SAMCEDA's 2025 Wrapped

With the new year underway, SAMCEDA celebrates the progress and meaningful impact made in 2025.

SAMCEDA would like to express our gratitude to our members and community partners for your continued support!

 

SAMCEDA Welcomes New Board Member in 2025

SAMCEDA is pleased to welcome Collier’s Grant Zamudio to our Board of Directors and we extend our sincere gratitude to Rick Knauff of Colliers for his many years of dedicated service.

---

To learn more about SAMCEDA's Board of Directors, 
please click here.

#SAMCEDAonTheMove

From thought-provoking panels to vibrant community gatherings, SAMCEDA was proud to participate in a diverse range of events.


       

Follow our new series, #SAMCEDAonTheMove, highlighting the activities and collaboration throughout San Mateo County, the Bay Area, and beyond.

---

To view the #SAMCEDAonTheMove series, 
please click here.

SAMCEDA Team Updates

In 2025, SAMCEDA’s President & CEO, Rosanne Foust, was appointed to the Sequoia Healthcare District’s Board of Directors.

In addition she continues to serve on multiple boards and in leadership roles of the following: NOVAworks - Workforce Investment Board, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, San Mateo County Event Center, Bay Area Council Economic Institute, San Mateo County Transit District’s Measure W Citizens’ Oversight Committee, Provident Credit Union's Supervisory Committee, Heritage Bank of Commerce's Peninsula/Stanford Advisory Board, San Mateo County Community College District Foundation, California Forward's California Stewardship Network, and Chamber San Mateo County.


[ From left to right: Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s Nicole Taylor, County of San Mateo’s President Supervisor David Canepa, San Mateo County Labor Council’s Julie Lind, SAMCEDA’s Rosanne Foust ] 

SAMCEDA’s Marketing, Communications and Operations Manager, Larisa Ocañada, was sworn in as Commissioner for the County of San Mateo’s Commission on the Status of Women and continues to serve on KQED’s Community Advisory Panel.

SAMCEDA and Partner Events, Programs, & Activities

Whether virtual or in-person, discover upcoming SAMCEDA and partner events where you can engage, collaborate, and stay connected with the community.


---

To view all the upcoming events,
 please click here.

Policy Support and Advocacy

SAMCEDA takes on the region’s toughest challenges with innovative, goal-driven solutions for housing, transportation, economic development, workforce development, and other vital issues.

Some examples of what SAMCEDA has supported and advocated in 2025 include (partial list):

  • Business
  • Housing
    • Provided public comment to the City of Brisbane’s Planning Commission Meeting supporting the Baylands project and encouraging the City to find ways to streamline the EIR process
  • Community
    • Letter encouraging Governor Newsom to support the $118 million appropriation included in Senate Bill 101, critical one-time backfill addresses the FY 2023 -24 Vehicle License Fee (VLF) in-lieu revenue shortfall for San Mateo County ($114 million), Alpine County, and Mono County as it is the foundational general fund
  • Workforce
    • Letter in support of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) that will generate tax revenue, drive economic productivity, and reduce safety-net costs within just a few years
  • Transportation
    • Letter to State Senator Scott Wiener in support of SB 79 where it establishes state standards for transit-oriented zoning around qualifying transit stops that will ensure that transit-oriented developments are feasible and enhance access to transit
    • Letter to San Mateo County Transportation Authority in support for Caltrain’s request for increased operations funding for weekend service through the San Mateo County Transportation Authority’s (SMTCA) Regional Transit Connections Program (RTC)
      • UPDATE: Awarded funding through the Regional Transportation Committee for proposal
    • Letter to California Public Utilities Commission’s Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division’s Director Terra Curtis, encouraging the Commission to consider approving Waymo’s advice letter and updated Passenger Safety Plan to expand its autonomous vehicles services to include San Mateo County and neighboring communities
    • Worked closely with the San Mateo County Transit District, Caltrain, City/County Association of Governments, and a coalition of other business and policy organizations for regional transportation measure 
  • Children & Youth 
  • Development Milestones
  • Broadband
    • Provided written public comment to support Verizon’s acquisition of Frontier, which will bring much-needed investment in broadband infrastructure to our communities

Partnerships and Collaboration

SAMCEDA understands that economic vitality is achieved through collaboration and strong partnerships.

Organizations SAMCEDA has supported, partnered, and collaborated with include (partial list):

SAMCEDA’s 72nd Annual Meeting featuring “THRED Talks”

SAMCEDA held its 72nd Annual Meeting featuring "THRED Talks" - Weaving Our Region Together event at The Farallon Room at Skyline College in San Bruno in June 2025.


