The Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the City of Cathedral City, hosted the 2024 Cathedral City State of the City Business Awards & Expo on Tuesday, May 16, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Golf Resort, 67967 Vista Chino, Cathedral City, CA 92234. This year’s theme was Meeting The Moment.
The annual event offered a review of economic activity from the previous year, as well as future development and plans significant to the business community. The featured speaker was Mayor Mark Carnevale, with appearances by Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Ross, and Council Members Raymond Gregory, Ernesto Gutierrez, and Rita Lamb.
Mayor Carnevale presented the Mayor’s Award to Bob McKechnie, Founder/Coordinator of the Cathedral City Peace Initiative. Bob leads weekly peace meditations, demonstrates weekly on one of the busiest streets in the city, advocates for peace with civic groups, and serves as the administrative and spiritual leader for the group.
LeAnn Rimes was announced as the headline performer for the 10th anniversary of the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival. Tickets will go on sale in June for the concert taking place in the Community Amphitheater at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
There was also a panel discussion featuring Damon Rubio, president and founder of D’Place Entertainment to discuss the new ScreenX technology at Mary Pickford Theatre in Downtown Cathedral City, and a panel Q&A with Kevin Kalman, General Manager of Desert Recreation District about the programming the organization is providing and what an increased partnership with Cathedral City could look like.
“Thanks to the hard work and commitment of our residents, businesses, city staff, and our City Council, we continue to build momentum towards a brighter future,” said Mayor Carnevale. “We’ve proven over the past year that there’s no challenge this community can’t take on when we work together. From the response and recovery efforts after Tropical Storm Hilary to embracing new economic development opportunities and improving our parks and infrastructure, it’s clear that Cathedral City is MEETING THE MOMENT.”
