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Contra Costa Council News The Contra Costa Council is a public policy advocacy organization that promotes the economic vitality of Contra Costa County and the region.
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Upcoming Events |
Eighth Annual Small Business Awards LuncheonFri.,
May 9 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Hilton Concord Hotel
1970 Diamond Blvd.
Concord
Register here . . .
Honoring
award-winning small- business owners
selected by the Chambers of Commerce throughout Contra Costa
County.
Keynote address: David Gill, CEO, Ethix Biz.Com,
noted author and educator
Master of Ceremonies: Mark Quinn, Regional Diector,
Small Business Administration
Presented by the Contra Costa Council in conjunction
with Contra Costa Newspapers and East Bay Business Times.
* * * * * * Sponsored by AMERITAC, Inc., Club Sport San Ramon and Oakwood
Athletic Club and the Workforce Development Board
Also sponsored by Comcast, Contra Costa Small Business
Development Center, First Republic Bank, Kelly & Associates, LLP and
Musacchio, Montanari & Lucia, PC, and by InConcert Financial Group * * * * * *
Members and elected officials: $45; nonmembers: $55
Reservations and payment required by May 6
Questions?
Contact Suzanne Schoenfeld at
925-246-1880.
............................................. Annual Contra Costa Council Installation Dinner
Wed., June 4 Please
check our website for
further details.............................................
Annual Contra Costa Council Golf TournamentWed., August 20Please
check our website for
further details. .............................................
Questions?
For information about any Contra Costa Council event, please contact Suzanne Schoenfeld at 925-246-1880.
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Become a Member!
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Join the Contra Costa Council and help guide our economy and quality of life. Visit our websiteor call 925-246-1880. |
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News & Comment
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Corporate social responsibility event: Forging effective
partnerships between nonprofits, business and government
The power to create change, a need for more effective communication and the
importance of a "values fit" in business and nonprofit partnerships were just
three of the multiple themes that keynoter Kellie
McElhaney (pictured, above) shared with the large audience attending the April 24 Contra
Costa Council event, "Building Partnerships for Social Responsibility." Upwards of 180 people gathered for the early morning program at the Round Hill Country
Club in San Ramon, which was organized by the Council's Nonprofit/Business Task
Force, and also featured a panel, moderated by District IV Supervisor Susan Bonilla, which included members of
both the business and nonprofit communities.
Featured speaker Kellie McElhaney, Ph.D., is Executive
Director and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Center for Responsible Business
at the Haas School of Business at the University
of California, Berkeley. At Haas since 2002, McElhaney is a
John C. Whitehead Distinguished Faculty Fellow in Corporate Responsibility and
a highly regarded consultant to the business community, including Ford Motor
Company, The Gap, HP, Intel, McDonalds, Nokia and Skyy Vodka. She is also
currently writing a book, titled Just
Good Business.
The speaker challenged the idea that people expect companies
to operate in society's best interest, noting that the public's perception of
corporations' performance has continually plummeted. The reality is that
companies are not effectively communicating their corporate responsibility
work, and public perception could be changed if they communicated better, she
said.
Marketing to the mellennials
McElhaney pointed out the importance of the market segment
comprising mellennials (or Generation Y), aged 8 to 24, who "really feel the
pain in the world and have seen a significant amount of tragedy. This
generation believes that things are bad and they have the power to create
change." This age group is going to mobilize forces and make the world a better
place, so a corporation's corporate social responsibility work is very important
in its recruiting efforts.
Corporate social responsibility, or CSR, gives companies a
great story to tell, she said, noting that the definition of CSR is a business
strategy that is integrated with core business objectives and core
competencies to create financial and social/environmental returns, and is
embedded in corporate culture and day-to-day business operations.
CSR is not about how you spend the money you make. It's
about how you make the money you spend, she asserted. It can be a powerful
business strategy, which gives hope to employees, consumers and even countries.
McElhaney offered several examples of
business/nonprofit partnerships that are highly effective, including a
partnership between Whirlpool and Habitat for Humanity and the partnering of the Dove Self-Esteem
Fund and the Girl Scouts.
Emphasizing the importance of a "values fit" to forge effective
partnerships, she cited the case of Dr. Steven Phillips, Medical Director for
Global Issues and Projects, Exxon
Mobil Corporation, who studies infectious diseases. His mission is to use the
power of business to change the world, she said.
