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The Leading Voice of Business in Orange County |
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
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OCBC ENDORSES CALIFORNIA FORWARD'S 2010 REFORM PLAN
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 OCBC is backing the 2010 Reform Plan from California Forward, a statewide
initiative to transform the state's government through citizen-driven solutions
to provide better representation, smarter budgeting and fiscal management for California.
During an OCBC Government Affairs Committee meeting, California Forward's Steve Weiss
outlined a 2010 Reform Plan produced by the coalition that, as a whole,
would create stability in state governance including redefining state and local responsibilities, improved
accountability and a new budgetary plan including:
California Forward will seek legislature approval to place these measures on the
ballot or they will seek to put the measures directly before the voters as
initiatives. For more information contact Kate Klimow. |
WILL THIS YEAR'S ECONOMIC FORECAST UNVEIL A DIFFERENT "R" WORD - RECOVERY?
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 In two weeks CSUF's Mihaylo College of Business and Economics and OCBC join together for the
15th annual Economic Forecast Conference presented by US Bank. Economist Anil Puri, dean, Mihaylo College of Business and Economics, and Mira Farka, Professor of economics,
will present the economic trends including housing, employment, inflation and
finance, facing Orange County, the state and nation during these turbulent
times.
The 2009 conference will also include an update by Richard Davis, CEO of US Bank, on the state of the
banking industry. Davis will share insight to how US Bank has emerged as one of
the nation's strongest banking institutions.
 Date: Tuesday, October 27,
2009
Time:
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Place: The Hyatt Regency
Irvine
Info? Celeste Signorino at 949.794.7219
Online Registration |
Event Flyer |
Sponsorship Info
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OCBC CALLS ON GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE TO AGREE ON
WATER PACKAGE
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Lucy Dunn, President and CEO of Orange County Business Council, last week called on the Governor and Legislature to exhaust all efforts in order to come to an
agreement on a critically needed legislative water package. The Governor called another "special session" of the
Legislature this week to address water issues and allowing Sacramento to stay in
town to keep working toward an agreement.
"The single
biggest threat, outside of the existing economic crisis, facing the Southern
California business community is the lack of a reliable water supply" said
Dunn.
For Orange
County, this reality is
sobering because water resources managed by state and regional agencies account
for 50 percent of the County's overall yearly water supply countywide.
"It critical that our legislative leaders
come to agreement on a water package - the business community depends on it, the
economy depends on it..." [read more] For more information contact Kate Klimow.
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OCBC HELPS BACK CALIFORNIA'S APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL FUNDING OF HIGH-SPEED RAIL
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 Last week OCBC joined Governor
Schwarzenegger, local, state and federal officials to announce that
California has
turned in an application to get federal American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) dollars for high speed rail. Mayor of Anaheim Curt
Pringle and Speaker Karen Bass were some of the elected officials spoke on
behalf of California's unified voices supporting this
project.
The American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) set aside $8 billion in federal dollars for
high-speed train development, and the California High-Speed Rail Authority applied for $4.5 billion of those dollars for their shovel-ready plans. The
project has a potential to receive... [read more]
For more information, contact Wallace Walrod. |
JOBS CREATION MADE "EZ" - 100,000 NEW JOBS FOR CALIFORNIA
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 Jobs creation is JOB NO.
1 for California. OCBC, the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce and a statewide coalition of chambers, businesses and elected officials supports legislation to grant California Enterprise Zones status to all 2009 approved applicants.
In addition to supporting a bill, ABX3 82, which will expand the number of Enterprise Zones in California, OCBC has been actively involved in helping the coalition to generate more interest and increase the level of awareness of the benefits of Enterprise Zones and economic development. Letters have been sent to the four legislative leaders and the Administration, as well as targeting the members of the policy and fiscal committees in both the Assembly and Senate.
Recent economic development studies show each EZ generates over 10,000 jobs
during the 15-year designation period... [Read more about what substantial tax credits and benefits businesses within Enterprise Zones are eligible for and how you can help support.] Send your letter of support today! For more information, contact Kate Klimow. |
BUSINESS COUNCIL ENCOURAGES CONTINUED DISCUSSION ON PROPOSED TAX REFORM
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Governor Schwarzenegger has called for a special session of the
state Legislature to review recommendations by the Commission on the 21st
Century Economy (COTCE) to simplify the state tax code and reduce tax revenue
volatility, a prime culprit behind the state's budget crisis this year.
