Daily Business Report-Feb. 20, 2020
Stacks of compressed aluminum awaiting transport at greenwaste recovery facility on July 29, 2019. (Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters)
California analysts urge lawmakers
to reject governor’s climate loan proposal
by Rachel Becker |CALmatters
Nonpartisan policy analysts took aim at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to use $1 billion in state funds to seed innovative climate change efforts, questioning the state’s ability to even identify the right projects.
The Climate Catalyst Loan Fund, which Newsom called for in his $222.2 budget proposal for next year, would offer low-interest loans to public and private projects that would otherwise struggle to attract venture capital money or bank loans — particularly those intended to combat climate impacts of recycling, transportation, agriculture, and forestry sectors.
But experts at California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office, which assesses state policy and advises California’s Legislature, said the proposal was not “adequately justified.”
Brian Weatherford, a senior fiscal policy analyst who assessed the loan proposal, warned legislators that the administration may not be able to spot the best projects to fund. On the one hand, the proposal is inherently risky, the LAO found, as it focuses on projects that do not qualify for other loans or grants and that might fail. If they cannot repay the loan, that could drain the program.
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Life After Gold: What’s Next
Natasha Watley’s talk during San Diego Women’s Week, “Reinvention: Life After Olympic Gold,” is a powerful story about starting over. After a lifetime focused on the singular goal of winning an Olympic Gold Medal, Natasha was lost when it was all over and she realized that the Olympic Committee provided no guidance or support and she had no idea what her “next” would be. A powerful and inspirational story about starting over and doing good.
Natasha will speak during San Diego Women’s Week March 16-20. Everyone is invited, and tickets can be purchased at www.sdwomensweek.com.
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Zombies, vampires and witches
as a new kind of hero
by David Ogul |Cal State San Marcos
Cal State San Marcos professor Natalie Wilson wants us to look at zombies, vampires and witches as warriors for social justice.
Wilson, who teaches primarily for the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department and who has written extensively about horror in popular culture, has released a new book, “Willful Monstrosity: Gender and Race in 21st Century Horror,” examining characters in the current horror renaissance as metaphors for the battle against sexual violence, greed, police brutality and other social justice issues. Her work focuses on productions such as “Get Out,” “Us,” “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Stranger Things,” and works by authors such as Carmen Maria Machado, Justin Cronin and Helen Oyeyemi (follow her blog where she posts regularly on horror).
“Horror stories today specifically speak to things that are happening right now, including police brutality and the #MeToo movement,” she said. “Monsters can be seen as heroic figures. Even where monsters are not great, humans are worse.”
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Fullstack Academy expands partnership
with USD to teach web programming
In response to burgeoning interest in its recently launched cyber bootcamp, Fullstack Academy announced Wednesday it has expanded its partnership with the University of San Diego with the establishment of a program that teaches web programming skills.
Fullstack Academy brings the program to a market that experienced a 19.7 percent increase in software and technology jobs over the past two years, according to CBRE Tech.
The growth supports a Wall Street Journal report that San Diego is one of the top-five cities responsible for 90 percent of U.S. high-tech job growth.
Coupled with job growth projections indicating San Diego will add about 8,500 tech-based positions in the next 10 years, demand for skilled professionals will be essential to meet the needs of regional development projects such as a 2.6 million square-foot Amazon distribution center and the Otay Crossings Commerce Center.
“The new University of San Diego Coding Bootcamp will provide students with the training and network opportunities they need for in-demand skilled technology jobs in as few as 12 weeks,” said Nimit Maru, Fullstack Academy co-founder. “The program is ideal for tech beginners—including college students and young or experienced professionals—who are looking to make career changes. It is perfect for San Diegans in non-tech industries such as military, education, retail and manufacturing who seek an opportunity to discover a new passion and career path.”
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Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa named
No. 1 Best Resort in the country
Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa has been named the No. 1 Best Resort and No.1 Best Hotel in California, and No. 4 Best Resort in the U.S. in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Best Hotel Rankings. The resort was also awarded No. 1 Best Relais & Châteaux Hotel in the world.
In conjunction with the luxury hotel and resorts industry accolades and class ratings, the Best Hotels methodology relies on expert and guest reviews to determine each property’s national ranking, identifying luxury hotels in the top 10 percent in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean with Gold badges, and the top 30 percent within specific markets with Silver badges.
“We are thrilled to have been named the number one resort and hotel in California for the second year in a row along with the number one Relais & Châteaux hotel in the world,” said Rancho Valencia’s General Manager, Coni Thornburg.
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UC San Diego receives $1.3 million
from Koret Foundation
The University of California San Diego has announced a gift of more than $1.3 million from the Koret Foundation to support research collaborations focused on marine archaeology between UC San Diego’s Scripps Center for Marine Archaeology (SCMA) and the University of Haifa’s Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies in Israel.
This three-year award will facilitate scientific exploration of coastal environments in Israel, which offer the most sensitive deep-time records for how humans have adapted to climate and environmental change over the past 11,000 years. The relatively new field of marine archaeology offers new ways of investigating these issues through the ages.
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Cross Border Xpress names Jeff Foster
as director of operations
Cross Border Xpress (CBX), the binational pedestrian bridge connecting a terminal in the U.S. directly to the Tijuana International Airport, has named Jeff Foster as director of operations for the facility.
In this role, Foster will be responsible for implementing and maintaining organizational processes that effect overall growth, efficiency and profitability for the business.
Foster previously served as corporate director of performance improvement for San Diego Zoo Global, and as operations support manager for the North American division of Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
With more than 30 years’ experience in leadership development and hotel operations, Foster has worked with global hotel brands over the years, including Hyatt, Marriott and Walt Disney Resorts. He holds a number of business and operations certifications, including Six Sigma, Lean, Organizational Capacity and Leadership methodologies.
Foster holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science degree from The Ohio State University.
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Attorney Michael McDonald
joins Higgs Fletcher & Mack
Attorney Michael McDonald has joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack, his practice centering on trust, estate and probate litigation
Primarily, McDonald represents individuals, fiduciaries, and entities in contested trust, estate, conservatorship, and elder abuse matters. Previously, McDonald spent several years as a probate litigator before shifting his practice to civil litigation. He will resume his focus on trusts and estates litigation at HFM.
McDonald earned his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he developed his passion for advocacy by serving as vice president of the Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Team and competing in Moot Court and Mock Trial tournaments.
Prior to law school, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the W.P. Carey School of Business and graduated cum laude from the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University. His legal community involvement includes serving in leadership positions for the San Diego County Bar Association and as a mentor for Crawford High School’s Academy of Law. He was also a member of the American Inns of Court, Louis M. Welsh chapter.
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Matt Clemens and Matt Wilkins join
KTUA Landscape Architecture and Planning
KTUA Landscape Architecture and Planning welcomes two new senior landscape architects to its staff: Matt Clemens and Matt Wilkins.
Matt Clemens has worked professionally in the field of landscape architecture since 2007 and has over 13 years of experience with private and public projects in Southern California. As senior landscape architect, his responsibilities include conceptual design, presentation graphics, peer review, project management, coordination with the design team and the development of CAD drawings. He holds a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona.
Matt Wilkins has rejoined KTUA after a year away, and is leading its California Central Coast office as a senior landscape architect. Wilkins has worked in interdisciplinary groups throughout his career and brings valuable knowledge of planning, design, construction, and digital technology to the team.
Wilkins has a diversity of work experience in both public and private sectors ranging from parks and recreation, trails and transportation infrastructure, hospitality, and commercial office design, k-12 and higher-education campuses, health care facilities, federal planning, and various other market areas. He holds a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and is a LEED Green Associate.
