Daily Business Report-Sept. 10, 2020
Rendering of Carvana’s car vending machine. (Photo courtesy of Carvana Inc.)
Carvana Inc. proposes car
vending machine in Escondido
It would dispense cars, not soda
Carvana Inc. recently proposed a project to build an eight-level “car vending machine” on a 1.85 acre lot in Escondido visible from the I-15 freeway.
The location is on Hale Avenue and Tulip Street at the site of a former meat packing plant.
The proposed 75-foot-tall Escondido tower would hold 32 cars on eight levels, said Mike Strong, director of community development with the city. The project is planned for a 1.85-acre triangular lot.
This project is tentatively scheduled for consideration by Escondido City Council on Sept. 23. If approved, the vending site will be the first of its kind in San Diego County and is anticipated to dispense its first car in late 2021 or early 2022.
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San Diego Council passes measure
to help laid-off hotel workers
An ordinance that will require hotels to give workers who were laid off because of the pandemic priority when they hire staff back passed the San Diego City Council Tuesday.
“Council’s action to approve my Emergency Recall and Retention Ordinance will ensure the most experienced San Diegans, in our most critical sectors, are rehired first to promote efficiency and safety as we re-open and rebuild our economy,” said Councilman Chris Ward in a statement.
The ordinance will require that hotels of 200 rooms or more give laid-off employees a chance to apply for positions as they open up before extending offers to others. It also requires that hotels hire back based on seniority and if they don’t, that they provide a written explanation. The emergency ordinance takes effect immediately and will remain in effect for six months from the effective date, or as of Jan. 1, 2021 if AB 3216, a state bill that includes similar provisions is signed into law.
Republican Councilmen Chris Cate and Scott Sherman both voted no.
“Flexibility and business expertise is needed to save the industry from unprecedented declines in tourism due to COVID-19,” Sherman wrote in a statement. “Instead of supporting this vital sector, the City Council has attached a heavy bureaucratic anchor around the necks of the hotel industry. This heavy-handed ordinance drafted by union bosses could result in the closure of several hotels already struggling to survive.”
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Registrar of Voters introduces
ballot tracking system
Voters can sign up for Where’s My Ballot?
If you are an active registered voter, you can now sign up to track the status of your mail ballot – when the ballot is mailed to you, when the Registrar of Voters gets it back from you in the mail and when it is counted.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, every active registered voter in California will receive a ballot in the mail for the Nov. 3 Presidential General Election.
The ballot tracking tool is new. Voters can sign up for Where’s My Ballot? at sdvote.com to receive automatic email, text, or call notification on the status of their ballot.
It’s also a good idea for voters to double-check their registration in the next couple of weeks to make sure the Registrar of Voters sends the mail ballot to the correct address.
Check your registration information. Make sure your residence and, if different, your mailing address is up to date.
Have you moved or changed your name? Whether you are new to San Diego County or just moved down the street you need to re-register to vote.
Are you a first-time voter? Register to vote – it takes less than two minutes.
The Registrar of Voters office will be preparing ballots for the mail by mid-September, and ballots will start going out to registered voters the week of Oct. 5. If your voter information is up to date you should expect to receive your ballot the same week.
Voting by mail is simple, safer, and secure. The Registrar of Voters has launched an awareness campaign, Vote Safer San Diego, to educate the public on the safety, security and ease of voting in the upcoming election amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those who want to vote in person will still have the opportunity to do so, but they may run into long lines, both at the polls and the Registrar’s office.
To learn more about Vote Safer San Diego and voting in the Nov. 3 election, visit sdvote.com or call 858-565-5800.
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SDSU’s Center for Latin American
Studies receives partnership grant
San Diego State University’s Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) was selected to receive a Tinker Foundation grant to fund graduate student field research study in Latin America. The College of Arts and Letters will provide matching funding for the five-year grant.
