Daily Business Report — March 16, 2010

Bridgepoint Education Expands into Downtown San Diego

Bridgepoint Education Inc. will move more than 100 of its employees into 28,000 square feet of leased office space in the 24-story 600 B Street tower in Downtown San Diego — its fifth location in the region. The added space will support Bridgepoint’s Ashford University and University of the Rockies online programs. The first floor will be the center of the newly formed Bridgepoint Education Foundation and its community partners throughout San Diego. “The purpose of our new Downtown location is to tell our San Diego story and to partner with community organizations that serve the San Diego region,” said CEO Andrew Clark.

Clark said  Bridgepoint will partner with the San Diego County Office of Education to use the new Downtown facility for community educational purposes. Also planned are such events as receptions, fundraisers and board meetings, to be held on-site for many local organizations.  Information about higher education, to include school options, financial aid and college planning, will be provided at the locationas well.

With the new Downtown location, the three buildings at its Sabre Springs headquarters on Evening Creek Drive North, and the Sunroad Spectrum building in Kearny Mesa, Bridgepoint Education now occupies nearly 600,000 square feet of office space in San Diego and employs 2,600 full-time, non-faculty people in the San Diego area, said Clark.

Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas Begins $200 Million Expansion

Construction has started on a new, five-level, 864-space parking structure on the campus of Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, the first phase of the hospital’s $200 million expansion project. McCarthy Building Cos. Inc. is the builder of the $10.3 million parking structure. The expansion program at the hospital, located at 354 Santa Fe Drive, also will include a new emergency department that will more than double current capacity, add 36 inpatient beds and a new central energy plant. Farther-reaching plans include expansion for outpatient services, medical office space and additional critical care and inpatient beds to serve the community. The 278,000-square-foot parking structure will be three stories tall and will encompass five levels, including one subterranean and one rooftop level. Completion is scheduled for February 2011. International Parking Design is the architect. Jessen-Wright is the structural engineer, E3 Design Group is the electrical engineer, B&P Associates is the mechanical engineer and Latitude 33 is serving as the civil engineer. M.W. Peltz & Associates is the landscape architect.

Military Gets Break on Small Business Workshops

Beginning this month, SCORE San Diego will invite local military personnel who are retiring or separating from active duty to attend its small business workshops for free. SCORE San Diego’s Military Transition Program is for military personnel separating from active duty within one year from when they start attending the workshops. To be eligible for the program, enrollees must provide their military ID and certify that they are within one year of leaving active duty service. All workshops, except for the Women’s Networking Breakfast, are included in the program. For more information about the program and the organization’s counseling and business workshops, call (619) 557-7272 or visit score-sandiego.org.

Welcome Center to Open at Viejas Outlet Center

The first official California Welcome Center to be located on Native American lands is to open this week at the Viejas Outlet Center in Alpine. The official opening will be Wednesday. On hand will be local elected officials, state and local tourism officials and leaders of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, owner of the outlet center and the nearby Viejas Casino. The 1,000-square-foot welcome center joins a network of 14 official welcome centers throughout the state, including one along Interstate 5 in Oceanside. The centers offer maps, brochures and other tourism-related information as well as discounted tickets to local attractions and merchandise for sale. It will be operated by the California Convention and Visitors Bureau.

SANDAG Seeks Skilled Executive and Science Professional

SANDAG is looking for a top executive and a science professional to serve on a seven-member board that oversees expenditures made under the TransNet extension, a regional half-cent sales tax expected to generate $14 billion for transportation improvements during its 40-year life. “This is a great opportunity for people with specialized skills to give back to their community,” said SANDAG Executive Director Gary Gallegos. “We need bright minds to ask questions and provide input on these very large and important programs.”

The seven-member board is called the Independent Taxpayer Oversight Committee. The executive and science professional would fill two vacancies. The chief executive officer being sought – or person in a similar senior-level decision-making position – of a major private sector employer  should have experience in leading a large organization. The professional in

biology or environmental science should have at least 10 years of experience with environmental regulations and major project mitigation requirements.

Applications, which are due by March 29, are available at sandag.org.

University Offers Free Biotech Lab Technician Training

Cal State University San Marcos Extended Learning is offering free biotechnology laboratory technician training for qualified unemployed and underemployed adults. The training is being offered in partnership with the San Diego Workforce Partnership and with the use of $400,000 in federal stimulus funds. Through its new Biotechnology Laboratory Technician Certificate program, CSUSM Extended Learning will provide no-cost education to 40 qualified individuals in two cohort sessions, and prepare them for current and emerging jobs in the biotechnology industry as lab technicians or research assistants. With the first cohort set to launch in April and another cohort beginning in July, the program is currently accepting registrations. San Diegans who have a background in science and an interest in a biotechnology career are encouraged to first contact their nearest One Stop Career Center to see if they qualify for the funding. For Career Center locations, visit sandiegoatwork.com/centers. For certificate program information, call (760) 750-4020.

