San Diego Scene 3.10

Point Loma will get additional office and retail space in August with the completion of Harbor Point, a mixed-use project being developed by the Peckham Family Trust. Designed by F.L. Hope Architecture & Planning, the two-story Harbor Point, located at 5055 North Harbor Drive, will contain nine office suites above three ground floor retail suites. Suites will range in size from 500 square feet to 2,300 square feet, with some offering private decks and mezzanine levels with bay views. Office leasing rates in the building will range from $2.50 to $3 per-square-foot. Retail rates are $2.50 per-square-foot. The building is designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification for Core & Shell from the U.S. Green Building Council. The developer said the building also is designed to complement LEED for Commercial Interiors, which will allow tenants to leverage the green attributes of the base building during tenant build-out. As a participant in SDG&E’s “Savings by Design” program, the building aims to be 30 percent more efficient than California’s Title 24 requirements for energy consumption, which in turn will reduce tenants’ operating costs, according to the developer.
Doug Arthur of SENTRE Partners is serving as the development manager and leasing agent. Mike Peckham is providing overside on behalf of the family. B&G Consultants is the construction manager and Johnson & Jennings General Contracting is performing ground-up construction of the building.  Bank of America is providing financing.
The building will feature high-end stone finishes on the exterior and in the elevator lobby. The main stairwell will showcase a Point Loma-themed art wall. Amenities will include secured and covered parking, free wireless Internet, high speed Internet access, men’s and women’s showers, operable windows, elevator service, an open second-floor courtyard and bicycle parking.

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CONNECT, the nonprofit organization promoting San Diego’s technology and life science industries, is seeking to hire a full-time lobbyist based in Washington, D.C., to represent the San Diego industries. More than 70 percent of funding for innovation in San Diego is coming from the federal government, yet there is no organiation in DC to represent local interests, according to the organization. CEO Duane Roth is working with a search committee for that purpose. Staffer Jessie Womble will be located in Washington for the next six months to establish the office.
Whether it’s backroom discussions on policy development or last-minute amendments, CONNECT believes it is critical to be at the table to explain the impact on innovation and small business, said Roth. To become aware of and gain access to these critical discussions CONNECT will now have a consistent presence and close relationships with legislative offices and administration officials, he said. The focus of the lobbyist will be federal policy issues that will foster or hinder innovation in San Diego, including intellectual property, workforce development, regulation (Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission), research funding, trade and antitrust, investment capital and incentives. 

 The CONNECT DC office will be housed in the University of California Washington Center, about two blocks from the Hill.

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Tom Hom, the first Asian elected to the San Diego City Council and the first Asian from San Diego to serve in the state Assembly, will get a hero’s welcome on July 10 when he is honored by the Asian Heritage Society aboard the USS Midway Museum. He will be one of the recipients in the seventh annual Asian Heritage Awards, which will honor achievement in 14 catetories. Hom ran successfully for the San Diego City Council in 1963 and was re-elected with 87 percent of the vote in what was then a citywide election. To this day, it remains the largest plurality in the city’s history and paved the way for other minorities to run for government offices in San Diego. He was elected to the Assembly in 1968. The Asian Heritage Society chose the Midway Museum for the occasion because of its historical connection to Asia. The carrier began its service off the coast of Japan at the close of World War II and served during the Korean War and in the Vietnam war. For more information, call (619) 521-8008.

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The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center has announced a $441,397 exhibition currently in development — “Cellular Journey: Stem Cells and the Cells of the Human Body” — aimed at expanding the public’s knowledge and appreciation of human cell biology, the importance of stem cells and the potential impact of stem cells on medical research in the fields of regenerative and personalized medicine. Funding for the exhibition has been made possible through a $441,397 grant awarded by the Life Technologies Foundation, a nonprofit arm of Life Technologies Corp., based in Carlsbad. “This exhibition will expand the public’s knowledge of life science through interactive exhibits and information that is accurate, accessible,and engaging,” said Jeffrey Kirsch, executive director of the center. “We hope to make the science of human cell biology both accessible and educational to the public, and through this, to deepen the public’s appreciation of science and the work of local scientists.” The “Cellular Journey” exhibition is scheduled to open to the public in early 2011.

