San Diego’s Regional Chamber of Commerce just returned from their annual “Mission to Washington, D.C.” where they had 40 meetings with government officials and agency executives to exchange thoughts and ideas about the needs for business and other issues in San Diego.
“I thought it was positive,” Paola Avila, vice president of international business affairs for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, says of the trip to Washington, D.C. “It’s an opportunity to have a face-to-face, which is very different than many other ways of communicating with our policymakers, which we do throughout the year.”
She says the fact that they bring such a large, binational delegation to Washington makes a profound statement.
“San Diego’s a special place,” adds Stefani Benvenuto, director of public affairs for the chamber of commerce. “We receive tons of funding in research, which makes us one of these high-tech innovators, we are way ahead on the advancements in pharmaceuticals, we have this great binational region and we’re talking about ways to improve our border.”
Less positive local issues, she says, include the homelessness crisis and housing affordability. Still, they have policy professionals who went to Washington to make their voices heard on those concerns.
“Sharing one concise message about San Diego’s needs is really impactful,” she says.
Benvenuto says the housing crisis isn’t news to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or elected officials in Washington, but they want to know what San Diego plans to do about the situation and plan to model national programs on successful local solutions.
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“San Diego is currently about to undergo a more holistic general plan about how to address homelessness and housing and I know the Department of Housing and Urban Development is very eagerly awaiting the results of that,” Benvenuto says. She adds that they’re always asking for additional resources to test out new ideas.
“I know that the mayor’s office was delivering that message very heavily and did a great job in communicating that need to Secretary Ben Carson and other leaders within the Department of Housing and Urban Development,” Benvenuto says.
Avila says they are progressing in the proposed the cross-border railroad, a Tijuana air cargo facility and a potential new port of entry in east Otay Mesa. She adds that the projects are critical for the “goods movement.”