Higgs Fletcher & Mack Adds 2 Partners

Stephen T. Pelletier and Christine De Santis have been named partners at Higgs Fletcher & Mack in San Diego. Pelletier concentrates his practice in the areas of business and tort litigation, real estate law, product liability disputes, contract law and construction litigation. He attended UCSD and California Western School of Law. De Santis is a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law and the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh. Her practice includes handling all aspects of family law. She also handles step-parent adoptions and child support cases through the San Diego County Department of Child Support Services.

Ron Roberts to Speak on Improving Trade Relations

County Supervisor Ron Roberts will be the guest speaker at the Asian Business Association’s March 23 luncheon at the San Diego Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. Registration starts at noon and the program is from 1 to 1:30 p.m. Roberts will talk on the San Diego region’s efforts to improve trade relations with China and other Asian nations. The cost to attend is $35 for ABA members, $30 for nonmembers and $35 at the door. To register, visit abasd.org.

Torrey Pines Bank Promotes Patrick Tropio, Hires Linda Eggen

Torrey Pines Bank, a subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation, has promoted Patrick Tropio to senior vice president/relationship manager, and hired Linda Eggen as vice president/compliance manager. Tropio is a veteran banking professional with experience in commercial and private banking, institutional services for large corporate customers, as well as business banking for middle market companies in retail, manufacturing and service industries. He works from the bank’s Carmel Valley office. Eggen’s banking and compliance experience started in 1968. The last 17 years were spent as the compliance manager for San Diego National Bank until it was acquired by U.S. Bank.

Business Datebook

March 17

BREAKFAST MEETING: Influenza experts will discuss lessons learned from the swine flu pandemic at BIOCOM’s monthly breakfast meeting, 7 to 9 a.m., Hyatt Regency La Jolla, 3777 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego. Speakers: Brian Plew, head of public health, Life Technologies; Larry R. Smith, v.p., vaccine research, Vical Inc.; John D. Tamerius, senior v.p., clinical and regulatory affairs, Quidel Corp. For information, call Valerie Sanderson (858) 455-0300, Ext. 112.

MEETING: The March meeting of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) San Diego will feature Jo Dee Jacob presenting “Building and Nurturing a Winning Team.” 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Sheraton La Jolla, 3299 Holiday Court, La Jolla. Jacob is CEO of The San Diego-Imperial Council of Girl Scouts. $35 for members, $45 for nonmembers. For more information, visit nawbo-sd.org.

LUNCHEON: “Retrofitting Buildings Green” is topic for presenters Sarah Friedman, Southern California sustainability director for Jones Lang LaSalle, and Dawn McFadyen, associate partner with Syska Hennessey Group, at Urban Land Institute luncheon. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 10300 Campus Point Drive, first floor conference room. Members $20, nonmembers $40. To register, call (800) 321-5011 or visit ulisd.org.

March 18

MEETING: Web content strategist Shelly Bowen, principal of Pybop LLC, will speak on “Virtual Story Telling: How to Grow Your Business with Social Media,” at the meeting of the San Diego Professional Editors Network (SD/PEN), 6:30 p.m., Joyce Beers Community Center, Uptown Shopping Center, Hillcrest. Free and open to nonmembers. For more information, call (619) 281-6951 or visit sdpen.com. $45 for BIOCOM members, $90 for nonmembers.

March 19

PANEL ON HOMELESSNESS: Family Health Centers of San Diego  brings together San Diego political, government and business leaders for a discussion on ways to reduce homelessness Downtown. The Spirit of the Bario presentation, “New Paradigms for Reducing Homelessness in Downtown San Diego in 2010,” is from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Logan Heights Family Health Center, 1809 National Ave., San Diego. Panelists: Kevin Faulconer, president pro tem of the San Diego City Council, the moderator; Fred Maas, chair of the Centre City Development Corp.; Brian Maienschein, commissioner of United Way of San Diego County’s Plan to End Chronic Homelessness; Joel Roberts, CEO of PATH Partners; and Rob Lankford, past chair of the Downtown San Diego Partnership. Admission is $25. To reserve online, visit fhcsd.org/donations.cfm or e-mail barbaraf@fhcsd.org.

March 23

LUNCHEON: Asian Business Association holds its March Rice Club Luncheon with guest speaker Ron Roberts, member of the county Board of Supervisors. noon to 1:30 p.m., San Diego Hall of Champions, Balboa park. Cost is $25 for ABA members, $30 for nonmembers, $35 at the door. To reserve, visit abasd.org.

March 24

EMPLOYMENT LAW: Brown Law Group will present an update on 2010 employment law, including latest court decisions, legislative amendments and proposed bills employers must be aware of to properly manage their businesses. 7:45 to 9 a.m., University Club, 750 B St., Downtown San Diego. To reserve space, e-mail Valeina: jack@brownlawgroup.com. Or call (619) 330-1700.

The Daily Business Report is produced by REP Publishing Inc., publisher of San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, the North Park News, Kensington News and the West Coast Craftsman. (619) 906-4104.