Daily Business Report-May 16, 2017
The former SDSU vice president will serve as interim president until summer 2018.
Sally Roush Named Interim President
of San Diego State University
California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White has appointed Sally Roush as interim president of San Diego State University. Roush will begin in her position on July 1, and serve in that capacity until a new president, selected by the CSU Board of Trustees, arrives in early summer 2018.
White visited SDSU in late March to listen to campus, faculty, student and community leaders about the skills and experiences they prioritized for the interim appointee. The feedback was instrumental in guiding the selection of Roush for the interim appointment.
“I am delighted that Sally Roush has accepted my invitation to provide leadership, as she possesses the key attributes identified during my recent visit,” said White. “During a long and distinguished career of serving SDSU, including 19 years as a senior vice president, Sally always demonstrated passion and dedication for the university mission. She brings deep understanding of the academic excellence and administrative functions of the university, and I have full confidence in her ability to promote the standard of excellence SDSU has achieved under President Hirshman.”
Adam Day, vice chair of the CSU Board of Trustees who will also lead the search for the next campus president on behalf of the trustees, applauded her appointment. “Sally Roush has all the requisite skills, knowledge, experience and SDSU values to guide the university during the opportunities and challenges of the interim period. I couldn’t be more pleased about her selection,” said Day.
Long-time members of the SDSU campus community will be familiar with Roush who served in various capacities at the university for 31 years. Roush initially joined SDSU in 1982 as director of personnel services and held that position until 1994 when she was promoted to the position of senior vice president for business and financial affairs.
After retiring from SDSU, Roush was tapped to serve as interim vice chancellor/chief financial officer for the CSU Office of the Chancellor from January through April 2014.
SDSU’s current president, Elliot Hirshman, announced that after six years he would be leaving the university on July 1 after accepting the position of president at Stevenson University in Maryland.
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Venture Capital Funding in San Diego
Drops by 51 Percent in First Quarter
Venture capitalists invested $202 million in San Diego in 32 deals in the first quarter of 2017, compared to $412 million in 32 deals a year ago — a decrease of 51 perent. Annual venture capital investment in the region totaled $1.3 billion in 2016 compared to $1.5 billion in 2015, a decrease of 15 percent.
The health care industry received the highest level of funding of six industries, capturing $144 million in the first quarter. The Internet industry was the second largest sector for dollars invested with $12 million. The mobile and telecommunications industry received the third largest investment of $11 million.
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Liberty Station Office Building Sells for $5.3 Million
Help U Buy LLC has purchased an office property at 2877 Historic Decatur Road in Liberty Station, Point Loma, for $5.3 million. The seller was Sea Pro LLC.
The 8,656-square-foot building includes a conference room, board room and a bull pen surrounded by private offices with a view of San Diego Bay.The building also features excess yard, an electronic access systems, complete interior and exterior video monitoring system, restrooms with showers, and panoramic glass windows.
Central SD Real Estate Sales has leased a 4,017-square-foot space in the building.
Lee & Associates and McKinney Advisory Group represented buyer and seller in the transaction.
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Cubic Named One of America’s Best
Midsize Employers in 2017 by Forbes
Cubic Corp. has been listed as one of “America’s Best Midsize Employers 2017” by Forbes magazine. Cubic was ranked second in the Aerospace & Defense industry category and No. 182 in the overall midsize employer list. This is Cubic’s first entry into Forbes’ annual best.
“It is an honor to be recognized by Forbes as one of the best midsize employers in the U.S.,” said Bradley H. Feldmann, president and chief executive officer of Cubic. “Cubic’s culture of innovation, ethics and value is one of the best in the industry, and we will remain dedicated to offering excellent working environments to our employees.”
The 2017 list of America’s Best Midsize Employers includes the top 300 midsize companies, universities and government agencies across 25 industries, employing 1,000 to 5,000 employees in the U.S. The list is compiled from independent surveys of more than 30,000 U.S. workers, in which the respondents were anonymously asked, on a scale of zero to 10, how likely they were to recommend their employer to others and another company within the same industry to others.
The full list of America’s Best Employers 2017 can be found on Forbes online..
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City to Reopen Children’s Pool to the Public
The city of San Diego will reopen the Children’s Pool in La Jolla to the public this morning, to coincide with the conclusion of the harbor seal pupping season. The area was closed Dec. 15, 2016 to provide protection to the harbor seal population during the vulnerable pupping season.
As part of the Children’s Pool reopening, the city reinstalled the rope line which serves as a guide and reminder for the public to keep a safe distance from any seals that may be present on the beach. Harassing, disturbing or flushing the seals at any time is a violation of federal and local laws.
City park rangers and lifeguards will monitor the Children’s Pool while the area is open to keep the public and wildlife safe.
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President Nominates Doug Manchester
as Bahamas Ambassador
Times of San Diego
The White House Monday formally announced plans by President Donald Trump to nominate San Diego developer Doug Manchester as ambassador to the Bahamas.
If confirmed by the Senate, Manchester would serve as “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,” according to the White House.
The possibility of Manchester receiving the position has been rumored for several months. He has a home in the island nation, a former British colony, which is located in the Atlantic Ocean between Florida and Cuba.
Manchester was an early and leading supporter of Trump’s presidential candidacy, and co-hosted several fundraisers in Rancho Santa Fe.
The chairman of the Manchester Financial Group is best known locally for building hotels and for a stint as publisher of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
He is also behind plans to redevelop the Navy Broadway Complex in downtown San Diego, and sits on the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute Board of Trustees.
— From Staff and Wire Reports
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Personnel Announcements
Carrie Cook Joins Design Line Interiors
Design Line Interiors has named Carrie Cook as director of sales and marketing. Cook’s 15 years of experience in the building industry include positions with a multinational tile manufacturer and a design center that served production home builders.
“Our firm has worked with Carrie throughout her career in the industry, and we’ve witnessed her collaborative skills in dealing with builders, architects, designers and planners,” said Design Line Chairman and CEO Dawn Davidson. “Her responsibilities at Design Line will support our front-line team and allow us to focus on what we do best: design.”
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Nicole Laforteza Joins Cavignac & Associates
Cavignac & Associates has hired Nicole Laforteza as an account administrator within the agency’s Employee Benefits Department. Laforteza’s primary responsibility is to assist the department’s account manager with daily service activities for each client’s benefit offerings. Specifically, she coordinates requests for proposals and prepares quotations for new and renewal coverage; compiles open enrollment materials; creates spreadsheets, presentations and proposals for new and renewal business; and prepares packages of material for open enrollment meetings, sometimes handling those meetings if requested.
Prior to joining Cavignac & Associates, Laforteza served as a bookkeeper and administrative assistant for Dunne & Dunne LLP, where she worked for five-and-a-half years. There she maintained all client accounts, prepared client invoices, collected replenishments and assisted all of the firm’s associate attorneys.
A graduate of California State University, Long Beach, Laforteza holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism, with an emphasis in public relations and minor in communication studies. Currently she is a graduate student at National University, where she is working toward her graduate degree in strategic communication.
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Returning Home
The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island transits the San Diego Bay as it returns from a seven-month deployment to the Pacific, Middle East, and the Horn of Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brett A. Anderson)
