LEARN HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
Join Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Chamber for the HIRE LA’s Youth Employer Engagement Luncheon on Monday, July 11, noon-1:30 p.m. Learn how your organization can revive summer for thousands of young and qualified job-seeking Angelenos. The program will include a discussion on the benefits of hiring youth. Register now or contact Maria Dolores Nieto, 213.580.7599.

Chamber Board Chair testifies in support of public pension reform bill
On Monday, Chamber Board Chair Joseph Czyzyk, Mercury Air Group, Inc., testified in support of AB 340, which would help reform California's public pension system. This bill will prohibit "spiking" in the County Employees' Retirement Law of 1937, which has a broad definition on calculating a person's pension in 20 counties. The Chamber applauds Assemblymember Warren Furutani for authoring AB 340. "Abuses like pension 'spiking' and 'double dipping' are an albatross around the necks of California's taxpayers," Czyzyk said. "The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce strongly supports Assemblymember Furutani's AB 340 to end these abuses and we encourage the Legislature to continue with further pension reforms." Contact Beverly Kenworthy, 213.580.7531.

Chamber meets with County Supervisor Knabe on state of L.A. County
We need to focus on retaining jobs in Southern California, said L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe at the Accenture Pancakes & Politics Breakfast Speaker Series Friday at the Chamber. Supervisor Knabe also discussed the State budget, the funding of transportation projects and redistricting. He urged the Chamber to keep legislators accountable. "The financial and systemic issues are real," Knabe said. "The Chamber can play a big role by telling the Legislature to keep the house in order." The next Pancakes & Politics, which is open to Chamber Board and Circle Level members only, is on July 22. Contact Beverly Kenworthy, 213.580.7531.

Leadership Southern California visits land use, housing & transportation in the region
Measure R "will provide a transformational opportunity for Southern California transit development," said Denny Zane, Move LA, to Leadership Southern California 2011 Fellows on Friday. Fellows also met with Metro CEO Art Leahy, who moderated a dialogue on the roles of community organizing; engineering and planning; healthy communities; and regional cooperation in land use, housing and transportation in Southern California. To gain a better understanding of these themes in our region, Fellows traveled by Metro rail with key regional leaders to transit-oriented developments in Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights and the Los Angeles Eco-Village. Read more on Twitter. Contact April Tam , 213.580.7524.

Chamber Board Chair Czyzyk hosts Mayor of Kabul, Afghanistan On Tuesday, Chamber Board Chair Joseph Czyzyk, Mercury Air Group, Inc., hosted his Excellency Mayor Muhammad Younus Nawandish, the Mayor of Kabul, Afghanistan for breakfast at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey. Czyzyk, above left, presented Mayor Nawandish with Mercury's Coin depicting the company's founding by the legendary World War II AVG Flying Tigers. L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti and several L.A. business leaders attended the event. The Mayor discussed achievements during his first year in office, including repairing roads and providing 15,000 homes to the poor or homeless in Kabul. Microsoft Store opens in Century City Microsoft Corporation opened a store at Westfield Century City on Thursday, June 30. The Century City store is the fourth Microsoft Store to open in Los Angeles. The grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting was led by Kevin Turner, Microsoft COO, above right. He was joined by L.A. City Councilmember Paul Koretz; Celeste Alleyne, West Region Citizenship Director for Microsoft; and Stephen Gaines, store manager of the City Century store. Technology grants were awarded to Great Minds in Stem, Fulfillment Fund, the California Science Center and the Call of Duty Endowment. View photos from the grand opening. Chamber Board Member Knatz elected president of port association Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz was recently elected president of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). Knatz was unanimously chosen as the IAPH's 29th president at the association's biennial World Ports Conference last month in Busan, Korea. "Dr. Knatz is a dynamic leader with the skill, drive and experience to guide this organization and its members as they collaborate on key trade and environmental policy issues," said IAPH Secretary General Susumu Naruse. Read more. Want your good news featured here? Click here to learn more.