Daily Business Report-March 15, 2017
San Diego State University (Courtesy SDSU)
San Diego State University Invites
Public to its All-Campus Open House
San Diego State University is opening its doors from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, for Explore SDSU, the university’s all-campus open house. The event offers prospective students, families, alumni and the community a glimpse of the Aztec Experience.
The event offers a campus-wide information fair and more than two dozen open houses across campus. It also features nearly 100 academic and student life workshops aimed at providing future Aztecs with an overview of admission processes, financial aid, majors, career services and leadership opportunities.
The information fair, made up of nearly 400 booths set up around campus, will provide details about academic departments, housing, campus organizations, facilities and programs.
Numerous open houses and tours of campus facilities will be held. Among other things, campus visitors can get a behind the scenes look at science and engineering labs and projects, art galleries, residence halls and the KPBS studios.
The university is encouraging SDSU alumni to make their way back to campus to reconnect with their favorite programs and departments and explore what has changed at their alma mater. The Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center will be open and staff will offer information about alumni membership, chapters and events.
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Putting the Spotlight on Empowerment
The speakers are bright, articulate, successful and their messages are empowering and inspiring to everyone. The 2017 San Diego Women’s Week lineup is one of the best yet and the anticipation of their keynotes is felt all over the region.
Women such as Sallie Krawcheck, Shiza Shahid, Tanya Brown, Mimi Kirk, Liz Goodgold, Scout Bassett, Kim Coles, Pat Reno and others are preparing to speak to San Diego community between March 20-24 at various venues and events around the region. They will be sharing lessons and journey’s that have shaped their lives and careers.
This year’s featured conference keynote, Shiza Shahid, known as the best friend of Malala and CEO of the Malalla Fund, will be talking about her journey and work on making the world a better place, one person at a time.
For more information, visit www.sandiegowomensweek.com.
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Bill and Lori Walton to Receive
Peacemaker Award for Philanthropy
Bill and Lori Walton will be honored for philanthropy when the National Conflict Resolution Center presents its 29th annual Peacemaker Awards on Saturday, April 8, at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine.
The Philanthropy in Peacemaking award will go to the couple at the awards dinner. “Basketball legend Bill Walton and his wife, Lori, have based their exceptional range of philanthropic service on their passionate belief in the value of civic spirit and the power of human aspiration,” according to the award citation.
The event honors individuals and organizations who have made a significant contribution to conflict resolution nationally and locally. This event will support NCRC’s groundbreaking programming, including the Galinson Campus Civility Project, which teaches the nation’s future leaders to communicate across disputes with civility and inclusivity.
The 2017 theme is “A Campaign for Civility.” Legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg will serve as event emcee.
The National Peacemaker award honoree is the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala. “Teaching Tolerance,” the renowned center’s award-winning multi-media platform for building an inclusive society is empowering educators across the country to guide students away from bias and conflict and toward empathy and unity.
San Diego Peacemaker honoree is the late Rachel Joy Scott. “Rachel Joy Scott’s posthumous legacy of kindness that emerged after her death in the Columbine High School massacre is transforming San Diego schools by disrupting patterns of bullying with a culture of compassion and civility.”
“The National Conflict Resolution Center empowers people with effective communication skills and transforms cultures through conflict resolution,” said NCRC President Steven P. Dinkin. “As all of our honorees exemplify commitment to our core mission, we are proud to showcase their work.”
The dinner and program will begin at 7 p.m. and will include a keynote address from Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and a “raise the paddle” fundraising activity.
NCRC’s first National Peacemaker Award was given in 2005 to Ruth and Judea Pearl, the parents of slain reporter Daniel Pearl, for their efforts to build bridges between cultures and avoid the types of conflicts that ultimately led to their son’s death. Past National Honorees have included such prominent figures as University of California President Janet Napolitano, Congressman John Lewis, former presidential adviser David Gergen, and actor Richard Dreyfuss.
Tickets are available for $350 per person. For more information, contact Lisa Cole-Jones at (619) 238-2400, Ext. 222.
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Women’s Civil Rights Advocate Anita Hill
To Keynote Lawyers Club Annual Dinner
Attorney, professor, and women’s and civil rights advocate Anita Hill will serve as the keynote speaker for the Lawyers Club of San Diego’s 2017 Annual Dinner June 1 at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. Her remarks will center on the status of women, specifically, about sexual harassment in the workplace, sexual assault, rape culture, and related issues facing women today, as well as the intersection between race and gender. Hill will also address the role of the legal community in women’s advancement in the legal profession and society.
Born the youngest of 13 children on an Oklahoma farm, Hill received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Oklahoma State University and graduated from Yale Law School in 1980. She began her legal career in Washington, D.C., where she worked in private practice and later at the U.S. Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 1989, Hill became the first African American to receive tenure at the University of Oklahoma, College of Law.
Hill was thrown into the public spotlight in 1991 when she testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearings for then-U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, with whom Hill had worked at the Department of Education and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Following that experience, she became a vocal advocate of the advancement of racial equality and gender parity. In 1995, she wrote “Speaking Truth to Power,” an autobiography that centers on her experience as a witness in Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s confirmation hearings, and in 2011, she released “Reimagining Equality: Stories of Race, Gender, and Finding Home,” a book that focused on the devastating effects of the subprime mortgage scandal on families and communities.
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California Has Eighth Lowest
State and Local Tax Burden
Want to save money on state and local taxes? Move to California.
It turns out the Golden State has the eighth lowest combined state and local tax rate in the United States, with relatively low property and sales taxes compensating for a relatively high state income tax.
