Contact:         Cameron Andrews                                                                 
Pier Communications                                    
562-432-5300
     
            LONG BEACH, Calif., (April 24, 2023) – American businesswoman Marissa Mayer famously said about entrepreneurship, “If you push through that feeling of being scared, that feeling of taking a risk, really amazing things can happen,” and for this year’s Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce honorees, amazing things are about to happen at the “2023 City National Bank Entrepreneur of the Year” program at the Hyatt Regency on Thursday, April 27. Registration and exhibits open at 10:30 a.m., and the luncheon and awards program will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
            This will be the Chamber’s 25th occasion to bestow its most prestigious award of the year during the ceremony, which is being presented by title sponsor City National Bank. The Chamber will also recognize leaders who have made an indelible impact in Long Beach’s business and philanthropic communities. This year’s award recipients are:
 
- City National Bank Entrepreneur of the Year – Chris Spano and Jonathan Spano, Traffic Management, Inc. (TMI^®)
 
- Don Temple Storage Philanthropic Pioneer Award – Tenisha Anderson and Kelvin Anderson, V.I.P. Records
 
- Chick-fil-A Community Spirit Award – Rich Archbold, Public Editor and Community Liaison, Long Beach Press-Telegram
 
- Long Beach City College Shaun R. Lumachi Rising Star Award – Becca and Billy Mohler, Cal Heights Music
 
- HCVT Corporate Citizen of the Year – Moffat & Nichol
 
            "This year marks our 25th anniversary presenting the prestigious ‘City National Bank Entrepreneur of the Year’ program and we appreciate City National for its support of the business community and its partnership with the Chamber,” said Jeremy Harris, President and CEO of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a pleasure to recognize Traffic Management, Inc. this year as they have demonstrated an amazing entrepreneurial spirit in their business growth and leadership skills while founded and headquartered in Long Beach and supporting operations throughout the United States.”
            TMI started with very humble beginnings in 1995 by brothers Chris and Jonathan Spano in their great grandmother’s garage. They were only teenagers, with a handful of employees. TMI is well equipped to provide industry leading safety products and services that include traffic control services, engineering, equipment rentals, product sales, sign manufacturing and installation, and 24/7 emergency dispatch response. TMI’s core clients consist of utility agencies, construction contractors, municipalities, and large special events.
            TMI has been consistently ranked as one of Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ)’s Top 100 Minority Owned Businesses, Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies, and Largest Private Companies. TMI has also previously been awarded LABJ Latino Business of the Year.
            “We are very grateful to City National Bank and the Chamber for honoring us with the Entrepreneur of the Year award,” TMI Co-Founders Chris Spano and Jonathan Spano said. “Our work in the Long Beach business community started as an idea in a garage and has grown to more than 53 locations in 10 regions throughout the United States. This success is attributed to our amazing team members and support received in all areas that we operate.”
            “Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Southern California’s economy, and we are proud to support them and everyone with an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Rich Raffetto, president of City National. “The Long Beach community is extremely important to us, and we are honored to show our appreciation by once again serving as the title sponsor for this event.”
            The “2023 City National Bank Entrepreneur of the Year” program is open to the public, but advance registration is required. Groups and individuals interested must register by April 26.
            Hyatt Regency is located at 200 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach, 90802. Valet and self-parking is available on site.
            Sponsorship opportunities for the “2023 City National Bank Entrepreneur of the Year” event are going fast with just a few Diamond Level sponsors remaining at $7,500 and Platinum Level sponsors at $5,000, along with Gold Level sponsors at $3,500, Silver Level sponsors at $2,500 and Bronze Level sponsors at $1,500. Individual seats are available for members at $100 each and future members at $150 each. Digital Program ads are also available in full page at $1,195 and half page at $695. For all sponsorships or ad placements, please contact Judy Nelson at jnelson@lbchamber.com.
 
About the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (LBACC)
The Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (LBACC) is one of the largest membership chambers of commerce in Los Angeles County. The Chamber serves as the catalyst for business growth, a Convener of leaders and influencers, and a Champion for a stronger community. For additional information, visit www.lbchamber.com or follow on Twitter @thelbchamber, Facebook @lbchamber and Instagram @longbeachchamber.
 
About City National Bank
With $95.9 billion in assets, City National Bank provides banking, investment and trust services through 69 branches, including 22 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Miami*. In addition, the company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $88.2 billion in client investment assets.
 
City National is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of the world’s leading diversified financial services companies. RBC serves more than 17 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the United States and 27 other countries.
 
For more information about City National, visit the company’s website at cnb.com.
 
*City National Bank does business in Miami and the state of Florida as CN Bank
 
 
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