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Upcoming events
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Building a Bridge to California's 21st Century Health Care System
Saturday, December 6
8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Cal State East Bay University Union Multi-Purpose Room,
25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward
Presented by the Department of Public Affairs and Administration California State University East Bay and the Healthcare Association of California State University East Bay
Keynote by Wright L. Lassiter, III, CEO, Alameda Health System
Panel discussion with Dr. Toni Fogarty, Meaghan McCamman, Rebecca Rozen, Steve Van Wart and Ron Wetter
Registration is free and limited to the first 75 registrants.
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Save the date!
2015 East Bay Leadership Series
East Bay USA Dinner
A Conversation between The Honorable Ellen Tauscher and Karl Rove
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Registration will open soon and sponsorships are still available. Contact Kristin Connelly or Terry Shoaff at 925.246.1880.
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Questions?
For information about any East Bay Leadership Council event, please contact Sherri Boyle or Terry Shoaff at 925.246.1880, fax 925.674.1654.
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What We Offer ...
Significant influence through the involvement of a critical mass of top business leaders.
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| CEO VIEWPOINT | |  Monitoring policy issues that are important to our region
By Kristin Connelly, President and CEO, East Bay Leadership Council
As with all things electoral, we are learning lessons from the November election. While there was good news on many fronts, including passage of California's statewide water bond--Proposition 1, which the Council and the Water Task Force strongly endorsed--the low voter turnout has implications well beyond the results this year. First, it significantly lowers the number of votes required to qualify a ballot measure in 2016. Second, in combination with the passage of SB 1253, which expands the time allowed for signature gathering, we have a recipe for a crowded ballot in a presidential election year. Fortunately, SB 1253 will make each of the ballot measures more easily understood.
EBLC continues to monitor policy issues of significance to the East Bay economy and that affect the quality of life across our communities. EBLC will announce the organization's legislative priorities for 2015 at the annual East Bay USA dinner event on January 22, which will kick off the 2015 East Bay Leadership Series. As noted earlier, the dinner will feature a broad-ranging policy discussion between The Honorable Ellen Tauscher and Karl Rove. We anticipate a most interesting conversation between two very bright and experienced thought leaders, with very different perspectives.
Few things have more of an impact on Sacramento than available revenues. With just six weeks remaining before Governor Brown releases his proposed budget for FY 2015-2016, the Legislative Analyst's Office released its revenue projections, which show revenue filling the coffers at a greater rate than anticipated. This budget will be the final one to include the full benefits of the Proposition 30 taxes that will start to phase out in FY 2016-2017. Revenue is projected to expand even during the phasing out of these taxes based on an expanding economy. Follow this link to see the LAO's projections.
The Council continues to identify new ways for our board and our members to engage in our work through both task forces and events. We explored a number of new ideas and ways to measure our success at our recent Executive Committee retreat. In particular, you will be hearing more from EBLC in coming weeks regarding plans to improve our communications capacity both internally with members and externally to the broader media. Getting the input from our members and board in an upcoming survey will contribute to the Council's positive impact on public policy.
In this season of thanks, we are grateful every day for the wonderful volunteer leadership on our board and throughout the Council's membership. Happy Thanksgiving!
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| 2015 EAST BAY LEADERSHIP SERIES | |  The Honorable Ellen Tauscher and Karl Rove to headline East Bay USA on January 22
The Hon. Ellen O'Kane Tauscher will join Karl Rove to headline the East Bay Leadership Council's 29th Annual East Bay USA Dinner on Thursday, January 22, at the Hilton Concord. The event launches the Council's 2015 East Bay Leadership Series, which will include two additional events later next year.
The brilliant strategic thinkers and trusted advisers will engage in an in-depth policy discussion--a unique pairing that will offer insights about the political landscape and its impact on the regional and national economy.
Karl Rove served as deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush. He writes a weekly op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, is a Fox News contributor and is the author of The New York Times bestseller, Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight. At the White House, he oversaw the offices of Strategic Initiatives, Political Affairs, Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs and was deputy chief of staff for Policy. He formerly was president of Karl Rove + Company, an Austin-based public affairs firm that worked for Republican candidates, nonpartisan causes and nonprofit groups.