The proposed package calls for
reducing the personal income tax for every taxpayer in California, eliminating
the state sales tax and the corporate tax and establishing a new "business net
receipts tax," (BNRT) which apply to all sectors of the California economy,
including services.
OCBC
applauds the efforts by Governor Schwarzenegger and the COTCE for
evaluating and proposing reform to California's tax system, however, the Business Council strongly encourages continued discussions regarding California's unsustainable tax structure going in order to find a comprehensive and fair solution. Click here to learn more about the COTCE and view the full report. For more information, please contact Kate Klimow.
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CITY OF ANAHEIM RECEIVES $7 MILLION GRANT THAT WILL CREATE 1,500 NEW JOBS
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U.S. Department of Commerce's
Economic Development Administration (EDA) presented a check to the City of Anaheim last week for $7.275 million. The funding will create a pedestrian connection between the Canyon Metrolink Station and new Kaiser Permanente medical
campus, as well as all future development in the Canyon Business Center which provides 25 percent of all manufacturing jobs in the region.
"The
road to economic recovery starts with jobs, jobs, and more JOBS," said OCBC's Vice President of Government Relations Kate Klimow. "And that is
exactly what this project will do. Creating nearly 1,500 new jobs that will directly
benefit the economy and help Orange
County get back to work."
In addition to the grant from the EDA, Kaiser Permanent contributed $2
million toward improvements and projects to improve pedestrian access that will connect its new medical campus located in the Canyon Business Center. For more information, contact Kate Klimow.
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OCBC ADDRESSES WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACHIEVEMENT GAP
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More than 300
educators, business leaders, lawmakers, community activists, including Rep.
Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, and County Superintendent Bill Habermehl, attended the
"Addressing the Achievement Gap" summit at California State University, Fullerton.
In the morning session, Dr. Wallace
Walrod of OCBC spoke about the latest workforce trends and
highlighted the
troubling, ongoing 40 point achievement "gap" between Latino students and
the rest of the state that hasn't changed significantly in seven
years.
OCBC's Lucy Dunn moderated the
"Legislative Panel" of elected officials and asked the hard "why" questions including "where
does the buck stop in responsibility for progress on the gap," "why not merit
pay for teachers," "why not online learning," and "what about a pre-school to
11th grade program, instead of K through 12th when the drop out rate for 12th
graders is so high. " Later in the day, Alicia Berhow
represented OCBC on the "Community Conversations on the Gap Panel" where she
discussed her work with OCBC's Latino Educational Attainment Committee.
Cal State University, Fullerton will be putting together a report of
the ideas discussed, questions from the audience and the suggestions of
panelists at the event. For more information, contact Alicia Berhow. And for answers to Lucy's questions, check out OCBC's Workforce Development
Conference below! |
2009 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE: REBOOT OC - SOLD OUT!!!
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 In two days the 8th annual Workforce Development Conference presented by Orange County Business Council and the Orange County Workforce Investment Board will help
"Reboot OC." This year's guest speaker is Sherry Lansing, former CEO of Paramount
Pictures and Founder and CEO of the Sherry Lansing Foundation, a non-profit
dedicated to public education and engaging retirees in their communities.
Lansing will be interviewed by Orange County's Superintendent of Schools Bill
Habermehl on the latest issues affecting Orange County's workforce.
The
conference will also unveil Orange County's 2009 Workforce Indicators
Report with Dr. Wallace Walrod analyzing
the county's economic and labor force trends. The research partnership between
OCBC, County of Orange, and Orange County Workforce Investment
Board (OCWIB) examines the growth of industry and employment, salary and
wage trends, demographic changes and the educational attainment of Orange County
students. Didn't get your ticket in time? Stay tuned for how to access the 2009 Report and view the conference on OCBC's webcast. For more info, please contact Alicia Berhow.