That surprising conclusion — surprising because California is routinely criticized as being overtaxed — is based on an annual study by WalletHub, a consumer information website.
With an effective tax rate of 8.79 percent, Californians save compared to tenth-place Florida’s 8.94 percent. However, fifth-place Nevada at 7.66 percent and first-place, oil-rich Alaska at 5.64 percent are better deals.
There’s fine print to the report, however. Even though the effective rate is low, California residents’ tax burden rises because they have considerably higher incomes than the national average. As you make more money, you pay more taxes.
Adjusted for income, the typical California household pays $6,908 in state and local taxes. That’s a high number, but still less than in 16 states and the District of Columbia.
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Sempra Adds Obama SBA Chief
Maria Contreras-Sweet to Board
Sempr Energy has appointed former Small Business Administration Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet to the company’s board of directors.
Contreras-Sweet, 61, most recently headed the Small Business Administration and was a member of former President Obama’s cabinet from 2014 until the end of Obama’s term in January.
“We are pleased that Maria Contreras-Sweet has joined our board,” said Debra L. Reed, chairman, president and CEO of Sempra Energy. “She has extensive experience working at a senior level in both the public and private sectors, while bringing a strong understanding of financial markets, infrastructure and global innovation.”
Prior to serving as administrator for the SBA, Contereras-Sweet was a founder of ProAmerica Bank and its executive chairman from 2006 to 2014. Previously, she was a co-founder and managing partner of Fortius Holdings, a private venture-capital firm. From 1999 to 2003, Contreras-Sweet was Secretary of the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency under Gov. Gray Davis and, for part of that time, chaired the finance committee of the California Independent System Operator
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Alaska Airlines to Add Six More Nonstop
Destinations from San Diego International Airport
Alaska Airlines announced Wednesday it will add six more nonstop destinations from San Diego International Airport during the second half of 2017 in a major route expansion.
The new service includes daily flights to Albuquerque, Austin, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Omaha and St. Louis.
The first new flights will start in late August, by which time Alaska will be offering 40 daily departures to 28 destinations from San Diego.
“Alaska Airlines has grown more than any other carrier in San Diego over the last five years, with the addition of 18 nonstop destinations and nearly twice as many departing seats,” said John Kirby, vice president of capacity planning at Alaska Airlines.
“We want to thank Airport Authority President and CEO Thella Bowens and her terrific team for their partnership,” he added. “Without Thella’s strong leadership and support over the years, our growth wouldn’t have been possible.”
A daily nonstop to Baltimore starts Wednesday, and three-times-daily service to Sacramento begins Thursday. Daily flights to Mexico City are scheduled to begin soon.
“We’re delighted to see Alaska Airlines continue to grow its presence here at SAN, giving travelers more options to explore and connect than ever before,” said Bowens.
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Janitorial Services Company Owners
Enters Guilty Pleas in Employment Tax Fraud
Hyok Kwon, owner of Good Neighbor Services, a janitorial company that provided services to some of San Diego’s most exclusive hotels and resorts, pleaded guilty Tuesday to seven felonies, including premium and employment tax fraud in an elaborate scheme to avoid paying workers’ compensation insurance premiums and employment taxes. Kwon stipulated to an eight-year prison sentence and to pay restitution exceeding $5 million.
Woo Hui Kwon, co-owner of the company, pleaded guilty on Dec. 6, 2016 to two counts of premium fraud and two counts of employment tax fraud. She was sentenced to four years and eight months, and restitution that totaled over $5 million to insurance carriers and Employment Development Department.
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Personnel Announcements
Robin Lentz to retire after 37 years as Cabrillo Credit Union CEO
Robin Lentz, president and CEO of Cabrillo Credit Union, will retire on March 31, the credit union announced. A new CEO has been selected but an official announcement has not been made.
Lentz was hired as Cabrillo CU’s CEO on June 18, 1979. At that time, the credit union had $6 million in assets. Under Lentz’s leadership, Cabrillo CU has grown to over 22,000 members and over $250 million in assets
During her tenure, Lentz has received many awards, including California Credit Union League’s Unsung Hero Award. She was inducted into the CUNA’s Hall of Leaders in 2014. At the same time, Cabrillo Credit Union has also received numerous awards, including the Shapiro Award, and the prestigious Credit Union of the Year Award.
Lentz has served in numerous leadership roles in credit union organizations and associations, including as the president of the San Diego Credit Union Managers Association, the San Diego Credit Union Executive Society and the San Diego Chapter of the Board of Governors for the California Credit Union League.
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Patti McKelvey Leaves McMillin Realty and Joins Coldwell Banker West
Realtor Patti McKelvey has left McMillin Realty after 30 years and joined Coldwell Banker West, the real estate sales company announced.
McKelvey’s sales team was McMillin Realty’s top producing team both in sales and listings for 29 consecutive years, she said. In addition to her rank as McMillin’s top-producing agent, McKelvey said her team was No. 1 in sales production among real estate sales teams countywide in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
“It was time for a change,” said McKelvey, who joined McMillin Realty at the start of her real estate sales career in 1987.
In 2016, McMillin Realty was sold by Scott McMillin to Vince Gottuso and Nick Gottuso and renamed Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate McMillin Realty.
Coldwell Banker West is one of San Diego County’s largest real estate companies with seven offices and more than 500 agents.
A native of South Dakota, McKelvey relocated to California in 1969. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business and English from the University of South Dakota. Before real estate, she designed children’s furniture while her two children were young. After selling her furniture company, she turned to real estate.
“I enjoy real estate because I love helping people realize their dreams of home ownership,” said McKelvey. “I want to meet and exceed the wishes of my clients.
