DOWNTOWN — When the local chamber of commerce installs former Santa Monica Mayor Nat Trives as chairman this summer, a local jeweler is expected to become chairman-elect.
Eddie Guerboian, 52, was recently nominated by chamber officials for the post. In order to be formally named chairman-elect, the decision must be ratified by the full chamber board at its meeting next month.
While the chamber plays an increasingly offensive role in local politics, Guerboian, a fifth-generation Armenian jeweler who came alone to America with just $100 in his pocket at 16 years old, said he’s more interested in building relationships than fostering controversy.
Guerboian, a father of three who moved into an apartment on Strand Street in the late 1960s, said he hopes to work collaboratively with City Hall to help tackle homelessness, parking and other issues that affect local merchants.
“I’m not a controversial guy,” Guerboian said in an interview last week. “Build relationships, because when you are a team you can win. Individually, you cannot win.”
Guerboian said his dedication to teamwork reaches into all aspects of his life — as a husband and father, a businessman and community member, as well as a basketball fan and coach. Guerboian has coached for the local Boys & Girls Club, at Balboa Park and for his kids. He calls Magic Johnson his “Magic Man.”
Here, the Daily Press sat down with Guerboian, owner of Readers Fine Jewelers on Wilshire Boulevard, and asked how he’s kept the business alive for 28 years.
You were recently voted chairman-elect by the nominating committee of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. Why do you want to serve?
“I want to serve because I am part of the Santa Monica community and I am part of the business community. We want to have fun and do business in Santa Monica, and have more members get involved, and really build relationships between chamber members and the city — bring our two existing groups together to better our Santa Monica.”
What do you hope to accomplish?
“What I hope to accomplish is build relationships, better relationships, with the city and have the membership get involved more with the chamber events, and increase the membership, of course, and have fun while we’re doing business... We need to have some council members that know about business or are part of business in the community so we can communicate... If some council people own businesses then they understand what the business needs are in the community.”
The chamber recently has taken a more aggressive role in local politics, with its formation of a political action committee to endorse city council candidates. Will it be a challenge to work with City Hall after butting heads with the powers that be?
“Everyday we have a challenge in our lives. It doesn’t mean we don’t care. After the election, maybe we realize we need to work together. I’m a guy that likes to have peace. I like to have good relationships... I think when we get together, I will try to do that with the city, and talk and communicate with some more of the reasons why we’re getting involved with politics now.”
If you were in control, what changes would you advocate?
“I would be more flexible to help businesses start in Santa Monica and cut back on bureaucracy. I would listen to the business owners, or apartment owners — whatever it takes to make the city better. I would like to listen to the chamber members or the individual members and then see if I could put them together to better Santa Monica... My No. 1 concern for the businesses is the homeless situation. And another one is some cleanliness of the city. There’s a lot of, in my area, a lot of dirt and things, it’s not always kept up...
“Really, in my experience, the tourists and the clients, they meet the homeless. They’re bothered with these people in Santa Monica. Some of my tourist clients, they come in and say they see more homeless in Santa Monica and they don’t want to shop in Santa Monica, the way they beg all day. Especially the women, they have the problem (with transients).”
Does the situation seem to have gotten worse over the years?
“There’s more coming in and I think the feeding helped more come in. I’m not against feeding, but in a certain way people come in — they’re not even homeless they just come in to get food, that’s what I’m hearing... We’re very liberal about it. We’re known as the center of the homeless people. The homeless people come here a lot. We have a lot of them, and I believe it’s because it’s very easy for them to live here.”
How would you address homelessness?
“Well first of all, I would try to control the city better and try to guide them to go where the homeless shelter is, all the time. Have you been to Beverly Hills? You don’t see homeless people, right? I went to Wilshire in Beverly Hills, and I was driving, and I saw the cops talking to a homeless man and I was watching, and they took him away to wherever the homeless go. They’re trying to control the homeless in Beverly Hills. Why can’t we be like that?”
What do you think of the recent vote to ban smoking on the beach?
“OK, well — can I say no comment? … You know it was OK not to smoke in the restaurants or the stores, but I’m not for the idea of not smoking on that pier. I know it’s going to affect a lot of businesses. In the long run, we are taking the freedoms away from our visitors, our residents. And I think it can affect a lot of tourism there.”
You’ve been with the chamber for decades. How has it changed over the years?
“We’re united. We have a goal to help the businesses improve and do better in Santa Monica. The events that we provide now and the increase in the membership that helps the chamber do the work... Before, we weren’t as involved in the concerns of the businesses of Santa Monica. We didn’t have that many of the situations we have now — the homelessness, the parking, the new businesses coming in. Right now we’re a big, small city. We’re big, but we’re still small.”
You’ve mentioned a few times that it’s important to have fun while doing business. What do you mean by that?
“Enjoy doing business among ourselves. Don’t take everything seriously — and if something goes wrong, we can try to correct it. All it takes is great communication between our business people. That’s my thing. I communicate between all the people in our business (community). I care about people. When we have our luncheons and our mixers with the chamber — get together, get to know each other better.”
Any tips or secrets?
“I will surprise you.”
What’s your philosophy on life?
“Enjoy your life. Live every day as though it’s your last day. Thank God for what you have and for the family you have. I believe that the United States is the land of opportunity, because I came with nothing, and I appreciate everything I receive and I have, and I like to give back to the community.”
Eddie Guerboian Inncome: Declined to state.
Born: August 6, 1951, in Cairo, Egypt.
Education: Went to high school in Cairo. Studied for an AA degree at Santa Monica College before dropping out to attend the Gemological Institute of America.
Background: He worked minimum wage jobs on the Promenade while in school. Started as a jeweler in 1970. In 1976, he took a job with Readers Fine Jewelers, then located on the Promenade. In 1978, he bought the family-owned business and has stayed with it ever since, moving to the current location on Wilshire Boulevard in about 1980. Residence: Tarzana. Organizations: Serves on the board for the Boys & Girls Club, the Salvation Army and Kiwanis, where he also is a distinguished past president. Guerboian is a member of the Santa Monica College advisory board. He received a distinguished award from the Jaycee’s in 1990. Family. Guerboian met his wife Evelyn through his church. They have three children: Son Avedis, 21, daughters Natalie, 18, and Nicole, 13.
Hobbies: Coaching and playing basketball, playing tennis, dancing, spending time with family and friends, teaching, fundraising and enjoying life.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 29, 2004. Read the original PDF.