SDSU was among 31 universities to apply for the Tinker grant; 11 universities were selected to join the inaugural Tinker Field Research Collaborative with four other centers invited as affiliates.
Through annual grantmaking of approximately $4 million, the Tinker Foundation supports work in the areas of democratic governance, education, and sustainable resource management. With 40 years of experience in funding field research in Latin America, Tinker launched the collaborative to connect centers across the U.S. to enhance the impact of the student field research experience.
SDSU’s Center for Latin American Studies trains the future Latin Americanists of the region, provides knowledge on the historical and contemporary issues of Latin America to the region’s public, and fosters open debate and discussion on U.S./Latin American policies.
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Veteran real estate executive
launches National Lease Advisors
Ed Muna, a 30-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry, announced the launch of National Lease Advisors, a provider of portfolio advisory services including lease administration, lease audit, and lease accounting.
With a focus on small to mid-size companies that have historically been overlooked by traditional commercial real estate firms, National Lease Advisors will help U.S.-based companies with five to 500 locations manage their real estate obligations regionally, nationally and globally, said Muna.
Unlike large brokerage firms that offer lease administration as a peripheral service, National Lease Advisors’ sole focus is on helping companies manage their lease portfolios and navigate complex real estate transactions, saving them time, risk and money.
“My reason for starting National Lease Advisors is simple,” said Muna. “I knew that I could provide a level of service to companies with five or more locations that weren’t being served by the traditional brokerage firm. Global brokerage firms are targeting clients with over 1,000 locations, and smaller firms are unable to invest in the people and resources needed to do the job well. We fill this gap by delivering customized service directly to tenants, and also partnering with brokers to offer our expertise as an outsourced extension of their team.”
Prior to forming National Lease Advisors, Muna spent nine years leading the lease administration and audit division for a national tenant representation company. Before that he worked on the landlord side, where he oversaw the leasing, management and accounting of a diverse portfolio comprising millions of square feet of commercial space.
Muna’s son, Michael Muna, a real estate broker with eight years of experience in commercial leasing, will also join the National Lease Advisors team as its vice president.
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NAWBO San Diego announces
virtual 2020 BRAVA Awards
The San Diego chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, NAWBO San Diego, has changed a 15-year-old awards event into a web educational mini-series. The 2020 BRAVA Awards are a way to celebrate the accomplishments of local business women, while also educating and entertaining.
NAWBO San Diego has selected finalists in each of six categories: Woman Business Owner of the Year, Rising Star Award, Resilience Award, Trailblazer Award, Women’s Advocate of the Year and Corporate Leader Award. Each finalist will have an opportunity to share their story in a series of broadcasted educational panels.
Each panel discussion will be released each Friday at noon, as a series of “shows” throughout September and October. Following the airing of each panel, voting will be open to the general public for one week. After all six shows are released, voting will again open for ALL award categories between Oct. 16-20, for those that missed the opportunity to vote in the first round.
This will culminate in our LIVE Awards Show Finale on Friday Oct. 23, 2020 from 5 to 6 p.m., where winners will be announced.
Show schedules and registration can all be found at www.BRAVAawards.org.
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Campaign for UC San Diego
raises record-breaking $344.4 million
Donors gave generously to the University of California San Diego in fiscal year 2019-2020. Philanthropic gifts and grants to fund a range of initiatives resulted in a record-breaking year for the Campaign for UC San Diego: $344.4 million was raised—the third consecutive year the university has generated over $300 million in private support—bringing the campaign total through June 30, 2020 to $2.27 billion.
Of the $344 million in private support, $101 million was received by the university as private grants last year, including over $65 million designated to health sciences and $32 million to the general campus. Among the largest grantors were the Gates Foundation, giving nearly $18 million to help fund initiatives in health and social sciences; the Simons Foundation, giving over $10 million to physics and other areas; and West Health with over $4 million to fund emergency medicine.
