L.A. Chamber head faces pitfalls in courtship of Valley. (From the Newsroom).

Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Rusty Hammer can make it or break it in coming weeks in his relationship with the Valley -- and with that could ride his attempt to boost his organization's clout.

Hammer is courting local chambers in an effort to "collaborate" with business groups across the county giving everybody, he says, better communication on issues, more resources and a stronger voice.

It's a good idea and could work. But first Hammer has got a lot of convincing to do before the local organizations blindly sign on. And much will depend on his approach.

Hammer has a meeting this week with executives of the United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley, the umbrella organization for most of the Valley's chambers.

Everything is apparently on the table for discussion in terms of how UCC and the L.A. Chamber can work more effectively together -- the most important issue being whether or. not UCC gets a place on the L.A. Chamber's board. In its bid for outreach to other business organizations, the L.A. Chamber has chosen to put other chambers and business groups such as the Woodland Hills and Hollywood chambers as well as the Valley Industry and Commerce Association and various ethnic chambers on its board as nonvoting members. But so far, a group such as UCC which is not a chamber itself, has not been tapped for a position on the L.A. board.

Also on the agenda for the meeting undoubtedly will be the L.A. Chamber's program known as LA CAN (Los Angeles Chambers Advocacy Network). Still in its organizing stages, LA CAN is sort of a super-sized UCC where the L.A. Chamber would run a communications net work among chambers throughout the county informing each other of issues that the business community should take a stand on. As with UCC, the rationale behind LA CAN is that one large organized voice is more effective than several disjointed efforts by smaller groups. It will cost chambers nothing to join the advocacy network.

The L.A. Chamber has been reinvigorated under Hammer's leadership in the last 1 1/2 years after many years of sluggish performance. Its: plan for outreach to other business groups is good. Working together in areas of common interest can only benefit the business community.

But Hammer must watch the details.

Two-way street

Any moves he makes that even give the perception that he's out to grow his group at the expense of Valley chambers will be stopped dead in their tracks.

He didn't do too good in his initial attempt to sell his LA CAN plan in the Valley when he spoke at a UCC General Assembly meeting last month. Hammer came across as condescending. Big Daddy L.A. was coming over the hill to offer help to the poor relatives. (He emphasized that the LA CAN plan would not cost local chambers and that his group could help out smaller chambers who don't have many resources.) He never once said that it's a two-way street and the chambers of the Valley could be an important asset to his group.

One of the things you do when trying to get someone to your side is to attempt a little flattery at least.

Some are suspicious of Hammer's motives in courting the Valley. Does the LA. Chamber want to grow its. membership here? UCC Chairman Bill Powers thinks so. But according to Powers and UCC's Chief Executive Debra Sakacs, who has been asked by Hammer to be on the coordinating committee for LA CAN, the LA. Chamber executive will have a tough fight if he's looking to take over what they're currently doing.

There will be no "absorption" of the Valley chambers by the L.A. organization, Powers warns.

"This community recognizes itself as a community," he says. He adds that the secession vote was a clear indication of that.

Hammer, when contacted last week, said there's nothing he can do about it if people want to be suspicious about his motives.

For one thing, his attempts at getting local chambers to talk to one another is long overdue. With huge common issues out there such as workers' comp and business tax reform, the business community needs to speak with one strong voice.

The L.A. Chamber's current leadership on trying to get the state's horrific workers' comp system fixed by rallying the business community to lobby Sacramento officials has really put a laser beam of focus on the issue as perhaps the top business problem in the state. LA CAN could be an effective tool as the area business community launches an offensive against the state capital on that issue.

Lobbying officials

Many elements of the LA CAN plan could be effective. It will create a network to generate letters and e-mails in bulk that can be sent to elected officials at all levels of government. One sticking point in this, however, is that one way to provide the benefits of LA CAN membership, would be for the L.A. Chamber to get the e-mail addresses of Valley chamber members. Good luck at getting them.

Hammer has taken the first step in actually implementing this spirit of cooperation. The L.A. Chamber .has joined UCC, Powers says. This may help persuade some Valley. chamber people that Hammer is here to join them rather than overtake them.

But Hammer must also take some time to get to know the individual chambers of the Valley and their members. Each chamber is different.

Business Journal editor Jason Schaff can be reached at [phone] or by e-mail at: [e-mail].