By Sean Maher
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 01/27/2012 09:51:19 AM PST
Updated: 02/02/2012 07:16:58 AM PST


Scores of local leaders, educators, business owners and others had come to Mehran Restaurant for the Jan. 26 event, where the chamber introduced its new board and where new President Ron Rives said he was proud to give Johnson the honor.

"I can honestly say I have never seen anyone work harder to improve his community than Ben Johnson," Rives said.

Accepting the award, Johnson said he loves talking with his neighbors throughout the city to learn what they want done with their hometown.

"I try to be honest with people," he said. "You just talk with them in the best way you can."

Johnson was elected to the City Council in 2004. He is the president of the East Bay Division of the California League of Cities, adjutant treasurer of Disabled American Veterans Pittsburg and past commander of the American Legion Post 151.

Other honorees were police Officer Richard Hosier, who survived a mano-y-mano gunbattle with a suspect in 2011, and county firefighter Brett Schooley, who helps train local youngsters in the ways of protecting their neighbors from fire.

John Lujan, a Pittsburg native, was named veteran of the year, and said he wished to share the honor with his brothers in arms.

Teacher of the year went to Emma Arellano Flores, who is a new mother and has taught the third grade for six years, currently working at Los Medanos Elementary School.

The business of the year was La Superior Supermarket, which has six markets across the area and is run by Nicolas Maamari and Johny Khalilieh.

The Pittsburg chamber will be taking a new direction in 2012, tamping down its focus on big events and honing in on daily strategies to build local business, Rives said at the close of the dinner.

In a later interview, Rives said many of the chamber's events are great successes, in particular the annual Seafood Festival, but that focusing business-building efforts exclusively on those events doesn't serve local entrepreneurs as well as it should.

"Over time, I think we lost view of what our mission is: to benefit the business community," Rives said. "So this will be a change in our view: we're going back to the model of coming up with ideas to benefit business."

First up is a referral service the chamber will open for anyone seeking local services. If members qualify -- if they're properly licensed and insured, for example -- they will be one of three recommendations the chamber plans to offer anyone looking for a good place to spend their money in Pittsburg.

To be part of the service, though, businesses will be required to have a website, a potentially costly investment Rives said the chamber is offsetting by connecting member businesses with web developers who have agreed to produce websites for less than $500 per business.

Also in the works, Rives said, is a seminar for local landlords, who are facing financial difficulties at the same time homeowners are. Other educational efforts for local business owners are also in the works.

Finally, the chamber is committing to support its members when they go to City Hall to ask for help.

"A lot of times if you're building something or changing something, you'll have people opposed to it," Rives said. "If you want to open a coffee shop, the other coffee shop doesn't want you to and they'll show up at City Council or Planning Commission meetings and make it hard."

Rives' vision was welcomed by local business leaders at the Installation Dinner, calling it a breath of fresh air. Mayor Johnson said he's excited to begin working with Rives.

Contact Sean Maher at 925-779-7189. Follow him on Twitter at @OneSeanMaher.