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The Leading Voice of Business in Orange County |
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
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OCBC NAMES 2010 LEADERS, EXECUTIVE BOARD AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS
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 Orange County Business Council is pleased to
announce that Porter Novelli executive and eight year OCBC Board Member, Linda
Martin, has been elected to serve as Chair of its 2010 Board of Directors--becoming the second woman to lead
the organization since its installment 15 years ago.
Joining Martin on OCBC's Executive Board will be 2010 Chair-Elect Eddie Northen of UPS, Treasurer Julie Miller-Phipps of Kaiser Permanente and Immediate Past Chair Larry Buster of First American Title.
Comprised of over 50 of Orange County's top business executives, OCBC's board of directors will be sworn in at its 2010 Annual Dinner on February 11 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. At that time, the board will also honor 2009 Chairman, Larry Buster and his Executive Committee for a remarkable year of leadership
and accomplishments.
Thank you to all our phenomenal leaders and volunteers for another
great year past and year ahead.
Click here to read more and to see a complete list of the 2010 Board of Directors. Click here for reservations and sponsorship of OCBC's 2010 Annual Dinner.
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ORANGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL MOVING TO NEVADA?
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 By now most have you have seen the advertising campaigns for the Nevada Development Authority touting Nevada's business friendly environment and their attempts to move California businesses across the state line. Their next move? Targeting specific businesses to make the move--and it seems the Orange County Business Council is no exception.
OCBC was recently solicited by Henderson, Nevada's economic development team, to pack up shop and "move" to Nevada. So, Lucy Dunn, President and CEO of OCBC, decided to blog about it as an example to
encourage California's elected leaders to focus on jobs creation as JOB #1. She
thought the solicitation was a joke, turns out Henderson thought differently! Click here to read the blog.
In response the the blog post, "Half of southern California comes to Las Vegas every weekend and more companies are coming acrosss the line every month," said Bob Cooper, Economic Development Manager with the City of Henderson. "Wouldn't it be great to have a Consulate
Office of the Orange County Business Council over here to continue to
work with your current and past members?"
While the offer was serious, so is OCBC about jobs creation and economic development. Join our Economic Development Committee in 2010 for an aggressive strategy and implementation to
keep businesses and grow jobs in Orange County. Contact Dr. Wallace Walrod for
info.
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OCBC JOINS REGIONAL LEADERSHIP ON SB 375 DISCUSSIONS
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 Last week, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) held a special meeting of its board
with Southern California Leadership Coalition and GLUE Council to discuss SB
375. The purpose of the meeting was to
bring together local elected officials and business leaders throughout California, from Ventura to San
Diego, to communicate with Assembly Speaker Karen Bass
(D) and California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols their shared concerns
regarding implementation of this broad-reaching land-use legislation. Former
Governors Pete Wilson (R) and Gray Davis (D) shared their concerns as well.
Speaker Bass heard from the participants how planning that is required
by SB 375 cannot be accomplished without funding, that the state has taken
local redevelopment agency dollars, that transit funding is "zeroed out" at all
levels and service is being cut throughout the Southland during this economic
downturn. In addition, speakers expressed concern that a one-size-fits-all
approach would not meet the needs of such a large and diverse region.
"No matter
what the good intentions of this legislation, market forces are and will be at
work with land use and without an understanding of those forces, this law is
doomed to failure," said OCBC President and CEO Lucy Dunn, who shared the
business community's perspective. "Further, the science
of global warming and SB 375's parent-AB 32-is now under attack. California's
science must be beyond reproach if we are to be a leader in good planning." For more information, please contact Lucy Dunn.
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OCBC BLOG: DUNN AND DONE - THIS IS SICK
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 They aren't
doctors, they don't even play them on TV, yet our esteemed leaders in Washington
have taken out their prescription pads to fix what they think ails us. What it
really sounds like is Herbert Hoover's old campaign chestnut, "a chicken in
every pot"--in other words, quality healthcare for everyone that won't cost us a
penny.
To be sure, some of what is proposed will help some of the
uninsured as well as some of the underinsured who face chronic health problems.
