‘That Kid’ Reviving Chamber

When a new member arrived at a recent Venice Chamber of Commerce mixer, he assumed that the casually dressed man who greeted him at the door was a waiter. It took two friends to convince him that he had actually encountered the chamber president. “Come on,” he said afterward. “That kid in the Hawaiian shirt?”

Philip Bubar is accustomed to such reactions.

At 30, he’s a generation younger than much of the chamber membership. But he isn’t likely to be mistaken for a waiter for long. Eight months after his election, Bubar is building membership at an unprecedented rate and engaging the organization in activities ranging from street festivals to zoning disputes.

At times he seems to be everywhere. A recruiting drive that Bubar orchestrated nearly doubled the size of the chamber, netting more than 100 new members. A summer festival co-sponsored by the chamber at Bubar’s suggestion attracted more than 10,000 people. Developers who were not even aware of the chamber have found Bubar at their sides, praising the virtues of gentrification.

“He’s smart and he has a sense of the Venice community,” said Michael Dieden, a public relations and political consultant who joined the chamber during Bubar’s recruiting drive. “He also has leadership ability and he’s not an egomaniac. I think Venice needs that kind of person.”

Bubar seems to think so too. Sitting in a restaurant recently, the blue-eyed chamber president unflinchingly described himself as a young upwardly mobile professional and said young people in Venice have to devote themselves to upgrading the community.

Bubar said he hopes to see Venice assume its place alongside Santa Monica and Marina del Rey as a sought-after development site. And he contended that gentrification poses no threat to the area’s carnival-like atmosphere.

“We have an image to maintain and it should be an image of growth,” Bubar said. “This community is unique. It has a special character and a special draw. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of big business.”

Bubar’s boosterism apparently runs in the family. The son of Dr. Earl L. Bubar, a Venice optometrist who served several terms as chamber president, he grew up around chamber activities. The elder Bubar invited his son to join the chamber four years ago. Bubar accepted and held a number of chamber posts before deciding to run for the presidency.

“I decided now was the time to do it because the chamber needed new blood,” said Bubar, a self-described liberal Democrat. “It needed a resurgence. The chamber is mostly composed of mom-and-pop-type businesses. But it’s only limited by the sphere of its influence, not by its boundaries.”

Bubar said he also hoped to make a name for himself in the community. A graduate of California State University, Northridge, who majored in communications, he manages a string of apartment buildings in Venice and Mar Vista. Bubar said his long-range goal is to make a career out of public relations. And as chamber president, he has an opportunity to relate to a large portion of the public.

Publishes Newsletter

Bubar estimated that he spends at least 20 hours a week on chamber activities. Besides publishing a monthly newsletter and filling in as office manager, he attends several meetings each week and keeps in close contact with the various community groups in Venice.

For the most part, Bubar’s goals for Venice seem contrary to the position held by the Venice Town Council, a resident group that favors tight restrictions on development. But Bubar says the chamber and the Town Council can maintain a working relationship.

“The Town Council does a lot of good in terms of curtailing projects that might be too big and might not have the interests of the neighborhood in mind,” Bubar said. “They are also at times against progress. Most of the people on the Town Council see Venice as the way it is and think it should stay that way. But that can’t be.”

Town Council members generally dismiss pro-development people like Bubar. But he seems to have won their respect by acknowledging their side in several ongoing disputes. The council’s Pat McCartney said Bubar appears to be sincere about wanting to work together on projects such as the Venice transportation plan.

“Phil seems like a pretty nice guy,” McCartney said. “The business community needs about 10 more people like him. He represents some legitimate interests in the community and he seems to have a sense of fair play about him.”

Kathy Martin, an aide to Los Angeles City Councilwoman Pat Russell, whose district includes Venice, said Bubar has worked hard to establish community ties and has followed through on commitments to work with other organizations.

“Basically, I think Phil is very dedicated to the community,” Martin said, “He supports Venice and he does an excellent job. In the past the chamber wasn’t actively involved in local issues. Phil has taken a more assertive approach in trying to get the community revitalized.”

Big Job Ahead

Bubar said much remains to be accomplished. The chamber has operated on a shoestring for several years and its offices in the old Venice City Hall are in need of repair. Bubar said he hopes to boost the treasury by recruiting even more members (up to 1,000) and holding a series of fund-raisers. He is also promoting the resurfacing of the Venice canals and the landscaping of the median along Venice Boulevard.

Bubar said chamber members are already approaching him about serving for another year, even though his term doesn’t expire until January. And as he talks about his plans for Venice, it seems likely that he’ll accept.

“I may tire of doing it at some point,” Bubar said. “But I’m fond of it right now. We haven’t gotten this kind of support in years.”