Daily Business Report-Jan. 28, 2021
Executive order directs agencies to buy domestic
goods in support of U.S. manufacturers, workers
ExecutiveGOV
President Biden signed an executive order that directs federal agencies to purchase U.S-made products and services as part of efforts to support U.S. businesses, manufacturers and workers and strengthen the enforcement of Buy American laws.
The EO orders a centralized evaluation of agency waivers of Buy American provisions and requires the General Services Administration (GSA) to post waivers on a public website, the White House said Monday.
“This Executive Order fulfills President Biden’s promise to make Buy American real and close loopholes that allow companies to offshore production and jobs while still qualifying for domestic preferences,” the document reads.
The policy creates a new position – director of Made-in-America – at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to oversee the EO’s implementation, orders an increase in the domestic content threshold and directs agencies to use the Manufacturing Extension Partnership to establish connections with domestic suppliers.
Agencies should also submit reports on how they implement Made in America laws and offer recommendations for achieving the administration’s objectives related to such regulations.
San Diego event part of Better
Workplaces Challenge Cup
ParagonLabs, a workplace innovation lab powered by SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), announced the first ever Better Workplaces Challenge Cup, a national competition for startup enterprises to present forward-thinking workplace tech innovations directly to HR and business professionals from around the country. The San Diego area regional event will take place on April 6, 2021.
ParagonLabs created the Challenge Cup to spur the development of technologies that can propel the HR profession and enhance the workplace.
Through 19 local and five regional rounds of competition taking place February to May 2021, the judges will look for innovations that solve today’s most pressing workplace challenges. The tech creation must directly work towards building better workplaces, such as solutions to improve diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, employee communication and engagement, health and wellness, leadership development, performance management, or other matters that impact the workplace.
Five finalists will present their idea at SHRM’s Annual Conference & Expo, June 20-23, virtually and in Chicago.
The winner of the Better Workplaces Challenge Cup will receive a cash prize of $50,000 and learn about investment opportunities to get their innovation off the ground and in workplaces everywhere
Learn more about the Better Workplaces Challenge Cup.
COVID-19 emergency rental assistance
program expanded by county supervisors
The County Board of Supervisors voted to expand the emergency rental assistance program for San Diegans who have suffered economic hardships due to COVID-19.
The county’s program allows San Diegans who are facing eviction or are unable to pay their rent to apply for financial assistance. Funds can be used to cover rent, utilities and other household expenses.
The expanded program will award funds for up to six months of expenses at a time and applicants can request additional funding if they still require monetary assistance after that time. The emergency rental assistance program would also give priority to single-parent households, many of which have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic’s impact on the economy.
The program is funded by $48.8 million in federal stimulus funds the county received earlier this month. The federal stimulus dollars will cover rental assistance needs for residents living in 16 cities in the county, as well as the unincorporated areas. The cities of San Diego and Chula Vista received their own funds from the federal government and will oversee their rental assistance programs separately.
The board also voted to work with the state to develop a plan to allow a safe return to youth sports competitions.
SDSU’s health disparities expert receives
CSU Wang Family Excellence Award
Through her work at San Diego State University, leading public health researcher Hala Madanat has impacted the health of thousands of San Diegans through programs to promote intuitive eating and physical activity in Latinx and other underserved communities, and contact tracing efforts in the communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For these and other significant contributions, Madanat has been selected for the 2021 Wang Family Excellence Award for Outstanding Faculty Scholarship — the highest honor the California State University grants to faculty.
Each year, California State University selects one outstanding contributor in each of five categories — scholarship (or research), teaching, student success, service and staff performance — from across its 23 campuses for the prestigious awards.
“It’s humbling to be nominated by my colleagues on campus and to be chosen by the CSU for this honor,” said Madanat, SDSU’s interim vice president for research and innovation. “I’m grateful to the Wang family for the recognition they give CSU faculty and staff.”
As professor and director of the SDSU School of Public Health, Madanat was selected last February for the 2020 Albert W. Johnson Distinguished Faculty Award — one exceptional faculty member is selected each year — for her work on obesity prevention in underserved communities.
SDSU to begin vaccine rollout, delays
in-person instruction to March
By Patrick Doyle, staff writer, The Daily Aztec
San Diego State will soon be distributing COVID-19 vaccines at Calpulli Center pending approval from the state of California. Meanwhile, the university has postponed in-person instruction for most currently approved courses until March 1.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced last week the arrival of more than 2 million doses of vaccines in the state for qualified individuals through phase one, which includes paramedics, health care workers and individuals over 75. Once SDSU is approved to administer vaccines, all faculty, staff and students will be able to receive them as they become eligible. The university expects its distribution site will be approved within the week.
