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 |
Breakfast with Ellen Tauscher, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
Tuesday, January 19
7:30 to 9:30 am
Register here by January 14.
Co-hosted with EBEW/NECA
Sponsored by De La Housaye & Associates and Gray-Bowen
24th Annual Contra Costa USA
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Join us for the Contra Costa Council's signature event.
Evening keynote: Michael Milken of the Milken Institute, discussing public policy issues relating to the global economy, health care, education and philanthropy
Luncheon keynote: Christine Todd Whitman, Staying Ahead While Going Green
8 am - Registration, networking and exhibits
9 am - Investing in Clean Tech by Steve Westly of The Westly Group and Sven Strohband of Mohr Davidow Ventures; Going Green Locally and Regionally panel with John Coleman of EBMUD, Gary Darling of Delta Diablo Sanitation District and Bill Kelly of SunPower; Our National Labs and Research for the Future panel with Dr. Leonard Napolitano and Ron Stoltz of Sandia National Laboratories and Dr. Steve Liedle and Dr. Erik Stenehjem of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
12:30 pm - Luncheon and keynote, Stay Ahead While Going Green, by Christine Todd Whitman of the Whitman Strategy Group
2 pm: Adjourn briefly
5:30 pm - Reception
7 pm - Dinner banquet and keynote by Michael Milken of the Milken Institute
Presented by the Contra Costa Council and Chevron
Event sponsors are the Contra Costa Times, John Muir Health, San Francisco Business Times, Shell Oil Products and Wells Fargo
Also sponsored by AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah, Allied Waste Services, Citibank, Comcast, ConocoPhillips, Kaiser Permanente, Morrison & Foerster, PG&E, Sunvalley Shopping Center and The PMI Group, Inc.
Additional sponsors are Delta Diablo Sanitation District, Foley & Lardner LLP, Mechanics Bank, Miller Star Regalia and Mirant, LLC
Please contact the Council office at 925.246.1880 for more information or to sign up for a sponsorship.
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State of the County Address by Board of Supervisors Chair John Gioia
11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Crowne Plaza Hotel
45 John Glenn Drive, Concord
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Share the news about the Council!
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| January Breakfast Event |
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 Ellen Tauscher joins the Council for breakfast on January 19
Join the Contra Costa Council for breakfast with Ellen Tauscher (pictured, at right) on Tuesday, January 19, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Concord. She will address the critical issues of nuclear proliferation and arms control, among other topics.
Named Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security in June 2009, Tauscher served as the U.S. congressional representative for the 10th District for 13 years.
She chaired the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces since 2007 and was a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Under Secretary Tauscher also chaired the New Democrat Coalition, a group of more than 60 centrist House Democrats. Before winning a seat in Congress, she spent 14 years working on Wall Street. She was one of the first women to hold a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and later served as an officer of the American Stock Exchange.
The tenth district has two national defense laboratories, Lawrence Livermore and Sandia California, and includes the Camp Parks Army Reserve facility and Travis Air Force Base, home of the 60th Air Mobility Wing.
Register for the morning event by January 14 at the Council website. Price is $35 for Council members and elected officials, $45 for nonmembers. For questions, contact the Council office at 925.246.1880. |
| CCUSA 2010 |
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 Innovation, entrepreneurship and clean technology on tap at Contra Costa USA January 27
The Contra Costa Council's 24th annual Contra Costa USA (CCUSA) event, presented by the Contra Costa Council and Chevron, will feature keynote addresses by Christine Todd Whitman (pictured, at right) of the Whitman Strategy Group and Michael Milken of the Milken Institute.
The annual event will be held on Wednesday, January 27, at the Hilton Concord Hotel. Registration, exhibits and networking get under way at 8 a.m. The program starts at 9 a.m. and continues through 2 p.m. The evening reception gets under way at 5:30 p.m., with a dinner banquet at 7 p.m. (See the schedule, at left, for more details.)
Steve Westly, managing partner of The Westly Group, former California gubernatorial candidate, controller and chief financial officer for the state, will lead off the day with a presentation, entitled Investing in Clean Technology. He will be followed by prominent venture capitalist, Sven Strohband, a partner with Mohr Davidow Ventures, who will discuss local and regional venture activity.
