The Solvang Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 100th anniversary of serving Solvang. The city presented the chamber with a proclamation recognizing its history and contributions at the Jan. 11 City Council meeting.

The Solvang Chamber started as the Solvang Businessmen’s Association (SBA), which was created 10 years after the town was founded in 1911. The group that met in Dania Hall included A.E. Fauroso, M.L. Baker, H.C. Hansen, T. Austed, Mr. Harsen, Marcus Neilsen, S.H. Lyons and Albert Rasmussen. Many of these names continue to be part of Solvang today.

The SBA was founded to encourage tourism, foster industries, assist in agricultural enterprises, encourage the establishment of new enterprises, and in general to promote the welfare and the interests of the town of Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley.

Todays’ chamber of commerce continues that legacy under the direction of executive director Tracy Lavery-Beard and chamber president Jack Williams.

“It’s such an honor to be the executive director of a chamber that has been working for the businesses and the town of Solvang for 100 years,” said Lavery-Beard. “From its beginnings as a small group of businessmen, the mission remains virtually the same — promote and support Solvang and the greater Santa Ynez Valley.”

“I agree with Tracy,” said Williams. “The chamber is the go-to resource for a wide range of services for Solvang, from answering tourist questions to assisting local businesses in acquiring COVID relief grants and loans.”

Today, the Solvang Chamber is the clearinghouse for a wide range of services needed by today’s businesses in this fast-moving and challenging environment.

“We have a four-legged approach,” said Lavery-Beard. “First is representation, where we take local issues to the city, county and state levels. Next is economic development to help promote, support and strengthen business in Solvang. Third is education to ensure our members and interested others receive information and training on topics that directly affect our Solvang business community. And finally, we provide a wide range of resources, such as being part of the local Economic Development Collaborative and SBA loan center.

“I look forward to 2021 and helping the chamber, the town of Solvang, as well as the greater Santa Ynez Valley prosper.” 

For more information on the chamber visit www.solvangcc.com. 

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Rep. Salud Carbajal announced the winners of the third annual Congressional Women of the Year Award, which included Solvang Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tracy Beard. The other five winners of this year’s award are: Kathleen Baushke from Santa Barbara, Noha Kolkailah from Arroyo Grande, Pandora Nash-Karner from Los Osos, Dr. Anne Rodriguez from Santa Barbara, and Biz Steinberg from San Luis Obispo.

“I am grateful to Congressman Carbajal and the staff leaders of the congressman. I am humbled and honored by your recognition for my work of women in business and the women’s commissions around California,” Beard said. “I appreciate the unwavering support for the Women of Santa Barbara County and Solvang Business community that nominated me for the work.  

“I would accept this award to all the women of Santa Barbara County who fight for social justice, equality, gender oppression. This is the year of the women for 100th anniversary for the right to vote. We would like all our rights for all women in social justice. I am honored to be one of the six women of the year you’ve selected for our 24^th congressional district in 2020. The resolution was passed on election day Nov 6, 2018,”

The Congressional Women of the Year Award honors exceptional women across the 24^th Congressional District who have left a positive impact on their communities. Winners are nominated by their peers and span a variety of backgrounds and professions. The winners represent the thousands of women working tirelessly to improve quality of life on the Central Coast.

“The recipients of this year’s Women of the Year Award are all doing incredible work to make the Central Coast an even better place to live, often without the recognition or compensation they deserve,” Carbajal said. “I am honored to recognize these remarkable, trailblazing women for their indelible contributions and leadership in our community.”

Carbajal will recognize the winners by entering a special written tribute for each woman into the official Congressional Record, preserving their stories and their impact on the community. An award ceremony will be held at a later date and each recipient will also receive a special congressional pin.

Below are the biographies for this year’s honorees:

Kathleen Baushke, Santa Barbara

Kathleen Baushke has had an immeasurable impact on the community. She is the longtime executive director of Transition House, the multi-faceted shelter, housing, and education nonprofit based in Santa Barbara working to solve the community’s ongoing problem of family homelessness. Baushke also helped create the Landlord Liaison Program, within Transition House, that works with local landlords to house mainly homeless veterans and children. Beyond her work with Transition House, she is also a founding member of the advocacy group National Coalition for Homelessness Solutions. Baushke has served on the boards of other related nonprofits in Santa Barbara, including the St. Francis Foundation, Second Story, and the Storyteller Children’s Center.

Tracy Beard, Solvang

Tracy Beard currently serves as executive director of the Solvang Chamber of Commerce, the president of the Association of California Commissions for Women (ACCW), and as commissioner for Santa Barbara County. She is a champion for education and works to empower women to be entrepreneurs and create sustainable businesses.

As a board member of TV Santa Barbara since 2014, Beard is working to increase media literacy for youth at TVSB. She is co-founder and executive producer for the International Women’s Festivals, which began in Santa Barbara in 2008 and are now celebrated in cities across the country and around the world, including in China and Ireland. In March, she was named one of the most influential people in California by the International Women’s Festivals executive committee.

