Mission Statement

The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce promotes and maintains the community's continued economic vitality and quality of life by creating and supporting a positive environment for business; articulating business concerns; and encouraging cooperation among Palo Alto businesses and between the business community and city government, residents and other key constituencies.

History

Since its inception in 1910, the Chamber of Commerce has provided a focal point for local business people to connect and link into the broader community. The Chamber is a non-profit organization governed by an active 25-member Board of Directors and a small professional staff. The Chamber’s membership consists of over 900 businesses employing over 40,000 people – half of which work in Palo Alto every day. The Chamber membership is a diverse mix of small businesses, merchants, and professionals; nationally recognized corporations, educational and health institutions; and community organizations.

Our Past Presidents:

2006-07   John King                         Alhouse King Realty Inc. & Keller Williams Realty

2005-06   John King                         Alhouse King Realty Inc.

2004-05   John Barton                     Barton Architects

2003-04   Tony Carrasco                 Carrasco and Associates, President

2002-03   Mark Sabin                       Patnaude Group, Sales Manager

2001-02   Barbara Gross                 Garden Court Hotel, Manager

2000-01   Georgie Gleim                  Gleim the Jeweler, Owner

1999-00   Paul Wright                      J.M. Perry Corporation, management training & consulting firm

1998-99   Rick Stern                         Stern Mortgage Co., mortgage company

1997-98   Barbara Gross                  Glendale Federal Bank, financial institution

1996-97   Jeffrey L. Vaillant              Electric Power Research Institute, non-profit power association

1995-96   Kathleen Gwynn               Senior Coordinating Council of the P.A. Area, non-profit (later Avenidas)

1994-95   Dawn Miller Tiura              Miller, King & Pasquinelli, C.P.A./accounting firm (later consultant)

1993-94   Stephen W. Player           Crist, Griffiths et al., attorney at law (later Law Offices of Steve Player)

1992-93   Beverly Nadine                 The Tailor Maid, alterations

1991-92   Terrence P. Conner          Thoits, Love, Hershberger & McLean, attorney at law

1990-91   Gail Stypula                      Career Action Center, employment services

1989-90   John Northway                 Stoecker & Northway Architects, Inc., architecture

1988-89   William Reller                    EWS Real Estate, real estate developer/property owner

1987-88   Gary Cavalli                      Cavalli-Jacobi Communications, advertising (later Cavalli & Cribbs)

1986-87   Les Burger                        Stanford Park Hotel, hotel/hospitality

1985-86   Donald N. Klages              Wideman's Clothing Company, men's apparel (later Wiedeman's)

1984-85   Frank Riddle                      Pacific Bell, telecommunications

1983-84   Kenneth Kronin                 California Federal Bank, financial institution

1982-83   Alan J. McMullen                Winston Advertising, advertising company

1981-82   Jack S. Reynolds               Syntex Corporation, biotechnology co., (later Roche Bioscience)

1980-81   J. Barry Gray                      Dean Witter Reynolds, stocks and bonds

1979-80   George E. Wentworth       Hood and Strong, certified public accountants

1978-79   C. William Dougherty         BNR Inc., telecommunications research and manufacturing

1977-78   William C. Seethaler          Seethaler & Associates, management consultants

1976-77   Robert J. Crouse                Pacific Telephone Company (now Pacific Bell)

1975-76   J. Bert Rose                       Palo Alto Medical Clinic, medical clinic

1974-75   James A. Steele                 Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner 7 Smith, stocks and bonds

1973-74   Gene R. Tolomei                Bank of America (served 18-month term)

1972    Ralph W. Rogers                   United California Bank (served part of year)

1970-72   Francis B. Tims                  F. B. Tims Company, certified public accountants

1969-70   Jerome T. Wainess           Saks Fifth Avenue

1968-69   Roy R. Maloney                 Pacific Telephone Company (now Pacific Bell)

1967-68   Allan F. Brown                  Brown & Sons, general contractors

1966-67   James C. Nute                  The National Press

1965-66   Conrad F. Gullixson          attorney at law

1964-65   Warren R. Thoits              attorney at law, (served part of year)

1964    Leslie C. Smith                     Wells Fargo Bank (served part of year)

1963-64   William J. Miller, Jr.           Miller, Freedman & Mathewson Insurance

1962-63   Emmet G. Cameron          Varian Associates

1961-62   John M. Donegan            attorney at law

1960-61   Tully C. Knoles                 Palo Alto Unified School District, adult education

1959-60   George S. Nolte              consulting civic engineer

1958-59   Paul J. Huston                architect

1957-58   Hugh C. Jackson             investor

1956-57   Weldon B. Gibson           Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International)

1955-56   David B. Haight               Palo Alto Hardware

1954-55   Fred V. Cochran              T.C. Christy Co., men's apparel

1953-54   Howard J. White             H.J. White Co., general contractors

1952-53   J. Earle May                    J.E. May Co., investment securities

1951-52   W. Stanley Pearce          insurance agent

1950-51   Kendall Bower                Bower & Reed, real estate & insurance

1949-50   L. Polk Dodson, Jr.          American Trust Comany (now Wells Fargo Bank)

1948-49   Eugene C. Bishop          (also served 1940-41)

1947-48   Ray E. Turner                 Turner & Rohrer, real estate

1946-47   Marvin Vandervoort       Palo Alto Transfer & Storage

1945-46   John Santana, Sr.          Peninsula Creamery

1943-45   Howard P. Stevens        Palo Alto Mutual Building & Loan (now Great Western Savings)

1942-43   Herbert J. Cornish         Cornish & Carey, real estate

1941-42   Edward E. Hardy           attorney at law

1940-41   Eugene C. Bishop          Peninsula Newspapers, Inc.

1939-40   William M. Kelley            Hare, Brewer & Clark, real estate (later Hare, Brewer & Kelly)

1938-39   Manuel Piers                  Piers Dairy

1937-38   Ray G. Tinney                Tinney & Sons, funeral directors (now Roller, Hapgod & Tinney )

1936-37   E. Ray Lovett                 Peninsula Newspapers, Inc.

1935-36   Robert L. Richards         Fuller & Company, grocers

1934-35   Daniel A. Mendelhall      (also served 1929-30)

1933-34   Birge M. Clark                architect (later Clark, Stromquist & Sanstrom)

1932-33   Edmund Zwierlein          Walk-Over Boot Shop

1930-32   Wesley R. Bartley           Bartley & Stenbit, real estate & insurance

1929-30   Daniel A. Mendenhall      Mendenhall Co., dry goods & ready-to-wear

1927-29   Franklin P. Nutting          attorney at law

1926-27   Morris H. Hare                 Hare, Brewer & Clark, real estate (later Hare, Brewer & Kelly)

1924-26   Egerton D. Lakin            attorney at law, police court judge

1923-24   Edward L. Beach            Capt. U.S.N. Ret. (later City Clerk of Palo Alto)

1922-23   Collis H. Steere              Steere Manufacturing Co., boxmakers

1921-22   William H. Kelly               real estate & insurance

1919-21   Alfred Seale                    real estate

1917-19   Joseph H. Borden           Palo Alto Furniture Company

1915-17   William B. Ellen               Palo Alto Hardware

1913-15   Michael A. Buchan          First National bank of Palo Alto (now B of A)

1911-13   Benjamin G. Allen           Palo Alto Hardware

1910-11   John F. Parkinson          real estate & insurance