GUEST OPINION: Celebrating 25 years of helping Sonoma County

As the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County celebrates its 25th anniversary, we are inspired to reflect on our past and plan for a future with many challenges but also ripe with opportunities.

Every day, we witness the great struggles that community members, especially Latinos, continue to face as we recover from the greatest economic crisis of our lifetimes. Most gains from decades of government investment in anti-poverty programs were wiped away in the Great Recession. The current economic climate proves that it is only when our local economy thrives that government can provide the services that residents expect and deserve.

We now have the opportunity to chart a course that will take Sonoma County to a brighter future, with Latino business owners creating jobs and charting new paths for expansion and innovation.

Healdsburg chef, restaurateur and market owner Octavio Diaz is a shining example. The oldest of seven siblings, he moved from Oaxaca to Rohnert Park at age 13 to live with his aunt and uncle. With a love for cooking instilled by his mother before he left Mexico, working as a busboy in a Rohnert Park hotel restaurant helped him find his passion for the restaurant business and the culinary arts. He's now chef and owner of Agave Restaurant & Tequila Bar and owner of Casa del Mol?Mercado y Carniceria.

Many of his immediate family members have also immigrated to Sonoma County, making their success a family affair. Brother Pedro now owns El Farolito, having started there as a dishwasher; brother Francisco runs and owns El Farolito's Windsor location, and mother Juana is in charge of producing large weekly batches of her famous mol?negro, just one of many specialty food items at Casa del Mol?

They succeeded through hard work, skill and helping one another. Octavio says that during this economic downturn his family has been his "bank."

Small businesses and entrepreneurs are the engines of job growth. Between the market and the three restaurants, the Diaz family employs more than 50 people in Sonoma County. They have also donated to local charities that help residents in need during these tough times.

For the good of all, we must commit to rebuilding an economy where everyone who works hard can succeed.

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is committed to helping small business owners grow their businesses and create more jobs. We must also ensure that entrepreneurs who take chances on promising new ideas have access to capital to launch their companies.

The Hispanic chamber will soon be offering coaching to help small business owners and entrepreneurs develop sound business plans, understand regulations and best practices in their fields and secure loans to grow and prosper.

But we know that businesses are only as strong as the people who work in them. Good education is not only a ticket to success for individuals; having well-educated, contributing employees is an advantage underlying every successful American business.

Our community prospers when all young adults have access to higher education. We must re-commit to ensuring that every student graduates from high school and has the opportunity to pursue higher education and train for the challenging positions that successful businesses need to fill.

At its inception 25 years ago, the Hispanic chamber launched an ambitious campaign to ensure that Latino students have opportunities to achieve their dreams of attending college. Thanks to the generosity of local businesses and community members, the Hispanic chamber's scholarship fund has awarded nearly $300,000 to hundreds of Latino students, the majority of whom were the first in their families to complete college.

As Octavio and Pedro Diaz' family helped them, we in our community must help one another - like one big family.

You may even personally reap future benefits when you hire a talented graduate who can help your business thrive in an ever-changing world.

Mark your calendars for June 29, and join us when the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County celebrates 25 years. We have much to celebrate and much to look forward to. Feliz anniverario!

Pedro Toledo is president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County and director of community and government relations for Redwood Community Health Coalition.