Panel discussion: A view from businesses and nonprofits
District IV Supervisor Susan
Bonilla introduced the panel following McElhaney's presentation. "We know that government can't do its job without viable partnerships with the business
community and nonprofits," she said. Government is charged by federal and state
mandates to assist those who would otherwise go into desperation. The questions
are, how can we use government funding, along with community-based
organizations, to fulfill this mission? Where are the gaps and how can we fill
them? This task is becoming more and more difficult in terms of budget, "but
the needs of people aren't going to go away."
Nicole
Taylor of the East Bay Community Foundation said the foundation
was formed to bridge the corporate and nonprofit divide. Offering a
competitive grant-making cycle, the foundation has been reorganized to serve other donors and companies. Taylor
said the foundation has the capability to help companies determine which
nonprofits they should partner with, and can provide information about where dollars are going and what impact nonprofits are having in the community.
Rod Mickels
of InVision Communications, whose
company offers event and media production to corporate and nonprofit clients,
and who sits on the leadership council of The Wellness Community, said,
"We are in the community and it's important that we give back. It's not always
about money; it's also about time."
Mike
Hannigan, CEO of Give
Something Back, said his company, which he founded 15 years ago with Sean
Marx, was modeled after Newman's Own. An excellent example of the fourth sector
economy, this Northern California office
supply business gives over half of its profits to local nonprofits, with the balance reinvested in the business. This contribution is nearly 70 times the
national corporate average contribution to community causes, according to
Hannigan.
"We are a giant bake sale for the nonprofit community," he
said. "We have the understanding that wealth is created in the marketplace . .
. we basically use the business as a tool to create value . . . The
beneficiaries of our bottom line are the nonprofits that are chosen by our
customers." The fourth panelist, Tim
Butturini, Wells Fargo regional president, said that Wells Fargo has a "very tight, strategic
direction" in its philanthropy, which Tim
Silva, a member of the Council's Nonprofit/Business Task Force, helps keep
alive. This strategy is based on three concepts--financial capital, human
capital (team members who are active in the community) and social capital,
which includes Wells Fargo employees who serve on nonprofit boards. The Council thanks sponsors Wells Fargo, Cal State East Bay, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Diablo Valley College & Foundation, East Bay Business Times, KKDV, Mt. Diablo Region YMCA; Brighter Beginnings, California Symphony, Comcast, Contra Costa Child Care Council, Contra Costa County Redevelopment Agency, John F. Kennedy University, John Muir Health, John Muir Health Foundation, Morgan Miller Blair, PG&E, Save Mount Diablo, Shell Martinez Refinery, United Way Bay Area, We Care Services for Children and Youth Homes. |
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CEO Viewpoint |
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County Board of Supervisors
tackles OPEB liability
by Linda Best, President and CEO, Contra Costa Council
As noted
in last year's report, Managing Public
Sector Retiree Health Care Costs in Contra Costa County, issued by the
Contra Costa Economic Partnership, this County has one of the largest unfunded
liabilities for retiree health care in the State, totaling $2.6 billion as of
last year. The report noted that if the County continued its pay-as-you-go
practice, it could face a tripling of its annual retiree health care payments
over the next 10 years, crippling its budget.
With a
limited amount of discretionary dollars in the General Fund, the County faces
the unhappy prospect of balancing the need to fund the liability with
continuing to provide critical services to the County's most vulnerable
populations. In fact, services were cut last year and this year's budget will
see more. This is exacerbated by declining revenues in our troubled economy and
by the likelihood of cuts from the State in its attempts to balance its budget.
In recent
months, the County has begun to tackle this difficult challenge. The Contra
Costa Council has urged the Board of Supervisors to follow the recommendations
in the Economic Partnership report. Council recommendations (in bold face) and
recent Board actions are described here.
- Set a funding target. The County has set a target
of 40% of the total liability. We do not believe this is an adequate
target. Ultimately, in order to maintain fiscal health and a good credit
rating, a target more consistent with pension plans will be necessary. But
this is a good first step.
- Set up a trust fund to generate investment income. The County has taken this
step and is expected to fund it with $20 million in the 2008-09 budget.
Additional funding is anticipated in coming years, as other debt
obligations are retired.
- Adopt cost containment strategies to cap future
liability.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to take action in May to cap its
health care premium subsidy for unrepresented employees and retirees, and
set up a two-tier system for new unrepresented hires. At the same time,
the County will work to redesign health care plans to deliver the maximum
benefit for the cost.