In addition, charitable gifts comprised $243 million of the private support, of which $140 million was directed to health sciences; $78 million to the general campus, including Chancellor’s initiatives; $15 million to marine sciences; and $10 million to student affairs.
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Howard Healthcare Academy
reopens for in-person classes
Howard Healthcare Academy, only school in San Diego strictly dedicated to dental programs, has reopened for in-person classes, following the mandatory COVID-19 spring closure. Classes are now underway.
The Academy’s next Dental Assistant program start commences Sept. 28 and has just one space left, while its Orthodontic Assistant program begins Oct. 3 with just a few spaces left. They have the only Registered Dental Assistant with Extended Functions program in San Diego. The next RDAEF program start is Jan. 9, 2021.
To help with tuition, Howard Healthcare Academy offers financing options and scholarships through their affiliation with The Super Dentists.
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Port of San Diego CEO Randa Coniglio
announces retirement plans
Port of San Diego President Randa Coniglio announced that she will retire as the Port’s chief executive officer, and will help commissioners recruit her successor while continuing to oversee Port operations. Coniglio’s retirement date has not yet been set.
Coniglio leads more than 500 employees managing the Port, a state special district responsible for more than 14,000 acres of tideland, bay and beaches along 34 waterfront miles in five cities.
Coniglio joined the Port as a senior real estate asset manager in 2000, rising in the ranks to become executive vice president for Port operations in 2011, then was elevated to become president and chief executive officer in 2015.
Under Coniglio’s leadership:
- Revitalized Seaport Village after taking over ownership and operation of the bayfront shopping, dining and entertainment center.
- Successfully oversaw the development of one of Southern California’s iconic, flagship waterfront and restaurant sites. Portside Pier, with four dining concepts and public access features, opened on the North Embarcadero in July 2020.
- Received a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the modernization of the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal. The project was completed in June 2020.
- Welcomed the Intercontinental Hotel back to San Diego with its opening on the North Embarcadero in 2018
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St. Paul’s PACE hires new operations
director, Alberto Aldrete
Alberto Aldrete of Poway has been named the new operations director of St. Paul’s Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
Aldrete is a senior executive with nearly 30 years of extensive experience and proven success in organizational development and change management. He has successfully run multifaceted ambulatory medical centers and multiple social service programs with 72,000 and 70,000 annual encounters, respectively.
At St. Paul’s PACE, Aldrete will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and ongoing management of more than 190 employees in all areas of the program, including three St. Paul’s PACE centers serving over 1,000 participants, Alternative Care Settings, Behavioral Health Services, and Supportive Housing program for formerly homeless seniors, and a new satellite clinic in Encinitas.
St. Paul’s Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a medical program for low-income seniors with chronic medical conditions that cares for seniors so that they can remain living in their homes longer. The program offers primary medical care, rehabilitation therapies, social services, home care, transportation, and more.
Aldrete received his MBA in Healthcare Administration from National University. He obtained his M.D. from the Hospital General de Tijuana, México, and Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, México, after earning his Business Administration degree from San Diego State University.
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San Diego Community College District
names vice chancellor of human resources
Gregory Smith, a human resources manager with community college leadership experience, has been named vice chancellor of human resources for the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD).
Smith will oversee a team that directly supports a district with nearly 5,000 employees across three credit colleges and a large noncredit division. Areas of responsibility include collective bargaining, grievance administration, academic and classified employment, classification, compensation, leadership and staff development, diversity and EEO compliance, payroll, benefits, retirement, risk management, legal services, and policy development. Smith will also serve as the district’s chief negotiator and as a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet.
Smith is currently interim assistant superintendent/vice president of administrative services at Shasta-Tehama-Trinity Community College District.
Prior to joining Shasta-Tehama in 2016, Smith filled several leadership roles with the U.S. Department of Labor including serving as district director of three field offices and director of regional operations in the Pacific Region. He also served as assistant district director in the department’s Chicago field office and as compliance officer in the Phoenix field office.
