Daily Business Report-Aug. 8, 2013
President Obama speaks to troops at Camp Pendleton
President Thanks Camp Pendleton Troops
On his first visit to Camp Pendleton on Wednesday, President Barack Obama expressed words of gratitude for the Marines, with a special word of thanks for the “ultimate sacrifice” of the 324 Camp Pendleton Marines who have been killed during the war in Afghanistan. “Our war in Afghanistan has entered the final chapter,” Obama said. “More of our troops are coming home: we’ll be down to 34,000 this winter. By the end of next year, in just 17 months, the transition will be complete. Afghans will take full responsibility for their security, and our war in Afghanistan will be over.”nHe also thanked the Marines for their service on the battlefields of Iraq. “When future generations study those fights,” he said, “they will stand in awe of the unparalleled sacrifice of the Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, our Dark Horse Marines.”
Obama also warned that the end of the war in Afghanistan does not mean the end of danger. For this reason, he pledged to keep the military strong despite federal budget cuts. “Here at Pendleton, you’re feeling it. Hard-working folks are getting furloughed. Families getting by on less. Fewer ships available for your training exercises. The commissaries your families relied on closed a day a week. We can do better than that. That’s not how a great nation should be treating it’s military and military families,” Obama said. “So that’s why I’m going to keep on working to get rid of the sequester. You get up and you do your jobs every day; let’s make sure Washington gets up and does its job.” (From a KPBS report)
Jack in the Box Chairman/CEO to Retire
Jack in the Box Inc. announced Wednesday that Linda A. Lang will retire as the company’s chairman and chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2014. Leonard A. Comma, currently president and chief operating officer, will become Chairman, CEO and president at that time. Since joining the company in 1984, Lang has held various positions of increasing responsibility in marketing, operations and finance, including officer-level positions since 1996. In 2003 she was promoted to president and COO, and she held those positions until she was elected chairman and CEO in 2005.
Under Lang’s leadership, Jack in the Box franchise ownership has increased from 25 percent in 2005 to nearly 77 percent today; the company has returned over $1 billion of cash to shareholders through stock repurchases; and Jack in the Box common stock has appreciated 170 percent. Also under her tenure, the Qdoba Mexican Grill system has expanded from 250 restaurants in 37 states to 600 locations today in 45 states and Canada. The Jack in the Box system has added more than 200 restaurants and expanded its presence from 17 states to 21.
Comma joined Jack in the Box in 2001 as director of convenience store and fuel operations for the company’s proprietary chain of Quick Stuff convenience stores, which was sold in 2009. He was named senior vice president and COO in February 2010 and was promoted to his current position in May 2012.
Xpera Group Hires Real Estate Economist Alan Nevin
Real estate economist Alan Nevin has joined Xpera Group as director of economic and market research. Nevin will provide feasibility studies for developers and investors, as well as forensic expert witness services based on his more than 25 years in practice. His areas of expertise include diminution in value, economic damages, lost profits, real estate finance, land residual valuation and portfolio analysis. He also will continue his role as an advisor to the estate planning community in real estate matters. Nevin’s career includes more than two decades with ConAm Management Co. and 14 years with MarketPointe Realty Advisors. For the past two years, Nevin was affiliated with the London Group, a San Diego consulting firm. Xpera Group, founded in 2009, offers a range of construction services, including construction forensics expert witness services, quality assurance, property condition assessment, property loss evaluation and construction management.
Sanders Uninvites Mayor Filner From D.C. Trip
Former Mayor Jerry Sanders sent a letter to Mayor Bob Filner Wednesday uninviting him from a San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce trip to Washington, D.C. in September, KPBS reports. “I am sure you will understand that, in light of the current controversy surrounding your office … I must rescind your invitation to join our delegation trip to Washington, D.C.,” Sanders, now the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, wrote in the letter. “We simply cannot risk any major distraction that would further impede the region’s business.” The trip, which will last from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, provides the opportunity to “make invaluable connections with D.C.’s top officials and San Diego regional leaders, participate in high-level meetings with U.S. administration officials and agencies and gain access to our country’s top decision makers and advocate for local and regional issues important to San Diego,” according to the organization’s website. Last week Sanders joined the growing group of people asking Filner to resign.
Filner Must Resign, Women Veterans Say
Saying that “ours was the wrong group to choose,” the leader of the National Women’s Veterans Association launched a campaign Wednesday to force Mayor Bob Filner to resign, KPBS reports. The San Diego-based group — which just a month ago planned to give Filner an award at a gala where he was to be keynote speaker — has a simple, polite message for the mayor: “Please Resign!” Tara Jones, leader of the nonprofit group numbering about 5,000, said many of the group’s members were victims of rape and sexual assault while serving in the military. She said that since the scandal broke last month, she has heard multiple stories of Filner engaging in unwanted kissing, touching and sexual innuendo toward her members. “When I got to eight or nine, I stopped counting,” Jones said at an afternoon press conference. One of those veterans, retired Air Force master sergeant Eldonna Fernandez, told KPBS News that the mayor crossed a line with her at a San Diego event meant to support military women who have been sexually assaulted. After giving a speech about the three rapes she had endured in the military, Fernandez said Filner asked her on a date.
Oceanside Nonprofit Receives a ‘Top-Rated’ Ranking
A nonprofit named in honor of a beloved yoga teacher who donated his time by teaching yoga to at-risk youth in Oceanside was recently named as a “Top Rated Non-Profit 2013” by GreatNonProfits.org, a developer of online tools that allow people to find, review, and share information about nonprofits.
Sean O’Shea died in a freak highway accident in December 2006. An Encinitas resident, O’Shea was the owner of the Four Seasons yoga studio in La Jolla. Sean’s mother, Gloria O’Shea founded the foundation shortly after his death.To date, the foundation has introduced yoga, nutrition and environmental stewardship to over 8,000 at-risk and/or low-income students in 75 schools throughout San Diego County, ranging from 8 to 18 years of age.
“Savvy donors want to see the impact of their donations more than ever,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits. “Being on the Top-Rated list gives donors and volunteers more confidence that this is a credible organization. People with direct experience with the Sean O’Shea Foundation have voted that the organization is making a real difference.” For foundation information, call Gloria O’Shea at (760) 453-9924.
