Leadership Lodi Tourism & Development Day

Leadership Lodi is a course dedicated to inspiring and motivating individuals from our community to attain higher levels of leadership. Formed through the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce in 1990, the hands-on workshops, interviews with local leaders, and non-profit projects have made an immense impact on Lodi as a whole. During the course of Leadership Lodi, participants go through ten all-day meetings with different facets of the community. The mission for this month was to introduce all of the Leadership Lodi 2019 participants to the wonderful educational opportunities that exist in and around Lodi.  

Tourism and Development Day for Leadership Lodi 2019 began at Diede Construction. The class was welcomed by Brett Diede and Kari Maldonado. Diede Construction employs 200+ employees in 11 states. After touring Diede Construction’s corporate office, the class carpooled to the construction site of Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites, a current Diede Construction project at Reynolds Ranch Parkway. According to Brett Diede “It’s rewarding to drive throughout the Lodi community and see projects Diede Construction completed.”        
   
After leaving the Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites, the class visited Lustre Cal- a local maker of high-quality custom labels, nameplates, panels- and more, and met with Chris Colbert. Lustre Cal first opened in 1965 and employs 80+ employees with 8000 sq. ft. of space. The class toured the facility and was educated on graphic overlay. After the tour, the class had the opportunity to meet with Nancy Beckman at Visit Lodi. Visit Lodi is a destination enhancing bureau dedicated to marketing Lodi as a vacation destination via social media, print ads, and tradeshows.

The class had a wonderful lunch at the outdoor garden at Wine and Roses. Following lunch, Pat Patrick shared his thoughts on the future of Lodi and we brainstormed ideas on how the Lodi Chamber of Commerce could help attract Bay Area business owners to the Lodi area. Michael Carouba is a local Developer and Commercial Real Estate Broker and shared his thoughts about the recent commercial real estate growth in Lodi, most recently the Reynold Ranch project. The class learned Lodi is appealing to new residents because it’s a place people can live and work to avoid long commutes.
Tourism and Development Day concluded with a tour of Wine and Roses by Charina Sales. The class had the opportunity to explore the lush property which resembles something similar to a Hawaiian Resort. “We’re so lucky to have such a beautiful Oasis in our own backyard” said Cathi DeGroot, City of Lodi, Leadership Lodi 2019 participant. Charina was a great hostess and shared the many amenities Wine and Roses has to offer.

Applications for Leadership Lodi 2020 will be available to the public soon. For more information or questions on the program, email Karen Alvarez at KAlvarez@LodiChamber.com.