Monterey County Bank - TPO Member since 2005

Charles T. Chrietzberg, Jr., President/CEO/Chairman

TPO: How do you feel TPO contributes to Monterey County Bank’s success?

Charles T. Chrietzberg, Jr., President/CEO/Chairman: “Monterey County Bank has grown in the past several years and we now find ourselves with over 50 employees. The laws that govern employers with 50+ employees are often different than those with less than 50. TPO’s guidance in these areas has been critical, in order for MCB to maintain our strict adherence to HR statutory regulations. Additionally, it has been very helpful to have the experts at TPO available when we encounter HR situations that may be unusual, or something we have not previously encountered.

ABOUT Monterey County Bank

Monterey County Bank is the oldest locally owned, locally managed bank in Monterey County - over 31 years! We have a commitment to continue this important family tradition. President/CEO Charles T. Chrietzberg, Jr. and his daughter Vice-President Stephanie Chrietzberg work together closely to prepare a new generation of the MCB team to continue our service. This is something we’re proud to offer our clients and our community.

THE WHOLE PACKAGE

Beyond outstanding SBA, Construction & Commercial Lending and Merchant Card Services, Monterey County Bank is poised to be a complete local banker. We have several options in both Business & Personal Accounts that can be tailored specifically to any businesses needs.

SBA LOANS

Monterey County Bank has been the #1 SBA Lender in Monterey County for over 10 years. SBA Loans can be used for business purchase, new business start-up, additional working capital, equipment or tenant improvements for your existing business, and purchase of commercial real estate to house your business. Monterey County Bank specializes in SBA loans with experts in our lending department who can talk business with people who do business. Having attained “Preferred Lender” status in 1993 from the Small Business Administration, Monterey County Bank can approve SBA loans in-house, which means a much faster turnaround for small businesses obtaining SBA financing. Because we are locally owned and managed, all decisions, including loan approvals are made right here.

MERCHANT CREDIT CARD SERVICES

Merchant Card services can often be challenging for a small business. Monterey County Bank has developed a cutting edge combination of competitive rates and personal credit card service that is delivered locally from our Merchant Card division in Carmel Rancho. The relationship between Monterey County Bank and MasterCard and VISA expedites installation and service. We provide:

  • Competitive fees

  • Cost effective, streamlined system with local and personalized customer service at your fingertips

  • 24 Hour support & help desk

  • Fast, efficient settlement of funds

  • Fewer processing errors and fewer chargebacks

  • Detailed transaction reporting

  • Compatible with most hardware solutions

  • Solutions for: retail, hotel, restaurant, mail order, wireless or internet businesses

COMMERCIAL & CONSTRUCTION LOANS

Monterey County Bank offers great financing options for commercial & construction lending

  • Construction loans for single family residences - both owner & non-owner occupied

  • Construction loans for multi-family properties

  • Permanent/long term financing for purchase or refinancing of multi-family properties

  • Construction financing for Commercial properties

  • Permanent/Long term financing for the purchase or refinancing of commercial properties

  • Secured term loans to businesses for purchase, expansion or refinancing

Because we are locally owned and managed, all loan approvals are made right here.

Visit www.montereycountybank.com

MAY 2008

Kinship Center - TPO Member since 1997

Carol Biddle, President/CEO

Kinship Center®

Every Child Deserves a Family™

TPO: KINSHIP CENTER HAS BEEN A TPO MEMBER FOR OVER ELEVEN YEARS. HOW DO YOU FEEL TPO CONTRIBUTES TO KINSHIP CENTER’S SUCCESS?

Carol Biddle, President/CEO: “During the many years that Kinship Center has utilized the services of TPO, our staff has grown from 30 to more than 150, and we have developed our own internal HR department. TPO has supported us during this time of development and change. When we update our employee handbook, we rely on TPO to be sure that it contains all of the current HR regulations, and we appreciate their quick responses to our questions. We have sent several new managers to TPO's Management Excellence Series and HR-101 workshops, and TPO has worked with us to present the mandated harassment training to our entire statewide staff at one time. We look forward to their annual update seminars each year.”

ABOUT Kinship center

Since 1984, Kinship Center has helped create and support families for thousands of children, ages birth through 17, who can no longer safely remain with their birth parents because of abuse, neglect or abandonment. With a core belief that every child deserves a family, Kinship Center remains focused on our mission…to connect children to safe, permanent families who will be there for a lifetime.