On Jan. 23, the county expanded vaccine eligibility to San Diegans 65 or older. The county is distributing vaccines at several sites, including Petco Park, and appointments are available through the county website.
County’s child health officer appointed to
Medi-Cal Children’s Health Advisory Panel
The County Health and Human Services Agency’s child health officer has been appointed to a state board that provides advice on issues impacting children whose parents have limited income and resources. Dr. Kelly Motadel is one of 15 members on the Medi-Cal Children’s Health Advisory Panel, which advises the California Department of Health Care Services on policy and operational issues that affect children on Medi-Cal.
The 15 members on the advisory body are recognized experts and stakeholders in their fields, “practicing and/or certified medical professionals, advocates who represent the interest of children’s health, as well as parent members who provide feedback on topics that impact children in Medi-Cal.”
While the term is usually three years, Motadel’s appointment will last through Dec. 31, 2022 because she is completing the term of a recently departed member.
As the child health officer at the County Medical Care Services Division, Motadel is responsible for assisting in the planning, organizing and directing of all functions related to children’s health in the County of San Diego, including the enforcement of all related laws, ordinances and regulations.
San Diego Continuing Education
begins spring semester Feb. 1
Free classes start Monday, Feb. 1 at San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE). As industries face hardship and uncertainty, this spring SDCE will help residents from across the county to attain livable wages in a COVID-19 economy through free short-term career training in several pandemic resilient workforce sectors from information technology, health care, to automotive, and plumbing. Other free classes include English as a Second Language (ESL), Citizenship, and High School Diploma/Equivalency.
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, all classes for the spring 2021 semester will be taught through remote online instruction using simulation software to mirror in-person learning and industry competencies.
“Currently, we only plan to have welding labs on campus for the beginning of the spring semester,” said Andrei Lucas, dean of skilled and technical trades. “We may bring back some of the automotive technology labs but that is dependent on the status of COVID-19.”
EDF Renewables acquires remaining
interest in EnterSolar
San Diego-based EDF Renewable North America (EDFR), a developer in the renewable energy sector, has acquired EnterSolar, a national provider of distributed generation solar solutions to corporate commercial and industrial customers.
EDF Renewables previously held a 50-percent interest in EnterSolar in a strategic partnership they announced in September. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of EDF Renewables, EnterSolar will operate as a part of the Distributed Solutions Group and benefit from increased financial stability and broader offerings, including energy storage and smart electric vehicle charging.
EnterSolar brings a strong 15-year track record of providing behind-the-meter solar solutions for a diverse range of corporate clients nationally and will continue to provide C&I customers with premier solar and solar-plus-storage solutions in the same committed manner. With 59 MW of solar capacity installed in 2020 alone, EnterSolar has consistently ranked among the top developers of C&I solar in the U.S. Through this acquisition, EnterSolar benefits from EDF Renewables’ equipment procurement capabilities, project development capital, and additional product offerings, while positioning EDFR to meet the accelerating demand for distributed generation solar solutions from the corporate C&I market.
UC professor to discuss fiscal policy
of the Biden administration
Alan Auerbach, professor of economics, University of California Berkeley, will discuss Fiscal Policy During the New Administration at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17 via the online video platform Zoom.
Where is U.S. fiscal policy likely to go under President Biden? Where should it go? In this talk Alan Auerbach, one of the nation’s leading experts on tax policy and public finance, will offer his thoughts.
Auerbach is the Robert D. Burch Professor of Economics and Law at U.C. Berkeley and president of the Western Economic Association International. He has also served as vice president of the American Economic Association and President of the National Tax Association. 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.
Sony Electronics launches KOOV
Academy to support teachers with
STEAM education
Sony Electronics Inc. announces the launch of KOOV Academy in partnership with UC San Diego Education Studies Department. This program supports educators as they implement STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) programs in the classroom, in a way that keeps students highly engaged.
KOOV is an all-in-one coding, robotics and design kit that combines digital coding with physical building to teach the next generation of innovators. The partnership was first announced during Sony’s recent Corporate Social Responsibility video panel that aired during the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show.
The STEAM program will offer educators “getting started” trainings, help them design lesson plans, and will provide classroom support for the kickoff of their programs. In addition, Sony has committed to donating KOOV robotics and coding kits to classrooms serving underprivileged students across San Diego, enabling them to start their programs.
For those interested in KOOV Academy participation or wish to hear about opportunities in the community, please submit an interest form here.