These
actions alone will result in reducing the liability by almost $1 billion. There
is still a long way to go, but these are very positive first steps.
The real challenge
will come in extending these actions during negotiations with union-represented
employees in the coming months. We urge the members of the Board to stay the
course in order to achieve fiscal health and avoid further cuts in critical
services. |
Advocacy Action
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Praise for
Supervisors' actions on OPEB debt
In an April 18 letter to the Contra
Costa County Board of Supervisors, Council President and CEO Linda Best
commended the Board's actions on April 15 to make health care changes for
unrepresented employees; these actions are part of the Board's response to pay
down the County's Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) debt. "While these are
difficult decisions, they are critical to your efforts to gain fiscal stability
and retain the ability to deliver critically needed services," wrote Best. "As
we noted in our OPEB report last year, it is imperative to begin to fund the
liability for retiree health care and to cap ongoing health care benefit costs.
You have taken the step of establishing a trust fund and have committed some
initial funds to that trust fund. This latest action begins to cap the County's
future liability.
"This is
but a first step, and the next few months will be difficult as you begin to
negotiate with represented employees," she said. "We urge you to maintain your
resolve to cap costs with these employees as well. Only with such concessions
can you maintain your ability to provide essential services." (Also see "CEO
Viewpoint," above.)
Council urges clearinghouse
approach to Delta Strategic Workplan
In an April 28 letter to the State
Water Resources Board, the Contra Costa Council called the dramatic decline of
fish species and populations in the Delta "the biggest water issue facing the
state." The letter reiterated the Delta Vision Statement of Principles, adopted
by the Council Board of Directors, and the importance of addressing the
Bay-Delta crisis in a comprehensive way. (The Statement of Principles is based
on the analysis and recommendation of the Council's Delta
Vision Committee, which is co-chaired by Bob Whitley of Whitley, Burchett & Associates, and Ann Spaulding, Consultant.)
"Development
of a Strategic Workplan must be based on the premise that state agencies have a
public trust to protect the Delta, especially water quality for habitat and
drinking water," wrote Council President and CEO Linda Best. "The Water
Board has broad state authority to adopt policies, issue permits and to enforce
penalties onto water users and dischargers into the Delta. However, a
regulatory framework that better integrates state agency programs is badly
needed, especially as evidence continues to mount that the ecosystem is in a
state of serious decline."
The
letter also urged the following actions by the State Water Board:
- Develop
a Workplan that takes a broad and comprehensive view of what is required to
protect the Delta; do not be restricted by existing jurisdictional issues
- Develop
a regulatory framework that recognizes the seasonal variability that will assure
continuous flows to the west and into the Bay.
- Encourage
efforts to develop new supplies of water, including desalinization, recycled
water, and additional groundwater and surface storage.
- Encourage
regional approaches and regional self-sufficiency, but recognize that water
rights in areas of origin affect deliveries and need to be addressed.
- Require
agricultural users to make comparable efforts toward conservation as other users.
- Recognize
that conservation efforts by urban water agencies have varied widely across the
state; consider prior commitment, investment and achievements of leading
agencies in determining new reduction requirements.
- Incorporate
aggressive levels of conservation to ensure those instream flow requirements
that have been carefully crafted for specific riparian and aquatic habitat
goals.
- Allocate
funds in a timely manner from Prop 84 and 1E for emergency response plans and
for strengthening strategic Delta levees.
Noting
multiple ongoing efforts to address the Delta crisis, Best asked: "Where is the
clearinghouse to assure that these plans are integrated into one plan to
develop a comprehensive solution that will protect the quality and
environmental integrity of the Delta Region? We encourage your Board to be
proactive and engaged in these Delta strategies and to ensure that the co-equal
values of water quality and ecosystem health are part of any solution."
Support for AB 2127 (Benoit) Employment: Alternative Workweek Schedules--Small Business
Family Scheduling Option
The
Contra Costa Council Board is urging support of AB 2127, as recommended by the
Council's Small Business Task Force. This bill allows small business employees
and employers flexibility in work schedules to help accommodate employees'
diverse family obligations, personal pursuits, commuting issues and
environmental concerns.
