Daily Business Report-Dec. 20, 2018

An Otay Water District official operates one of the district drones. (Photo: Otay Water District)

Otay Water District using drones

to deliver more value to customers

The Otay Water District has enlisted drones to modernize the service that it provides to its customers. After a two-year study and evaluation period, the district is now using drones to assist with preliminary inspection of water facility assets including 40 potable water reservoirs, four recycled water reservoirs, 20 pump stations and a recycled water treatment plant.

Officials said drone technology can provide time savings with initial inspections and a safer examination process of the district’s assets. Initial inspection of water tanks by drones, for example, may reduce the need for water operators to access tanks and therefore, minimize the risk of potential injuries. Utilizing drones for general surveying and inspection of the district’s assets also will help to maximize personnel productivity, as the district’s service footprint is expected to grow over the next six years.

The district’s contractors are also using drones to monitor the construction of the 36-million-gallon expansion of the Roll Reservoir. Images and information from contractor drones are used in quarterly presentation reports to the district’s board of cirectors.

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 Maxwell Technologies sells High

Voltage product line for $55 million

Maxwell Technologies Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of energy storage and power delivery technology, announced it has simultaneously signed and closed a definitive agreement to sell its High Voltage product line to Renaissance Investment Foundation.

Under terms of the agreement, Maxwell sold all shares of its Swiss subsidiary, Maxwell Technologies SA, and its CONDIS line of high voltage capacitors for $55.1 million in cash and up to $15 million in potential future milestone payments to a special purpose holding entity and affiliate of Renaissance Investment Foundation. During the nine-month period ended Sept. 30, 2018, its high voltage product line generated revenue of approximately $19.4 million for Maxwell, approximately 21 percent of the total revenue reported.

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Connell Persico donates $1 million

endowment to Alliant Education Foundation

Alliant Education Foundation announced a $1 million gift from retired Alliant International University administrator and professor Connell F. Persico for an endowed scholarship program to provide, in perpetuity, much-needed financial support to LGBTQ students focusing on underserved communities.

Persico, 74, now retired from Alliant International University – after 35 years at Alliant and its precursor, the California School of Professional Psychology – and residing in the Sacramento area, said that this endowed scholarship will continue to help LGBTQ students pursuing careers of service at the graduate level know they can do so with strong financial backing. “They can focus on honing their skills and advancing their knowledge instead of worrying about how to pay off debt for the rest of their lives,” said Persico.

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Ellen Ochoa joins Gordon and Betty Moore

Foundation Board of Trustees

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation announced the election of a new trustee, Ellen Ochoa, astronaut, former director of the Johnson Space Center and vice chair of the National Science Board.

Ochoa was the 11th director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, leading the human space flight enterprise for the nation. She became the first Hispanic woman to go to space when she served on a nine-day mission aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1993. She has flown in space four times, logging nearly 1,000 hours, leading onboard scientific activities, operating the robotic arm, and serving as flight engineer during the launch, rendezvous, and entry phases of the mission.

Prior to her astronaut and management career, Ochoa was a research engineer and holds three patents for optical systems. She earned a Ph.D. and M.S. in electrical engineering from Stanford University, and a B.S. in physics from San Diego State University.

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Personnel Announcements

Joshua Mello named managing director of Bank of Southern California

Bank of Southern California N.A., a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, announced the appointment of Joshua Mello as managing director. He will be responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of commercial clients in the greater San Diego region.

Mello brings more than 11 years of banking experience, covering business lending, small business client acquisition and branch management. Most recently, he served as vice president, relationship manager of commercial banking for Banc of California in La Jolla. Active in the community, Mello volunteers as a board member for Junior Achievement’s Young Executive Society. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Johnson & Wales University.

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Justin Gentry named general manager of Kimpton Solamar Hotel

Justin Gentry has been named general manager of the 235-room Kimpton Solamar Hotel in Downtown San Diego. In his new role, Gentry will be responsible for leading day-to-day hotel operations, focusing on guest relations and employee engagement, and developing business growth and branding strategies that focus on increasing profitability while maintaining Kimpton’s high guest satisfaction.

Gentry brings more than 12 years of hospitality industry experience to his new role and has served as assistant general manager at Kimpton Solamar Hotel for the past five years, supporting the management of day-to-day operations and leading front office, housekeeping and engineering teams. Gentry joined Kimpton Solamar as director of rooms in 2013, and during his tenure at the property has successfully demonstrated leadership, effective management and engagement in all areas of the hotel’s operations. Prior to his time at Kimpton Solamar, Gentry held various roles in the hospitality industry, starting out his career at the Conrad Indianapolis followed by a relocation to San Diego, where he held several leadership roles at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and Hilton Gaslamp San Diego.