But is the cure worse than the disease? Based on what is currently proposed, we
get very little real-time reform at the cost of both our economic future and as
the leading country in innovative and life-saving medical technology and
pharmaceutical breakthroughs...[read more]
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ORANGE COUNTY WIN: SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES STRATEGY
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It isn't often that two
government entities can develop a solution that is greater than the sum of its
parts, but the Orange County Council of Governments (OCCOG) and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) are to be commended for their recent
action.
OCCOG voted to send
a letter to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)
expressing their intent of conducting a
sub-regional Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS), essentially allowing Orange County
to better determine its own destiny with regard to the implementation of land
use decisions mandated by SB375. The SCS will create a roadmap for future
development patterns that meet a state target for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, while taking into account the region's housing needs and transportation
demands.
The
alternative to a sub-regional SCS would have left the planning solely to SCAG,
with its planning area of six counties and more than 38,000 square miles. OCBC applauds SCAG for its extensive
community outreach and its commitment to an informed and collaborative effort
as it develops the regional SCS, but a plan for that large of an area cannot
possible accommodate the personality of each sub-region. OCBC also commends the Orange County Council of Governments for taking on this
task, under the leadership of Chair Cheryl Brothers of Fountain
Valley, and our own Kris Murray, now with OCTA.
What
better way to ensure that Orange County's development issues and needs are met
today and for the future than by utilizing the knowledge of the local leaders who sit on the OCCOG and OCTA
boards.
Guided by their local planners and supported by the technical expertise
of OCTA, this locally-focused Sustainable Communities Strategy will
reflect the vision we as a community have for Orange County. The business community is available as a resource to assist in their success. For more information, please contact Kate Klimow.
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ORANGE COUNTY'S LEADING ORGANIZATIONS JOIN FOR HOLIDAY RECEPTION
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 Only a few days left to RSVP for the most talked about holiday reception in Orange County!
Join the Orange County Business Council, Orange County Division - League of California Cities and the Building Industry Association of Orange County for the 2009 OC Leadership Symposium Holiday Reception.
Join us for good food, good spirits and good company for what is sure to be the most talked about holiday reception of the year--best of all, its FREE!
Click here to RSVP!
Date: Thursday, December 10,
2009
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Place: Hyatt Regency Irvine
For more info please contact OCBC's Events Manager, Leslie Dods, at 949.724.7241. Click here for the event flyer.
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OCBC SETS PRINCIPLES TO HELP GUIDE HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION
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 The Senate has
begun a highly contested debate over sweeping health care legislation that President Obama and
congressional Democrats have vowed to approve and Republicans have sworn to
block.
Debate is expected to last for weeks over the
legislation, which includes a first-time requirement for most Americans to
carry insurance and a mandate for insurers to cover any paying customer
regardless of medical history or condition. At a cost of nearly $1 trillion, the legislation is
designed to extend health care to millions of American who lack it, abolish
insurance industry practices such as denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions
and cut back on the rise of health care spending overall. The legislation would be paid for through a
combination of cuts in projected Medicare payments to hospitals and other
providers, a payroll tax on the wealthy and taxes on drug makers, medical
device manufacturers, owners of high-cost insurance and others.
OCBC has an approved set of principles that will guide its position as
the Senate bill takes shape. OCBC has
already sent a letter to Senator Feinstein expressing concern with provisions
that seem to shift the cost burden of the proposed new government health care
plan to key industries in California's - and Orange County's - economy. OCBC has also invited Senator Feinstein to
Orange County to meet with some of these bio-med
and medical device companies to understand the devastating impact of this
provision, not just on the business community or California's economy, but to
the future quality of health care. Click here to see the letter. For more info, please contact Kate Klimow.
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CLEARING THE AIR: OCBC INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING
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 Today's Infrastructure
Committee meeting touched on
different components of air quality and greenhouse gas reduction solutions
through transit management, utility innovation, and regional regulation. Peter
Valk, President of Transportation Management Services (TMS), provided an overview of
the Transportation Management Feasibility Study related to development of the
Irvine Business Complex. With its proposed mixed use activities and proximity
to established high traffic areas, TMS is assisting the City of Irvine by working with local stakeholders to
identify practical recommendations for managing transportation resources and to
reduce traffic impacts in the local community.