Ellen Tauscher is a strategic advisor on policy-driven decision-making of federal policy and programs in the defense, transportation, energy and healthcare fields. She is vice chair of the Atlantic Council's Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and is an independent member of the board of governors of Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, and Los Alamos, LLC. She joined the Obama administration in 2009 as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs and was special envoy for Strategic Stability and Missile Defense.
While in Congress, Tauscher chaired the New Democrat Coalition and was vice-chair of the Democratic Leadership Council. She served on the House Armed Services Committee and chaired the Strategic Forces subcommittee. She also served concurrently on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and was the senior Californian on the Highway and Transit and Aviation subcommittees.
Registration for the event will open soon and sponsorships are still available. Watch for your invitation in the mail. For questions, please contact Kristin Connelly or Terry Shoaff at 925.246.1880. |
| NOVEMBER 6 BREAKFAST RECAP | |
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Lifetime Achievement award honoree Elaine Taylor (photo by Amy Sullivan)
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Philanthropy Awards event brings warm, caring messages to the East Bay
The East Bay Leadership Council's 4th Annual Philanthropy Awards breakfast offered a number of moving messages from keynote speaker Adonal Foyle and honorees at the November 6 event. Some 250 people gathered at the Blackhawk Automotive Museum to honor this year's award recipients and nominees, and to be inspired by their generous contributions to their communities.
"You are among greatness. I can't wait to hear the stories we're going to hear from [the honorees]," said the former Golden State Warriors basketball star and Bay Area philanthropist Adonal Foyle, who started two foundations to bridge the gap between sports, education and student activism. "I am a living example that it takes a village. ... I believe we have a moral imperative to help others who are less fortunate. It doesn't matter who you are. At the end of the day, you're going to be judged by who you help around you. I aspire to be like you," he said to the honorees.
"The true measure of any foundation's value resides not inside the institution, but in the work of its community partners," said Bob Uyeki of the Y&H Soda Foundation, honored as the Outstanding Foundation or Community Grant Maker. "Our business is about investing in the leaders and organizations that have the vision, skills, tenacity, commitment, compassion and passion to create opportunities for everyone to reach their full potential. We are most fortunate and blessed to have so many amazing nonprofits here in the East Bay. In honoring us, you are really honoring our grantee partners."
"Say 'yes' to your kids and your grandkids when they come to you with philanthropic ideas," said Kristi Conner, named Next Generation Philanthropist for her fundraising work, from the age of seven, for the homeless in Contra Costa County. "Instead of putting it off and saying 'no,' say 'yes!' It may provide the spark to create Next Generation Philanthropists. Impossible is nothing!" added Conner.
Here is the full list of Philanthropy Awards categories and award recipients. - Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist (500+ employees): John Muir Health
- Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist (100 to 500 employees): Nutiva
- Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist (1 to 99 employees): Broadway Plaza Shopping Center
- Outstanding Philanthropist: Matt and Dana Croghan, Team KC
- Outstanding Foundation or Community Grant Maker: Y&H Soda Foundation
- Outstanding Collaborative Project: Kaiser Permanente - The Monument HEAL Zone
- Volunteer of the Year: Susan Alice Grice
- Next Generation Philanthropist: Kristi Conner
- Lifetime Achievement: Elaine Taylor
View photos by Amy Sullivan of the Philanthropy Awards event and honorees in our Photo Gallery. Read our day-of-the-event press release for more information. Contra Costa Television is airing the 2014 Philanthropy Awards event on Thursday, November 27, at 6 p.m. CCTV is Comcast channel 27, Astound channel 32 and AT&T U-verse channel 99. For additional air dates, please visit CCTV's program guide at www.contracostatv.org. The Council thanks presenting sponsors East Bay Community Foundation and Wells Fargo; premier sponsor Chevron; benefactor sponsors Blackhawk Automotive Museum, Contra Costa Times, Diablo Magazine, InVision Communications and Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery; and advocate sponsors AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah, CSAA Insurance Group, DC Solar Solutions, John F. Kennedy University, Mt. Diablo Recycling and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, Oakland and San Francisco. |
| OCTOBER 30 LUNCHEON RECAP | |
 | | Tri-Valley Poverty Initiative Committee members Marianne Balin, James Paxson and Kristin Connelly at recent luncheon |
Tri-Valley poverty awareness luncheon establishes the issue as both real and troubling
Some 160 people gathered in Pleasanton on October 30 to hear about rising inequality and "suburbanization" of poverty in, of all places, the East Bay's Tri-Valley. The luncheon was sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, Hacienda Helping Hands, the East Bay Community Foundation and the East Bay Leadership Council.
James Paxson, Hacienda general manager, kicked off the event and introduced Marianne Balin, community benefit manager, Kaiser Permanente, whose organization has spearheaded the important coalition-building that has created the Tri-Valley Poverty Initiative Committee, a cross section of community, business, school and civic groups. Their motto is, "Let's work together to end poverty in the Tri-Valley."
Speakers at the luncheon included Elizabeth Kneebone, co-author, Confronting Suburban Poverty in America; Alex Briscoe, director, Alameda Health Care Services Agency; and Kelly Bowers, superintendent, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District.
"The poor population has grown in the last decade-not evenly but in pockets in different parts of the region," said Elizabeth Kneebone. Poor families are moving to the suburbs, and in general suburbs are growing faster than cities, she observed.
Alameda County one of most diverse in nation
"Poverty is not only overtaking us, but it is more stable than ever before," said Alex Briscoe. "In East Oakland, the average life expectancy is 70 years; in Piedmont, it is 85 years." He added that Alameda County is one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the nation with seven languages required to deliver care.
"Our challenge with the coalition we're building is to make sure poverty is the civil rights issue of our time," said Kelly Bowers. She observed that suburbs intensify a culture of comparison, thus poverty is much more apparent in the suburbs. "Kids are raising other kids. We must be their voice because they are suffering in silence," said Bowers.
The call-to-action that ended the event was answered by nearly 100 of the attendees who volunteered to engage in this effort. Follow-up meetings and events are being planned. For more information, contact any of the sponsoring organizations or Kristin Connelly at 925.246.1880.
Read a Contra Costa Times article by Jeremy Thomas about the event, Tri-Valley: Suburban poverty target of group's effort launched.
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| TASK FORCE BRIEFINGS | | November and December meetings and speakers
New and prospective Council members are welcome to attend task force meetings. Please notify a task force co-chair prior to the meeting to confirm meeting topics, time and location, as details may change. To view task force agendas, policy papers and recent presentations, visit the Task Force pages on the Council website. Watch the website Announcements page for November and December meeting updates.
Workforce Development/Education Task Force . . . Wednesday, December 3, 8:30 to 10 a.m. . . . Contra Costa Workforce Development Board, 300 Ellinwood Way, Bodega Room, Pleasant Hill. At the November meeting, Andrea Murphy of the Mt. Diablo Adult Education Program demonstrated the ACT Work Ready System, a tool for job seekers, job holders and job providers. Marilyn Fowler of the Concord Chamber of Commerce and Shannon Carr, Health Science Academy lead teacher at Ygnacio Valley High School, offered an update on the B.E.S.T. (Businesses and Educators Shadowing for Tomorrow) Day 2014 teacher internships program, held October 29 (See CCEP STEM news, this issue.) Co-chairs: Joanne Durkee and Kathleen Robinson
Health Care Task Force . . . Thursday, December 4, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. . . . Burr Pilger Mayer, 2001 North Main Street, First Floor Conference Room (new location), Walnut Creek. At the October meeting, updates were provided on the Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo, Covered California and other legislation and policy issues. Co-chair: Steve Van Wart
Environmental/Manufacturing Task Force . . . Friday, December 5, 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. . . . Brown and Caldwell, 201 N. Civic Drive, Suite 300, Walnut Creek. At the November meeting, Scott Bourne of Weiss Associates presented an update on the new Industrial Stormwater Permit requirements, titled New California Storm Water Regulations: Compliance, Mitigation, Engineering and Litigation. Co-chairs: Peter McGaw and George Smith
Land Use Task Force . . . Wednesday, December 10, 8 to 9:30 a.m. . . . Archer Norris, 2033 North Main Street, Suite 800, Walnut Creek. Continuing discussion of land use goals and strategies relative to the task force's role as the action team for business climate and regulatory environment for the Northern Waterfront revitalization effort. Next meeting is Wednesday, January 14. Co-chairs: Mike McGill and Ed Shaffer
