The Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce is pleased to introduce the Leadership Simi Valley Class of 2026. This 35th class of 22 individuals kicked off the nine-month program on September 26–27 with a two-day retreat in the Santa Barbara/Solvang area, focused on team building, personal development, and forming strong bonds between classmates.

Founded in 1989, the Leadership Simi Valley Program is an engaging, in-depth initiative of the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce that develops community-minded business and civic leaders of tomorrow. The interactive program provides participants with a behind-the-scenes view of the issues and opportunities that impact the City of Simi Valley. The program is overseen by a steering committee led by Fred Bauermeister, ensuring that curriculum and experiences remain relevant, impactful, and aligned with community needs. "The Leadership Simi Valley program is designed to build future leaders," said Bauermeister.  "And, this year's class will prove that true!"  

Members of the Leadership Simi Valley Class of 2026 include:

• Alyson Arsenault, Simi Valley Family YMCA
• Joseph Ayala, City of Simi Valley
• Jason Beck, Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District
• Alex Castaneda, Casa Casttaneda 
• Humberto Castaneda, Casa Casttaneda
• Diego Centeno, Blessed Funeral & Cremation
• Brian Elizondo, Logix Federal Credit Union
• Kendall Forrester, Simi Valley Unified School District
• Christina Henteleff, Coldwell Banker Realty
• Garrett Houghton, Solar Maintenance Now
• Nazlin Kanji
• John Leeper, Leeper Health Coaching
• Tani Leeper, Leeper Health Coaching
• Agustin Luna, Element Heating & Air
• Shelley Lyman, Simi Valley Police Department
• Johanna Medrano, City of Simi Valley
• Mark Mitchelson, Adventist Health Simi Valley
• Steven Osuna, Moorpark College Foundation
• Natalia Santisteban, Blessed Funeral & Cremation
• Dawn Smollen, Simi Valley Unified School District
• Heather Sumagaysay, City of Simi Valley
• Kevin VanFleet, Simi Valley Police Department

Over the next eight months, the Leadership Simi Valley Class of 2026 will take part in a wide range of sessions covering topics such as community history, education, culture, business and economic development, public safety, local government, health and human services, parks and recreation, non-profit organizations, ethics, and media and communications. The class will also work collaboratively to select and complete a service project that will benefit the community.

In May, the Leadership Simi Valley Class of 2026 will graduate in a special ceremony and join the exclusive Leadership Alumni network, which includes more than 600 past graduates of the program.

For more information about the Leadership Simi Valley program, contact the Chamber office at 805-526-3900 or visit the Chamber’s website.


Photo by: Fred Bauermeister 
Photo Caption:  Front row, left to right: Johanna Medrano, Dawn Smollen, Alex Castaneda, Tani Leeper, Christina Henteleff, Humberto Castaneda, Nazlin Kanji, Heather Sumagaysay, Natalya Santisteban.Back row, left to right: Diego Centeno, Kevin VanFleet, Agustin Luna, Steven Osuna, Jason Beck, Joseph Ayala, Brian Elizondo, Mark Mitchelson, Kendall Forrester, Shelley Lyman, Alyson Arsenault, John Leeper, Garrett Houghton.

COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility to expand to 50+ April 1 and 16+ April 15
 
Ventura, CA – The State of California has announced that vaccine eligibility will expand April 1 to those 50 or older and to those 16 or older April 15. “This is exciting news for our residents. The County is aligning itself with the State on this expanded rollout and we are hopeful more vaccines will be coming soon so appointments can be secured,” said Chair of the Board of Supervisors Linda Parks. 
 
The County received 14,090 vaccines during the week of March 22. Appointments for 1st and 2nd doses quickly filled. The number of community members who are currently eligible exceeds the amount of vaccines provided to the County. The next shipment will include 18,000 doses. More than 36% of eligible community members have received the COVID-19 vaccine. More than 360,000 vaccine doses have been administered.
 
“We are eager to expand eligibility and have built the capacity to get the vaccines administered quickly but supply continues to be an issue. Several hundred thousand community members will be eligible by mid-April. We hope that the expansion of the eligibility will match the supply from the State,” said County Executive Officer Mike Powers.
 
The vaccine appointment system is transitioning to the state’s My Turn platform. All County sites will be on the new system by March 27. My Turn requires individuals who sign up for a two-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna) to schedule both appointments together at myturn.ca.gov. They will receive a confirmation via email or text that includes appointment information along with a confirmation code. Instructions are included in these confirmations on how to cancel or change appointments. For those who don’t have access to email or text messaging, they can schedule and confirm appointments via the MyTurn phone line at 833-422-4255. The My Turn support line also assists in answering basic questions and looking up appointments to confirm details.
 
