Daily Business Report-Feb. 6, 2020
Measurabl’s new offices in EMMES’ 707 Broadway building. (Photos by Business Wire)
Software startup Measurabl takes root
in EMMES’ Downtown 707 Broadway building
Measurabl, a growing ESG (environmental, social, and governance) data management platform supporting the commercial real estate industry, completed its 9,500-square-foot office space at EMMES’ Downtown 707 Broadway building.
The Measurabl team, led by Founder and CEO Matt Ellis, chose to move Downtown because of the collective opportunity to grow and support its culture. The new office gives the team room to grow, as well as access to the many walkable amenities downtown has to offer, including public transportation
707 Broadway – which has been attracting innovative companies – is especially appealing to socially conscious companies with its 30 EV chargers, on-site game room, bike storage room and craft coffee café called the Bean Box. The dog-friendly building also includes an updated conference room and complimentary fitness center.
“As an ESG data management tool for the commercial real estate industry, we were uniquely interested in the energy efficiency of the building and value the owners placed on their environmental impact,” said Jessica Mangona, vice president of operations at Measurabl. “This, paired with the ability to build out a large, open floor plan for our team with all the amenities we sought, made 707 Broadway an easy choice.”
Founded in 2013, Measurabl plans to add to Downtown’s vibrant scene by expanding its involvement in the San Diego community and adding personnel to facilitate growth.
“We’ve grown quickly; we now have 80 employees, the majority of whom are based in our San Diego headquarters. With the focus on ESG data rapidly increasing, we will continue to build our team to support our growing client base,” Mangona said.
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Tri-City Hospital Foundation receives
$1 million gift from Pamela J. Gallade Trust
Tri-City Hospital Foundation, a local nonprofit, has received a $1 million gift from Pamela J. Gallade, a philanthropist who grew up in the Oceanside community, and who passed away in 2018.
Pamela’s parents lived and raised their family in Oceanside and received medical care at Tri-City Medical Center throughout their lives. They were very fond of the Medical Center and appreciated the important role it has and continues to play as a community hospital. In honor of her parents’ passing, it was Pamela’s wish that the funds be used to support Tri-City Medical Center’s cardiac and oncological care services.
The gift will help the foundation acquire more sophisticated, state-of-the-art medical equipment for Tri-City Medical Center, ensuring the hospital can deliver advanced care to achieve the best possible health outcomes for its patients.
“Pamela was a wonderful friend, a lovely person,” said Gloria Foote, Pamela’s friend and financial adviser. “She was generous and caring and so supportive of her family and community. Pam’s desire was to make a positive difference, and she did.”
Pamela is survived by her son, Bryon Gallade, her daughter-in-law, Jenny Gallade, and their four children, Aidan, Cannon, Brighton and Brecken. She was preceeded in death by her husband Jim Gallade who died in 2001 and her son Kevin Gallade who died in 2008.
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Balboa Park Conservancy’s signature
project finally gets funded
The San Diego City Council authorized acceptance of an $8 million grant that would allow the city to move forward on a long-planned renovation project for Balboa Park’s Botanical Building that should be completed by the summer of 2022, the Union-Tribune reports.
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Judy Forrester stepping down as
head of The New Children’s Museum
Judy Forrester, executive director and CEO of The New Children’s Museum in Downtown San Diego, will conclude her tenure – and career in San Diego – this summer. Forrester and her husband Bryce will be relocating to Tennessee.
Initially brought in as a consultant in December 2015, Forrester was hired as executive director and CEO in April, 2016. During her four years with the museum, annual attendance has nearly doubled, reaching 317,000 in 2019, admissions revenue has increased 130 percent and membership revenue has increased by more than 80 percent.
In 2019, the museum was awarded the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal, the nation’s highest honor in the field. The honor is awarded to five museums and five library systems in the U.S. specifically for their community impact.
“San Diego has provided me with fantastic career opportunities and a lifetime of friendships,” Forrester said. “I’m extremely grateful to be leaving on such a high note.”
A graduate of San Diego State University, Forrester has held numerous executive positions in San Diego, including president and CEO of USO San Diego, senior vice president, San Diego market manager for Bank of America, president and CEO of LEAD San Diego,
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Google chief economist visits UC San Diego
for talk on ‘The Seven Deadly Sins of Technology’
Hal Varian, chief economist for Google, will discuss “The Seven Deadly Sins of Technology” at 7:30 am on Monday, March 2 at the UC San Diego Rady School Of Management, Multipurpose Room II.
Discounts are available for UCSD faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
Hal Varian is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Economic Association and recipient of the Paul Gerowski Prize for research in industrial organization and the Humboldt Prize for general scientific research, among many other honors and distinctions.