A statewide nonprofit agency, Kinship Center and our professional staff play a leading role in the field of child welfare, and we continue to receive national recognition for our model programs and services on behalf of children. Through participation and advocacy, we help formulate policy and establish standards that protect children and families. Kinship Center provides life-changing outcomes for more than 1,800 children and 2,000 families each year through a variety of programs:

  • Adoption: Our adoption services include public awareness, parent recruitment, assessments and education, child placement, and support and counseling for families after placement.

  • Foster Care: Kinship Center’s therapeutic foster care program provides experienced, temporary care for children who have suffered abuse or neglect from family members.

  • Relative Care: Our Family Ties program offers critical services for relative caregivers, 90% of whom are grandparents, to help them keep children in crisis out of foster care and connected to family.

  • Mental Health Therapy and Child Development: Kinship Center mental health clinics assist children who have emotional, developmental or behavioral challenges.

  • Wraparound: A program for adoptive or relative families dealing with children’s most serious issues. The goal is to keep children out of residential care or psychiatric hospitalization.

  • Education Institute: Kinship Center is recognized nationally for providing state-of-the-art training for parents and professionals.

Please visit Kinship Center's website at www.kinshipcenter.org for more information.

March 2008

The Community Foundation - TPO Member Since 2000

Todd Lueders, President/CEO

TPO: "The Community Foundation for Monterey County has been a TPO member for over eight years. How do you feel TPO contributes to Community Foundation’s success?

Todd Lueders, President/CEO:  “The Foundation has grown to include 23 staff members in 5 different locations. TPO has been a great help by providing reliable “as needed” guidance for regulatory compliance and handling both formal and informal employee/management issues. You have also been instrumental in our professional development efforts by presenting impactful training programs including legal compliance for harassment & discrimination prevention and communications programs including leadership skills and conflict management. We rely on your regulatory expertise, impactful training programs and appreciate your good advice.”

ABOUT The Community Foundation for Monterey County

“Here for Good”
The Community Foundation for Monterey County is dedicated to improving the quality of life in our county by raising, managing and distributing charitable funds to worthy organizations for the betterment of our community. Created in 1945 as the “Monterey Foundation” with all volunteers, 2008 marks the Community Foundation's 63rd year. Todd Lueders became the first paid staff member in 1981, and the Foundation became the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) in 1984.”

In 2007, under the skilled guidance of a nineteen-member Board of Directors, CFMC awarded 710 grants amounting to $7.63 million (which was $800,000 up from 2006) and boasts an 8% total return on investments. As the steward of more than 250 funds and total assets of over $143 million, the Community Foundation is now the largest grant making foundation on the Central Coast.

Among the many deserving recipients of grant funding, CFMC is proud to include the following special programs:

 Neighborhood Grants Program

Started in 1997 with a grant from the Packard Foundation, the Neighborhood Grants Program is now fully integrated into the ongoing operations of the Community Foundation. This program helps community-based organizations throughout Monterey County improve their neighborhoods through small grants and workshops.

Management Assistance Program

The mission of the Management Assistance Program (MAP) is to improve and expand access to organizational capacity-building resources for non-profit organizations in Monterey County. The MAP includes affordable workshops, library resources, and consultant referrals for agencies seeking to strengthen their management.

Communities Advancing the Arts

Through this initiative, the Community Foundation for Monterey County works with local communities to improve the capacity and sustainability of arts organizations representing a wide range of cultural traditions in Monterey County, to increase their visibility among diverse audiences and donors, and to develop new donors and audiences for their work.

 Literacy Campaign

The creation of the Literacy Campaign was a direct response to alarming local statistics: a quarter of the adult workforce reads below the fourth grade level and only two-thirds have completed high school. By helping others gain the literacy skills needed for fuller lives, greater job opportunities and successful families, the Campaign will improve the quality of life in Monterey County.

 Women’s Fund of Monterey County

The mission of the Women's Fund of Monterey County is to effect social change as an advocate, catalyst, convener and funder to improve the quality of life for women and girls.

Please visit the Foundation’s website at www.cfmco.org for more information about CFMC.

January - 2008

City of Marina - TPO MEMBER SINCE 2006

Anthony Altfeld, City Manager

TPO: "As a member of TPO, how do you feel TPO contributes to the City’s success?"