The Orange County Sanitation District's Ed Torres, PE, Director of Technical Services, presented their
12-month study to test the use of fuel cells as a catalyst to convert sewage
into hydrogen fuel. The impetus behind the pilot program was to help OCSD meet
emissions reductions goals set by the South Coast Air Quality Management
District. A collaboration of organizations support the study and UCI is taking
on a large role, working to optimize the process, among other efforts. Further
implementation will depend on the ability to make the system economical for the
District and the rate payers, while also remaining in compliance with AQMD
standards.
Through the assistance of Cordoba
Corporation, committee members received an overview of the Air Quality
Institute, a program developed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to engage leaders in policy briefings and discussions
regarding air quality and public health issues that affect our region. SCAQMD's
Executive Officer Barry Wallerstein summarized the major issues facing
the South
Coast Basin including ongoing significant
impacts resulting from goods movement and the need for a strong economy in order
to implement new environmental mitigation solutions. Within that context,
Mohsen Nazemi, Deputy Executive Officer, discussed the current status of
Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs) for new source review permits and Elaine
Chang, Deputy Executive Officer, reviewed AQMD's proposed Rule 2301 related to
the control of emissions from new or redevelopment projects. AQMD is a good
example of how regulatory agencies should partner with the business community to
develop policies that meet both environmental and economic needs of a region. For more information, please contact Dr. Wallace Walrod. |
OCBC SUPPORTS NEW SR-241 ALIGNMENT
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Transportation Corridor Agency's CEO Tom Margro provided an update to the OCMoves Steering
Committee at the October meeting on the effort to extend SR-241 to the
I-5. The proposed new alignment would
avoid most of the San Onofre State Park and provide a buffer between Camp Pendleton
and civilian activities.
The Business Council has sent letters supporting the
proposed new alignment to Senator Diane Feinstein, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and to the
Camp Pendleton Base Commander, Colonel Nicholas Marano, and Marine
Corps Installations West Commanding General, Major General Anthony Jackson. The letter emphasized the economic,
environmental, and public safety needs for a solution to the SR-241 extension
and is attached for your reference. TCA
hand delivered this letter to Senator Feinstein at their recent meeting in DC. Look for additional exclusive briefings by OCBC on this topic in the future. For more information, please contact Dr. Wallace Walrod. |
SECOND BI-NATIONAL MAYORS OF THE CALIFORNIAS SUMMIT COMES TO OC
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The Center for International Trade Development (CITD), an
economic development program of Rancho Santiago Community College District, coordinated the Second Bi-national Mayors of the Californias Summit. The
summit, co-hosted by the City of Santa Ana and
the City of Rosarito, Baja California, helped promote bi-national
relations and collaboration between local government agencies in
California/Baja California by identifying, addressing, and resolving regional
issues that impact both sides of the border.
OCBC's Dr. Wallace Walrod presented
during the economic development working group, where close to 30 participants
gathered to evaluate current conditions, define goals, and explore next steps to
ensure a beneficial partnership between the neighboring states. One goal was to
identity initiatives to support bi-national economic development to leverage
regional resources and align investment activity. The event also served to
foster goodwill and create new relationships as representatives were able to
relate to one another's challenges and learn from the successes of their
counterparts. For more information, please contact Dr. Wallace Walrod.
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OCBC WORKFORCE HOUSING COMMITTEE OUTLINES LATEST ISSUES
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 At the latest
Workforce Housing Committee meeting, OCBC members were given an insider's perspective
on the federal homebuyer tax credits available and the state of the housing
market by Dave Stefanides, Orange County Association of Realtors' Government Affairs Director.
