Trusted
Advisor Newsletter

Managing Directors' Column:

Developing a Closer Touch with Members

By Gordon W. Gregory and Davis R. Blaine

Dear ProVisors Members,

2009 signaled the beginning of significant growth and change at ProVisors. Membership increased to over 1400, while we made a major expansion into Orange County and San Diego. Now, in May 2010, we have more than 1500 members in 60 groups (of which six are Special Interest Groups), and we are reorganizing within our office and on a regional basis to better serve the needs of our members, group leaders and groups.

Why are we growing? While there is an enormous demand for professional communities represented by ProVisors, there are other qualitative reasons. More members means more resources and expertise for fellow members to call upon to serve client needs. This capability is enhanced by our Special Interest Groups (Global, M$A, Entertainment and Technology), which bring together a brain trust of members serving a common sector or practice area. More members also means more opportunities to exchange business. Lastly, geographic expansion extends our reach and increases opportunities for collaboration among members to serve client needs. Click for full article

Letter from the Editor:
Trusted Advisor Goes Green

By Cindy Rakowitz

Welcome to the first Green edition of Trusted Advisor! I am excited to say that the drum roll and fanfare behind this project has FINALLY concluded and the curtain can now reveal what we've all been waiting for. Joining the revolution to reduce our carbon footprints while still connecting our members through important news coverage and information, the new and improved Trusted Advisor is here.

Click for full article

Members Collaborate to Crop the Costs of Success

A berry grower in Oxnard grew in 10 years from a family farm to mid-size agricultural company with annual revenues over $300M and operations in the US, Mexico, and Europe. Through continued acquisitions and organic growth the company expected sales to double in the next five years. Click for full article

The Cross Cultural Business Affinity Group

Culture

The Cross Cultural Business Affinity Group in OC, which more recently celebrated the Chinese Year of the Tiger, last fall sponsored a grand feast for Indian New Year. Host Sangeeta Gupta [GLO] graciously offered to dress the women in traditional saris-and expertly wrap them in the yards of the exquisite cloth. Yolanda De La Paz [ANA] (left) and Pam Leven [SM3] (center) were among the adventurous ProVisors who said "haa" ("yes," phonetically, in Hindi) to Sangeeta (right).

Declare Your Major

By Richard Zinman

Declare your major. This was the requirement most of us faced as we matriculated from underclassmen to upperclassmen. In these latter years of college we saw many of the same people in our classes, as they shared the same major. Click for full article

What Happened to Good Old Fashioned Networking???

By David Adelman

I've just learned that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the main investigative committee in the US House of Representatives, is hurriedly being reconvened. Click for full article