Dear Santa and Company,  

I am writing in hopes that I have made it on your “nice" list this year, although I fear you may have a few reservations about me because of some of my remarks and advocacy efforts in these last nine months. While I apologize if I unintentionally offended anyone, I work for a small town Chamber of Commerce and it is my number one responsibility to look out for our local businesses and the employees who work for them. 

I think we all knew even in January, that our country was more divided than ever. We were headed into a highly turbulent election season with volatile emotions rising.  On the horizon, was a whisper of something called COVID and our confidence took a small hit. The Black Lives Matter Movement found center stage and made us question are own biases which while a healthy exercise added more heat to our emotions and made us question each other. Finally, the fires in California once again reminded us that nothing in this lifetime is forever and made us wonder about the health of our planet. And oh yes, that COVID whisper we heard early in the year became a loud roar.

Undoubtedly, it has been COVID though that has been the real culprit in dividing us further and further apart. These last few days have been the hardest. Judgment is a strong word, but right now we are all guilty of resorting to judgment of anyone who does not think the way we do. No one is right or wrong here. And while one might say that these rules the County is laying out are completely arbitrary and not going to work, someone else might think they should be more stringent. We are all simply trying to get by and survive. The mental health of our community is at stake and the poverty pandemic which will follow this health crisis will be mind-blowing. In these last few days I have tried to remind my own kids that before judging or before saying anything negative, perhaps it is wisest to put yourself in the person’s shoes you are judging - give yourself a moment to imagine what challenges the may be facing. 

As I have this one last newsletter to send, and one last word to share for the year - I feel I have to ask for everyone’s forgiveness. You do not have to forgive me, but forgive each other for having different viewpoints. Forgive the world - the world is messy, it's tired and sad and sick, but if we forgive everyone their faults and their differences, we might survive and maybe actually be stronger and happier than before.

In closing, almost - we are on approach to the end of a very challenging year, the Chamber staff would like to express sincere gratitude to our members. Your continued trust and investment in your local Chamber of Commerce means everything to us.

I especially would like to thank a few people who have been such great advisors this year. Thanks to the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Our President, David MacGregor Scholes has led us through this turbulent year. Thanks to Jim Foley for taking the lead on many issues and for being Irish and stubborn. Thanks to Andrea Romano for stopping by to check in on us weekly; to Sue Farwell, for your vision and for being such an exemplary property owner. Thanks to Carole Tinsley – for your wisdom and for always stepping up to help.  Special thanks go to Brian Bernasconi for your youthful enthusiasm and to Joe Pirzynski for sanity check-ups. 

Three cheers to the many service providers out there who set the example of what “service before self” means. You know who you are. Thanks to the Silicon Valley Chamber Coalition for teaching me what small business advocacy means. And to all of you small business owners who somehow, even in the face of desperate times, stay positive and just work harder. 

Thank you to our two outgoing Councilwomen, Marcia Jensen and Barbara Spector. Your style, your professionalism and your knowledge as well as your respect for the law were gifts to the Town of Los Gatos. As civil servants, you were two of the best Los Gatos has ever had. Your humility, thoughtfulness and intelligence will be long appreciated. On a personal level, Marcia, thank you for your candor, for keeping the Chamber on task and for challenging us. And Barbara, thanks for the public speaking lessons and for the sound advice you gave me whenever I asked. Ladies, it was a pleasure. Best of luck in your future endeavors.

Most importantly, I have to thank the Chamber staff - Kathy Granger for keep us financially solvent;  Donna for your attention to the details; Fiona for your intellect and thoughtful ideas, Niki for your free spirit and Randi, for pretty much everything else. It has been a challenging year, but we did it!

Throughout this year, our member’s stories of endurance and compassion have been our greatest inspiration. We are so lucky to work in a community in and among all of you. We hope that you feel we have had your back these past nine months and that we have provided you with some consistency and stability. 

So Santa, come on! Bring on the holidays. And If I cheer too loudly and hug too many people when this is all over, please forgive me. 

Here’s to 2021. We Got This LG.  

Sincerely,

Catherine Somers

Executive Director

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Passports are available now at participating locations, the Chamber office, and downloadable. Visit our website for all details. 

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