> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Businesses can now say hello to their little friend - URL: https://www.smdp.com/businesses-can-now-say-hello-to-their-little-friend/ - Published: 2007-01-10T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T23:42:50.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Business, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homelessness *Chamber liaison ‘coming in fresh’* SIXTH STREET — Just like Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine and Capt. Renault in “Casablanca,” business owners and city officials alike are hoping Samantha O’Neil’s arrival means the beginning of a beautiful friendship between the Chamber of Commerce and City Hall. O’Neil, a former public relations executive with a background in politics, is the chamber’s first-ever director of government affairs, a position that will require her to develop strong relationships with city staff and elected officials. The position was created in July of last year after the chamber dissolved its political arm in favor of a more friendly approach to getting things done in City Hall. Instead of raising money to fight city officials through their political action committee,or PAC,merchants agreed to raise money to fund a new, full-time position at the chamber dedicated solely to building stronger ties to City Hall. The theory was that the liaison would be on the ground, working closely with city staff and elected officials in formulating policy so that the interests of merchants could be considered along with those of residents so that a more balanced policy could be developed. “I think one of the first goals is to increase communication in any way that we can so that businesses have a direct line of communication into (City Hall),” said O’Neil, 27, during an interview last week at the chamber office.“One of the main goals of creating this position in the first place is so we can identify issues in the very beginning, so that if problems do arise, we can be aware of them quickly and try to come up with a solution.” Having never worked in Santa Monica, O’Neil said she is unfamiliar with the way in which the chamber and City Hall have interacted in the past and is looking forward to “a clean slate.” “I’m coming in fresh,” O’Neil said. “I don’t know the background of Santa Monica politics and I think that’s a good thing. It’s a new position, a new person... I think it will be great to be a new person, introduce myself and get my foot in the door. So far, everyone’s been great.” O’Neil’s first day on the job was last Tuesday and since then she has been busy getting to know chamber staff, the board and city officials, including City Manager Lamont Ewell, who is excited about the opportunity to work more closely with the chamber. “The chamber has recognized for some time the need to work collaboratively with the city and the residents to achieve our common goals,” Ewell said. “This reflects that commitment.” To fund the position, the chamber has established a “Business Roundtable,” where up to 30 chamber members pay an annual fee of $2,500 to have quarterly meetings with Ewell, elected officials and city department heads. The position has been funded for three years. HOMEWARD BOUND A native of Florida, O’Neil, who holds a master’s degree in political communications from Florida State University, has been in Southern California for the last five years, during which time she has worked with the Los Angeles and Orange County Chambers of Commerce on a national health care campaign. Before that, the Culver City resident worked for Florida Sen. Bob Graham. During her tenure with the senator, O’Neil was responsible for answering letters, e-mails and telephone calls from constituents. “It was always interesting working (for Graham) because when someone writes to a senator, it usually means that this is their last stop,”O’Neil said.“They’ve tried everything to solve their problem, so if you can’t help them, no one can. It was really exciting to be able to help people connect to the right resources within nation, state or local government. I really enjoyed working with the public.” Working with chambers has always interested O’Neil for that very reason, and Santa Monica offers the opportunity for her given its “many amazing businesses, from small mom and pops to large non-profits and major corporations,” said O’Neil. “Santa Monica itself is also an international destination for many different and very good reasons, and Florida was tourism-based as well, so I definitely feel at home in Santa Monica,”O’Neil said.“And then there’s the people. Whether it’s city workers, residents, visitors, they all seem to love the city and that’s what’s great about it and continuously making it better.” To ensure Santa Monica improves over the long term, O’Neil said she will focus her efforts on homelessness, creating affordable housing for workers and improving transportation. “I’m still new so I don’t know exactly what the main goals will be,but obviously we will be dealing with the same types of issues we have focused on from year to year,” O’Neil said. “This is a fresh, new and exciting opportunity and I am looking forward to being an ombudsman for the business community with the goal of helping people solve problems.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 10, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/011007.pdf?ref=smdp.com)