"There
are numerous benefits to employees of the Small Business Family Scheduling
Option, including satisfying an
employee's demands for a flexible schedule, reducing traffic and frequency of
long commutes at peak hours, reducing carbon emissions with fewer trips to the
workplace and the personal health benefits of a flexible schedule," wrote Council
President and CEO Linda
Best in a
letter to Assembly members.
"We feel that
AB 2127 is beneficial to both the employer and the employee, and therefore we
would urge passage of AB 2127." |
Other Events & Briefings
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Science and
Engineering Fair inspires students to follow careers in science--and make discoveries!
Contra Costa Economic Partnership helps coordinate and support annual
fair
Students like Clayton Valley
High School eleventh
grader Junzing (Cici) Chen make science teachers happy they chose to teach high
school science. They also make industry partners glad they supported the third
annual Contra Costa County Science and Engineering Fair.
With the help of biology teacher Karen Kelly (pictured with Cici at above, right), mentor Crystal Wright of the Joint Genome Institute in Walnut Creek and her mother, Sophia Huang, Cici
Chen earned top honors at the recent fair for a project that demonstrates how
to create ethanol fuel from wood. "With a high demand for energy alternatives,
this project is not only timely, but world class," said teacher Kelly.
For her project, titled "From Biomass to Ethanol:
Using Transformed Yeast Saccharomyces cerevislae for Cellulose Degradation and
Ethanol Fermentation," Cici collected white rot fungi from fallen logs in Tilden
Park, extracted the DNA from the fungi, utilized the databases at the Joint
Genome Institute to find the genes in white rot that allow it to break down
cellulose; cut out and amplified (made more of) three cellulase genes; and
inserted the cellulase genes into the genome of the yeast, enabling the yeast
to directly convert cellulose to sugar, and the sugar to alcohol. Best of all,
it works!
Cici shared Grand Award honors
with Matt Godkin, a tenth grader at De La Salle High School
in Concord,
whose project was titled "The Piezoelectric Floor." Junior Grand Award winners
were Jacqueline Peterson, an eighth grader at Holy Rosary
School in Antioch ("Can Plants Adapt to
Water Pollution?") and Alexandra Lamoureux, an eighth grader at North
Creek Academy in Walnut Creek ("Which Design is Strongest?"). Cici and Matt
will represent the County at the Intel International Science and Engineering
Fair, May 11-16 in Atlanta, Georgia, accompanied by their
teachers.
Each year since 2006, Contra Costa businesses have
joined with K-12 educators to establish this Intel-affiliated science and
engineering fair in Contra
Costa County.
The most recent fair, held April 3, 4 and 5 at Heald College &
Conference Center,
drew 109 students from grades 7-12 at 11 schools. Students entered 90 projects
in six categories: Biological Science, Behavior/Social Science; Environmental
Science, Engineering, Physical Science and Mathematics/Computer Science.
Cici's teacher Karen Kelly, who also serves as
education outreach coordinator for the Joint Genome Institute, co-chaired this
year's event with April Treece,
project director of the Contra Costa Economic Partnership, and Co-Chair of the
Contra Costa Council's Workforce Development and Education Task Force, in addition
to chairing the Mt. Diablo Board of Education.
"The fair encourages middle and high school
teachers to assist their students in pursuing their awakening interest in
science and engineering, and it stimulates interest and enthusiasm about
science," says Treece. "Our hope is that the fair will inspire young scientists
and engineers to pursue careers in science, and at the same time educate the
public about the importance of science in our daily lives."
In addition to providing sponsorship dollars, industry
representatives serve as project judges; Patty Deutsche of Dow Chemical recruited 81 judges from local
industry. Major sponsors of the fair include Bio-Rad Laboratories, Chevron, The
Dow Chemical Company, John Muir Health, Heald College, Joint Genome Institute
and the Contra Costa County Office of Education. Other sponsors are the City of
Concord,
Science Buddies, Eichleay Engineers, Graunstadt Engineers, Delta Scrap &
Salvage, Kaiser Permanente and Delta Diablo Sanitation District.
(For more information about the fair, see
http://cceconptnr.org/ScienceFair/index.htm.)
Reception
for Phil Tagami on April 17 . . . The Contra Costa Council, East
Bay EDA and the Tri-Valley Business Council co-presented a reception for Phil Tagami, who was recently appointed by the
California State Senate to the California Transportation Commission. The
evening event was held at the Rotunda Building, 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, on April 17. Co-hosts
were AC Transit, Bell Rosenberg & Hughes LLP, Gray-Bowen & Company,
Kleinfelder, Mark Thomas & Company Inc., Nossaman, Guthner, Knox &
Elliott, LLP, Treadwell & Rollo and VSCE Inc.
