A.V. BOARD OF TRADE NEARS 50.

Byline: JIM SKEEN

Staff Writer

LANCASTER -- Approaching its 50th year of operations, the Antelope Valley Board of Trade is the High Desert's biggest cheerleader and advocate -- and, arguably, it's most successful.

Led by a virtual "who's who" of the Antelope Valley, the organization has lobbied for and promoted the region's economy. Its current list of priorities includes pushing for a four-year university and promoting a proposed east-west freeway.

"It's been a catalyst for ideas for improving the business environment, assessing the infrastructure and seeing what opportunities for the future might be," said Gregg Anderson, a member of AVBOT's board and a former president of the organization. "It's a nonpolitical organization. We never endorse candidates or get into that arena."

On Friday, the organization will be in the spotlight as it hosts its 35th Business Outlook Conference at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, an event that has attracted more than 1,000 business and civic leaders in recent years.

The organization was formed in the summer of 1957 against a backdrop of economic depression -- a downturn that included the closure of Convair's aircraft manufacturing operations. In short order, employment at Air Force Plant 42 had plummeted from around 6,000 to just 1,000 workers.

The organization lists as its principal founder Leo Seltzer. In a history book compiled by the organization covering the years 1957 to 1980, Seltzer was described as being "imbued with the philosophy of economic progress."

Seltzer was articulate in discussing the assets of the Antelope Valley, including its aerospace industry, farming, mining, industrial and commercial potential, according to the book.

"He extolled the virtues and desirable lifestyle of desert living with its invigorating climate and year-round sunshine and clean air," according to the book.

Another major player in the early days of the organization was Clifford Rawson, who served as its leader from 1958 to 1967 and again in 1979. In a February 1986 interview with the Daily News, Rawson, then 81, recalled the hard times that led to the organization's formation.

"We had a bad time in the late 1950s and we had an awful lot of empty houses; it was a disaster as far as housing was concerned," Rawson said.

One of the early efforts was getting businesses to help finance a 30-day lobbying trip to Washington, D.C., for Rawson. Using the offices of U.S. Rep. Ed Hiestand for a base of operations, began pitching the virtues of the Antelope Valley to just about any official that would stop and listen.

AVBOT's history book credits Rawson for luring in some of the operations of Douglas Aircraft from El Segundo, bringing in 700 workers to Plant 42.

"Rawson was always on the move," said Larry Chimbole, Palmdale's first mayor and longtime AVBOT director. "Rawson carried the Board of Trade for many years."

Early projects for the organization included promoting the construction of what is now the Antelope Valley Freeway and luring in a Federal Aviation Administration control center, with about 300 workers.

"I can't imagine two bigger projects for them to be involved in and they were successful," Chimbole said. "Those are early projects they can point to with great pride."

Rawson's Washington lobbying started a practice that continues to this day. Every year, the organization sends a delegation to Washington to lobby for such issues as protecting the region's Air Force bases, attracting new aerospace projects and funding transportation projects.

"It does open doors," Anderson said of the organization's lobbying trips. "It keeps us in people's forethoughts. It refreshes their minds on what's going on here."

Arguably, the organization's biggest achievement in recent years was the successful effort to split the Antelope Valley away from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. A separate Antelope Valley air quality district was formed in 1997 as the result of efforts by the organization and the late state Sen. W.J. "Pete" Knight.

For years, Antelope Valley business and government leaders complained about being lumped in with the Los Angeles Basin, which has poorer air quality. There was also a perception that the AQMD was difficult to deal with and anti-business, Antelope Valley leaders said.

"That was nonsensical to be part of another region," Anderson said.

If someone was pulled out of time from the late 1950s and dropped into present day Antelope Valley, he or she would recognize many of today's issues. For example, in the late 1950s there was a push on by AVBOT to get the Antelope Valley Freeway built; today, a push is on to build what is known as the High Desert Corridor, an east-west freeway to connect the Antelope and Victor valleys.

"We can't continue to grow without the network of freeways and roads," said Cathy Hart, AVBOT's executive director. "The sooner we get that east-west connection between (interstates) 5 and 15 the better -- not only for us but for the people at the ports."

The biggest item on the organization's agenda this year is to lay the groundwork to bring a four-year university to the High Desert. The organization is working on a higher education master plan it hopes to present in March that will serve as the basis for the region's efforts to attract a California State University campus.

The issue of bringing higher education into the region is a long-standing effort by AVBOT. In the 1957-80 history book, there's an item from the 1962-63 activities noting that the region had made an unsuccessful offer of 1,000 acres on Palmdale's west side to the University of Southern California for use as a site of a second campus.

"The issues never change," Hart said.

james.skeen@dailynews

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Photo:

Antelope Valley Board of Trade Executive Director Cathy Hartlooks at a Board of Trade scrapbook recently.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer