Daily Business Report-Dec. 16, 2019
The new event center at Lakeside’s El Capitan High School. (Photo courtesy of C.W. Driver Companies)
C.W. Driver Companies completes construction
of El Capitan High School Events Center
C.W. Driver Companies has completed construction on the new $10.7 million, 15,000-square-foot event center for Grossmont Union High School District’s El Capitan High School in Lakeside. Consisting of two buildings on the campus’ south side, the facility adds much-needed band, drama and dance space and acts as a gathering area for the school’s more than 1,600 students.
Located at 10410 Ashwood St. on a site that previously housed tennis courts, the new event space features 250 retractable seats to accommodate theater productions, band performances and other events, as well as a lobby, concession and snack bar, storage space, AV room, green room and restrooms. Additional spaces include a drama classroom, band and orchestra suite and dance studio. Communications, janitorial and electrical rooms are also included onsite.
Nodding to the region’s iconic sycamore trees, the design incorporates the trees in the landscaping and reflects the lines and angles of the surrounding mountain range. El Capitan High School celebrates a 60-year history serving the educational needs of the Lakeside community.
C.W. Driver Companies partnered with Dena Johnson, project manager at Grossmont UHSD, and architect Harley Ellis Devereaux to bring the project to fruition. In addition to Withaar, the C.W. Driver team included Sam Myovich, senior project manager; Carrie Chambers, assistant project manager; Dan Howell, superintendent and Scott Blemker, superintendent.
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San Diego among nation’s innovation leaders
San Diego is among the top five innovation regions in the nation, according to a report produced by Brookings Institution. The study found that five metro areas — Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, and San Diego — captured nine out of 10 innovation sector jobs created from 2005 to 2017.
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General Atomics awards Gray Eagle
Extended Range modernization contracts
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has teamed with the U.S. Army to enhance the capabilities and survivability of the MQ-1C ER Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The Army awarded GA-ASI multiple contracts to upgrade the Gray Eagle ER’s avionics, datalinks and software in order to improve the UAS’s operational capability in contested environments. The modernization initiative provides an open architecture concept on the aircraft that is capable of hosting government-owned software, as well as increased autonomy required to support Scalable Control Interface and the rapid integration of long-range sensors. These enhancements will enable the Army’s vision for Multi-Domain Operations (MDO).
“The Army is investing in the Gray Eagle system because they get a tremendous performance increase as a return on their investment,” said David R. Alexander, president, GA-ASI. “GE-ER provides the U.S. Army with a UAS that adjusts to the changing threat environment and mission needs with unmatched endurance.”
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La Jolla startup Synthorx sells for $2.5 billion
French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has acquired La Jolla-based Synthorx for $2.5 billion. The cancer drug treatment startup is part of the cohort for startups backed by local VC firm Avalon Ventures.
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Brett Allen named 2020 president
of landscape architects chapter
The San Diego chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA-SD) announces Brett Allen as its new president for 2020.
Allen is an associate of VDLA Landscape Architects in Solana Beach where he is a project manager, irrigation department lead, and contracts manager. Allen takes pride in his extensive knowledge of plant material and how it applies to water-saving, and sustainable landscape design for each and every project.
Originally from Gilbert, Ariz., and a graduate of Arizona State University, Allen has been in San Diego for 16 years and lives in University Heights.
Says Allen, “My main goal as president of ASLA-SD is to promote awareness of our chapter to all of the landscape architects in San Diego, making sure they know about the many benefits that membership offers.”
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San Diego County landscape contractors
receive Trophy Awards for outstanding landscapes
The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA), a nonprofit trade organization of licensed and landscape-related contractors, presented various Trophy Awards to San Diego County landscape contractors during its annual convention.
- Coastal Pacific Landscape Management Inc. won First Place for Small Commercial Installation for their C-3 Bank project.
- Nature Designs Landscaping won First Place for Large Commercial Installation for work on its La Jolla Cliffs project.
- The San Diego chapter of CLCA won the Humanitarian First Place award for its work on the Teri Outdoor Teaching Garden.
The Trophy Awards were established to encourage interest in landscaping, recognize crafts people who produce outstanding landscapes, create pride in superior workmanship and bestow public recognition on companies, institutions, municipalities and residents for their interest in a beautiful California.
A total of 48 awards were presented. Two highly regarded landscape contractors traveled statewide to personally inspect each of the Trophy Award entrants. The judges rated projects on their artistic and technical merits.
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Qualcomm to launch new chips
for 5G Android phones in 2020
Qualcomm introduced its new lineup of Snapdragon processors for powering 5G Android smartphones. The chips will power devices available in the first half of 2020.
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Sher Downing named senior sales
manager for L’Auberge Del Mar
Sher Downing, most recently an associate director of sales and marketing at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine, has been appointed senior sales manager for L’Auberge Del Mar.In her new position, Downing is responsible for overseeing the hotel’s group sales and strategic outreach in San Diego/Palm Springs, the Northeast and Canada.
Downing brings 12 years of industry experience and achievements to the 121-room resort located in the heart of Del Mar. At Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine, she successfully restructured and coordinated the efforts of the sales department, leading the team to a targeted $10 average sales rate increase.
Prior to that, she served as national sales manager at Estancia La Jolla, where she oversaw the client base in all of California as well as in 14 additional states in the Midwest and the South.
She has also been a part of the impressive successes of sales teams at the Miramonte Resort & Pacific West Coast sector.
She attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she studied marketing and marketing management.
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3 classified employees of Grossmont-Cuyamaca
Community College District win exemplary awards
Three employees of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District have a good reason to celebrate this season as they are lauded for their exemplary work as classified professionals.
At the Dec. 13 Governing Board meeting, the three were named the 2019 winners of the Chancellor/Classified Senate Award. The jobs of the winners – Tenille Venard at Grossmont College, Jane Lytle from Cuyamaca College and Della Elliott from District Services — are varied, representing the broad range of tasks performed by non-instructional employees.
In recognition of classified professionals’ critical role, one member of each college and District Services is chosen each year for the honor and is presented with a trophy and a $250 gift certificate.
“What these three classified professionals have in common is their unwavering commitment to excellence in their service to students and their campus communities,” Chancellor Cindy L. Miles said. “Our classified professionals are fundamental to our institution. They are the first faces that students see when they arrive to the campuses and it is often their guidance that students seek to navigate the twists and turns of their educational journeys.”
Della Elliott
As a district communications writer and former newspaper reporter, Della Elliott has profiled hundreds of people, but when the tables turn and she is the focus of a piece, she finds herself a bit tongue-tied. She describes the situation as disconcerting, but she is grateful for being selected as the District Services recipient of the Chancellor/Classified Senate award. Elliott has earned numerous writing awards from the Community College Public Relations Organization, which represents California community college marketers, and the National Conference for Marketing and Public Relations, the national community college marketing organization.
“Della is a talented writer whose press releases and work with reporters have resulted in extensive media coverage for the district, which builds goodwill in the community and gets out the word about the many great things happening at our college district,” said Anne Krueger, communications and public information director for the college district.
Born in Tokyo, where her father, a U.S. Air Force sergeant, met her mother, Elliott spent her formative years in Japan before moving to Southern California, majoring in journalism at San Diego State University. Elliott said from the time she was in grade school, she wanted to be a writer chronicling other people’s lives.
After college, she was hired at The Daily Californian in El Cajon, and rose to managing editor before the paper was sold in 1999. Elliott was hired at the district in 2000 as a writer in the communications office.
Tenille Venard
At Grossmont College, every student set to graduate must first be assessed by evaluation advisers like Tenille Venard in the Admissions and Records office. With a calm demeanor and patience that comes from being the mother of a teenager and a 3-year-old, Venard guides students to make sure they’ve met all the requirements to obtain their diploma or to qualify for university transfer.
Jane Lytle
Adaptability is a strong suit for Jane Lytle, administrative assistant in Cuyamaca College’s Department of Institutional Effectiveness, Success and Equity.
Working at a job as varied as the department name suggests, Lytle is described by Senior Dean Brianna Hays as always positive and willing to take on any task with drive, commitment and a willingness to learn.
From orienting new employees to helping with major events such as convocation, Lytle’s employment at Cuyamaca College since 2007 has provided an institutional memory that’s proven invaluable.
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‘Get Fit San Diego’ starts in January
Chamber and Kaiser Permanente partner on workforce health and wellness
For those looking for a little motivation to accomplish their health and wellness resolutions in the new year, the San Diego Regional Chamber is here to help with its annual Get Fit San Diego Challenge. Get Fit is a fun and friendly fitness competition that gives participants a helping hand on their health related-goals, while underscoring the importance of a healthy, happy workforce. Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, registration is now open for the 30-day challenge, which begins Jan. 13, 2020.
“Beginning a new fitness plan or starting a company wellness program can be daunting, but with Get Fit we’re making it as easy as possible for businesses and everyone throughout San Diego to start the new year with a focus on health and wellness,” said Jerry Sanders, chamber president and CEO. “Healthy employees equal productive employees and that’s good for business and good for our community as a whole.”
The Get Fit Challenge is open to everyone – chamber members and nonmembers, individuals, and teams of five to 10 people. There is no cost to participate. Participants and teams can choose between three levels of competition based on their perceived fitness level: “Back on the Wagon,” “Average Joes,” and “Fitness Buffs.” Those interested in taking part can sign up now by visiting www.getfitsd.org.
In celebration of the start of the Get Fit Challenge and to offer participants an opportunity to network, all Get Fit participants are invited to a Chamber mixer on Jan. 29.
For more information or to register for Get Fit San Diego, visit www.getfitsd.org. Businesses in the health and fitness industry interested in hosting fitness events and activities should email GetFitSD@SDChamber.org.