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Task Force Briefings
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Upcoming briefings
New and prospective Council
members are welcome to attend Task Force meetings. Please notify a Task Force
chair prior to the meeting to confirm time and location.
Here is a list of upcoming
briefings, as currently scheduled:
Health Care Task Force . . . Thurs., May 1, 9 to 10:30 a.m. . .
. Pittsburg Health Center,
3211 Loveridge Rd., Pittsburg. Short business meeting followed
by discussion/tour of the Health Center. Discussion centered around the Health Services budget reduction and a proposal from the Health Services Director to the Board of Supervisors regarding contracting out some services at the Regional Medical Center; also discussed a proposal from Supervisor John Gioia to create a "Health Authority" for the County Medical Center and Health Centers. Ongoing work on policy paper.(Next meeting is Thurs., June 5, at
Morgan Miller Blair, 1331 N.
California Blvd., Suit 200, Walnut Creek.) Contacts: Ron Wetter and Frank Puglisi, Jr.
Environmental/Manufacturing Task
Force . . . Tues., May 6, 8 to 9:30 a.m. . . . Brown and
Caldwell, 201 N. Civic Drive, Suite
300, Walnut Creek.
Special meeting, co-sponsored with the East Bay Economic Development Alliance, featuring Jack Broadbent, Executive Officer of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, discussing the BAAQMD's proposed carbon tax to fund its climate protection program. Holding ongoing discussions about developing a position on AB 32; in contact with Transportation and
Land Use Task Forces on this issue. Ongoing work on policy paper. (Next meeting is Fri., June 6, 8:15 a.m.; Bruce Wolf to discuss the Regional Stormwater Permit. Contacts: Peter McGaw and George Smith
Transportation Task Force . . . Tues., May 6, 8 to 9:30 a.m. . . .
PMI Building, 3003 Oak Road, Walnut Creek.
Keith R. Freitas, Director of
Airports, Contra Costa
County, providing an update on
activities at the Buchanan Field Airport
and the Byron Airport. (Also holding ongoing
discussions regarding the potential of public/private partnership solutions for
the Vasco Road
corridor.) (Next meeting is Tues., June 3.) Contacts: Hank Haugse and Terry Bowen
Land Use Task Force . . . Wed., May 7, 8 to 9 a.m. . . . Morrison & Foerster, 101 Ygnacio Valley Rd.
(opposite Walnut Creek BART). Task Force has recommended support of Measure AA
to the Executive Committee; also working on policy paper. (Next meeting is
Wed., June 11.) Contacts: Dan Muller and Mike McGill
Small Business Task Force. . . Fri.,
May 9, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. . . . Concord
Hilton, 1970 Diamond Blvd., Concord.
Presenting the 8th Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon, in
conjunction with Contra Costa Newspapers and the East Bay Business Times.
Honoring award-winning small business owners selected by the Chambers of
Commerce throughout Contra
Costa County.
Keynote by David Gill, CEO, Ethix Biz.Com.; Master of Ceremonies: Mark
Quinn, Regional Diector, Small Business Administration. Also continuing work on policy paper; developing one-page handout featuring simple facts to guide your business to success. (Next meeting is Tues.,
June 24.) Contacts: Stuart Bolinger and Zachary Sahar
Workforce Development &
Education Task Force . . . Thurs.,
May 15, 8:30 to 10 a.m. . . . JFK
University, 100 Ellinwood, Conference
Room S209, Pleasant Hill.
Continuing discussion about the impact of the state budget crisis on
public
schools, the policy paper and joint discussion with the Economic Development Task Force on the impact of higher education on Contra Costa's economy. (April meeting focused on a presentation of the Work Ready Essential Skills and WorkKeys
assessment process by Judy Watkins of the Workplace Learning Resource Center, Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, which is partnering with the WIB to pilot this program with 350 job seekers in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, including a high school in Pleasanton. Dr. Joe Ovick addressed the impact of the state budget crisis on students in Contra Costa County: the Governor's May revise is crucial to education and the state's future.) (Next meeting is Thurs., June 19.) Contacts: April Treece and Keith
Archuleta
Water Task Force . . . Tues., May 20, 8:15 to 10 a.m. . .