Water Task Force . . . Tuesday, December 16, 8:15 to 10 a.m. . . . Brown and Caldwell, 201 N. Civic Drive, Suite 300, Walnut Creek. At the November meeting, Marguerite Patil, special assistant to the general manager, Contra Costa Water District, discussed the Bay Area Regional Reliability Partnership. Co-chairs: Ann Spaulding and Bob Whitley; Vice-chair: Gary Darling
Economic Development Task Force . . . Next meeting TBA . . . Brandman University, 2950 Buskirk Avenue, Room 307, Walnut Creek. At the November meeting, Jeff Stemke gave a presentation on Northern Waterfront action team recommendations to strengthen and support regional industry clusters. Tom Stewart and Jill Nohl offered an update on the region's Advanced Manufacturing industry cluster. Co-chairs: Jodi Avina and Jeff Stemke
Small Business/Entrepreneur Task Force . . . No November or December meeting . . . Tuesday, January 27, 8:30 to 10 a.m. ... AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, 3055 Oak Road, Van Ness Conference Room, Walnut Creek (RSVP required to attend). Quarterly meeting of Chamber of Commerce executives and legislative representatives. Co-chairs: Angela De La Housaye and Jenny Kohler |
NEWS ABOUT OUR MEMBERS
| | Patty Deutsche of Tesoro is new director
Patty Deutsche, director, Northern California government and public affairs, Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company, was approved as a new EBLC director at the November board meeting.
Randy Iwasaki named chair of National Freight Advisory Committee
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced in early November that Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) Executive Director Randy Iwasaki will serve as the new chair of the National Freight Advisory Committee. The committee supports the work of DOT and provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation on freight transportation issues and strategy.
Alex Mehran Sr. profiled as 'most admired CEO'
A profile of Alexander Mehran Sr. of Sunset Development Company was featured in the November 7 Most Admired CEOs issue of the San Francisco Business Times. The piece by Cory Weinberg praises Mehran as a respected landlord of the firm's Bishop Ranch commercial real estate development in San Ramon and salutes his pioneering work in 1984 arranging transportation for Bishop Ranch workers.
(The article fails to mention that Mehran chairs the Contra Costa Economic Partnership, the sister organization of the East Bay Leadership Council.) View the article here. |
| NEWS FOR OUR MEMBERS | |
 | | Linda Best (right) and Don Waters at EBLC November board meeting |
Join 'The Conversation' about advance care planning in the East Bay
Retired East Bay Leadership Council President and CEO Linda Best and Don Waters, executive director of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association, attended the November EBLC board meeting to invite interested EBLC members to attend a kick-off meeting of the Alameda County chapter of the East Bay Conversation Project. The meeting is Monday, December 1, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the headquarters of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association, 6230 Claremont Avenue, Oakland 94618.
Today many of us are dying in a way that we wouldn't choose because we fail to have "the conversation" to make our wishes known and documented before end-of-life treatment decisions must be made. The news media increasingly is focused on stories of how advance care planning could assure us of a richer life where our treatment preferences are respected, our loved ones are comforted in the knowledge of what those treatment preferences are, and our caregivers are empowered to provide that care in the most effective and compassionate manner possible.
The East Bay Conversation project was created to capture the groundswell of interest in advance care planning and create a coalition of community leaders such as yourself to work together to promote community awareness and engagement in this quality of life issue. The East Bay Conversation Project is supported through the ACCMA Community Health Foundation, with funding from the California Healthcare Foundation.
Come and share hors d'oeuvres and refreshments and talk about how we can work as a community coalition to promote advance care planning. If you are unable to attend, please send someone else to represent your organization. Please reply to Dennis Scott at 510.654.5383. Questions regarding the East Bay Conversation Project may be directed to Katie Kadas at the same number.