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Two of San Diego’s major architectural firms —  Carrier Johnson + CULTURE and Fehlman LaBarre — have merged. The firms have produced such hallmark projects at USD’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, the Donald P. Shively Center for Science and Technology, student housing at UCSD, the Thomas Jefferson School of Law and the Diamond Terrace project in Downtown San Diego. The firms said the merger “coalesces a diversity of experience in sustainable design by incorporating distinct aspects of complex problem-solving skills in order to formulate unique and responsible solutions.”
The newly shaped Carrier Johnson + CULTURE will continue to merge the relationship between structures and public space, weaving the cultural experience into urban planning, principals of the companies said.
“The future of modern cities such as San Diego centers on architectural creativity, art and social expression,” said Gordon Carrier, design principal of Carrier Johnson + CULTURE. “At a time when scarcity of resources and changing lifestyles are spawning a reinvestment in the urban core, our focus remains on a genuine approach to creating design which supports each client’s unique brand characteristics, thereby developing projects that further differentiate the client in a competitive global marketplace.”
“Over the years, Fehlman LaBarre has had the opportunity to design a wide-variety of complex projects throughout the western United States,” said Michael LaBarre. “The scope of our design and planning experiences embraces modern, environmentally-responsible and urban-oriented communities that promote the use of existing public transportation.”
Fehlman LaBarre has designed sustainable, mixed-use projects such as the Uptown District, which was developed in the early ‘90s by Oliver McMillan. Other notable projects include Fenton Marketplace, Veteran Village of San Diego and the revitalization of Hazard Center in Mission Valley.

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The San Diego chapter of the Public Relations Society of America has obtained approval to extend the boundaries of its jurisdiction to include Imperial County. The organization is now known as the San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter of the PRSA. “PRSA San Diego has worked very hard over the last six months to formally incorporate Imperial County into our chapter boundaries,” said Sara E. Wacker, chapter president. “The members and prospective members in Imperial County have long awaited the opportunity to be associated with a local chapter. I’m very pleased that we will be able to extend our reach and make local membership available in the Valley. These individuals have much enthusiasm and creative ideas to continue to help our chapter and the local industry mature.”
“The extension of this chapter into Imperial County is a measure of the growth in the professional practice of public relations that we are experiencing in the Valley,” said Bill Gay, media and community relations director of Imperial Valley College. “Several months ago, we began an informal organization of local practitioners to foster continued professional education. Members of PRSA San Diego have been very helpful in this endeavor.” Gay has been added to the chapter board as its Imperial County membership representative.

Highway 80 Mural

Motorists and pedestrians along El Cajon Boulevard can get a good look at a stunning mural on the eastern façade of the historic Bekin building — a work of art by Werc Alvarez and Geraldine Lozano that is a visual representation of Historic Highway 80, the first transcontinental highway from the Tybee Island of Georgia to San Diego. The mural, part of an initiative called the Boulevard Art District created by the El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement Association, was commissioned by the BIA and the Historic Highway 80 Corp. with help from a $4,000 grant from county Supervisor Ron Roberts. The mural design includes a staggering of Ford Model Ts overlapped by colorful artistic renderings. Also displayed are the “California U.S. 80” shield and a representation of the “Boulevard” sign that hangs over El Cajon Boulevard. The Boulevard (also known as Highway 80) was designated historic by the state in 2006. The BIA said it owes a debt of gratitude to Jack Grace, owner of the five-story Bekin building for his involvement in the project. During the past three years, the El Cajon Boulevard BIA has administered and developed partnerships to paint over 60 painted utility boxes, three murals and plan regularly occurring events on the Boulevard, including the North Park Music Thing and the Vietnamese New Moon Festival.

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The San Diego Housing Federation’s next installment in its Affordable Housing Roundtable series will be March 4 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the NTC Command Center in Point Loma. The program will teach developers how they can use the city of San Diego’s housing element to identify sites that are the most competitive for funding. For additional details and to register for the program, send an e-mail to: kelly@housingsandiego.org.