. Morrison & Foerster, 101
Ygnacio Valley Rd. (opposite Walnut Creek BART). Greg Gartrell and Marguerite Naillon of the Contra Costa County Water District and Karla Nemeth of Zone 7 provide an update on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. Also, Task Force Co-chair Bob Whitley and Council CEO Linda Best will meet with Congressman George Miller and Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher regarding the Delta. (Next
meeting is Tues., June 17.) Contacts: Ann Spaulding and Bob Whitley
Economic
Development Task Force . . . Wed., May 28, 8 to 9 a.m. . . . City National Bank, 2100
No. Main St.,
Suite 200,
Walnut Creek. The Task Force is looking at the economic impact of
the resident institutions of higher education in the County, needed education/training for emerging businesses, stakeholder involvement and data collection to facilitate planning. Also working on its policy paper. (Next meeting is Wed., June 25.) Contacts: Gary Craft and Mike Conlon
Nonprofit/Business Task Force . .
. There will be no meeting of the full task force in May due to the highly
successful breakfast forum on April 24 (see "News and Comment," this issue). The
Policy Sub-committee has developed "talking points" and is scheduling
individual meetings with Board of Supervisors members to discuss needed budget
cuts and opportunities; also working on policy paper. (The next meeting is Thurs., June 26, at Chapman University, 2950 Buskirk Ave., Pleasant Hill.)
Contacts: Mike Erwin, Mark Hughes and Terry Shoaff
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Task Force Spotlight
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Small Business & Entrepreneur Task Force: Creating a stronger voice for small business in effecting public policy change While Stuart (Stu) Bolinger and Zachary (Zak) Sahar may have
different business backgrounds, they share the same goals in their work on the Contra
Costa Council's Small Business & Entrepreneur Task Force. In providing a forum for
small-business people to play a role in developing public policy, this Council
unit seeks to achieve a clearer understanding of the issues facing small
business and serves as a resource for this important business segment of Contra Costa
County.
A CPA with business process improvement background, Zak Sahar (pictured above, at right) is the principal of the CPA
firm of Capital Tax
& Accounting in Walnut Creek
and has worked in the accounting field for 15 years. He had been a member of
the Council for about two years when he was recruited as co-chair of the Task
Force last June by former co-chair Jim
Brandt, when Brandt assumed the VP Events role on the Council Executive
Board.
"I really liked the idea of getting involved in the Task
Force and contribute to an area that I enjoy, namely small business. Our firm
predominantly works with small businesses," says Sahar. "The Task Force is
focused on prioritizing the needs of small business, and identifying resources
that could assist small businesses in reaching their goals."
"I enjoy problem solving and working with people," says Stu Bolinger (above, at left), principal of Bolinger
Associates, a management consulting firm providing managerial services to CEOs
and entrepreneurial business owners. He has been a Council member for 12 years,
four of those years as co-chair of the Small Business Task Force.
Bolinger held
management positions in large corporations (Procter & Gamble, Abbott
Laboratories, Coopers& Lybrand, etc.) for the first half of his career, and
his experience in managing the assimilation of recently acquired companies convinced
him to make a career change into the entrepreneurial business sector. Focusing
his work with founders, owners and principal investors of entrepreneurial firms,
Bolinger achieved the turnaround and sale of a lab instrument company, the co-founding
of a biotech firm, and the rapid growth of an environmental services start-up,
which expanded into the European market. On returning to the U.S. in 1997, he started Bolinger
Associates.
Speakers, resources
and policy issues
"A major objective of the Task Force is to provide information
on resources to small businesses and start-ups as they relate to their critical
functions: finance/accounting, operations excellence, and marketing strategies,"
explains Sahar. "The Task Force accomplishes this by providing knowledgeable
guest speakers, organizing events and pointing small businesses to the appropriate resources." Recent speakers at the Task
Force's monthly meetings (held every fourth Tuesday) have included
representatives of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Contra Costa County
Sanitary District, Comcast, the Small Business Administration and small-business consultants.
The policy issues regarding strong area-wide economic
vitality, workforce development and education, and health care are of vital
interest to the small-business community and its employees, says Bolinger. "Our
Task Force works closely with other Council Task Forces to provide support and
perspective and to improve the attention, resources and focus that these key
areas of our government and community need to provide. Unfortunately, most
small business owners and operators tell us that it is very difficult to get
the right people with the right kind of skills for today's needs. A fundamental
business structure/tax problem is that
small businesses often can't pay as much or provide the health care benefits that
larger companies can." "We try and bring these issues to the surface and point
people to the right resources to help them," adds Sahar.
