by Mark McDermott
Nobody had any plan for this. Almost exactly 18 months ago, nearly every business in Manhattan Beach was shut down. Kelly Stroman, the president and CEO of the MB Chamber of Commerce, remembers sitting down with her one full time employee, Carolina Dorado, and addressing a single simple question: what do we do now?
“There is no rule book or handbook or guide for any of us in this situation,” Stroman recalled. “We quickly decided that our role at the chamber would be one, to help businesses survive, [and] for us to survive, so we can help businesses survive.”
A few blocks away, Jill Lamkin, executive director of Manhattan Beach Downtown Business and Professional Association, was…