In this talk he will share some of the insights from his career in academics and business on how new technology is changing the concentration of economic power, the nature of competition, and barriers to entry for new firms. For more information or to register visit http://economics.ucsd.edu/events/economics-roundtable/index.html email econroundtable@ucsd.edu, or call 858-534-9710.
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City of San Diego earns top ranking for financial health
The city of San Diego ranks first in financial health among similar-sized cities across the country – a top ranking it has held for eight consecutive years, according to a new report from the independent City Auditor’s Office.
The Performance Audit of the City’s Financial Condition also concluded the results are a testament to the discipline of city leaders through the implementation of strong fiscal policies, practices and controls.
The audit, which focused on activity and balances through fiscal year 2018, found that San Diego’s financial condition scored first or second in nearly every category, and first overall for the last eight years, compared to similarly sized cities, including Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Dallas, San Jose and Austin.
The auditor analyzed 10 financial metrics designed to assess performance in four areas: financial position, revenues, debt and capital assets.
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Pastor and CEO Harold Brown selected
as 2019 El Cajon Citizen of the Year
Harold Brown, pastor and CEO of the East County Transitional Living Center and a homeless advocate, has been selected as the 2019 El Cajon Citizen of the Year. Brown’s award was announced by the El Cajon Citizen of the Year Committee.
Brown will be honored at a luncheon from noon to 2:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 10 at the Ronald Reagan Community Center, 195 East Douglas Ave., El Cajon. The public is invited to attend. Admission is $25 per person and lunch is included. Tickets are available online at www.EastCountyChamber.org under “Events,” or by calling (619) 440-6161.
Brown will be honored for his community involvement, including support to several nonprofits and charitable volunteer work. “This award is a huge honor and I’m very grateful and humbled by it,” he said.
Brown is best known in the community for his leadership at East County Transitional Living Center, a faith-based community services nonprofit serving low-income and homeless individuals and families seeking shelter, security and healing, as well as others needing recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and unhealthy and broken relationships. More than 400 men, women and children are served daily at the center.
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Another attempt made to ban
flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes
Dan Morain | CALmatters
California Democrats once again are pushing to ban flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes, as a way to discourage underage vaping, CalMatters’ Elizabeth Aguilera reports.
A quarter of high-schoolers reported using e-cigarettes in 2019.
Democratic Sen. Jerry Hill of San Mateo is carrying Senate Bill 793 to prohibit the sale of flavored nicotine e-cigarettes and tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes and chewing tobacco.
Hill: “The gateway is the flavored product, and we can’t leave it to the industry to police themselves, because they failed to do that.”
Hill’s bill does not extend to flavored cannabis e-cigarettes.
Politics: Democrats who control Sacramento generally shun tobacco. Most refuse tobacco industry donations.
However, Democratic lawmakers generally favor the cannabis industry, which has become a lobbying force since voters legalized commercial sales in 2016.
To read Aguilera’s report, click here.
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KPMG takes minority interest in LumaTax
KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm, has taken a minority interest in LumaTax, a San Diego-based sales and use tax technology company that is reimagining the way sales tax compliance and audit is handled.
CPA firms that use LumaTax’s proprietary software platform benefit from a suite of industry-first tools designed to help them deliver effective and scalable sales and use tax advisory services to their clients.
KPMG’s investment in LumaTax is intended to complement and enhance both companies’ approach to the market through innovation and technology. KPMG joins Madrona Venture Group, Cowboy Ventures, Greycroft, Vulcan Capital and others in this round of financing. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“KPMG continually demonstrates its commitment to helping clients reimagine their tax operations and become future ready,” said Robert Schulte, founder and CEO at LumaTax Inc. “We are excited that they are joining us at this pivotal time for LumaTax.”
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SDG&E vice president and SDSU assistant director
appointed to San Diego Housing Commission Board
The San Diego City Council confirmed Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer’s appointments of two new members of the San Diego Housing Commission Board of Commissioners—Eugene “Mitch” Mitchell, the vice president of state governmental affairs and external affairs for San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Company, and Dion Akers, assistant director of strategic partnership for San Diego State University.
Mitchell fills the seat previously held by Commissioner Tim Walsh, and Akers fills the seat previously held by Commissioner Frank Urtasun.
Mitchell oversees all of SDG&E’s external affairs activities and is responsible for state governmental affairs for both SDG&E and Southern California Gas Company.
Akers holds bachelor’s degrees in public relations and political science from SDSU. Mitchell’s and Akers’ terms on the SDHC Board will expire on Jan 2, 2024.