[ "THRED Talks" Speakers (from left to right): Adamski Moroski Madden Cumberland & Green’s James Wagstaff, Accion Opportunity Fund’s Luz Urrutia, YouTube’s Evan Engstrom, Olivia Asuncion, SAMCEDA’s Rosanne Foust, Verizon’s Rommel Angeles ]

This year’s “THRED Talks” highlighted the importance of: community, compassion, and connection.

---

To learn more about SAMCEDA’s
“THRED Talks” presentations, please click here.
(Photo provided by Scott Buschman Photography)

SAMCEDA Industry Series

The SAMCEDA Industry Series showcases the impactful work and contributions of SAMCEDA members, celebrating their achievements both in their respective industries and within the community.

In the latest episode, SAMCEDA explored the people, organizations, and partnerships shaping the future of healthcare in our region, highlighting both the opportunities and the challenges in delivering high-quality, equitable care to a diverse community.

---

To learn more of 
SAMCEDA’s series, please click here.
 

San Francisco International Airport & SAMCEDA’s 2025 Resource Fair 2.0

People across the region gathered to attend San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and SAMCEDA’s 2025 Resource Fair 2.0.

Held at Fiesta Hall at the San Mateo County Event Center in San Mateo, the event connected job seekers with Airport employers and companies from a range of industries. With nearly 100 exhibitors, it also provided businesses with valuable information and resources.



[ Eager jobseekers engaged with a wide range of exhibitors, gaining insights,
making valuable connections, and discovering exciting career opportunities ]

---

 
To read more of 
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and SAMCEDA’s event, please click here.


SAMCEDA’s Conversation with the Congressman

In the fall of 2025, SAMCEDA brought together its members and U.S. Representatives Kevin Mullin (District 15) and Sam Liccardo (District 16) for a special in-person event titled, A Conversation with the Congressman.

In October of 2025, Rep. Kevin Mullin provided SAMCEDA members updates on current legislative issues and policy developments during the government shutdown. Members also shared the opportunities and challenges in their industries. 

Then in November of 2025, Rep. Sam Liccardo discussed key federal insights and highlighted promising opportunities on the horizons.

Chamber San Mateo County’s 56th Annual Progress Seminar

Chamber San Mateo County held their 56th Annual Progress Seminar event at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine County in Santa Rosa.

SAMCEDA’s President & CEO, Rosanne Foust served as co-chair for the event, alongside fellow co-chairs: County of San Mateo's County Executive Officer, Mike Callagy, San Mateo County Central Labor Council's Executive Secretary-Treasurer's Julie Lind, San Francisco State University’s Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management’s Dr. Jamillah Moore.

The weekend-long event kicked off with an outdoor strolling dinner and reception on Friday, where elected officials, community leaders, and business professionals gathered to connect and network.

The following day, Progress Seminar participants actively listened to informational sessions on hospitality and tourism, climate change, healthcare infrastructure, economic readiness, and meeting evolving community needs.

The Progress Seminar concluded with The Driving Forces: Fantastic Motivators and Growing Concerns in Public Life.



[ From left to right: College of San Mateo and
City of South San Francisco’s Mayor Eddie Flores,
Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center’s Tim Russell,
Exelixis’ Kalimah Salahuddin, County of San Mateo’s Shireen Malekafzali Taidi ]

---

 
To read more of Chamber San Mateo County’s 
56th Annual Progress Seminar , please click here.


San Mateo County Regional Report

Through our partnership with the National Economic Education Delegation (NEED), you can get up-to-date economic research with their San Mateo County Regional Report.  

Their San Mateo County Regional Report features the economic and demographic overview of San Mateo County including: employment growth, population and housing, poverty in the region, industry reports (e.g. life science, manufacturing, technology, etc.), commute patterns, and more.


---
 
To view National Economic Education Delegation (NEED)’s, 
San Mateo County Regional Report, please click here.


Stay Connected with SAMCEDA 

We encourage you and your team to stay connected with SAMCEDA by following us on our social media platforms and sign-up for our newsletter! 

 

            

 

SAMCEDA highlights current updates and announcements (county, state and national), grant/fellowship/career advancement opportunities, article insights, business resource/tools and more.

Snippets of our newsletters can be found through our social media channels.


---
 


Interested in a SAMCEDA Membership?

We welcome the opportunity to connect with interested organizations for an initial discussion, allowing us to better understand your goals, highlight opportunities for collaboration, and respond to your questions.


---
 
To learn more about a SAMCEDA membership, please click here.
[ For questions, please email [email protected] ]