The first panel, Going Green Locally and Regionally, will include John Coleman, a director of the East Bay Municipal Utility District; Gary Darling, general manager, Delta Diablo Sanitation District; and Bill Kelly, managing director, California, SunPower Corporation's Systems Division.
A second panel, Our National Labs and Research for the Future, will feature Leonard M. Napolitano, Jr., PhD, director, Computer Sciences and Information Systems, Sandia National Laboratories; Ron Stoltz, manager, Advanced Energy Initiatives, Sandia; Steve Liedle, PhD, deputy director, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; and Erik Stenehjem, PhD, director, Industrial Partnerships, Lawrence Livermore. Sponsorships at various levels may still be available for the event. Registration and payment deadline is January 20. Please contact Linda Best or Terry Shoaff at the Council office at 925.246.1880 for more information. |
| State of the County Address |
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| John Gioia to deliver State of the County Address on February 11
John Gioia, new chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, will deliver the annual State of the County Address to a Contra Costa Council luncheon audience on Thursday, February 11, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Concord.
Please plan to attend, and register soon on the Calendar page of the Council website. For questions, contact the Council office at 925.246.1880. | |
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CEO Viewpoint |
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 Chevron and Project Lead the Way invest in Contra Costa high schools
By Linda Best, President and CEO, Contra Costa Council
It is clear that significant future job opportunities in our region, as well as the state and the nation, will be in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). If we in the Bay Area are to maintain our global competitive position in these fields, we must have a trained workforce. As baby boomers retire in the next decade, this will be a challenge.
Recognizing this need, Chevron and Project Lead The Way, a premier national provider of STEM programs, are making a significant investment in the creation of pathways that lead to engineering jobs and careers. We are fortunate that four high schools in Contra Costa will benefit: Antioch High School, California High School in San Ramon, and Mt. Diablo High School and Clayton Valley High School in Concord.
Beginning in fall 2010, the Engineering Pathways program will provide smaller learning communities within the comprehensive high school environment. These communities will offer students an engineering-related, hands-on, career-integrated program and a common set of teachers--both core academic and career technical educators.
Collaboration with our post-secondary partners in the region will help provide a seamless transition to higher levels of education and training, and will increase completion of college certifications and degrees.
The Chevron/Project Lead the Way Partnership includes the Contra Costa Economic Partnership Workforce Initiative, which, under the leadership of April Treece and Keith Archuleta, will assist in the rollout of the Engineering Pathways program in the Contra Costa schools. The Workforce Initiative has a highly successful track record in intermediary work, bringing together industry and education in fast-growing industry clusters to revitalize high schools and assist students in transitioning from secondary to post-secondary education and training.
It is exciting to think that in four years (and every year thereafter), we will have a cohort of as many as 600 students prepared for higher education in STEM fields. This can make a huge difference in our ability to attract and grow companies in these emerging clusters that are crucial to our economic vitality. Equally important, this work is preparing our young people for careers that are challenging, pay well and will allow them to continue to live and work in our county.
Thanks to the commitment of Chevron, Project Lead the Way, the Contra Costa Economic Partnership Workforce Initiative and our partners in K-12 and higher education, we are confident this program will be successful. |
| Advocacy Action |
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Council urges vote against more stringent requirements for outdoor toxic air contaminants in highly impacted areas
The Contra Costa Council urged the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) to reject suggestions for more stringent New Source Review requirements in Priority Communities (highly impacted areas), which were proposed as amendments to Regulation 2, Rule 5, New Source Review.
"Though advocates for this approach maintain it would improve health in these communities, we believe that, on the contrary, it would negatively impact health and welfare by discouraging economic development and job creation for residents," wrote Council President and CEO Linda Best in a letter to BAAQMD Chair Pamela Torliatt and board members on December 16. The Council's stand in urging a vote against the requirements was recommended by the Environmental/Manufacturing Task Force.
