Lori Lofstrom

(November 26, 2008) Lori Lofstrom describes the Long Beach business community as cohesive and well-informed, attributes that have helped the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce make an impact at both the local and state levels.

Lofstrom, owner of the franchise law firm Holmes Lofstrom, P.C. and a recipient of the California Chamber of Commerce 2008 Small Business Advocate of the Year Award, has been involved with the Long Beach Area Chamber for seven years.

In that short time, she has served as the president of the Women’s Business Council, as a board member, chair of the Government Affairs Council (GAC) and now chair-elect of the chamber.

Community Approach

While GAC chair in 2007, Lofstrom tracked 41 bills and 20 issues having an impact on the local business community.

Using a community-oriented approach by including all local stakeholders—city council members, small business owners, the water district, police and fire departments and community members—in political discourse, Lofstrom has helped the 1,200-member Long Beach Area Chamber grow into a relevant voice in the area.

“She is a tireless advocate for our business community at the local and state levels,” said Randy Gordon, Long Beach Area Chamber president/chief executive officer.

Battling Big-Box Ordinance

In 2007, Lofstrom led the successful charge to form Long Beach Consumers for Choice, which gathered more than 33,000 signatures to overturn a big-box ordinance.

“That was a big issue that we didn’t want the city council taking pre-emptive steps to tell people where they should and shouldn’t shop, and what kind of business should and shouldn’t come into the city,” she said.

A common concern about large department stores moving into communities is that smaller businesses will be forced to shut their doors. Lofstrom and many other local business leaders disagreed. They pointed to studies that show there is no impact on small business in such cases and that the real negative impact of not allowing such stores to join the community is the loss of all the new jobs that would be created.

In addition, Lofstrom and Long Beach Consumers for Choice argued that residents who buy groceries at large bigbox type stores save thousands of dollars each year.

“Eventually, I think that we made a pretty compelling case,” she said. The Long Beach City Council took note and voted against a big-box ordinance.

Water Conservation

Lofstrom also has been at the forefront of the state water issue for the chamber. In 2007, she spoke at a press conference with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to detail the importance of preserving the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The speech applauded the Governor’s plan to invest in an improved Delta and a full-scale investment into the long-term viability of the state’s water supply.

“We’re all kind of in this together and it’s a statewide issue and we need to support changes that are going to help conserve and preserve our water supply,” she said.

Lofstrom said with few reserves currently in place, that the state’s water situation is something that will have to be constantly monitored.

Cooperation

During 2007, the GAC was busy with the big-box ordinance, water supply, fighting homelessness (the city council is reviewing a 10-year plan supported by the Long Beach Area Chamber to end homelessness in the next decade) and several other issues.

The GAC is a cohesive 30-member board made up of people from all different-sized businesses. Members of the local water district, transportation officials and elected officials typically attend the GAC’s monthly meeting.

All board members are then briefed on what is happening in local districts as well as any Assembly or Senate races.

“We have actually worked real well on some of the proposed legislation and made the Legislature aware of the business community’s position on particular bills, such that we could help them stop the impact or any unintended consequence,” Lofstrom said.

The GAC supported state issues such as workplace flexibility, AB 510 (Benoit; R-Bermuda Dunes), the CalChamber-sponsored legislation rejected by an Assembly policy committee this year.

The GAC opposed the health care tax on business, AB 8 (Núñez, D-Los Angeles), the CalChamber-opposed “job killer” vetoed in 2007.

Accomplishment

Gordon said Lofstrom’s leadership on the GAC committee has paid off.

“Under Lori’s leadership, the chamber spearheaded more issues and accomplished more results in 2007 than in the past three years combined,” he said.

Lofstrom feels a sense of accomplishment in the way the chamber has become more “astute” politically. “I think we are looked at as a leader in the Long Beach community,” she said. “I feel like I have been a very small part of that.”

Small Business Advocate Award Page -  Past winner profiles, criteria.