Representatives
from The Planning Center proposed the idea of developing a database and interactive web-based map that would provide a one-stop
resource of land identified, by Orange County jurisdictions, for future
affordable residential development based on local housing elements and the
state's Regional
Housing Needs Assesment (RHNA) allocation. The use of a geographic base for identifying housing opportunities would
provide for-profit and not-for-profit developers with leads on land that could
potentially accommodate viable and healthy affordable housing, particularly in
light of SB375 sustainable community strategies.
In
addition, Bryan Starr, Deputy Executive Director/External Affairs, with the
Building Industry Association of Orange County (BIA/OC) outlined the details of a "no growth"
land-use initiative that is up for vote in Mission
Viejo. The "Vote on Private and Public
Property Land Use Regulation Initiative" is modeled on the 2006 Yorba Linda
Measure B "Right to Vote" initiative and, if passed, would mandate that
all major zone-change proposals in the city be first approved by voters.
Although many of these ballot box planning issues are in reaction to a changing
community, the long-term effects can be detrimental to a community by severely
restrict commercial, retail, and industrial development. For more information, please contact Kate Klimow.
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TIS' THE SEASON FOR GIVING--GIVE BACK TO FELLOW OCBC MEMBERS THIS YEAR
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It's tough out
there--don't we know it, but if there's a little bit of holiday cheer to spread
around--and a good year-end tax deduction to take, this is the time to do
it!
We have a number of
worthy non-profits who would be pleased to further their mission with your
help. This holiday, make the season a little brighter for them . Here's a few links to some of Orange County Business
Council's community partners: |
OCBC MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
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OCBC Member Wiley Aitken Named to the Irish Voice Newspaper Top 100 Legals List
Irish Voice newspaper and Irish America
magazine are proud to present the second annual Legal 100. The list is
comprised of lawyers, judges, educators and politicians from all around
the country who share a passion for the law and pride in their
heritage... [read more]
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OCBC MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: MISSION CENTER FOR LONGEVITY AND AESTHETIC MEDICINE
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Special Offer for OCBC Members--Save 10% on Executive Physical
OCBC is
pleased to introduce the Mission
Center for Longevity
& Aesthetic Medicine, a new state-of-the-art facility offering "executive
physicals" using the most advanced testing techniques available. OCBC members will receive 10% off the "Health
& Longevity Examination". This exam,
normally priced at $3,000, is available to OCBC members for $2,700 and includes
unique tests that are not available at most other facilities:
- Exercise
Tolerance & Pulmonary Function Test Utilizing V02 Max technology
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Cartoid
Intima-Media Thickness Test (CIMT) to detect heart disease
- Skin
Cancer Screening utilizing Digital Mole Mapping
- Comprehensive
explanation of your tests with your examining physician
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Quarterly
follow-up by our Health & Longevity specialists for one year
Recognizing
there was nothing quite like this between La Jolla and Los Angeles, the Center was founded in 2009
by Dr. James Heinrich and Charlene Jessup to offer busy executives a convenient
and comprehensive examination to assess physical and mental health and well
being. Mission
Center for Longevity & Aesthetic
Medicine is located on the campus of the Mission Hospital
and has access to advanced technology with an experienced staff of physicians
and specialists.
Please
contact Charlene Jessup, Managing Director, at:
949.364.2440 or cjessup@cox.net.
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| COMMUNITY EVENTS |
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CMTC Presents: 20/20+ Program: Positioning for the Future - Wednesday, December 9, 2009Are you equipped
to thrive in a different business environment? Can you position your
company ahead of the competition when the economy starts to recover? CMTC's 20/20+ Program: Positioning for the Future is about a set of tools and techniques enabling 20% sales growth and 20% cost reduction. The result is 400% profitability improvement. Click here for more information. World Affairs Council of
Orange County to host General Richard B. Myers - Monday, December 14, 2009
General Richard B.
Myers retired as the 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
on 1 October, 2005, after serving over 40 years in the US Air Force. During his
term as Chairman, he served as principal military adviser to the President, the
Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council. Held at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort 1221 West Coast
Highway, Newport Beach 6:00 pm Reception, 7:00 pm Dinner, 7:45 pm Program - To
Register or get more information, please call us at (949) 253-5751 or on-line at
www.worldaffairscouncil.org. |
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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