CHAMBER ANNOUNCES SMALL BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS
May is Small Business Month
The L.A. Area Chamber, in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced this week its list of small business award winners who will be acknowledged at its upcoming 2015 Small Business Awards Luncheon on June 2 at the Westin Bonaventure. Winners include:

• Small Business Person of the Year:
  Travis Mack, Saalex Solutions, Inc.

• California Exporter of the Year:
  Armik Shahoony, 3D Lettering Corp.

• California 8(a) Graduate of the Year:
  Chet Seto, CJSeto Support Services, LLC

• SBDC Excellence and Innovation:
  Constance D. Anderson, Los Angeles Regional SBDC Network

• Environmental “Green” Champion of the Year:
  Bruce Melgar, Urbanx

• Family Owned Business of the Year:
  Malan Lai, UCAN Zippers, Inc.

• Financial Services Champion of the Year:
  Silverio Robledo, SO CAL CDC

• Veteran Business Champion of the Year:
  Rene Cota, CMG Alliance

• Minority Business Champion of the Year:
  Martha C. De la Torre, El Classificado Network

• Women in Business Champion of the Year:
  Mary Wagstaff, Wagstaff Worldwide Public Relations, Inc.

• Young Entrepreneur of the Year:
  Travis Smith, Reflex Sales Group, Inc.

• Innovation Through Technology Business of the Year:
  Sheryl M. Flynn, Blue Marble Game Co.

• Subcontractor of the Year:
  Patricia S. Jackson, Jackson Aerospace, Inc.

The list of award winners comes as California Gov. Edmond G. "Jerry" Brown Jr. declares May Small Business Month with an official proclamation. Gov Brown noted, "Small businesses embody the entrepreneurial spirit that has driven the economy of our Golden State. More than half of our private-sector workforce is employed by small business." At the Chamber, we know small businesses are not only vital to L.A.'s economy, but also an economic driver. We are proud to serve small businesses through several Chamber programs and services. RSVP for the Small Business Awards. Contact Pat Clark, 213.580.7595.


United Airlines breaks ground at LAX
Chamber President & CEO, Gary Toebben, joined United Airlines in their ground breaking ceremony yesterday for a $573 million investment in its Los Angeles World Airports hub terminals. The work is to be completed by the end of 2017. This is the first renovation for United at LAX since the 1984 Olympics. United employs 5,000 people in the Los Angeles area. Read the full article.

Chamber joins Mayor Eric Garcetti in honoring Los Angeles Consular Corps
On May 7, the Chamber co-sponsored a reception at the Getty House to honor distinguished members of the Los Angeles Consular Corps. L.A. Mayor Garcetti congratulated diplomats representing more than 100 countries in L.A., and applauded them for their contribution in fostering closer and stronger diplomatic, cultural and trade relations between the L.A . region and their countries. This annual event is organized by the Office of Mayor Garcetti with the participation of the Chamber, the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board and the World Trade Center – Los Angeles. Contact Carlos J. Valderrama, 213.580.7570.

Growing incarceration discussion held after recent release of NAS report
Last Thursday, the Chamber and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) held a public briefing around the country's swelling incarceration rates.The Committee on Law and Justice of NAS recently released its report, "The Growth of Incarceration in the United States: Exploring Causes and Consequences" that examines the origins and impacts of incarceration in the U.S. NAS noted, "The U.S. has gone past the point where the numbers of people in prison can be justified by any potential benefits." The discussion held at the Chamber centered around the report and criminal justice in the U.S. Contact Luis Barrera Castanon, 213.580.7564.

Chamber welcomes the Hungarian Deputy Secretary of State Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Petra Pana, deputy secretary of State Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, along with 15 business executives visited the Chamber last Friday. Pana and trade delegates expressed strong interest in establishing closer commercial and industrial relations between Hungary and the L.A. region. The official delegation was accompanied by Consul General Laszlo Kalman, and Trade Commissioner Tamas Kovacsof of the Consulate General of Hungary in Los Angeles. Contact Carlos J. Valderrama, 213.580.7570.

New member ribbon cutting in Van Nuys Dames n' Games Sports Bar and Grill opened another location on Raymer St. in Van Nuys last Thursday. The Chamber was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Dames n' Games joined the Chamber last November. Click here to submit your member news.