The introduction of more stringent requirements would discourage businesses from locating in Priority Communities and this effect would most likely spill over into neighboring areas. The result would be lost job opportunities in these areas where poverty and unemployment rates are high, said Best. We know there is a strong link between health outcomes and income; the lost opportunities, therefore, will just increase these underlying factors and exacerbate health status.
"Additionally, there is little basis for concluding that more stringent requirements would result in better health in these communities," she continued. "Any benefit from reducing theoretical cancer risk by just 5 in a million, compared with a national cancer risk of 400,000 in a million, simply cannot be measured. The unintended consequences (described above), however, will be significant." |
| Member News |
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David Bowlby chairs Alamo Municipal Advisory Committee
David Bowlby, VP Events of the Contra Costa Council, has been elected chair of the newly formed Alamo Municipal Advisory Committee, which was established by Supervisor Mary Piepho. |
| Business Information from our Members |
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 Employer's Handbook answers basic questions about child-support reporting
If you are an employer and have questions about working with local child support offices and their role in processing child support obligations, a new resource can quickly answer your questions about income verification, processing wage assignments and other child-support issues.
The new Employer's Handbook from the Child Support Directors Association (CSDA) answers questions about State Disbursement Units (SDU), calculating child-support deductions, new-hire reporting, and employment and income verification, among other topics.
For a copy of the Employer's Handbook, log on to the CSDA website and download a copy.
By complying with child support withholding, employers help their communities, save taxpayers' dollars, prevent and reduce fraud, and promote a stable and reliable workforce.
For additional information or questions, contact the Contra Costa County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) at 1.866.901.3212, e-mail childsupport@dcss.cccounty.us, or log on to the DCSS website. |
| Task Force Spotlight |
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Ad Hoc Budget Reform Task Force takes a close look at what reform proposals mean for the region
While some may throw
up their hands in dismay at the California
budget crisis, there are others, like the members of the Contra Costa Council
Budget Reform Ad Hoc Task Force, who believe that unscrambling this puzzler is
not only necessary but possible.
As with other ad hoc task forces established by
the Council, the budget reform ad hoc unit was set up last year to grapple with
a specific issue, in this case, budget reform. "Our approach is to continue to
take a thoughtful look at the issue and review the various approaches to its
resolution," says Task Force Chair Bob Brown (pictured, at right). "We will determine how the
suggested reforms may benefit the county and the region, and once we're clear
how we stand, we will ensure that our voice is heard."
Part of the growing
frustration with how government works in California
is that people feel the legislature
should be deliberating laws. There are currently some 70 state initiatives in
circulation that are directed at this year's election cycle, although many will
not qualify or will run out of steam. The initiative process is so complicated
and frustrating and, in the long term, locks up much of the funding, observes Brown.
Also, the legislature controls only 10 to 20 percent of the budget, resulting
in a kind of "catch 22," because, to put flexibility back into the budget, the
state actually needs to pass some of these initiatives. Currently, 40 percent
of the California's
budget guarantees K-12 education, an important priority, while another large
chunk goes to prisons, followed by higher education, and health and welfare.
Political campaigns and operations jobs
A
product of Campolindo High School in Moraga
and UC Davis, Bob Brown worked in government after college, and helped run
political campaigns at both the state and federal level. He served in the US
Department of Education, where he monitored education bills, and at the state
level was deputy director of communications for the Department of Consumer Affairs.
He has also worked at the State and Consumer Services Agency, the operations
side of state government, and worked on a report suggesting ways to make
government agencies more efficient. Since 1999, Brown has been at AAA Northern
California, Nevada & Utah and currently serves as director of
corporate affairs, overseeing public affairs, media relations and government
affairs.
Serving as co-chair of the Council's Transportation Task Force (along
with Hank Haugse) since last June, Brown enjoys his involvement with the
Council. "It has helped me re-solidify my roots in the community, and participating
in Transportation Task Force meetings has enabled me to get to know the people
working in transportation throughout the county."
The Council brings together a
cross-section of community and industry leaders and other stakeholders. It
can't be pigeonholed as just a business organization," he says. "We advocate
for a strong economic climate and quality of life issues. Representatives of
transportation, education, government, labor, business and nonprofits are all
at the table, and provide a perspective that I think brings deeper
understanding of the issues the county
and region face. The Council has the respect of local leaders who come and
speak at our events and value our opinion."