Anthony Altfeld, City Manager:  "The TPO team has offered the City of Marina a myriad of coaching, training and specialized services that have positively affected every department and has served to enhance our already strong Human Resources Department.
 
 As a public agency, we provide services to our community through staff, volunteers serving on councils, boards and commissions and contracted services. Understanding the intricacies of employment and labor law, in addition to offering appropriate training sessions to the various groups has been something that TPO's team has offered with professionalism and accuracy.
 
 Our experiences with TPO have included their management and guidance of executive searches, compensation and salary studies and educational opportunities for all employee levels. Most recently we've had staff attend the first time supervisor courses and the Management Excellence Series. The feedback from our employees and their ability to implement key concepts and ideas learned to facilitate greater productivity and professionalism within our organization has been immediate.
 
 In addition to a strong educational calendar offered on an ongoing basis, the TPO team has provided quality specialized training services to volunteers and staff for better education of our stakeholders, in addition to satisfying state mandated requirements.
 
 Due to TPO's broad range of knowledge and capabilities, we have had the unique opportunity to incorporate executive coaching for key employees. This service allows us to offer additional learning opportunities in specific areas to already strong managers, making them more knowledgeable and well-rounded.
 
 It is with the assistance of TPO that we've been able to focus on what we do best and have every confidence that we have access to quality education, accurate information and the latest in mandates, trends and decisions that effect our employment practices."

ABOUT THE CITY OF MARINA

The City of Marina is one of California’s fastest growing, dynamic communities in California. Marina’s City Manager, Anthony Altfeld, was recently interviewed for his thoughts about the future of Marina. Citing projected planned growth and projects in the City, including vitalization of the downtown and newer former Fort Ord areas, Altfeld noted the importance of incorporating enthusiasm, responsibility, and thoughtful planning as keys to successful and effective government efforts in helping to shape the community’s future.

Vision Statement: “Marina desires to grow and mature, along with its image, from a small town, primarily bedroom community, to become a small city which is diversified, vibrant and mostly self sufficient".

Visit Marina’s website at www.ci.marina.ca.us. Learn more about the exciting and diverse projects and accomplishments underway by reading the City of Marina at Monterey Bay NEWS at http://www.ci.marina.ca.us/documents/Newsletter07.pdf.

 

NOVEMBER - 2007

InterWest Insurance Services, Inc. - TPO MEMBER SINCE 2003
Dave Dias, Vice President
Executive Board Member

TPO: "InterWest has been a TPO member for over three years. How do you feel TPO contributes to InterWest and your Client's success?"

Dave Dias, Vice President: "TPO has been a major contributor to InterWest and our clients in at least two significant ways! First and foremost, it’s their people. TPO HR Management consultants “say what they do and do what they say.” They are individuals operating within the context of a team environment where character and ethics are a top priority. Their diligent commitment to follow-through really sets them apart. Second, they are very competent in their respective discipline. Whether it’s consulting with us and our clients on Employee Handbooks, Communications Support, Employee Applications, FMLA/CFRA Compliance Programs, Personnel File Management or Policy & Procedure Manuals, we have found their professional recommendations relevant and timely. We can always depend upon them to deliver."

ABOUT INTERWEST

InterWest is a name you can trust

InterWest has been California’s trusted insurance partner since 1910. Our geographical footprint spans the Northern California with 12 regional offices. We offer a full range of business and personal insurance products and services. With more than $550 million in property & casualty premiums purchased on behalf of our customers every year, and representing over 175 insurance companies, we make our clients’ financial care and growth a priority. InterWest is ranked 46th among the largest 100 insurance brokers in the United States (both public and private ranked by revenue). We were also ranked 11th on the list of 100 Largest Privately Held Independent Agencies in the U.S. In business since 1910, we expect to continue serving our clients as their premier private insurance brokerage for many years to come.

InterWest offers services in most aspects of commercial insurance, self insurance, risk management, employee benefits and private client personal insurance. As brokers, our goal is to address our client’s overall risk related needs, from the client’s point of view. We work for our client and take pride in providing service that meets the highest standards in our industry.

Size is an advantage. We are large enough that our clients have access to the strongest insurers in the U.S., through longstanding direct insurance company relationships as well as wholesale market relationships. We are small enough to deliver personal service and that is one of the main reasons we value our relationship with TPO. TPO places a high value on the client which is a strong reflection of the values represented at InterWest.


