San Benito County Chamber of Commerce adds new board members

The San Benito County Chamber of Commerce has added three new directors to its board over the past few months.

Lori Thompson

A native Californian, she grew up in the Santa Clara Valley before making Hollister her home. She is currently a director on the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce with plans to accept a position as board secretary in January 2017.  She has also taken an active role as chair of the Ambassador Committee, a group of volunteer members who are dedicated to attending and promoting the chamber and events. 

With experience in sales and advertising for Main Street Media, and as workers’ comp coordinator for the former Indian Motorcycle corporate office in Gilroy, she has combined her experience to become the director of business development for all Pinnacle HealthCare Occupational Medicine and Family Urgent care centers in California.  

Saying she is fortunate to be living and working in such a beautiful area, Thompson would like to be a part of the growth and retention of local businesses, while maintaining the balance of relationships with neighbors and friends.

Thompson noted that she is passionate about the community in which she lives and would love to see more hiking and nature trails, annual birding and other events to attract visitors to stay in area hotels, eat in local restaurants and purchase goods in local stores.

Scott Harvey

Harvey grew up in the North Monterey County area before heading to attend CSU Stanislaus in Turlock. While at CSUS, Scott was a member of the track team, editor of the campus newspaper and student body president. After graduating, he returned to his hometown as the assistant general manager of the local parks district. After taking time off to take care of his parents while his mother was battling cancer, he found his way to the Hollister Free Lance newspaper as an account executive and has become increasingly involved in the San Benito County community. 

Harvey said he looks forward to continuing to grow and move the San Benito Chamber forward in providing more benefits to its members. He has a strong focus on education and promoting the business community as a whole to local residents and visitors alike.

Christine Black

Christine Black was born on the Travis Airforce Base in Fairfield, and raised Campbell.  As a young girl, her mother would call her name and look up, as Christine was always on a roof, in a tree, on a fence, or a horse.  She married her high school sweetheart, had two sons and the family moved to Hollister in 1996.

Black started her professional career in Campbell, as an administrative assistant, working her way up to executive assistant.  She commuted to the Bay Area for a time after moving to Hollister, and then she obtained a job with the City of Hollister in the Recreation Department.  She has worked in various departments including the Fire Department for 14 years, eventually becoming full-time staff support for the City Clerk’s Office. She is currently the deputy city clerk for the City of Hollister.  

Black always been involved in the community, volunteering for various non-profit organizations.  She continues working toward the highest certification of Master Municipal Clerk (MMC).  

She said she enjoys hiking, music, movies, and spending time with her family and friends. She and her husband enjoy spoiling their cat, the newest addition to the family, while waiting for their boys to provide them grandchildren. Most people do not know that Christine enjoys firearms and is a former dirt bike rider.

“Welcome to the new directors,” Chamber CEO Juli Vieira said in an announcement. “The returning board and staff look forward to working with you.”