CAHU' PAC's Chairman Sam Smith Honored by the California Chamber of Commerce

The California Chamber of Commerce honored four small business executives today with its "2011 Small Business Advocate of the Year" award, recognizing recipients for their advocacy efforts on behalf of small businesses. The CalChamber presented the awards at a luncheon before more than 400 attendees at the CalChamber Business Summit in Sacramento.

2011 Small Business Advocate of the Year Award recipients are:

• Brian Hawley, Co-Founder/Chief Technology Officer, Luminex Software, Inc., Riverside;

• Dr. Les Malo, Founding Partner, Director of Medicine, Garden Grove Dog & Cat Hospital, Garden Grove;

• Jerry Miller, Managing Partner, IMC Municipal Consulting, Long Beach;

• Myron "Sam" Smith, President, Genesis Financial/Creative Employee Benefits Inc., Los Angeles.

Leron Gubler, president and chief executive officer of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, nominated Sam Smith, saying, "Sam is the ideal nominee for this award. Sam's tireless efforts to promote the interests of the Hollywood business community have been unparalleled. While Sam is well respected throughout California for his advocacy efforts, it is his passion and commitment to any cause he champions that is apparent to anyone he meets."

Smith served as the 2010 chair of the Hollywood Chamber Board of Directors. He worked to secure endorsement of two significant political reforms, redistricting and the open primary, by the Los Angeles and California associations of health underwriters, in addition to educating and spreading the message to Californians and the media. He was instrumental in the creation of the Hollywood Chamber PAC, which hopes to raise $100,000 in 2011 to support business-friendly candidates in Hollywood. As chairman, Smith has been deeply involved in the chamber's efforts to promote California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) reform, including working with the author on state legislation that will help reform the CEQA process to spur development in Hollywood. Smith is on the board of directors of Young and Healthy, a non-profit organization that provides free health care to children of the working poor and which has enrolled more than 21,000 children in the Los Angeles area in the state's Healthy Families program. He also serves as the long-time co-chair of the chamber's health care committee. With his help, the chamber has conducted several health care-related events for its members, including a 2010 "Business Boot Camp," which focused on how health care reform legislation will affect small businesses in Hollywood. In addition to his work with the chamber, Smith also is very involved with the Los Angeles Association of Health Under Writers and with the California Association of Health Underwriters Political Action Committee.

Source: Excerpted from the California Chamber of Commerce News Release, June 1, 2011

The California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) is the largest broad-based business advocate to government in California. Membership represents one-quarter of the private sector jobs in California and includes firms of all sizes and companies from every industry within the state. Leveraging our front-line knowledge of laws and regulations, we provide products and services to help businesses comply with both federal and state law. CalChamber, a not-for-profit organization with roots dating to 1890, promotes international trade and investment in order to stimulate California's economy and create jobs. Please visit www.calchamber.com.