Staff
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Bob Finer
Membership Relations Manager Originally from Upstate New York, Bob enlisted in the United States Air Force after graduating from business school, earning a diploma in Office Administration. Upon completing communications school, he was transferred to Hamilton Air Force Base in 1964 and honorably discharged in 1967. Bob and his wife have lived in Marin County for forty-five years.
Bob’s journey into the world of business began at the age of ten, working in one of his father’s jewelry stores. Upon earning an AA degree in Business Administration and a BS degree in Business Administration; earning highest honors in his major, Bob entered the corporate world. He has thirty-nine year’s of management experience including: managing a forty million dollar sales division budget, advertising sales management, marketing, advertising, public relations, special projects management, sales assessment in addition to conducting sales and sales management training. Along with a partner, Bob founded a wholesale gift company in 1989. The company now serves up-scale gift shops throughout the United States.
Bob is married to his best friend and partner Elizabeth for forty-six years. He is the proud father of his two successful adult children and Grandfather of three Grandsons’.
Bob has always had a passion for community service earining an Egle Scout Bronze Palm while in high school. Rotary International awarded him a Paul Harris Fellow for his service to the community of Novato. Appointed by the Marin Superior Court, he served as Foreman of the Marin County Criminal Grand Jury. He also served on the Novato Superintendent of Schools Community Advisory Council and was a member of the Board of Directors; Ignacio Rotary Club. Bob has also been a volunteer with the Marin Food Bank, the Novato Human Needs Center and a voter precinct worker. He is also a life member of the Novato Historical Guild and the California Sheriffs Association. Bob is also a member of the Marin Center for the Arts, KQED Public Television and a charter member of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. He is also a contributor to Novato Community Hospital Walkway to Health and has served as a committee member on their community outreach program. He is also a member of the Marin Community Health Foundation.
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Megan Manning
Project Coordinator As Project Coordinator, Megan Manning draws from a multi-faceted background of public relations, strategic communications, event planning and non-profit fundraising. She brings more than 10 years experience working in corporate communications for such well-known companies as Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard. Most recently Megan ran her own public relations consultancy advising local non-profit organizations. “I am passionate about partnering with local business professionals to leverage their exposure within the community and to optimize their Chamber membership.”
Also serving as Assistant to the CEO, Megan works on everything from special events to Board communications. She also helps with the Chamber’s monthly newspaper. A hidden bonus to my working at the Chamber is representing the local community to the many international and American tourists that come through the doors. Visitors are always amazed at how much Novato has to offer!
After graduating from Cal Poly Pomona, Megan started her public relations career at La Quinta Hotel Golf & Tennis Resort where she learned to play golf. A marketing communications position with Toshiba America Information Systems took her to Irvine. She moved to San Francisco in 1992 when she joined Copithorne & Bellows Public Relations.
Megan moved to Novato 9 years ago to start a family with her husband, David Schneider. Before moving to Novato the couple lived in the south of France. “What a fabulous experience! I learned to speak French at L’Universite d’ Stendahl. And we skied the French Alps weekly!”
Megan has two daughters: Emilie Claire, 9 and Madeline 4 ½. “Each morning they greet the day with hope, wonder and possibility – I see the world through their eyes. David and I collaborate very well. He is my strength.” Megan and her family especially enjoy family vacations and decorating their house for Halloween and Christmas. “Our neighbors stop by to say how much they enjoy our festive displays.”
Another individual who has impacted Megan’s life greatly is her father, James J. Manning. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, was a prisoner of war and received the Purple Heart. “I have extreme respect, pride and love for my dad. He and my mother have been such an inspiration in my life.” |
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Amy Lindsay-Murphy
Special Event Coordinator Amy was born and raised in Central California and moved to Marin County in 2004. Her education and work experience is in accounting and organizational administration. Amy earned an AA degree in Business Administration and Accounting (Dean’s List with 4.0 GPA) and has specialized in the Staffing Industry for nearly 3 years.
Amy’s relationship with the Novato Chamber started in 2005 when she began attending Chamber events and mixers while working for Robert Half International, Inc. She adored the people of Novato and association with the Chamber and immediately became an Ambassador IT (In Training). She volunteered to help in the planning process of the Business Showcase - an Ambassador coordinated event – and after serving as the decorating lead on the committee for the Business Showcase, was accepted into the Ambassador Committee. The following year Amy held the position of Vice Chair of the Committee. While maintaining an Officer role within the Committee she concurrently volunteered to Chair the Business Showcase. During the planning process, she had the opportunity to “strike out on her own” and started A.L. Administrative Consulting. She was now staffing projects for herself under her own business.
