Secretive New Chamber of Commerce Emerges

 Emeryville Businesses Represented by Secretive & Exclusive New Lobbying Organization

Membership, Officers, Board: All Secret

'Emeryville Commerce Connection' Open to Select Businesses Only

The emergence of a new iteration of Emeryville’s defunct Chamber of Commerce is perhaps the biggest story of the summer that’s been flying under the radar.  The replacement organization, the Emeryville Commerce Connection, follows the old Chamber in its country club-like exclusivity despite announcing it would be “welcome to all” at its onset.  The organization has been on a tear trying to increase its business membership, even allowing tiny sole proprietorship businesses on a sliding scale, it was announced.  As such, the organization is hoping to match or even exceed that of the once powerful Emeryville Chamber of Commerce.  And, also like the Chamber which proceeded it, the Emeryville Commerce Connection (ECC) is bathed in secrecy. 

The ECC website does not list the names of the Officers, the Board of Directors or the membership and members must agree, upon threat of expulsion, to "Refrain from disparaging the organization and its associated membership on the Internet, social media platforms and in print" according to its 'Code of Conduct'. 

Oakland resident Mary Lou Thiercof  
  CEO of the new Emeryville Commerce Connection
and former Board Member of the defunct
Emeryville Chamber of Commerce.

Morphing out of the City of Emeryville’s Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC), ECC spun off, taking EDACs contacts from the business nexus (BizNexus) networking mixers the City hosted.  The ECC is however, a private corporation with its own Board of Directors, like the Chamber before it. 

The ECC began auspiciously; its CEO Mary Lou Thiercof announcing to the City Council last winter, the new organization would be open to all businesses, even small businesses, but soon after, open membership closed and only those chosen by undisclosed person or persons within the organization were allowed in.  It was subsequently announced on the ECC website it’s "an honor" to be nominated to join (screenshot below).  Later, the organization quietly took down the 'honor' page but membership remains closed to all but those selected.  

The ECC has a set of internal bylaws but it appears the rules have already been breached in the transformation from its democratic beginnings to the secret exclusive membership, as it is now.  According to two members who asked for anonymity, the vote to become exclusive was never taken as per its own bylaw dictates.  The sources say even the Board of Directors was never appraised of the move to exclusive membership.  Despite this bylaws policy breach, if there is any dissension in the ranks, it is not readily apparent.

The ECC regularly holds membership recruitment mixers at restaurants and bars in Emeryville but those wishing to join must fill out their request on the ECC website Ms Thiercoff told the Tattler.  If you are liked or if your business is liked by the correct but unstated person or persons in the organization, then you may be allowed to join.

Ms Thiercof, who lives in the Oakland hills, is CEO of ECC and was on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce, which folded in July 2015. 

Before it declared bankruptcy, the Chamber of Commerce (1986-2015), a private business and the most dominant force outside of the government in Emeryville, became known for taking public money and being exclusive in its membership.  The CEO of that organization, Bob Canter, lived in Martinez Calif. and negotiated with the City Council to have Emeryville taxpayers pay the Chamber's rent and pay for publication of its newsletter, the Emeryville Connection.  The newsletter, which was mailed to every Emeryville registered voter, infamously used public money to tell residents how to vote in city and local elections.  At their high point, the Chamber of Commerce even had its own Emeryville Political Action Committee, EmPAC, to fund the city council campaigns of pro-developer candidates and take down challengers with negative advertising.  After several articles in the Tattler exposing them, the Chamber of Commerce and EmPAC quietly folded and Mr Canter pulled up stakes in Martinez and moved to Tallahassee Florida.  

We reached out to two current ECC Board members for comment for this story, former City Council member and Mayor of the City of Emeryville, Scott Donahue, who is Vice Chairman of the ECC Board and Nasser Azimi, President of Ohana Cannabis on Peladeau Street.  Neither replied to our requests for comment.  Mr Donahue, an artist, is currently a finalist in a pending City of Emeryville $400,000 art grant and Mr Azimi is a major donor to City Council member John Bauters, who is running for Alameda County Board of Supervisors.  Scott Donahue is the brother of the Tattler editor.

In the face of its exclusive membership policy and culture, the Emeryville Commerce Connection still declares it is democratic; open to “an inclusive and diverse business community”, according to the ECC website.

Tattler readers can rest assured we will watch this organization (from the sidelines because we doubt we will ever be honored to be nominated) and any move to form a PAC or attempt to take taxpayer money will be reported as it was before under the Chamber of Commerce.

It Is An Honor To Be Nominated
Screenshot page from the ECC website, now taken down but
the exclusive membership selection policy remains.

Councilman Bauters' Corporate Campaign Donors Enjoy Beloved Status

 

Tough New Tobacco Regulation Belies Emeryville's Lax Marijuana Regs

Bauters Donor Ohana Cannabis Enjoys Lofted Status

News Analysis

Buoyed by data from the American Cancer Society and a push by Council member John Bauters at the March 19th City Council meeting, the City of Emeryville moved to toughen up its anti-tobacco policies with the introduction of a new ordinance making it a crime to sell tobacco products within 1000 feet of any park, playground or ‘youth oriented facility’ including schools.  Marijuana retailers however, face much less restriction in Emeryville, even though its connection to lung disease including cancer, like tobacco, is undisputed.  A major seller of cannabis in the City, Ohana Cannabis, enjoys a central location on Peladeau Street, directly on one park and less than 1000 feet from at least two other parks, a playground and a school.  Ohana is also a major contributor to Mr Bauters’ election campaigns. 

Large Billboard for Ohana on Powell Street
Legal and perfectly fine for children.

Ohana is a large corporate cannabis retailer with several locations throughout California and has been a major contributor to Mr Bauters’ election campaigns including his current campaign to become an Alameda County Supervisor.  California election campaign law forbids any special treatment towards corporate donors by elected officials of course, but it is noteworthy that Ohana has received very favorable treatment from John Bauters and the City of Emeryville.  

Emeryville has determined that marijuana sales are not appropriate near youth oriented facilities including schools or parks and the municipal code forbids any dispensary to be located within 250 feet.  In 2020 however, Ohana, moving to their current location at 5770 Peladeau Street, requested and received a waiver from Emeryville’s prohibition against dispensaries located near parks.  The City considers the Emeryville Greenway to be a park and Ohana is located directly on the Greenway, specifically the ‘Peladeau Park’ section.  Getting around the 250 foot law and approving the deal, the City Council found, “The Greenway, by its design, is not meant to serve all age groups” and therefore it is unlikely to have children present, according to the October 22nd staff report.  And with that finding the Council approved Ohana for that site. 

Billboards for Tobacco: Illegal
Dangerous for children.

 

The Peladeau Park section of the Greenway, completed in 2018, was built as a “gathering/picnic area with a plaza, pathways, synthetic lawn and play area” according to the City’s website. The City constructed the park with $800,000 in California State Parks and Recreation funds as well as funds from Emeryville's Park and Transportation Impact fees. Nothing was made so as to preclude children from using the park because to do so, Emeryville would run afoul of the law that requires public parks to be made for all people.  

And thus, the power of the business lobby is revealed.

Ohana is using its resources to help it conduct business like many other businesses do.  The law in Emeryville reflects the lobbying efforts of favored businesses and so whereas shops selling tobacco will not be allowed to be within 1000 feet of places where children congregate, marijuana sellers must have a 250 foot buffer and Ohana with its political campaign donations, specifically, no buffer at all.  The children don't have a lobby.  

By law, the money given to Council member Bauters over the years can have no relationship to any favorable treatment of Ohana Cannabis, as everyone knows. 

Council member Bauters did not return calls for this story.