize zoning and permitting updates in its January newsletter.

No formal city action resulted from the presentation; council members thanked the Chamber and encouraged continued collaboration on outreach, workforce development and business attraction.