Raising the flag
Members of the Task Force include a range of small-business
people and several representatives from offices of the County's elected
officials. They monitor what is occurring on the legislative front so the Task
Force can make recommendations to the Council's Executive Board to support
legislation or "raise the flag" when necessary. "We need to be there to say,
'this is where we stand,'" says Bolinger. "We also need to take on the issues
that are not so popular and not so conspicuous to a lot of businesses, and
publicize them."
In 2005, a letter of support from the Council to
Assemblywoman Ellen Tauscher and Senator Dianne Feinstein played a role in
restoring full funding for the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory, a project that "offered huge scientific value
for advancing research . . . and for exploring basic science issues, such as
materials science and astrophysics," in addition to affecting the jobs of many Contra
Costa and Alameda county residents.
The Task Force has also recommended support of legislation
to provide additional funding for Small Business Development Centers and assisted
small businesses with compliance issues. In addition, it has joined with the California
Chamber of Commerce to provide credit for small businesses under Section 125 of
the Internal Revenue Code, which allows the purchase of insurance benefits with
before-tax dollars, resulting in tax savings for employers and employees.
Recognizing the contributions of small business
Again
this year, the Task Force is spearheading the Council's Ninth Annual Small
Business Awards Luncheon on Friday, May 9, which honors outstanding small businesses
nominated by the County's local chambers of commerce (see "Upcoming Events"). Sahar
and Bolinger credit Jim Brandt with the idea of creating an event that publicizes
the significance of both the annual sales revenue and total number of jobs
provided by small business in Contra Costa. The annual event reinforces the
support that the Council and local chambers of commerce provide the County's
small-business community, and most importantly, it gives well-deserved
recognition to each participating community's top small-business owners for the
year.
While the Task Force has accomplished a lot, the co-chairs are
working to make it even better. Bolinger shares that in the past, most of its
members were service providers to the small-business industry. "We are working to
find the right mix of business representation, and to involve more people. We want
to increase the participation and engage more small-business owners and operators in the policy-making process," he
says. "We have gone through an evolution. Our challenge now is to get our size and
activities on a parallel with the needs of the County."
"I can identify with small businesses and find satisfaction
in helping them address their concerns," adds Sahar. "It is amazing to me how
much the Council's members know about Contra Costa
County's economic issues. There are a lot of very smart people in the Council that could be helpful to small businesses in achieving their goals."
"Serving on this Task Force and working with the Council has
given me a lot of satisfaction as well as a greater understanding of what the
Council is trying to do and the challenges it faces," says Bolinger. "Sometimes
there are some real differences between people on many of the issues. We try
and take a thoughtful approach and recommend what is best for the long term." |
Corporate Member Spotlight |
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Wells Fargo Bank: Still headquartered
in the Bay Area
Wells Fargo & Company opened its first office
in the Bay Area in 1852. During the Gold Rush, Wells Fargo opened as an express
company focused on transporting people, money, and packages from the West to
the East. The organization's mission emphasized service and coming though for
its clients.
More than 156 years later, Wells Fargo has evolved
into a diversified financial services company; in fact, it's the oldest and
largest financial services company with its headquarters in the Bay Area.
As the only bank in the U.S. to be rated "AAA"
rated according to Standard & Poor's Rating Services, the company provides banking,
insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance through more than 6,000
stores and the internet (www.wellsfargo.com)
across North America and internationally.
Wells Fargo's culture emphasizes helping its
customers and the communities it serves become more financially successful. According
to the San Francisco Business Times, Wells
Fargo has been the Bay Area's top corporate philanthropist among financial
institutions for six consecutive years.
Wells Fargo team members are actively involved in
the community. Last year, Wells Fargo's Bay Area team members logged a record
64,000 volunteer hours and donated more than $5.4 million to nonprofits out of
their own pockets.
Wells Fargo continues to be focused on coming through
for its customers.
Fast Facts
- Wells Fargo operates 200 banks in the Bay Area.
- Wells Fargo is the top lender to small businesses
in the Greater Bay Area.