Shortly after starting her company she discovered the Chamber had lost their Administrative Assistant and were going through a change in positions. There was an opening, they both had an “attraction” for each other and the position required someone flexible and possibly on a temporary basis. It was a perfect fit for Amy and the Chamber! She began work for the Chamber on August 24th, 2006. The 2006 Business Showcase was a success for both the Chamber and Amy and served as a stepping stone to her current position. After 4 months of temporary work for the Chamber, the CEO asked and she accepted the position of Special Event Coordinator. In 2007 she wore 2 hats as the Chair of the Ambassador Committee and Chamber Staff. Along with managing her company, working full time for the Chamber and involvement with the Ambassador Committee, she was also committed to building a networking group (which began in March of 2006). She held the title of Membership Chair until July 2008 when she was voted Vice Chair of Northbay Business Connections. She was also honored to be selected to attend the Leadership Novato program and was a graduate of the Class 2008. She was part of Team Novatopoly, which helped raise $10K for SchoolFuel by creating and distributing the Novatopoly game.
In May of 2008 she and her husband were married and are still enjoying the "Honeymoon" days and hope to forever. “We are making big plans to start our family, which has always been my #1 desire!” exclaims Amy.
Currently, she is considering joining one of two non-profit Boards and, perhaps one day, seek to serve on the Novato Chamber of Commerce's Board. “I have a tremendous affinity for Novato and the Novato Chamber and its members. I find it immensely gratifying to serve and help those local organizations that benefit our community and serve others.” |
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Coy Smith
Chief Executive Officer A long and successful history of fundraising and working with non-profit businesses, plus management experience that impressed the Chamber's Selection Committee, are among the talents that Coy Smith of Petaluma brings to his position as Executive Director of the Novato Chamber of Commerce. Smith lived with his wife, Amy and two sons, Tyler, 12, and Forrest, 10, in Novato for six years before moving the family to Petaluma in 1999. His career began with graduation from San Jose State in 1981 where he was awarded a bachelor's degree in environmental studies and communications. He was immediately hired by Garden State Paper to round up 10,000 tons of used newsprint mull in Pomona. This was the 1980's when State regulations mandating cities to reduce garbage wre unheard of; curbside recycling didn't exist. |
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Liz Watson
Director of Communications & Leadership As Director of Communications and Leadership, Liz Watson taps a diverse background of journalism and news reporting, public relations, events planning and promotion, product launch and strategic communications consulting. Fascinated by the “human side of business,” Liz enjoys working with small businesses as well as major corporations to respond to the inevitability of change – not if but when. In today’s competitive and shifting business climate, the delivery of an on-target message with consistency, developed with a grasp of the marketplace and intended audience, is crucial. It is this business interest that brought her to the Novato Chamber of Commerce in the summer of 2008.
The majority of her working career was honed in the Lake Tahoe-Reno-Las Vegas region, in the hospitality and gaming industry with familiar names like Harvey’s Resort Hotel/Casino and MGM Grand.
Corporate communications consulting brought her to Marin County in the 1990s to work on projects for Fireman’s Fund, Apple Computers, Kaiser Permanente, and the International Associations of Machinists. Liz continued to work with nationally-recognized organizations and government agencies when she opened her own consulting firm, Liz Watson Communications, based in South Lake Tahoe. From 2002 to 2002, she managed FEMA’s Project Impact, a disaster mitigation grant, for the Capital City of Nevada, which included business and home disaster preparedness and recovery strategies.
Liz has many interests, including international travel. She taught English at the College of Micronesia and conversational English while living in Chiang Mai, Thailand; sailed the Greek Islands and recently spent extended time in Australia. On a more personal note, her son, Matt, lives in South Lake Tahoe and is training for a future in firefighting. “Matt is my truest source of inspiration and my consummate teacher,” she said.
As an occasional freelance writer, you may find Liz’s byline from time to time in North Bay publications. |
I could never overstate the value of being a member of the Novato Chamber of Commerce. Not only does it connect you with the close-knit local business community but the Chamber staff gives new businesses the support and encouragement essential for your success. For us at Centric Signs, the Chamber events such as the mixers and ribbon cutting ceremonies foster a sense of community that I never felt before I left "the cubicle". Thanks Chamber!