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When the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1984 by a half-dozen or so businessmen looking to advocate for minority-owned businesses and help them land procurement contracts , its office wasn ’ t in the city — or even the county — in its name .
One of its early board members had helped the SBCC use its limited resources to land a deal for office space in West Sacramento . Current President and CEO Azizza Davis-Goines quickly realized the location was a problem and a barrier to funding when she joined the group in 2007 .
“ I had developed a really good relationship with the then-city manager of Sacramento ,” Davis-Goines says . “ He said , ‘ You know we want to support you , but you ’ re in a different city and a different county . We can ’ t have our money going someplace else .’” Davis- Goines told him that if he ’ d help find the SBCC a new home in Sacramento , it would move into the city .
He did , and within a year the chamber moved into its current cityowned space on Freeport Boulevard . That ’ s just one of the many ways the SBCC has become a trusted partner of the city in building a stronger , more equitable economy .
“ Their goal every day when they go into the office is how can we help our membership , how can we continue to grow our businesses ?” says Lorrie Clark , development project manager at the city ’ s Office of Innovation and Economic Development and current board chair
of the SBCC . “ Even those that aren ’ t members can benefit from what the chamber ’ s offering the community .” She says the SBCC ’ s training programs , easy access to information about programs that support businesses and connections to help access capital for minorityowned businesses make it a valuable community resource .
With partners that include SMUD , the Sacramento Kings , UC Davis Health and the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency , the SBCC is working to enhance the quality of life for everyone in the Sacramento Promise Zone , a 22-square-mile swath of the city ’ s most underserved communities . Its Young Leadership Collaborative , now in its 13th year , recruits students to learn about entrepreneurship and leadership .
Everyone welcome . Everyone valued .
RSE has a commitment to diversity , equity , inclusion and belonging ( DEIB ) and believe it is an integral part of how the company functions and succeeds .
We value the working relationship we have with our community partner , The Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce , who help us recruit new employees , network with the local Black community and educates us on many issues within this important community . We appreciate Azizza Davis Goines , the chamber staff , and the board of directors for all they do for the community and the region and look forward to continuing our important partnership .
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November 2021 | comstocksmag . com 9