- Wells Fargo employs more than 18,000 team members
in the Greater Bay Area, including more than 3,000 in Contra Costa
County.
- In 2007, Wells Fargo donated a record $14.4 million
to Bay Area nonprofits.
- Wells Fargo has been the Bay Area's top corporate
giver among financial services companies for the past six years.
Wells Fargo executive Michael Billeci currently serves on the Contra Costa Council Board
of Directors, and Tim Silva co-chairs
the Council's Nonprofit/Business Task Force Information Sharing Committee.
Wells Fargo is an annual sponsor of the Small Business Awards Luncheon and
other events.
To learn more about Wells Fargo, visit www.wellsfargo.com. |
New Members
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Please welcome these new Contra Costa Council members!
James Melino, Partner Bell, Rosenberg & Hughes, LLP 1300
Clay Street, Suite 1000 Oakland, CA 94612 510.832.8585 ph 510.839.6925 fax [email protected] www.brhlaw.com A law firm specializing in large civil
infrastructure projects.
Jodi Avina, Executive Recruiter CFOs
2GO 3470 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite 125 Lafayette, CA 94549 925.299.4450 ph 925.283.4458 fax [email protected] www.cfos2go.com Provides senior financial executives on a contract,
consulting and fulltime search with verticals in sustainable Life Sciences.
Cathi M. Connelly, Principal
Connelly
Consulting Group
6456 Mystic St.
Oakland, CA
94618
510.658.1211 ph
510.295.2790 fax
[email protected]
www.connellyconsulting.net
CSR specialist,
creating sustainable partnerships between business and non-profits.
Darlene K. Gee, Vice President HDR
Engineering, Inc. 2121
N. California Blvd., Suite 475 Walnut
Creek, CA 94596 925.974.2500 ph 925.974.2533 fax [email protected] www.hdrinc.com An employee-owned architectural, engineering and
consulting firm that helps clients manage complex projects and make sound
decisions.
Dina Potter, Transportation Manager Jacobs
Carter Burgess 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 10 Oakland, CA 94612 510.457.0027
ph 510.457.0037
fax [email protected] www.jacobs.com One of the world's largest and most diverse
providers of professional technical services.
Milt Smith, President John
Muir Health Foundation 1400
Treat Blvd. Walnut
Creek, CA 94597 925.947.4449 ph 925.941.2132 fax [email protected] www.johnmuirhealthfoundation.org A subsidiary organization of John Muir Health,
doing the fundraising for John Muir Health.
Charles P. Ortmeyer, Owner Law
Offices of Charles P. Ortmeyer 2010
Crow Canyon Place, Suite 170 San
Ramon, CA 94583 925.806.0618 ph 925.806.0518 fax [email protected] www.cpolawoffice.com A law firm that deals in legal services for
business organizations and transactions.
Larry Brunick, Sales Manager Rubicon
Programs 2500
Bissell Ave. Richmond, CA
94804 510.412.1762 ph 510.412.1751 fax [email protected] www.rubiconprograms.org Offering social services that make a positive,
lasting impact on people living in poverty and on people living with
disabilities, including psychiatric disabilities.
Gary Rapaport, CEO Sutter Delta
Medical Center 3901 Lone Tree
Way Antioch, CA 94509 925.779.7250 ph 925.779.7236 fax [email protected] www.sutterdelta.org Sutter Delta Medical
Center is a 145-bed acute care hospital with 32 beds for
E.R. With over 50,000 visits per year. Affiliate of Sutter Health
For information about joining the
Contra Costa Council, visit our website
or call our office at 925-246-1880.
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Our Mission
The mission of the
Contra Costa Council is to provide advocacy on public policy issues
affecting the economic vitality and quality of life in Contra Costa
County.
The Council engages on issues of critical importance to the business
community and residents of Contra Costa County, balancing the needs of
a diverse county though policy efforts that provide for economic
development while retaining our quality of life. The Council also produces top-tier events, including Contra Costa USA,
the premier business event in the County, featuring major national
speakers as well as providing a local perspective on current events.
The Council retains a close relationship with local, state and federal
elected officials. These relationships provide regular opportunities
for our members to interact with their political representatives and
other business leaders.
For more information about the Council, please visit our website.
To comment about items in this newsletter, please contact Linda Best at the Contra Costa Council.
This issue was edited for the Contra Costa Council by Molly A. Walker of Walker Communications.
� 2008 Contra Costa Council
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