Health care forum set for December 6 at Cal State East Bay
Wright L. Lassiter, III, CEO of Alameda Health System, will be the keynote presenter at a special health care forum, titled Building a Bridge to California's 21st Century Health Care System, on Saturday, December 6, from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Cal State East Bay University Union Multi-Purpose Room, 25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard, Hayward.
The program is being presented by Cal State East Bay's Department of Public Affairs and Administration and the Healthcare Association of California State University, East Bay, to build awareness and understanding of the unprecedented transformation of California's health care systems.
A panel discussion following the address will feature Dr. Toni Fogarty, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor and MS-HCA graduate coordinator; Meaghan McCamman, assistant director of policy, California Primary Care Association; Rebecca Rozen, Hospital Council of Northern and Central California; Steve Van Wart, health care consultant; and Ron Wetter, community and government relations manager, Kaiser Permanente, and Cal State East Bay adjunct faculty.
Registration is free and is limited to the first 75 registrants. |
 CONTRA COSTA ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP | | |
STEM Initiative programs are helping make education more relevant in our region
The Contra Costa Economic Partnership's STEM Workforce Initiative team has been busy in its efforts to increase the number and diversity of students pursuing STEM post-secondary education and training. Here are some highlights of those activities.
- Engineering Pathways: Nearly 800 students from Mount Diablo, Pittsburg and Antioch high schools are participating in a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering Pathways pilot program that uses the Linked Learning approach (integrated with Common Core standards)--where learning is linked to real-world applications.
- Discover Engineering! is a new initiative that will involve PLTW Engineering Pathways high school students from four Contra Costa school districts. The students will be enrolling in an online engineering course. Following course completion, 60 students from West Contra Costa, Mt. Diablo, Pittsburg and Antioch district high schools will be selected for a six-week program, working with Cal State East Bay engineering students as classroom mentor teachers. The pilot will culminate with a week of engineering exploration next summer, when the students will experience life at college: taking engineering classes and living in a college dorm with other students, chaperoned by teachers. (Chevron generously provided the initial project funding for the four districts to work together on the pilot in 2014 and 2015. This year, Tesoro added funding to enable Mt. Diablo, Pittsburg and Antioch teachers and students to participate. Thank you to our generous sponsors!)
- B.E.S.T. Day: Working with three Chambers of Commerce and three school districts, a highly successful Businesses and Educators Shadowing for Tomorrow (B.E.S.T.) Day event was held on October 29. About 45 Career Pathways high school educators shadowed business partners in 10 businesses. Participating districts, Antioch, Pittsburg and Mt. Diablo, were sponsored by John Muir Health with support from Project Lead the Way.
- Health/BioMed Pathways Dinner & Dialogue: About 55 of our health and biomed Career Pathways teachers and business partners attended a dinner on October 22 at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. The purpose of the gathering was for schools and districts to discuss ways to strengthen and grow their Health/BioMed high school Career Pathways programs to align better with industry's need for skilled workers. In addition to presentations by Project Lead the Way speakers, the meeting provided an opportunity for teachers to hear from representatives of life sciences, biomed manufacturing and acute care. They was also the opportunity to engage in small-group curricular discussions among industry partners, schools and school districts.
If you are interested in learning more about the many ways CCEP works with our Health/BioMed high school Career Pathways partners, or about other CCEP programs, please contact CCEP STEM Initiative Director April Treece. |
ABOUT THE EAST BAY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
The East Bay Leadership Council is a public policy advocacy organization that promotes the economic vitality and quality of life in the East Bay region. The Council engages on issues of critical importance to the business community and residents, balancing the needs of a diverse region through policy efforts that provide for local and regional economic development while retaining our quality of life.
Through its task forces, the Council develops and supports policy positions to further its mission and sponsors educational forums for its members and the community.
For more information, please visit our website at www.eastbayleadershipcouncil.com.
To comment on items in this newsletter, please contact Kristin Connelly at the East Bay Leadership Council.
This issue was edited for the East Bay Leadership Council by Molly A. Walker of Walker Communications.
© 2014 East Bay Leadership Council
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