Anyone who had registered for their first dose on VC Recovers will need to make their corresponding second dose appointment the same way when eligible at www.venturacountyrecovers.org. All sites are still by appointment only for eligible groups that live or work in Ventura County. The County’s current assistance line 805-477-7161 may continue to support the community in making second dose appointments. Community members making new appointments for 1st and 2nd dose will need to call the My Turn phone line.
 
“We’re concerned it may be frustrating to many people anxious to get this vaccine with what is still relatively limited supply. We’ll make every dose available as soon as we get it,” said Public Health Officer Doctor Robert Levin.
 
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Ashley Bautista
Public Information Officer
Office of the CEO
County of Ventura |Hall of Administration
800 South Victoria Avenue | 4th Floor
Ventura, CA 93009-0001 (805) 654-2640
 Ashley.Bautista@ventura.org
www.venturacountyrecovers.org
​

Ventura County Business Assistance Grant Program
$5,000 Grants Available for Eligible Businesses and Non Profit Organizations
 
The County of Ventura is launching a second COVID-19 Business Assistance Grant Program for businesses and nonprofit organizations that did not receive a grant during the County's first program in 2020. A $5,000 grant will be awarded to selected organizations that meet the eligibility requirements.
 
Application Window: Wednesday, March 31st, 8:00 AM - Tuesday April 6th, 6:00 PM
 Pre-Application Period: March 24 - March 30
Please note that this application is not based on first come first served. Apply ANYTIME before the April 6th deadline!

Eligibility:

• Must be negatively impacted by COVID-19
• Did NOT receive a $5,000 award in the previous County of Ventura COVID-19 Business Assistance Grant program of 2020
• Have a physical address and operate in Ventura County
• Established business and opened prior to 2021
• Annual gross revenue between $25,000 and $2.5 million
• Currently operating or have a plan to re-open once the health orders allow
• Business or nonprofit organization with multiple entities, franchises, locations, etc. may not submit multiple applications. The organization may submit a single application for the location with the highest annual gross revenue.
• Business or nonprofit may submit only one application, regardless of the number of owners of the business
• Must be registered at www.vcreopens.com and have a history of compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols
• Nonprofit organization must be a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6), or 501(c)(19). Churches and other faith-based institutions may apply.
• Organization must attest that it is not an ineligible organization type listed below and acknowledge that applicant information is subject to the Public Records Act
• Must have a business license with the appropriate jurisdiction within Ventura County (if applicable)

 
Required Documentation
To be eligible, applicants must provide the following documents:

• Government-issued photo ID of the business owner or nonprofit authorized agent
• Tax returns and attachments filed in 2019 OR 2020. Nonprofits must submit a Form 990. If business is exempt from filing any tax returns, a Profit and Loss statement will be required.
• Proof of physical address within Ventura County (Select ONE from list of acceptable documents: Business License, Fictitious Name Statement, Certificate of Organization, Articles of Incorporation, Utility Bill in name of business dated in 2020)
• IRS Form W-9 signed and dated (Click to download form)
• Nonprofit Organizations: IRS nonprofit determination letter (Click for Instructions)

 
For more information including a list of non-eligible businesses, how recipients will be determined, and eligible uses for the funds, click here.

Applications for the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program OPEN on DECEMBER 30th.  
Here is information you need to know:  
For updated information visit: https://careliefgrant.com/​
APPLICATION ROUNDS/DEADLINES
ROUND 1

• Application Opens December 30, 2020 at 8:00 AM PST
• Application Closes January 8, 2021 at 11:59 PM PST
• Start of Approval Notifications January 13, 2021 

Applicants who submitted their application and submitted all documentation in the first round do not need to reapply; qualified applications will be automatically rolled over into the next funding round for consideration.
ROUND 2

• Application Opens TBD
• Application Closes TBD
• Start of Approval Notifications TBD

Round 2 is the final application window for the Program. Grant awards for businesses in the second application window will be made in two decision rounds for funding.