Noha Kolkailah, Arroyo Grande

A compassionate advocate leading with her heart, courage, and kindness, Noha Kolkailah currently serves as the assistant principal of academics at the Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School in San Luis Obispo. As a fierce champion for education and social justice, Kolkailah founded the Peace Academy of the Sciences and Arts, which offers an enriching summer program for children ages 6 to 11, with a focus on self-awareness, global citizenship, social justice and environmental awareness. She also helped start the Muslim Student Association at Cal Poly. In 2017, she organized a “Get to Know Your Muslim Neighbors” event attended by over 800 people, advocating for compassion, kindness, commitment to diversity and unity, global awareness and responsibility.

Pandora Nash-Karner, Los Osos

A motivated community member, Pandora Nash-Karner, has been a consistent positive force in Los Osos and San Luis Obispo. Her interest and work to preserve multi-use trails into Montaña de Oro led to her appointment to the San Luis Obispo County Park Commission in January 1991.

Nash-Karner was elected to serve on the Los Osos Community Service District Board when it was formed in 1998. She has been instrumental in many successes, including Celebrate Los Osos, a 501c3 that utilizes volunteers to plant, paint, beautify, build, repair, refurbish and maintain projects. She has also been involved in the Morros Specific Plan Advisory Committee, Capps Memorial Grove, Los Osos Skatepark and many more in order to stimulate community pride and leave a legacy for all to enjoy.  

Dr. Anne Rodriguez, Santa Barbara

As one of only two gynecologic oncology surgeons that serve Santa Barbara and the surrounding communities, Dr. Anne Rodriguez has dedicated her entire professional life to surgery and care of women with gynecologic and breast cancer. For the last four years, she has served as the chair of the Department of Surgery at Cottage Hospital and sits on the board of the Santa Barbara Breast Care Alliance.

Aside from her professional life, Rodriguez is a founding board member of the local chapter of Boys Team Charity, a philanthropic organization that teaches young men from seventh to 12^th grade about the importance of giving back to the community through volunteering. She has also volunteered with the Goleta Public Library, Teen Court, Art from Scrap, the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, Santa Barbara Bike Coalition, Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network, Montessori Center School and the MAD Academy at Santa Barbara High School.

Biz Steinberg, San Luis Obispo

Biz Steinberg currently serves as CEO of Community Action Partnership (CAPSLO); a position she has held since 1984. She is an outstanding activist who is working to establish sustainable community centers with a special focus on youth and women. In her quest to better our community, Steinberg helped develop the Adult Day Centers, Health Services, Homeless Services, and Energy Conservation branches of CAPSLO. She has been involved with several boards throughout the years, including the National Head Start Association, National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association, SLO Workforce Investment Board, SLO Housing Authority, The Children’s Services Network, the Mission Community Services Corporation, and the Child Development Policy Institute Education Board. 

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Tracy Lavery Beard, the executive director of the Solvang Chamber of Commerce, has been elected president of The Association of California Commissions for Women (ACCW).

She has served on the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women since 2012 and on the board of directors for the National Association of Commissions for Women since 2015.

The purpose of the ACCW is to build commissions for women throughout California and advocate for policies and legislation on behalf of women and girls. The goals are to ensure that commissions for women exist in every county or city and that they are fully funded, permanent and independent government entities that give California women a voice and the best possible quality of life.

Tracy Lavery Beard

For more than 50 years, the ACCW has identified and worked to eliminate inequitable practices and conditions that affect California’s women and girls. Established in 1965, the commission regularly assesses gender equity in health, safety, employment, education and equal representation, the military, and the media.

For more than eight years, Beard served as a board member for Girls Inc. of Carpinteria and has been active in the Santa Barbara area. A social entrepreneur and businesswoman, she was honored as the 2012 Woman of the Year by the International Women’s Festivals, where she held the title of executive director and co-produced its 2012-2015 festivals.

“I have a passion for girls and women’s programing issues; through our actions, we can show girls that they can accomplish anything,” Beard said

“I am excited to announce that Tracy scored a hat trick victory when she became the president of the Association of California Commissions for Women, was re-elected to the board of directors of the National Association of Commissions for Women, and when the Santa Barbara County Women’s Commission received a national achievement award for the ‘Women Speak Up’ events hosted by the county of Santa Barbara,” said Margaret Fitzwilliam of the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women.

With a passion for women’s issues, mental health issues and charitable children’s programs, Beard has helped to raise $1.5 million for various organizations, including Girls Inc., over her 15 years in Santa Barbara County.

She has also served on the Hancock College Bond Measure I Citizens’ Oversight Committee, as board vice president for TV Santa Barbara (“TVSB”), and as chairwoman of the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women.

She has received Volunteer of the Year and Presidential Awards from the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara and a merit award from the Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce, among other recognitions.

She has been executive director of the Solvang Chamber of Commerce since 2015. Previously, she was special events and human resource director for The Dreier Group and executive producer of the International Women’s Festivals, founded in Santa Barbara and now celebrated around the world.

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