Nominations are now open for SD METRO’s annual 40 Under 40 Awards recognition program. Nominate a man or woman you think has made outstanding contributions to his or her profession, industry or to San Diego County as a whole. We will announce the winners in September. Either fill out the nomination form at sandiegometro.com or send your nomination to rebecapage@sandiegometro.com. Better get crackin’!
Old Globe Names Michael Murphy as Managing Director
Murphy
The Old Globe Theatre’s board of directors today named Michael G. Murphy as managing director and restated its intention to conduct a nationwide search for an artistic director for the organization. Murphy was appointed interim managing director in October 2011 after the resignation of Louis Spisto, who oversaw the artistic and administrative operations of the theater. The board said it would return to a dual leadership structure common to most regional theaters by having both a managing director and an artistic director. Murphy has been the general manager of The Old Globe since 2003 and managed the construction of the Globe’s new theater and education facilities. He was previously managing director of Austin Lyric Opera in Texas, director of administration of the San Diego Opera and general manager of San Diego Repertory Theatre.
Silvergate Bank Nears Completion on Branch Renovations
Tenant improvements are nearing completion on two county branches of Silvergate Bank, including the bank’s first North Coastal location in Carlsbad as well as an expansion and relocation of its branch in La Mesa. Both branches are slated for April grand openings. Silvergate Bank will open its fourth branch location in Carlsbad at 5810 El Camino Real. The new branch, scheduled to open April 9, will be managed by Steven Ahlquist. The bank is relocating and expanding its La Mesa branch to a larger location at 8530 La Mesa Blvd., Suite 300, La Mesa. The branch will open in late April and continue to be managed by Michele Mamerto.
Cal State San Marcos Names Business Dean
Lightner
Sharon Lightner has been named the dean of the College of Business Administration at California State University San Marcos. She will assume her new role July 1. Lightner is currently the William E. Cole director of the Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy at San Diego State University. Previously, she taught financial accounting at the graduate and undergraduate level. During her teaching career, she won numerous teaching awards both at SDSU and at the national level. She received the American Institute of CPAs/American Accounting Association Collaboration Award. Lightner currently serves on the San Diego chapter board of Financial Executives International.
World Trade Center S.D. CEO to Receive High Industry Award
Bella Heule, president and CEO of the World Trade Center San Diego, will receive the World Trade Week 2012 Stanley T. Olafson Bronze Plaque Award on May 4 in Los Angeles to recognize her accomplishments in international trade. Presented by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the award is the chamber’s oldest and most prestigious, and honors a member of the community who has made significant contributions to the development of world trade in Southern California. Past recipients have included Walt Disney of Disney Productions, Jack Warner of Warner Bros. Studios and former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. Among her achievements, Heule grew exports from $240,000 to $2million annually at Long Beach-based SNUGTOP; led a World Trade Center San Diego trade mission of 113 California delegates to three cities in China in 2005; and built her team to seven full-time staff and 52 part-time business associates while remaining the only independent World Trade Center in California.
Xpera to Acquire Roel Consulting Services Inc.
Xpera Group, a Solana Beach construction services company, has agreed to acquire certain assets of Roel Consulting Services Inc. “This acquisition doubles the size of our company, making Xpera the largest and most comprehensive group of construction consulting experts in San Diego County,” said Ted Bumgardner, president of Xpera. To accommodate the growth, Xpera has opened a second office in Rancho Bernardo to house the transitioning Roel team.
Panel to Discuss Intellectual Property Role in Business
Oxbridge Biotech Roundtable-San Diego will host an April 11 panel discussion on intellectual property’s role in creating successful businesses. The event will be from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Keck Amphitheater in Beckman Center for Chemical Sciences on the Scripps Research campus, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla. The panel, titled “How Intellectual Property Turns Scientific Discoveries into Profitable Ventures,” will feature Scott Forrest, Scripps Research Institute vice president of business development; Anton Hutter, patent attorney and Partner in the UK firm of patent and trademark attorneys, Venner Shipley; and a biotech entrepreneur.
St. Paul’s Senior Homes & Services Receives Top Ranking
St. Paul’s Senior Homes & Services in San Diego has received a five-star ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Nursing Homes study. The evaluation of nursing homes is based on data from Nursing Home Compare, a consumer Website run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The government agency sets and enforces standards for nursing homes. Homes earn an overall rating of one to five stars as well as up to five stars in each of three underlying categories: health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality of care. Of more than 15,500 homes rated and profiled on the U.S. News Website, St. Paul’s Senior Homes & Services was among the fewer than 1 in 8 that received a five-star overall rating in all four quarters of 2011.
Battle of the Midway Coming Nov. 9
San Diego State’s Aztecs will play Syracuse University aboard the USS Midway on Nov. 9 in the inaugural “Battle of the Midway” basketball game as part of a larger Veterans Day weekend series of events in San Diego. The announcement was made by Syndicus Entertainment, in partnership with a number of San Diego organizations including the San Diego Sports Commission. The game will take place on the Midway’s flight deck and will be broadcast live nationally at 4 p.m. PST. It will kick off several events centered on the Midway and along the Embarcadero in Downtown San Diego.
San Diego — Preston Munsch has joined Animal Cell Therapies as head of business development while new hires Chih-Min Lin becomes senior director of research and development and Zhongline Feng becomes director of product development. Munsch has 14 years of experience, most recently with Cheetahlink. He was national sales manager for the Specialty Products Division of Loomix LLC. Lin was a research scientist with Stemedica Cell Technologies. Feng conducted research at the Center for Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences and Medicine and the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and worked at Nitto Denko Technical Corporation as chief scientist.
Rancho Santa Fe — Louis Mezzullo, partner with McKenna Long and Aldridge, has been elected president of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, an association of trust and estate lawyers. Mezzullo work in the law firm’s family wealth and exempt organization practice.
SCORE Small Business Workshops
• April 5 – Effective Marketing – Identify and Target Your Customers – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).
• April 10 – Business Basics 101 – 9 to 11 a.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; no charge – please pre-register).
• April 11 – Import / Export – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).
• April 12 – Legal Issues for Small Business – Contracts and Leases – 9 a.m. to noon at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).
• April 13 – Internet Marketing 303 – Social Media for Small Businesses – 9 a.m. to noon at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).
• April 14 – Business Plan 101: How to Develop Your Best Competitive Advantage – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at National University – Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Rd., Carlsbad 92011; pre-paid registration $79, $89 at the door).
The Daily Business Report is produced by SD METRO. Contact: Manny Cruz (619) 287-1865. manny@sandiegometro.com.
