By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce for a second year has received a $25,000 grant from the city’s Economic Development Support Fund, after the Citrus Heights City Council approved the grant request on Wednesday.
The City Council approved the $25,000 grant request with a unanimous vote Wednesday during a regular city council meeting. The $25,000 is to be spent in three different ways, according to a proposal letter from the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce.
$10,000 will go toward a Chairman’s Circle Diamond Sponsorship, $7,000 would go toward the cost of renting the Citrus Heights Event Center for luncheons, and $8,000 would go toward a Presenting Sponsorship of “Leadership Citrus Heights.”
The city has partnered with the Chamber of Commerce as a Diamond Sponsor for well over a decade, Economic Development and Community Engagement Director Meghan Huber said.
A Chairman’s Circle Diamond Sponsorship affords the city multiple benefits, including the city’s logo and link on the Chamber’s website, recognition as Diamond level, recognition of Presenting Sponsorship at the Community Awards dinner, Superstar Sponsorship at the annual Best of Citrus Heights awards ceremony, 6 tickets each to the Access Citrus Heights luncheons and Elected Officials Reception, logos on luncheon presentations, newsletters, eblasts, and 12 social media posts plus four featured articles in weekly newsletters.
The goal, the Chamber said, is to “promote and market the City of Citrus Heights as a supportive partner to businesses.”
The city and the Chamber also noted that the Event Center, which was rebranded from the Citrus Heights Community Center, has been a staple location in the city for Chamber events. Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sheri Merrick said that event attendance in 2025 is up 65 percent compared to 2024.
The Chamber hosts over a dozen events annually, the Chamber said, adding that the $7,000 supports room rental fees, helping to ensure “accessibility and continued community programming in a central and professional venue.”
Last year, the Chamber used part of the $25,000 grant to relocate its headquarters to a more centralized and easy-to-find location within the Sunrise MarketPlace on the corner of Greenback Lane and Fair Oaks Boulevard. This year, the Chamber is proposing to allocate $8,000 of the $25,000 as a Presenting Sponsorship of the relaunch of Leadership Citrus Heights.
The Chamber recently announced in their weekly business newsletter the return of their Leadership Citrus Heights program, which takes candidates through various leadership trainings over a nine-month period.
“As a Leadership Citrus Heights graduate, I can tell you that this is a tremendous program,” Councilmember Porsche Middleton said.
The leadership program meets one day a week for half a day, according to the Chamber’s website. The program is designed to provide students with in-depth insight into how local government, education, public safety, and businesses work together; provide network connections with local leaders, business owners, and changemakers; and develop practical skills in leadership, collaboration, public speaking, and problem-solving. Students will also be involved in a community project during the program.
As a Presenting Sponsor of Leadership Citrus Heights, the city would receive three Leadership Citrus Heights tuition scholarships, valued at $2,085, logo placement on program materials, flyers and signage and the opportunity to offer branded materials, sponsor recognition during orientation and graduation ceremony, spotlight speaking opportunities and recognition plaque presented at graduation ceremony, and
two tickets to the graduation ceremony.
Leadership Citrus Heights costs $695 for members of the Chamber and $793 for non-members. The deadline to apply was Sept. 1.
