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Chairman's Message

REDWOOD CITY, CA - January 6, 2004 ­ It is always difficult to follow in the footsteps of an outstanding leader and Rosanne Foust is no exception. As with everything she does, Rosanne brought commitment, intelligence and passion to the Chamber during 2003. The many accomplishments achieved during the year are a testament to her leadership, as well as the significant contribution made by hundreds of members of our fine Chamber of Commerce. As the third largest Chamber in the Bay Area, congratulations must be extended to the many members who were so generous with their time and to Rosanne for her expert guidance and steadfast dedication to the community.

In my position with Wells Fargo, I am privileged to be able to interact with communities throughout the Bay Area and Northern California. I am constantly reminded of our good fortune - California is blessed with so many natural assets and resources. It is through the thoughtful utilization of these resources that California has grown to become the fifth largest economy in the world. I see it as our goal as members of the business community to take great care in stewarding this responsibility. I also realize the challenges currently facing our state and local communities and the many balances that must be achieved to continue our success.

To that end, we have assembled a strong team to carry on our mission of promoting economic prosperity in our community. Mike Pacelli of Bay Relations, returns as Vice Chair and takes on the activities of the Community Development Department, Cheryl Angeles of SKS Management and the 2003 Ambassador of the year, will apply her enthusiasm as Vice Chair of Membership Services & Funding. Barry Jolette of the San Mateo Credit Union will use his extensive experience and leadership as Vice Chair of Business and Government Relations. Mike Giari of the Port of Redwood City will steer us through an important year for the Economic Development Department. Also returning this year is our long time CFO, Larry Aikins of Terrace Associates. As a new addition to your Chamber Officers, we have added the position of Deputy Chairman of the Board. Our inaugural Deputy is past chairman of the board and long time Chamber advocate, San Mateo County Supervisor Rich Gordon. I am honored to be surrounded by such a talented team of professionals and am confident that together we can achieve incredible results.

I encourage you, our members, to also get involved and make your voice heard. The activities of our Chamber are designed to give you a voice in making our community a better place to live and work. It is only through your involvement that our Chamber will thrive. As Henry Ford said, "Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success."

To get involved, please revisit our website at www.redwoodcitychamber.com. The site provides an overview of all committee activities, a calendar of events and other member services. I look forward to hearing from you and to working with you in 2004. I expect great things to happen in the year ahead!

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