Fallbrook man elected to San Diego County Hispanic chamber board

By: LORELL FLEMING - Staff Writer | Friday, February 23, 2007 10:56 PM PST ∞

NORTH COUNTY ---- Fallbrook businessman and resident Jerome Toliver will be installed today as a new board member of the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, making him the only North County representative on the panel.

Toliver said Thursday that he hopes to use his position on the board to bring more North County business people into the fold of the countywide chamber and to widen the web of networking opportunities available to businesses in this area.

The 36-year-old marketing executive said it is strategically smart for all businesses to consider tapping into the fast-growing sector of Latino consumers throughout the county ---- and to help Latino business people thrive.

"We want to grow in membership to include people from North County," he said. "The (Highway) 78 corridor, for example, has so many Hispanic businesses or companies owned or that serve that population."

Toliver, whose lineage is black and French, also said he wants to end a common misconception that the county Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is only for Latinos.

"Anyone can join," he said.

The chamber was formed in 1989 and now has 970 members who support the group's mission to create opportunities for Hispanic businesses and the greater community.

Toliver is one of several new board members who will be installed tonight at the chamber's annual gala at the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego.

Toliver is the chief executive officer of RMJ Marketing, a business he runs from his Fallbrook home. RMJ Marketing became a member of the chamber in November 2005.

Seeking a seat on the chamber's board and representing North County seemed like a natural next step for Toliver.

"I benefited greatly, in terms of my company, from being in this chamber," Toliver said, adding that he was able to get business pointers and network with other business people to develop clients.

"I decided that I wanted give back to the organization, and help other business owners in the process," he added.

Joseph Casas, chairman of the chamber's board, said the organization wants to recruit business members in North County and thinks Toliver can help with that goal.

"We've always had some North County representation, but not as much as we should be," Casas said Friday, adding that the region is growing in the number of businesses owned by Latinos and those that serve Latinos.

"Jerome can help us reach out more to North County," Casas added. "He is a consummate entrepreneur and community leader, and a consummate ambassador for the chamber."

As chairman of the chamber's Integrated Marketing & Membership Committee, Toliver said he made sure that three of the eight committee members are from North County to make sure this area is represented.

To create networking opportunities for chamber members from North County, there will be two or three business mixers ---- similar to Sundowners ---- in North County this year, probably a month or so apart. Nonmembers can come to a mixer, but would be charged a nominal fee.

Toliver said he wants to recruit new members for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce from places such as Cal State San Marcos.

"Students should get involved early and learn to network or hone their networking skills," he said. "If they do that, there's a much greater chance of them landing internships or becoming gainfully employed soon after they finish college.

"And hopefully, when they are doing well in the business world, they will turn around and give something back to the chamber and to the greater community."

Contact staff writer Lorell Fleming at (760) 731-5798 or lfleming@nctimes.com.

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.