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Zachary Pannier of DPR Construction has been appointed president of the U.S. Green Building Council’s San Diego chapter. For the past two years, he served as secretary on the local chapter’s board of directors. Pannier oversees the 600-member nonprofit organization and serves as the chapter’s spokesperson. He is a LEED-accredited professional (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), has worked at DPR since 2002 and currently serves as the project manager of the Scripps Research Institute, one of the country’s largest private, nonprofit biomedical science research organizations. He is part of a group of DPR staff members who serve on the company’s national sustainability leadership team. DPR San Diego has built LEED-certified projects in San Diego, including the tenant improvements for the Intuit campus, and is currently working on the UCSD Sulpizio Family Cardiovascular Center and Palomar Pomerado PMC West hospital projects.

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The International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference, considered the world’s largest technology event of its kind, opens at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel on March 22 and ending on March 27. The conference is put on by Cal State Northridge’s Center on Disabilities. The event is expected to draw thousands of people from around the world to explore new ways technology can help those with disabilities. The conference is to examine all aspects of technology and disability and will feature a faculty of internationally recognized speakers, two days of pre-conference workshops, more than 300 general session workshops and more than 140 exhibitors displaying the latest in assistive technology. Army Capt. Ivan Castro, one of only three blind officers serving on active duty in the Army and the only blind officer serving in the U.S. Army Special Forces, will give the conference’s keynote address at 5:30 p.m. on March 23.
For more information, call center at (818) 677-2578.

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Garrett Hale has joined CONNECT as staff assistant to basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton, the new executive chairman of the organization’s Sport & Entertainment Innovators trade group. Hale will work with Walton to build and spin-out SEI into a new independent trade organization supporting the growth of the San Diego sports industry and professionals sports teams.  Prior to CONNECT, Hale was catering and sales manager for Woodfin Suite Hotel San Diego. He attended SMU in Dallas, Texas and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and business economics. CONNECT also added to its staff Madelaine Holden as program assistant, to provide event logistics support for the 330 events held each year, and Ashley Strange as program administrator and editor of CONNECT’s e-newsletter.

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The University of Phoenix Kearney Mesa Learning Center at 3870, 3890 Murphy Canyon Road in San Diego is hosting a Business Expo on April 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. Through the complimentary Entrepreneurial Excellence Workshop, attendees will learn how to increase productivity through effective practices in leadership, communication and diversity. Topics to be explored range from accounting to legal issues for small businesses, as well as opportunities in the global market and finding money in your business. To sign up, contact Kerrith Gray Miller at (858) 650-4612.

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The Rady School of Management at UCSD is offering a pair of evening courses designed to help entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs launch or expand their innovation-based businesses. The Venture Development Series is offered through the Rady School’s Center for Executive Development.
Each course consists of 11 evening sessions scheduled between March 2 and July 22. New Venture helps aspiring entrepreneurs define their product or service concept and develop a plan for funding and launching the business, while Growth Venture helps entrepreneurs plan for the growth phase of their established company. To learn more or apply for either course, visit rady.ucsd.edu.

Ricardo Macedo, vice president of commercial lending at Security Business Bank, has been appointed to serve on the San Diego Padres’ inaugural Hispanic Community Leadership Council. Macedo and 14 other local leaders in the Hispanic community were selected for their expertise in corporate, civic and educational affairs in the San Diego-Tijuana region. They are to provide the Padres feedback on the team’s marketing outreach to the Hispanic community as well as how the Padres can provide meaningful support to Hispanic-focused organizations and causes. A Tijuana native raised in San Diego, Macedo has expertise in cash management tools, investment products and commercial loans. He is active with the South County Economic Development Council and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and serves as a Hispanic outreach volunteer for the City of Hope Hospital.

