CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Wednesday, Feb. 26, more than 40 Certified Tourism Ambassadors – whose mission it is to create an awesome visitor experience, increase economic impact and build a positive destination image – came together in a beautifully dressed Clearlake City Hall to enjoy wine shared by Fultz Family Winery and a magnificent meal catered by Boar’s Breath Smokin’ BBQ and Burgers and Classy Cakes.

CTAs were there to learn of the new and exciting changes taking place under the leadership of two energetic and enthusiastic men, promising to be a force for change.

The city of Clearlake not only sponsors the CTA program, but they have put their entire staff through the training.

They have provided many tools for CTAs to use in helping to promote their new image.

City Manager Alan Flora and new Police Chief Andrew White get it. They have looked their image monster square in the eye, and they are working with the CTA program to take him down.

In a community where people’s main concern is their level of safety, it only made sense to start with the local authorities, those sworn to “protect and serve.”

Chief White, who came to work for the city of Clearlake in July 2018, has brought a new level of professionalism to the force and is sharing it with his officers.

A pattern of rapid turnover has actually provided him with the opportunity to train and inspire a great number of officers in a short amount of time.

Recruitment and retention programs are making a huge difference as are the new fleet of police vehicles and a fully remodeled police department building with a gym.

Chief White is spending plenty of money on his police force, but he is also saving the city money, having personally installed the new communication system that allows a police dispatcher to know where their police vehicles are at all times.

He has also worked with the state to put a new 911 public safety answering point system in place which has played a critical role in changing the game as has the increase in officer initiated incidents, which includes enhanced police presence out in the field, and talking to and engaging with the public.

An accelerated effort towards updating and enforcing vegetation ordinances, the spending of city money to deal with vehicle abatement and the demolition and cleanup of 15 properties have also helped to change the landscape and may very well sow some seeds of community pride.

Flora engaged a data mining organization to collect data that has shined a new light on the number of actual shoppers coming to Clearlake, making the city much more appealing to new businesses and he is actively pursuing these prospects.

He and Chief White have begun to reach out and engage with other public officials and are working to develop more focus on countywide community affairs.

Under the leadership of Flora and White, the city of Clearlake promises to be much improved in every way. Right now, they have under construction a new bandstand and upgrades in Austin Park where they are eager to provide the community and our summer tourists with live music. They have been working closely with Bi-Coastal Media and many of their local businesses to bring some outdoor, family fun down to the south end of the lake.

The CTA program is contracted by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce through the CTA Network. For more information, please call the chamber at 707-263-5092, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.facebook.com/Groups/LakeCountyCTA .