INFORMATION NEEDED AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION
Get your documentation in order to be prepared to apply when the application window opens.
Necessary documents :
1.  Application Certification: Signed certification used to certify your business
2.  Business Financial Information:
a. Most recent tax return filed (2019 or 2018) – provided in an electronic form for online upload, such as PDF/JPEG or other approved upload format.
b. Copy of official filing with the California Secretary of State, if applicable, or local municipality for the business such as one of the following: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization, Fictitious Name of Registration or Government-Issued Business License.
3. Government Issued Photo ID: Such as a Driver’s License or Passport
One complete application will qualify you to be considered for both rounds, please only apply once.
Applying through multiple organizations will delay your application from being processed.
Owners of multiple businesses, franchises, locations, etc. will be considered for only one grant and are required to apply for the business with the highest revenue.

GRANT AMOUNTS
​The amount of grant funding ranges from $5,000 to $25,000. Businesses are eligible based on their
annual revenue as documented in their most recent tax return:
Eligible Businesses Annual Revenue / Grant Amount Available Per Business
$1,000 to $100,000 / $5,000
Greater than $100,000 up to $1,000,000 / $15,000
Greater than $1,000,000 up to $2,500,000 / $25,000

ELIGIBILITY
A small business or small nonprofit must satisfy the following criteria to be eligible to receive a grant award:
1. Must meet the definition of an “eligible small business”. An “eligible small business” means (i) a “small business” (sole proprietor, independent contractor, 1099 work, and or registered “for-profit” business entity (e.g., C-corporation, S-corporation, limited liability company, partnership) that has yearly gross revenue of $2.5 million or less (but at least $1,000 in yearly gross revenue) based on most recently filed tax return) or (ii) a “small nonprofit” (registered 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) nonprofit entity having yearly gross revenue of $2.5 million or less (but at least $1,000 in yearly gross revenue) based on most recently filed Form 990)
2. Active businesses or nonprofits operating since at least June 1, 2019
3. Businesses must currently be operating or have a clear plan to re-open once the State of California permits re-opening of the business
4. Business must be impacted by COVID-19 and the health and safety restrictions such as business interruptions or business closures incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
5. Business must be able to provide organizing documents including 2018 or 2019 tax returns or Form 990s, copy of official filing with the California Secretary of State, if applicable, or local municipality for the business such as one of the following: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization, Fictitious Name of Registration or Government-Issued Business License
6. Business must be able to provide acceptable form of government-issued photo ID
7. Applicants with multiple business entities, franchises, locations, etc. are not eligible for multiple grants and are only allowed to apply once using their eligible small business with the highest revenue

HOW WILL GRANTS BE DETERMINED?
First, applications will be reviewed to determine whether the applicant meets the eligibility requirements. Eligible businesses will then be scored based on COVID-19 impact factors incorporated into the Program’s priority criteria so that distribution can take into account priority key factors, including the following:
1. Geographic distribution based on COVID-19 health and safety restrictions following California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy and county status and the new Regional Stay At Home Order;
2. Industry sectors most impacted by the pandemic; and
3. Underserved small business groups served by the State supported network of small business centers (i.e., businesses majority owned and run on a daily basis by women, minorities/persons of color, veterans and businesses located in low-to-moderate income and rural communities). 

INELIGIBLE BUSINESSES
1. Businesses without a physical location in California 
2. Nonprofit businesses not registered as either a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) 
3. Government entities (other than Native American tribes) or elected official offices
4. Businesses primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities (regardless of whether such entities qualify as a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6)) 
5. Passive businesses, investment companies and investors who file a Schedule E on their personal tax returns 
6. Churches and other religious institutions (regardless of whether such entities qualify as a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6)) 
7. Financial businesses primarily engaged in the business of lending, such as banks, finance companies and factoring companies
8. Businesses engaged in any activity that is illegal under federal, state or local law
9. Businesses of a prurient sexual nature, including businesses which present live performances of a prurient sexual nature and businesses which derive directly or indirectly more than de minimis gross revenue through the sale of products or services, or the presentation of any depictions or displays, of a prurient sexual nature
10. Businesses engaged in any socially undesirable activity or activity that may be considered predatory in nature such as rent-to-own businesses and check cashing businesses
11. Businesses that restrict patronage for any reason other than capacity
12. Speculative businesses
13. Businesses of which any owner of greater than 10% of the equity interest in it (i) has within the prior three-years been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against such owner, or has had commenced any form of parole or probation (including probation before judgment), for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (federal, state or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of federal or state anti-trust or procurement statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property, or (ii) is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a government entity, (federal, state or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in subparagraph (i) above 
14. “Affiliated” companies (as such term is defined in 13 C.F.R. § 121.103)
15. Multiple business entities, franchises, locations, etc. are not eligible for multiple grants and are only allowed to apply once using their eligible small business with the highest revenue