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The Port of San Diego is hosting a March 15-19 workshop designed to help train nonprofits, counties and municipalities in pursuing federal funding opportunities. The Port staff partnered with The Grantsmanship Center in Los Angeles for the event, “Competing for Federal Grants.”
The training workshop will be at the Port Administration Building, 3165 Pacific Highway in San Diego. Port officials say the event  will provide essential training to successfully pursue the many federal funding opportunities available to local agencies, nonprofits, Port tenants and member cities. For more information, visit tgci.com. To register online, visit tgci.com/cfgregister.asp or call The Grantsmanship Center’s registrar at (800) 421-9512.

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A couple of evening courses designed to help entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs launch or expand their businesses will be offered between March 2 and July 22 by The Rady School of Management at UCSD.The courses are being offered through the Rady School’s Center for Executive Development. “This series allows participants to take advantage of the expertise of a world-class university and veteran entrepreneurs from the San Diego area as they lead their business ideas or young companies toward market success,” said Rob Fuller, director of the Entrepreneur Development Program and lead instructor for the Venture Development Series. The series consists of a pair of programs, each meeting for 11 Tuesday or Thursday evening sessions. To apply, visit rady.ucsd.edu.

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J. Craig Venter, a scientist involved in genomic research, will be honored by the San Diego chapter of the ARCS Foundation as the 2010 Scientist of the Year at an annual dinner at 6 p.m. on April 23, at the Hilton San Diego Spa & Resort, Mission Bay, 1775 East Mission Bay Drive, San Diego. Venter joins a list of prominent scientists who have been honored at past ARCS Scientist of the Year dinners in San Diego, including Francis Crick, Sally Ride, Walter Munk, Gerald Edelman, Floyd Bloom, Dean Ornish, Richard Lerner, Sydney Brenner and more. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the ARCS Foundation in San Diego, and the 51st year nationally for the organization, which provides Scholar awards to U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students in science and medicine. All money donated to the ARCS Foundation goes to the student Scholars. Venter is founder, chairman and president of the J. Craig Venter Institute, a research organization dedicated to human microbial, plant and environmental research, the exploration of social and ethical issues in genomics and to seeking alternative energy solutions through genomics. In 1998, he founded Celera Genomics to sequence the human genome using new tools and techniques he and his team developed. The Scientist of the Year dinner is open to the public. Reservations are $80 each and may be made by contacting Lois Thompson at
sandiego@arcsfoundation.org.

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Navy Chief Petty Officer Brandon Parry of San Diego has received the American Culinary Federation Inc.’s Western Region Chef of the Year award at the 2010 ACF Western Regional Conference in Albuquerque. Sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions, the award recognizes an outstanding culinarian who works and cooks in a full-service dining facility. Parry competed against two other candidates before being declared the winner. He will compete for the national title against the winners from the three other ACF regions at the 2010 ACF National Convention in Anaheim on Aug. 2-5. Parry enlisted in the Navy in 1991 as a cook. Now he is executive chef/leading chief petty officer/mess caterer of 3-Star Bistro and handles executive dining for the Commander Naval Air Force in San Diego. In his
current role, Parry manages a team of eight employees in three locations. He is responsible for planning several party menus each month, providing daily meals for the vice admiral, his family and other dignitaries, and training culinary specialists and enlisted sailors.

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Leslie Morgan Steiner, author of “Crazy Love,” a memoir about domestic violence, and “Mommy Wars,” an anthology exploring the polarization between stay-at-home and career moms, will be keynote speaker at the March 11 “In the Company of Women” event, the largest annual fundraiser for the YWCA of San Diego County. It will be held at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, 1380 Harbor Island Drive. All of the contributions support the YWCA’s programs and services for San Diego’s women and children who are survivors of domestic violence and homelessness, including Becky’s House. Registration begins at 11:15 a.m. For ticket information, contact CarolAnn Chatel at (619) 239-0355, Ext. 218.

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Dick Semerdjian, partner with the Schwartz Semerdjian Haile Ballard & Cauley law firm, has been elected vice chair of the American Bar Association’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section. Semerdjian, who specializes in civil litigation and trial practice, will begin his one-year term at the close of the ABA annual meeting in August. Semerdjian has been a member of the ABA since 1986 when he first began practicing law. In 1994, he was appointed by the State Bar of California to the ABA House of Delegates where he served for nine years. He has served as a faculty member for the National Trial Academy in Reno, Nev. On a local level, he has been on the board of governors for the San Diego County Bar Association.