As a regional insurance broker we place HIGH VALUE on TPOHR’s core expertise…human resources consultation. We have been a TPOHR member for years and have partnered with them in a variety of ways:

• Joint workers compensation educational seminars
• Joint employee benefit and HR presentations
• Direct client referrals
• Many members of our management team have taken courses offered by the TPO team.

As a result of the volume of business InterWest manages, we have established very important and strategic relationships…TPO represents one of those significant and valued relationships and we’re honored to call them our business partner!!

To learn more about InterWest click here.

 

SEPTEMBER-2007

CHARTWELL SCHOOL

Douglas Atkins, Executive Director

TPO: "Chartwell School been a TPO member for over 10 years. How do you feel TPO contributes to Chartwell's success?"

Teresa Brown, Business Manager: "Chartwell School is a non-profit that has experienced steady growth and development over the span of 25 years. Navigating through the often-tumultuous waters of human resources for the past ten years is something that TPO has done with excellence and precision. Knowing that answers, advice and support are only a phone call or e-mail away has truly made me feel as if our HR department is just down the hall. The staff is always professional, knowledgeable, accessible as well as personable.

We have engaged TPO on multiple projects. Whether guiding us through complex employee situations, providing training, updating policies, pay scales or assisting in the hiring process, the TPO professionals have never given us cause for disappointment. I always come away with the satisfaction that we have received the very best they can provide.

We have come to think of Jill, Robert, Melissa and the entire TPO staff as an extension of our team. They have taken time to get to know our organization and the population we serve. This understanding has helped TPO more effectively serve Chartwell and meet our needs. We value the many years of dedicated service TPO has provided with appreciation."

ABOUT CHARTWELL SCHOOL

Our Mission

Unlike the acquisition of language, the ability to read is not innate. It must be learned. For at least one in every seven people, reading is made especially challenging by the fact that their brain processes visual and auditory information in a different way than their peers. Learning differences, including dyslexia, are unrelated to intelligence or gender. They appear to have a genetic component, and they do not disappear over time. With proper understanding and specialized education, learning differences do not limit potential or success - Winston Churchill is just one of a thousand examples of accomplished people with learning challenges.

The mission of Chartwell School, therefore, is to educate children with a wide range of language-related visual and auditory learning challenges in a way that provides them with the learning skills and self-esteem necessary to return successfully to mainstream education. Chartwell also helps individuals with specific learning challenges access their full potential by providing leading-edge education, research and community outreach.

What We Believe

Our philosophy is to educate each child as a unique and valuable individual. Our educational evaluations focus on finding effective, tailored learning avenues. We identify and develop areas of aptitude and strength as we address learning challenges, with the emphasis on each student rediscovering a sense of self-worth. We present project-based content and learning opportunities that are intellectually stimulating, while giving equal attention to learning skills and character development. We empower each student to effectively recognize and compensate for his or her specific learning challenge. Our faculty helps students use all their senses and all their strengths in a well-structured learning environment. Students are not simply encouraged but fully expected to become active, responsible learners.

What We Do

Chartwell School provides a full academic program in a highly structured learning environment, utilizing multi-sensory teaching. This approach is used consistently in all classes. The course of study includes all areas of language instruction, mathematics, social studies, physical education, and an array of enrichment activities supervised by professional staff. Students discover and nurture their talents in the Visual Arts, Science Laboratory and Computer Lab. Supplemental services are offered by a certified speech and language therapist for those students requiring additional work in receptive and expressive language development.

While helping the student overcome academic difficulties, programs at Chartwell actively teach self-reliance and respect for others. Students preparing to return to the mainstream education participate in a formal transitioning program in their last semester, which includes skills for effective self-advocacy.

Community Outreach

Chartwell is the only school in our entire Central Coast region that provides this type of specialized education. Chartwell Outreach shares best practices in education with other schools and youth organizations, so that they can work more effectively with students who experience milder forms of dyslexia and related learning difficulties. The goal of Chartwell Outreach is to bring research-based instructional methods to bear upon the community at large and to address the problem of literacy in its largest context. Collaborative partners have included the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County, the Salvation Army, Salinas Union High School District, the Salinas YES program, future teachers at California State University Monterey Bay, Monterey Peninsula College, foster care programs, and many others. In addition to providing direct services to students, Chartwell Outreach works with organizations to help their staff provide effective literacy instruction.

Our Faculty

The Chartwell faculty specializes in language development and linguistic structures related to reading, writing, mathematics and all other disciplines. Each Chartwell teacher receives additional language training in a structured phonetic/linguistics program.

