In Memory of Art Adams

Earlier this week I found out a former Chamber member, Art Adams, passed away. Art was instrumental in starting the Chamber's Entrepreneur's Group and he was an active member and Ambassador. My memories of Art are of a dedicated professional who genuinely cared about people. Art always greeted you with a smile and I feel lucky to have been able to know him.

I know other Chamber members have memories of Art Adams. Larry Hite, owner of Tracy Home Inspections, remembers Art through this story:

 “Sometime in late 2001, a local businessman and Chamber of Commerce member Art Adams was looking for a way to get to know other small business owners and make some new friends in Tracy.  He came to the Chamber and spoke with then CEO Mike Schmidt about forming a sub-committee within the Chamber called the “Home Based Business Group”.  The idea caught on with Chamber members and a small group of about ten small home-based business owners joined and began meeting at “Shotz” coffee shop on Central Ave one Thursday morning per month and at the Chamber Conference room on a second Thursday per month.  Art’s vision for the group was a meeting place for home based business owners to discuss business challenges for small businesses and to share marketing ideas for promoting small businesses in Tracy.

Within the first year, the group decided to change the name of the group to the “Tracy Entrepreneurs”, to reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of the small business and home based business owners in Tracy.  It was shortly after the name change of the group when I joined the Chamber and became a member of the Tracy Entrepreneurs. I had just started my current business, Tracy Home Inspections, and was looking for a networking group within the city to help me launch my business.  I met with Art and the Entrepreneurs at Shotz coffee shop and have met with the group twice monthly ever since.

Art took to me almost immediately as I did to him.  Art had a charisma and energy that drew people to him like the Pied Piper.  Art and I talked at length about doing business in Tracy and discussed ways of bringing businesses together and growing our business network and Entrepreneurs Group.  We discussed sponsoring a local business Trade Show and getting involved in projects that would give back to the community.  In 2003, the Entrepreneurs launched its first Trade Show “business mixer” at the Tracy Airport.  It was so successful, that the Entrepreneurs have hosted a Trade Show mixer every year since.  In the past couple of years we hosted it at the Community center, but are moving it back to its original venue at the Tracy Airport Main Hanger this year and extending the hours from 2 to 4 hours.  The Trade Show has become so successful over the years, we have attracted over 60 businesses and vendors and more than 400 visitors to the event.  Even more significant, over the years the Entrepreneurs have donated the proceeds from the event (in excess of $1,000 in each case) to local organizations such as Tracy DARE, McHenry House, Tracy Interfaith Ministries, The Pregnancy Resource Center of Tracy, Animal Rescue of Tracy and more.  So in the end, the Tracy Entrepreneurs have fulfilled the vision of Art Adams for the businesses and community of Tracy”

Art Adams' memory will live on through the Tracy Entrepreneurs Group, and his dedication and involvement in the Tracy Chamber will never be forgotten.

Feel free to share with us your memories of Art Adams.