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The San Diego Christian Film Festival, a new event scheduled for December, is calling all emerging filmmakers, volunteers and potential sponsors to take advantage of networking opportunities to participate with San Diego’s latest film festival. 

”We expect the San Diego Christian Film Festival to have over 5,000 attendees, infusing an estimated $1 million into the economy,” said Richard Bagdazian, executive director of Glass Sea Productions, host of the festival. 

The festival is scheduled to be held Dec. 27-30. at the Performing Arts Plaza of SDSU. Live performances and vendors will add to the festive atmosphere. The festival is accepting film submissions, recruiting for key festival positions and seeking critical sponsorships. For more information, visit sdchristianfilmfestival.com.

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Nominations are now open for the San Diego County Taxpayers Association’s  15th Annual Golden Watchdog and Golden Fleece Awards, recognizing the very best and worst of local government efficiency, spending and decision-making in 2009. The nomination deadline is Friday, March 5.  Self-nominations for all categories are accepted and encouraged. Nominations forms are available by calling (619) 234-6423. Award categories include: The coveted Golden Watchdog Award honoring good government practices and efficient use of public money; the dreaded Golden Fleece Award calling out wasteful, inefficient or downright absurd uses of taxpayer dollars; the Media Watchdog Award recognizing excellence in reporting on behalf of taxpayers; the Public-Private Partnership Award for cooperation between the public and private sectors, stretching taxpayer dollars. Winners will be announced on May 20 at SDCTA’s annual awards dinner at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in Mission Valley.

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San Diego Coastkeeper will host its 3rd annual Walk the Watershed restoration and education event in City Heights on  March 20. The event in Swan Canyon aims to increase awareness within the community about how residents can restore and protect the Pueblo Watershed. The free event begins at 10 a.m. at Monroe Clark Middle School and concludes at 2 p.m. at Hamilton Elementary School with a celebration for participants. During the event, elementary school students and community members will walk a path through Swan Canyon and nearby neighborhoods, and they will stop at educational stations along the way. Event partners Ocean Discovery Institute, Outside the Lens, Elementary Institute of Science and Food & Water Watch will host educational stations consisting of watershed models, native seed planting, photography and art, recycling, water quality monitoring, green gardening, pollution prevention and watershed ecology.  For more information, visit sdcoastkeeper.org.

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Dozens of elementary students from Olympic View Elementary School boarded the USS Midway for lessons on reading the wind, the weather and “hurricane tracking.” The class last month was the first of thousands this year in the ship’s seven new “Classrooms of the Future.” These were launched in November, located in the boat’s bow, under the flight deck, and equipped with state-of-the-art education gizmos and technology including interactive whiteboards made by Promethean, an educational technology company, and individual voting devices that work a lot like cell phones. The ship hosted 30,000 student visitors in 2009 and anticipates at least 50,000 student visitors this year. Wayne Nuzzulo, the USS Midway’s school program manager, says that students say that nothing compares to learning outside of their conventional classrooms and with this dynamic technology. “Once back at school, students often make connections to what they learned on our ship that day. It’s satisfying and terrific to hear,” says Nuzzulo. Population alone makes California one of the largest markets for education technology. The San Diego Unified School District has over 1,300 interactive whiteboards installed with plans in 2010 to have every classroom equipped with at least one system. Tom Kelly, Promethean’s area manager for Southern California, applauds the effort. “Kids truly need these to learn,” he says.

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Christopher Yanov, founder of Reality Changers — a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth become first-generation college students — has been presented the 2010 Peacemaker Award by the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club. The award is given annually to a San Diego community leader who has made a significant difference in promoting tolerance, understanding, conflict resolution and peace in the region.  February is Word Understanding Month as designated by Rotary International. Yanov established Reality Changers in 2001 after doing volunteer work with gang members for five years. His organization provides academic support, scholarships and faith-based leadership training to at-risk teenagers to help many of them become the first members of their family to attend college.  To date, Reality Changers has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships. Yanov graduated from UCSD in less than three years and later completed two master’s degree programs in peace and justice and international relations at USD.