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LUCY DUNN DISCUSSES GLOBAL IMPACT OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
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 The California
Transportation Commission (CTC) is finalizing guidelines this week for the
unlimited Public Private Partnerships (P3) allowed under Senate Bill
No.4, which was passed in California last year. Last week, OCBC President and CEO Lucy
Dunn, who also serves as a commissioner on the CTC, met with UK
officials and companies to discuss future P3 opportunities in the state. Attendees included the
Lord Mayor of London and Dame Barbara Hay from the British Consulates Office and Stephen Chandler from GI Group, among others, in a
meeting that signifies a new era in California transportation.
Europe and many
states in America have been using public
private partnerships to great success to fund transportation projects. But
until recently in California, only four P3 projects were allowed
per year and many infrastructure projects had been put on hold or canceled due
to lack of government funds. SB 4 opens the door to endless possibilities for
innovation and new sources of funding so that infrastructure improvements won't
be constrained by the state's budget or ability to sell bonds. Click here for more information, or contact Lucy Dunn.
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OCBC HONORS FORMER EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER STEVE RENOCK
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 The Orange County Business Council Executive Board unanimously commended OCBC former Chair-elect Steve Renock of SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union for his leadership and involvement with the Business Council.
Mr. Renock will be taking a new role with the Kern Schools Federal Credit Union in Bakersfield as CEO. He has spent the last six years with SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, formally Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union (OCTFCU), as Executive Vice President of Financial Services.
Throughout his involvement, Mr. Renock has been an instrumental piece to the success and direction of OCBC. It has been a true pleasure to work with Mr. Renock in every capacity, he will surely be missed.
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WELCOME NEWEST OCBC BOARD MEMBERS: RICHARD PORRAS AND GREG MECH!
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 OCBC is proud to welcome Richard Porras, Executive Director of At&T and Greg Mech, Regional Managing Director for Merrill Lynch.
The Business
Council looks forward to working with Mr. Porras and Mech and continuing to
enhance the Orange County's economic prosperity.
Richard Porras Bio | Greg Mech Bio | 2009 OCBC Board of Directors
Looking for your seat at the table? Contact Vice President of Investor Relations Celeste Signorino about how you can get involved and join OCBC's prestigious Board of Directors.
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OCBC MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
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C&L Refrigeration Designs Breakthrough Systems for Cold Storage
When a new cold storage facility opened in March in San Diego County, it wasn't just another energy-draining industrial building. This one is groundbreaking in design, solar-powered and expected to cut energy costs by 75%. It even is
on track to attain the highly coveted gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) program. OCBC member C&L Refrigeration was called in to resolve refrigeration challenges involving the building design, integration of the refrigeration system with the solar panels, and handling wastewater generated from the refrigeration system.
Goodwill of Orange County's Working for Independence Luncheon a Big Success
Recently Goodwill of
Orange County (Goodwill) hosted its fourth annual Working for Independence
Fundraising Luncheon at the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel and Spa. The one-hour
luncheon was prompt, compelling and a great success. Through the luncheon and
year- round fund raising outreach, over $320,000 has been committed to support
Goodwill's mission. Goodwill's longtime supporters Marion Knott and her family
issued a Knott Family Matching Challenge at the luncheon, generating enthusiasm
and generosity among the guests. According to Nicole Suydam, Vice President of
Development at Goodwill, for every two dollars that was donated to Goodwill, the
family matched one dollar and contributed $100,000 toward the effort.
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COMMITTEE MEETINGS
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October 2009
Infrastructure Committee
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 from 7:30 - 9 a.m.
Workforce Development Committee
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 from 7:30 - 9 a.m.
Community College Working Group
Thursday, October 22, from 3 - 4:30 p.m.
Committee meetings are open to
OCBC members and invited guests only. All committee meetings are held
at the OCBC offices unless otherwise specified. For more information on
upcoming committee meetings for 2009 check out OCBC's Committees.
Looking to get more involved?
Click below to receive specific committee notices.
