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Casey Beyer, a business and public policy advocate with more than 30 years of political and business organization experience, will assume the duties of retiring CEO, Bill Tysseling, on April 1. Beyer will bring his experience as a policy analyst and effective political strategist to the task of continuing the Chamber’s 128-year mission to further economic vitality and community prosperity in Santa Cruz County. Beyer is currently the Executive Director of the Santa Cruz County Business Council and senior adviser to the President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. Tysseling, who began work as the Chamber’s executive January 1, 2007, stewarded the Chamber through the years of the Great Recession. During his tenure, the Chamber launched it’s successful Community Leadership Visits programs, and was an ardent advocate for housing and water investments, downtown improvements, school tax initiatives, and the Measure D Transportation Tax. As leader of the Santa Cruz County Business Council since 2015, Beyer led the successful fundraising that propelled Measure D’s success as well as being a frequent presenter supporting the ballot measure in forums and to organizations. His work with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG), founded by David Packard of Hewlett Packard represents more than 400 of Silicon Valleys’ most respected employers on issues programs and campaigns that affect the economic health and quality of life in Silcion Valley. Beyer’s work with the Leadership Group developed and supported the legislative and regulatory policies that have continue to propel the success and evolution of this dynamic economic region. In 2009 Beyer was appointed by the Governor of California as a member of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Board Of Governors, which he chaired in 2015-2016. His academic work in urban and regional planning and his bachelors degree from UC Santa Barbara in Urban History and Environmental Studies supported his work with TRPA which is charged with regional oversight of the land use of property surrounding Lake Tahoe in both Nevada and California. TRPA is internationally recognized for its work, successfully balancing property owners’ rights, economic interests, and environmental concerns related to the lake and other natural features of the region. Beyer is an avid bicyclist and has been a leader of bicycle advocacy groups including the South Bay Bicycle Coalition Board of Directors in the Beach cities of Los Angeles County. He has rich experience in the housing industry managing public policy and regulatory affairs for a large private homebuilder in the L.A. region. He has political experience including service as U.S. Congressman Tom Campbell’s Chief of Staff and Chief of Staff for a California state senator, among other political organizations. The Chamber’s Board of Directors began planning for this transition in November 2015. In addition to developing an executive search process that attracted more than 100 applicants, the board and staff transferred elements of the Chamber’s administrative functions to a local association management company, BTF Enterprises, to facilitate a smooth transition of accounting, payroll, website management, communications, and other administrative functions. Over the past two months Beyer and Tysseling have worked with the Chamber’s Board of Directors to develop a work plan for Chamber operations over the remainder of 2017. Proposed elements of this plan include a Community Leadership Visit to focus on housing, as well as the Chamber’s annual program of luncheons, workshops, and the annual Awards Dinner. The central focus of Chamber advocacy for the remainder of 2017 will be transportation (especially the use of Measure D funds) and housing (especially the corridor plans and downtown development measures) although the Chamber will continue to monitor a variety of public policy issues.
Casey Beyer, a business and public policy advocate with more than 30 years of political and business organization experience, will assume the duties of retiring CEO, Bill Tysseling, on April 1. Beyer will bring his experience as a policy analyst and effective political strategist to the task of continuing the Chamber’s 128-year mission to further economic vitality and community prosperity in Santa Cruz County. Beyer is currently the Executive Director of the Santa Cruz County Business Council and senior adviser to the President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.
Tysseling, who began work as the Chamber’s executive January 1, 2007, stewarded the Chamber through the years of the Great Recession. During his tenure, the Chamber launched it’s successful Community Leadership Visits programs, and was an ardent advocate for housing and water investments, downtown improvements, school tax initiatives, and the Measure D Transportation Tax.
As leader of the Santa Cruz County Business Council since 2015, Beyer led the successful fundraising that propelled Measure D’s success as well as being a frequent presenter supporting the ballot measure in forums and to organizations.
His work with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG), founded by David Packard of Hewlett Packard represents more than 400 of Silicon Valleys’ most respected employers on issues programs and campaigns that affect the economic health and quality of life in Silcion Valley. Beyer’s work with the Leadership Group developed and supported the legislative and regulatory policies that have continue to propel the success and evolution of this dynamic economic region.
In 2009 Beyer was appointed by the Governor of California as a member of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Board Of Governors, which he chaired in 2015-2016. His academic work in urban and regional planning and his bachelors degree from UC Santa Barbara in Urban History and Environmental Studies supported his work with TRPA which is charged with regional oversight of the land use of property surrounding Lake Tahoe in both Nevada and California. TRPA is internationally recognized for its work, successfully balancing property owners’ rights, economic interests, and environmental concerns related to the lake and other natural features of the region.
Beyer is an avid bicyclist and has been a leader of bicycle advocacy groups including the South Bay Bicycle Coalition Board of Directors in the Beach cities of Los Angeles County. He has rich experience in the housing industry managing public policy and regulatory affairs for a large private homebuilder in the L.A. region. He has political experience including service as U.S. Congressman Tom Campbell’s Chief of Staff and Chief of Staff for a California state senator, among other political organizations.
The Chamber’s Board of Directors began planning for this transition in November 2015. In addition to developing an executive search process that attracted more than 100 applicants, the board and staff transferred elements of the Chamber’s administrative functions to a local association management company, BTF Enterprises, to facilitate a smooth transition of accounting, payroll, website management, communications, and other administrative functions.
Over the past two months Beyer and Tysseling have worked with the Chamber’s Board of Directors to develop a work plan for Chamber operations over the remainder of 2017. Proposed elements of this plan include a Community Leadership Visit to focus on housing, as well as the Chamber’s annual program of luncheons, workshops, and the annual Awards Dinner.
The central focus of Chamber advocacy for the remainder of 2017 will be transportation (especially the use of Measure D funds) and housing (especially the corridor plans and downtown development measures) although the Chamber will continue to monitor a variety of public policy issues.