BEST BUSINESS FRIENDLY CITY
R OHNERT PARK
Letters
“Our city staff ensures that we match that commitment to those who choose to invest in Rohnert Park.” —Marcela Piedra, city manager
By Alexandra Russell
W hat makes a city “business friendly”? “Being friendly is about choosing to respect others for their commitment and investment,” says Marcela Piedra, city manager for the City of Rohnert Park, voted Best Business Friendly City in this year’s NorthBay biz readers’ poll. “Businesses in Rohnert Park place high expectations on themselves and have a willingness to execute at an exceptional level. Our city staff ensures that we match that commitment and execution to those who choose to invest in Rohnert Park.” Piedra continues, “Rohnert Park is recognized for its business-friendly environment, which has attracted a diverse range of enterprises. The city fosters an environment conducive to entrepreneurship and innovation, supporting local businesses while also attracting new investment.” Rohnert Park—population 44,000-plus—is known for several key attributes that make it attractive to residents, visitors and the business community alike. It was
Adjacent to Graton Resort & Casino is the Oxford Suites which caters to tourists looking to discover more of Rohnert Park—or maybe test their luck at the casino.
to property owners and commercial real estate brokers,” adds Piedra, who was appointed to her position in January 2023. Rohnert Park staff also delivers via customer service and permit intake assistance to businesses of all sizes, from entrepreneurs to global companies. “In addition to a concierge service designed to assist business owners from concept to completion and beyond, Rohnert Park has dedicated itself to reshaping its permitting programs to ensure a smooth and simple beginning for any company willing to start here. “Marcela [Piedra] has business development as a high priority, and that includes [her staff] doing all they can to make processing more efficient for businesses,” says Lisa Orloff, CEO of the Rohnert Park Chamber of Commerce. “‘The Friendly City’ is the tagline for Rohnert Park, and it shows in many ways including the work by our city staff.” The city recently launched a new digital newsletter— issuu.com/ rohnertparkcity —which highlights current information and news, program and project updates (such as progress on the new downtown and local business spotlights), upcoming events, recruitment opportunities and more. For her part, Piedra is an enthusiastic cheerleader for her city. To NorthBay biz voters, she has this message: “Thank you for voting us Best Business Friendly City. Your support echoes our commitment to fostering a vibrant community where businesses can thrive.” v v
meticulously planned, incorporating thoughtful urban design principles to create a well-organized and aesthetically pleasing community. This planning extends to residential areas, commercial districts and public spaces, contributing to the city’s overall livability. Home to several big box retailers—Costco, Target, Home Depot, Walmart, and others—Rohnert Park also offers a unique opportunity for urban development with its plans to build a downtown area from scratch. What’s more, explains Piedra, “The city offers any small business with a headquarters in Rohnert Park reports on foot traffic and assistance on expansion, connection to the broader
business community through our partnerships with the Rohnert Park Chamber of Commerce and Sonoma County Economic Development Board, and marketing and general promotion through our social media channels. “[We’re] often in direct contact with entrepreneurs and businesses interested in joining Rohnert Park, and we try to connect these businesses
Publisher
Lawrence Amaturo
Letters Here are a few notes of appreciation from various winners of our 35th annual Best of the North Bay awards—winners were celebrated last month in our May issue. Congratulations, again, folks! —Jason Walsh, editor We built this city! Editor: The City of Rohnert Park is honored to be voted Best Business Friendly City again in this year’s NorthBay biz magazine readers’ poll! —City of Rohnert Park Yee haw! Editor: Thanks to the readers of NorthBay biz magazine for voting the Country Summer Music Festival the Best Annual Festival or Event! —Jim Murphy, Country Summer Credit where credit is due… Editor: This year, we were honored to be inducted into the inaugural NorthBay biz magazine Hall of Fame for Best Credit Union at this year’s Best of the North Bay awards. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners! It’s great to celebrate with all of our local businesses and community partners who are passionate about serving the North Bay. —Redwood Credit Union
Marcela Piedra
rpcity.org
Best of the North Bay 2024 BEST ANNUAL FESTIVAL/EVENT
Editor-in-Chief
Jason Walsh
Northbaybiz 81
C OUNTRY SUMMER
“We focus on blending together some of country music’s biggest names with some of Nashville’s newest talent…we’ve managed to create a staple in the festival space.” —Drew Jacoby, executive producer
Associate Editor
Rosie Padilla
By Rosie Padilla
C ountry Summer, the annual three-day country music festival at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. More locally driven than competitors like BottleRock, Country Summer proved the favorite North Bay event among readers topping Best Annual Festival/Event in the first year we’ve featured the category. [Country Summer is co-produced by Amaturo Sonoma Media Group, which publishes NorthBay biz magazine.] “Country Summer has cemented itself as a major player in the industry,” says Drew Jacoby, executive producer. “We focus on blending together some of country music’s biggest names with some of Nashville’s newest talent, and while routing bands this far west can sometimes be a challenge, we’ve managed to create a staple in the festival space.” Jacoby asserts that a huge part of Country
Contributing Editor
Bill Meagher
Design Director
Anne Schenk
Country Summer continues to have dedicated fans show out every year to get a glimpse of their favorite country artists. [Photos by Will Bucquoy]
Summer’s prosperity is due to its dedicated fans. The feedback of both fans and partners allows the music festival to improve with each year. Another unique aspect of the music festival is its limited capacity. Normally, headliners like Eric Church
or the bathroom. Particularly enthusiastic music lovers will also be able to get a better view of their favorite bands with Sonoma County wine country serving as a backdrop. Each year the search for headliners presents a challenge—it’s not only about attempting to secure popular country artists but also attempting to coordinate with their already busy schedules. Even after an artist expresses interest in performing, after the offer is submitted, the talent scouter must continually push for the date to be a part of the artist’s tour. “Oftentimes the final lineup is a big departure from the one that the festival originally drafted when the whole process started, but that just comes with the territory of being an independent festival in today’s corporate environment,” says Jacoby. This year’s lineup is set to dazzle with headliners like Old Dominion, Little Big Town and Jordan Davis. Single day as well as 3-day passes can be purchased at countrysummer.com . Hotel and camping packages are also available for purchase. “Make sure to snag [your tickets] to secure your place at Northern California’s biggest country music festival and Sonoma County’s biggest party,” says Jacoby. v
Administrative Assistant
Jodi Pasquini
and Blake Shelton perform at events for up to 40,000 patrons a day. Country Summer is hosted every year at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, capping at 13,000 concertgoers a day. Another selling point, according to Jacoby, is that fans won’t have to wait as long for drinks, food
Marketing Consultant
Lori Rooney
Last year Lynyrd Skynyrd offered attendees a rocking good time. [Photos by Will Bucquoy]
countrysummer.com
72 Northbaybiz
Best of the North Bay 2024
Writers Janet Perry Jason Walsh Jessica Zimmer
We stand corrected… In our 2024 Best of the North Bay awards issue last month, Bank of Marin was celebrated for earning a place in our inaugural Hall of Fame category—reserved for the businesses that have won repeatedly throughout the contest’s 35-year history. In the accompanying profile, we misspelled the name of Bank of Marin CEO Tim Myers. Congratulations again for a job well done, Tim! And congratulations to
Rosie Padilla Vicki Larson
Columnists Adam Lee Alexandra Russell Bill Meagher Christina Julian Jason Walsh John Ash Michael E. Duffy Robert Eyler Photographers Adrian Mendoza Duncan Garrett Will Bucquoy
Bank of Marin! —NorthBay biz
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8 NorthBaybiz
June 2024
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