Most hold advanced degrees. Faculty also includes a physical education instructor, two speech and language therapists and an occupational therapist. The faculty values problem-solving, diagnostic instruction, character development and home communication as essential elements for student success.

For more information: www.chartwell.org

 
July 2007:

CHISPA: TPO MEMBER SINCE June 2003 (Client since 1995)

TPO: “CHISPA been a TPO member for over 4 years, and a client since 1995. How do you feel TPO contributes to CHISPA’s success?”

Trish Huels (CHISPA’s Director of Administration): “As a nonprofit organization with 60 employees between CHISPA and two subsidiaries, a construction company and a property management company that is covered under a collective bargaining agreement, we have had some challenging and unique human resource issues over the years. TPO staff has listened to our concerns, served as a sounding board, and offered practical advice and solutions to each situation that has arisen.

TPO has also been a great source of information and training for our employees and management staff, from the mandatory Harassment & Discrimination training to basic labor law (California Employment Essentials) for supervisors and management training (Management Excellence Series).

Whether assisting with special projects such as harassment investigations, revision of policies, compensation studies of similar organizations, or providing training and consulting services, Jill, Robert and the TPO staff have provided an invaluable service that is greatly appreciated.”

ABOUT CHISPA

CHISPA (Community Housing Improvement Systems and Planning Association, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community-based Housing Development Organization (CHDO) operating on the Central Coast of California.

CHISPA is overseen by a nine-member Board of Directors with diverse backgrounds and experience in real estate, law, property management, social services, and the education, and business. CHISPA Board members all reside and work in different areas of Monterey County and most also serve on Boards of other community-based nonprofit organizations.

As the largest private, nonprofit housing developer in Monterey County, CHISPA has completed more than 1,900 affordable single family, multi-family and senior housing units since it’s incorporation in 1980. While these developments have provided housing for more than 7,400 people, there is still a great need for more affordable housing in Monterey County and throughout the State of California.

CHISPA’s mission is “To enhance the quality of life and create socially and economically healthy living environments on the Central Coast of California by developing, owning and managing rental housing, by providing home ownership opportunities for very-low, low and moderate-income people and by revitalizing neighborhoods” and encompasses more than just building housing units; CHISPA also integrates community service programs, in collaboration with other community service agencies, at their rental developments to best serve CHISPA residents.

In addition to providing affordable housing opportunities to very-low, low, and moderate-income households, CHISPA has also contributed more than $128 million to the local economy over the last 25 years in construction costs alone.

To learn more about CHISPA, visit their website at: www.chispahousing.org

 
May 2007:

Four Sisters Inns: TPO MEMBER SINCE July 1993

Four Sisters Inns is headed by Shelley Post Claudel as president and supported by a corporate staff and some 250 talented and dedicated individuals.

TPO: "Four Sisters Inns has been a TPO member for almost 14 years. How do you feel TPO contributes to Four Sister's success?"

Shelley: "As an organization with 15 different locations spread across two states, our human resources needs are both unique and challenging. TPO has provided us with a coordinated and comprehensive approach to addressing this situation. Additionally the management team has greatly benefited from the training seminars, including those offered in a large group format with other companies and particularly those customized to address our particular issues.

TPO has walked us through a variety of diverse employee situations over the years, using an effective combination of sound HR advice, practical solutions and a little humor. Jill, Robert and their entire team have always "been there" for us, to listen and advise, and we are very appreciative!"

Four Sisters is a collection of extraordinary inns located in the most spectacular regions of the west. The Post Family Home was a spectacular, multi-gabled 1888 Victorian mansion overlooking Monterey Bay. Already christened "Green Gables" by a previous owner, who had opened it to travelers, the home was the subject of regular inquiries from would-be guests. Finally, in July 1975, the Posts were persuaded to become seasonal hosts. For several years, they reshuffled their living quarters during the summer months to rent rooms to enthusiastic guests.

Four Sisters Inns gradually added new inns to the collection, each chosen with an eye toward elegant architecture, historical significance, and a truly unique setting. Coupling these inns with home cooking and gracious, friendly service, they soon had a steady stream of business. Rooms at the original inns (including Green Gables, Gosby House and Cobblestone) are decorated with the Post's elegant antiques. For more information about Four Sisters Inns, visit their website at www.foursisters.com.