Huge
revenue losses
Brown's interest in budget reform was piqued when he saw the
devastating impact the budget crisis had on the county and its citizens. "We
have seen huge revenue losses at the local level, relationships between local
government and the state are strained, and the budget raids and borrowings have
hurt county services dramatically. There has to be a better way," he says. "We
need to recognize we are in an economic downturn, take a look at the root of
the problems and find a more effective method of getting from one budget year
to the next."
The importance of the task force's initial work was clearly
manifested at the April 17 Council board meeting last year, when directors
discussed the five initiatives on the May 19 special election 2009 ballot. "We
spent practically the entire meeting dissecting each of the measures, taking
them one by one. People had strong, informed opinions, and we had a robust discussion.
We ended up looking at the initiatives as imperfect solutions. We made
recommendations to support various initiatives to get us through the crisis,
but we did not support all of them," recalls Brown. "That ballot itself left
the voters confused and frustrated; by turning down the initiatives, voters let
the legislature and governor know they should be solving these problems."
Key issues and touch points
During
2009, the task force worked on surfacing key issues and determining touch
points of interest, and generally laid the groundwork for where it wants to
focus members' time in 2010. Regarding a constitutional convention proposal,
Brown says the task force will work to pinpoint what areas it wants to have a
say in. Members will also review the language of proposals put forth by California Forward, which include a two-year budget process, the reduction of
two-thirds to a majority approval for passage of budget bills, directing spikes
in revenue to one-time projects, and performance-based budgeting. There will be
much to review in the areas of political and governance reform as well.
"It's
an imperfect process, by anyone's definition, at the state level. People don't
have a lot of faith in the process, and the economic times are dire--albeit hopefully
stabilizing," adds Brown. "With this level of frustration and voter angst
regarding our state government, it creates political pressure to get some
things done. Out of this fiscal train wreck, we hope will come real progress
and fundamental reform, not the usual budget gimmicks. We'll roll up our
sleeves, take a look at specific proposals and see what makes sense." |
| Task Force Briefings |
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| January and February briefings . . .
and Steve Van Wart
Environmental/Manufacturing Task Force . . . Friday, January 8, 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. . . . Brown and Caldwell, 201 N. Civic Drive, Suite 300, Walnut Creek. Report on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Air Toxics New Source Review (NSR) Guidelines hearing on January 6. Report on the Taxpayers Right to Vote Act, expected to be on the June 2010 ballot, by Tom Guarino of PG&E. Discussed AB 1107. Next meeting is Friday, February 5 (first Friday). Co-chairs: Peter McGaw and George Smith
Land Use Task Force . . . Wednesday, January 13, 8 to 10 a.m. . . .Morrison & Foerster, 101 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 450 (across from Walnut Creek BART). Please check with a task force co-chair for details. In December, discussed implications of the new water legislation on land use. Next meeting is Wednesday, February 10 (second Wednesday), when the task force expects to finalize its Land Use Policy Paper. Co-chairs: Dan Muller and Mike McGill
Economic Development Task Force . . . Wednesday, January 20, 8 to 9 a.m. . . . City National Bank, 2001 North Main Street, Suite 200, Walnut Creek. Please check with a task force co-chair for details. Presentation in December by Tom Guarino of PG&E about the Taxpayers Right to Vote Act. Update from Kris Chase of Saint Mary's on the Higher Education Study; Cyd Jenfsky of JFK University will assist Kris with the study. Next meeting is Wednesday, February 24. Co-chairs: Gary Craft and Mike Conlon
Social Responsibility Task Force . . . Wednesday, January 20, 8 to 9:30 a.m. . . . Brandman University (formerly Chapman University College), 2950 Buskirk Ave., Room 307, Walnut Creek. Please confirm meeting details with a task force co-chair. In December, set a six-month calendar agenda and organized a social event featuring a speaker on mergers; heard from Lynn Baskett of the Health Care Task Force on health equity. Next meeting is Thursday, February 25. Co-chairs: Mike Erwin and Mark Hughes
Water Task Force . . . Wednesday, January 20, 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. . . . Morrison & Foerster, 101 Ygnacio Valley Road., #450 (across from Walnut Creek BART). Please confirm meeting details with a task force co-chair. Recently discussed the impacts on the East Bay of the new Delta water policy legislation. Next meeting is Wednesday, February 16. Co-chairs: Bob Whitley and Mitch Randall
