Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Awards Presented at State of City Address

As part of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce’s State of the City event on Monday morning, which included the address by Mayor Pam O’Connor, four people were recognized by the Chamber for their commitment to Santa Monica.

The Economic Excellence Award was given to Cirque du Soleil’s Guy Laliberte for his ongoing commitment to the Santa Monica Comunity. It was fitting that the Chamber event was held under Cirque du Soleil’s big top currently at Santa Monica Pier.  Senior Vice President of resident shows for Cirque du Soleil Jerry Nadal accepted the award on Laliberte’s behalf.

Third District County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky received the Community Excellence Award for his dedication to advocacy in the Santa Monica community, particularly in the fields of fiscal, health care, transportation, cultural and environmental matters.

The Innovation Award for a Small Business was given to Richard Chacker, of Perry’s on the Beach. Chacker was recognized for his commitment to sustainability with Santa Monica’s leading bike and skate rentals and storage. To date, Perry’s has nine locations – five in Santa Monica, one on the Santa Monica Pier and three in Venice.

The Innovation Award was presented to Adam Miller of Cornerstone on Demand. Miller founded the company in November 1999 in a one-bedroom apartment in New York, together with the company’s CFO Perry Wallack, and EVP of Straegic Accounts Steven Seymour before relocating to Santa Monica. Today, Cornerstone is considered one of the fastest growing cloud software companies in the world.