As we enter the 4th Quarter of 2012, this is the time when businesses will begin to look back at the work completed so far this year. This is also the time that budgets will begin to take form for 2013.

We at the Universal City North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce want to thank you for the support and participation you have given to this organization in 2012 and we hope that you will continue to support our efforts going forward. Let me tell you a little bit about the work we have created in September and what we are looking forward to for the remainder of 2012.

September was a busy month for the Chamber because we were able to support existing members and take on many new members who were looking for a community partner to work with. The UCNH Chamber is proud to announce the membership of a successful auto dealership.

Century West BMW/Mini of Universal City held the groundbreaking for an expansion of their offices and we were pleased to be side by side with the Mayor of Los Angeles in support of this work. Car dealerships generate a tremendous amount of tax revenue and jobs for our community and we hope you will call on Century West when the time comes to shop for your next vehicle.

The Chamber of Commerce was pleased with the success of the first annual Occupy Health Los Angeles 2012 at Woodbury University on Sept. 30. The tireless effort given by our UCNH Health Care Council,headed by Dr. Roseann Silberling, Dean of Nursing at West Coast University, Jack Witt, Donnie Jeffcoat, Wendie Wilson, Hootan Shahidi, Jason Taylorson, Victor Viereck, Cynthia Gilstrap, and Tori Curtis, so appreciated by everyone who attended the event.

Obesity and general health are topics that become more urgent each day as our children and our families grow and age. Without constant opportunities to educate the public and effect meaningful change, we as Americans have seen measurable declines in our national health. Although the weather was 103 degrees, those who attended had a great time, and our sponsors enjoyed meeting each other and sharing their expertise with one another. The Universal City/North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce would like to welcome three new members who joined as part of their experience with Occupy Health LA: Full of Life Fitness, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and KCSN Radio. We look forward to working with you on a go forward basis as we grow the health of our business community together

Three new members have joined the Chamber due to this experience Full of Life Fitness, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and KCSN Radio.

The Chamber of Commerce perhaps completed our most important 2012 work in September. Many of our members were in attendance for the Planning Commission hearings for NBCUniversal Evolution Plan which was passed by a unanimous vote on September 27.

In cooperation with our Chamber of Commerce, Universal was able to spread a successful positive word about the hard work they have completed on their expansion plans. After many years of effort and flexible planning, we know that Universal was so proud to unveil their latest plans for the Evolution Plan.

We hope that other businesses will continue to approach our Chamber for guidance and support on work that they hope to accomplish in 2013 and beyond. Please contact our Executive Director, Michelle Gilstrap, with any questions you may have with regards to how we can help your business grow.

I want to thank those people who took time from their day to support our members this month at the many events that our Chamber sponsored.

In particular, I want to acknowledge the efforts our Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee and Board of Directors perform to help ensure that this Chamber remains focused on the needs of our business community. We thank you for all that you do!