Workforce Development & Education Task Force . . . Thursday, January 21, 8:30 to 10 a.m. . . . JFK University, 100 Ellinwood, Room S217, Pleasant Hill. Please confirm meeting details with a task force co-chair. Recently discussed Contra Costa's engineering, construction and manufacturing sector jobs programs, and learned about the Chevron/Project Lead the Way initiative just under way (see CEO Viewpoint, this issue). Next meeting is Thursday, February 18 (third Thursday). Co-chairs: April Treece and Keith Archuleta
Small Business & Entrepreneur Task Force . . . Tuesday, January 26, 8:30 a.m. . . . De La Housaye and Associates, 1655 Main Street, Room 210, Walnut Creek. Quarterly meeting with representatives of area chambers of commerce and the California Chamber to discuss regional coordination of the chambers and legislation affecting small business. Representatives of legislators' offices and county supervisors are being invited. Next meeting is Tuesday, February 23. Co-chairs: Angela De La Housaye and Zach Sahar
Transportation Task Force. . . No meeting in January . . . Tuesday, February 2, 8 a.m. . . . PMI Building, 3003 Oak Road, Walnut Creek (across from Pleasant Hill BART). Please confirm meeting details with a task force co-chair. In December, heard from Hisham Noeimi of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) regarding the 2009 update to the first Measure J Strategic Plan. Co-chairs: Hank Haugse and Bob Brown |
| Corporate Member Spotlilght |
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 Chevron Richmond Refinery contributes to community's social and economic development
Chevron Corporation was created in California 130 years ago and is now the largest company in the state in terms of revenue. Chevron is also the largest employer and taxpayer in Richmond. Its Richmond Refinery has been part of Richmond's community for over a century, providing jobs for more than 1,200 people. It covers approximately 2,900 acres, and has a refining capacity of 240,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The Richmond Refinery processes more crude oil than any other refinery in the Bay Area, has the largest lube oil facility on the West Coast, and is a supplier of petroleum products critical to the Bay Area's economy. With a focus on transportation fuels--gasoline, jet and diesel--as well as lubricating oils, the refinery takes pride in its production of the latest generation of clean-burning gasoline, which meets the most stringent requirements in the world.
Chevron and its Richmond Refinery employees believe in supporting the social, environmental and economic development of the Contra Costa County. They have demonstrated their commitment to being a good neighbor by their contributions of time and money.
Over the last year, Chevron has invested more than $3 million in the Richmond economy and has long supported economic development and job creation in Contra Costa County. One example of this support is Chevron's California Partnership, an initiative that invests in education and economic development in California by expanding the company's partnerships with nonprofits.
As part of this effort, Chevron recently announced a grant of $1 million to five Richmond and West County-based nonprofits to increase access to vocational education and improve the livelihoods of area residents.
The Chevron Richmond Refinery is a longstanding member of the Contra Costa Council. External Affairs Manager Dean O'Hair is a member of the Board of Directors.
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| New Members |
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Please welcome these Contra Costa Council members!
Robert Weaver, VP, Business Development
Cheryl Reddick
Lee Hecht Harrison
2175 N California Blvd., Ste. 305
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
925.930.2800 ph
Lee Hecht Harrison, established in 1974, is a global talent management solutions company that offers an array of outplacement and leadership development programs and services.
Jeremy Bardin, Investment Director
Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.
580 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
415.438.2941 ph
415.434.5805 fax www.opco.com
Oppenheimer is a leading investment bank and full-service investment firm that provides financial services and advice to high-net-worth investors, individuals, businesses and institutions. |
| Become a Member! |
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Join the Contra Costa Council and help guide our economy and quality of life.
Visit our website or call 925.246.1880. |
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.
© 2010 Contra Costa Council |
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