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| COMMUNITY EVENTS |
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Orange County Forum Luncheon Program with The Honorable Tom Campbell - October 14, 2009
Join the Orange County Forum for their latest luncheon program featuring gubernatorial candidate Tom Campbell. With
abackground in economics and law, Tom Campbell has dedicated his professional
career to public service as an educator, a State Senator, a five-term Member of
Congress, and as California State Finance Director. During his tenure as State Finance Director,
California's budget was balanced with no tax increases, no new borrowing, and no
accounting gimmicks. Currently
the Visiting Professor of Law at Chapman University School of Law, Campbell
served for 5 years as the Dean of the Haas School of Business at the University
of California, Berkeley, and for 19 years as a Stanford University
professor. Graduated Magna Cum Laude
from Harvard Law in 1976, Campbell also earned his PhD in Economics in
1980. His free market economics training
has resulted in a life-long commitment to limited government and greater
individual liberty. As a candidate for
the GOP nomination for the office of Governor, Campbell will share his
perspectives on California's future. Click here for more info.
Orange County Automobile Dealers Association Presents the OC Autoshow - October 15 to 18, 2009
As an OCBC member, receive a free weekday ticket to the OC Autoshow at the Anaheim Convention Center this week. Check out the hottest new rides, exotics, classics and more! Click here to get your free ticket!
Memorial Health Care Presents Health Care Forum - October 20, 2009 from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Health care costs are a major concern of every business executive in every industry. This forum will deliver up to date information on health care reform, and other perspectives for business from health care and industry experts.
Click here for event info on speakers and registration.
OCCC Hosts Second
Annual Job and Resource Fair - October 23, 2009, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.Orange Coast Community College hopes to assist its graduating class and gain the
necessary employment opportunities and resources needed to successfully
transition to the world of work. Join community partners and employers to participate in securing
the future of our community's youth. OCCC
anticipates over 120 current corps members and graduates will be in
attendance, all which are eager to learn about the opportunities the
workforce has to offer. Please email for a registration packet no
later than October 10, 2009. Limited space is available so please
reserve early. UC Irvine Distinguished Speaker Series: Neel Grover - November, 5, 2009 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Join UCI's Paul Merage School of Business for yet another great edition in their series of Distinguished Speakers. November 5, UCI will host Neel Grover, President and CEO of Buy.com. OCBC members receive discounted rate on tickets! Click here for more information.
Veteran's Day 2009 Flag Raising Ceremony and Job Fair - November 5, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. to noon To commemorate Veteran's Day 2009 and to
recognize the service and contributions to our community and country made by our
U. S. Military Veterans, the public is cordially invited to attend a special
Veteran's Day Recognition Celebration. The Employment Development Department
(EDD), Veteran's employment services staff in partnership with the Orange County
Veteran's Employment Committee (OCVEC), Orange County One-Stop Centers and Santa
Ana W/O/R/K Center are proud to host a Flag Raising Ceremony and Job Fair to be
held Thursday, November 5, 2009, from 8:30 am to noon at the Santa Ana Regional
Transportation Center, Casa Santa Fe Room. The event is open to the public and all
job seekers are welcome to attend, in addition, there is no cost to exhibit and
parking is free. Employers interested in exhibiting can contact, Daniel at
714-565-2624 or John at 714-241-4455. |
IS IT NEWS TO YOU? THEN IT'S NEWS WE CAN USE!
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Have an event coming up? Was your company just
highlighted in the news? Are you doing something great in Orange
County? The Business Council wants to know about it. Now OCBC members can submit news stories for OCBC's E-Update Indicator
Newsletter.
Click here and fill out the submission form for one of Orange County's premier business news source. Not a member? Click here for more information on how to get involved and join the leading voice of business in Orange County.
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SPREAD THE WORD! IMPACT THE WORLD! FORWARD YOUR COPY TO ASSOCIATES!
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Forward OCBC's E-Indicator to friends and colleagues by clicking on the "Forward Email" link at the bottom of the email and encourage them to sign up for one of Orange County's premier business publications!
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BUSINESS MEETS SOCIAL MEDIA
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 Do you tweet? Have a Facebook page or surf YouTube? Then follow the latest news
and information from OCBC online! The leading voice of business is connecting
you to business in Orange County like never before.
If you
have questions on how to get connected with the Business Council online, please
contact Director of Communications, Matt Prince at 949.794.7221. | |
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2 Park Plaza, Suite 100, Irvine CA 92614 | www.ocbc.org | PH: 949.476.2242 | FAX: 949.476.9240 | |
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