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Former Vice President Al Gore and Forbes Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Forbes are slated to keynote the Society for Human Resource Management’s  2010 annual conference and exposition June 27-30 at the San Diego Convention Center. The conference will feature more than 150 sessions on employment law, strategic management, international HR, compensation and benefits, and the insight of other keynote speakers. More than 9,000 attendees and 650 exhibitors are expected to attend the conference, the world’s single largest gathering of human resource professionals. To register, members and nonmembers may visit shrm.org.

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Iindividuals and businesses were honored at the 98th annual Inaugural Gala hosted by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce and presented by Barona Resort & Casino. Named Businesses of the Year were Oak Tree Escrows Inc.; Waste Management Inc.; Gio Bistro & Wine Bar; Grossmont Shopping Center; Grove Pastry Shop & Custom Cakes; and DCH Honda of Lemon Grove. Individual winners were: David Moran, Ambassador of the Year; Ernie Ewin, the George Felix Award; Lauri Riley, the Stoney Stone Award; Renae Arabo, Outstanding Chamber Service; Phil Justo, the Wendell Cutting Ethics Award; Deanna Weeks, the Jim Schmidt Business Advocate Award; and Steve Devan, the C. Allen Paul Award.

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The San Diego North Chamber of Commerce and Sony will host the first San Diego Women’s Week April 19-24 — a series of events designed to inspire and empower female executives, professionals and young entrepreneurs from around the region. All events will be held at 5 p.m. at the Sabre Springs Corporate Center, 13290 Evening Creek Drive, in San Diego. Each evening will include speakers, exhibitors and forums for networking and education. Topics will include health, fitness, financial, legal, retail, fashion, business, the arts and entrepreneurship. A luncheon will be held on April 24. “This week will be a celebration of the thousands of hard-working women in San Diego who make this region so great,” said Debra Rosen, president and CEO of the chamber. Speakers will include Kim Moses, executive producer of “Ghost Whisperer,” the TV series; Jill Leiber Steeg, the first woman to cover sports for Sports Illustrated; Ingrid Croce, owner of Croce’s Restaurant and Jazz Bar; Tina Mickelson of Tina Mickelson Golf; Midge Costanza, former presidential adviser; Carol LeBeau, former television anchor and health reporter; Alicia Gwynn of the Tony and Alicia Gwynn Foundation; Mimi Kirk of PETA; and Charlene Zettel of the governor’s office. For additional information, call (858) 487-1767 or visit sdwomensweek.com.

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Artisan Design Group (ADG), an urban design firm with a showroom in Downtown San Diego since 2004, has purchased a 3,500-square-foot showroom and studio at 888 West Ash St. It is located within the Breeza mid-rise at the corner of Pacific Highway and Ash. Artisan Design Group is owned by Jaimi and Scott Thompson, who purchased the space as Ash Street Investments from Intergulf Development Group, the developer of Breeza, for $1,022,000.Improvements are under way by ADG’s general contracting division with a grand opening scheduled for June.  The design showroom will include three full kitchens, several bathroom displays, home office interiors, home automation systems, customized lighting and storage solutions, cabinetry, flooring, window coverings, furniture and accessories.

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San Diego County Credit Union has been honored by Fannie Mae as a Prime Alliance Lender of the Year. It was chosen from among participants in the Fannie Mae Prime Alliance strategic relationship, and nominated by both its Prime Alliance and Fannie Mae account representatives. Officials said SDCCU’s selection was based on success in overcoming mortgage market challenges and changes, loan origination performance and efficiencies, growth in mortgage business and helping borrowers to stay in their homes.

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Valley View Casino has appointed  Mike Tansley as vice president of hotel operations for its boutique hotel scheduled to open in December. Tansley will add hotel operations to his current responsibilities overseeing the table games, player development, bus transportation and PBX departments. He has over 25 years of experience in the casino industry, starting in1985 as a dealer and supervisor at Bally’s Park Place and Caesars Palace in Atlantic City where he worked for nearly eight years.