Randy Weiss described him as life’s greatest ambassador.

“(Desmond Banning) is like the mayor of Santa Barbara — everyone knows who he is, and everybody loves him,” said Weiss, Santa Barbara Bank & Trust’s community relations officer. “When you talk about disabilities, it’s really hard for me to see that. I just think the clients from PathPoint have different abilities that we don’t have.”

The Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce in partnership with PathPoint presented the November Business-2-Business Breakfast on Tuesday morning.

Banning works at Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, which has partnered with PathPoint for the past 10 years.

PathPoint’s mission is to provide comprehensive support services to people who have disabilities and disadvantages so they can work and live as valued members of the community, according to employment specialist Bev Berry.

“They come in with a focus that you wouldn’t believe,” Weiss said. “They want to do a great job everyday and want to please. They have become a very special part of our family.”

Employees with disabilities demonstrate higher retention, productivity and loyalty, Berry said, adding that companies can hire pre-screened employees at no cost to them and receive a tax credit for each new hire.

“It helps with employee morale because they get to focus on what they love to do and what they do best,” Berry said. “They feel good about helping a new employee and working for someone that makes a difference in the community.”

Weiss said hiring a PathPoint client is not charity.

“They work hard, they bring their ‘A game’ everyday; they want to do the best they can,” he said. “So you actually would be helping them, but almost in all cases you would be doing yourselves a favor by looking at these kinds of individuals because they bring such value and commitment to your organization.”

After PathPoint’s presentation, each attendee showcased a 20-second elevator speech. It was Stevens & Associates Insurance agent Lynne Monds’ first B2B event.

“A lot of times these groups restrict you to one representative per industry, but here they have everybody associated with the chamber,” she said. “I would come back because I feel these are people who are thoughtful decision-makers and business people.”

The Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce will hold its Goleta’s Finest Community Awards Ceremony from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at Bacara Resort & Spa, 8301 Hollister Ave. Click here for more information.

— Noozhawk business writer Alex Kacik can be reached at akacik@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.