Daily Business Report – March 12th, 2021

Aerial photo of proposed Port of San Diego Pond 20 wetlands restoration area located between Palm Avenue and the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in south San Diego Bay.

Port of San Diego OKs agreement for south San Diego Bay wetlands restoration

As part of efforts to protect and enhance San Diego Bay’s natural resources, the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex and Poseidon Resources to coordinate on wetlands restoration and enhancement in south San Diego Bay. 

The MOU allows the three parties to share information, consult and coordinate on implementation, and collaborate on the design, construction, and long-term monitoring of south San Diego Bay restoration, including the Refuge and Poseidon’s Otay River Estuary Restoration Project (ORERP) and, as may be approved by the Port’s Board of Port Commissioners, the Port’s proposed Wetland Mitigation Bank at Pond 20. 

Salk Professor Wolfgang Busch named first incumbent of Hess Chair in Plant Science

Salk Professor Wolfgang Busch has been recognized for his contributions and dedication to advancing science through research by being named the first holder of the Hess Chair in Plant Science, effective April 1, 2021.

Hess Corporation, a global independent energy company, recently donated $3 million to establish the endowed chair at Salk.

Busch, a member of the Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory and the Integrative Biology Laboratory, studies plants’ roots, which are not only critical for obtaining water and nutrients from the soil but also for storing potentially billions of tons of carbon per year from the atmosphere, thereby constituting a powerful tool for mitigating climate change. His research seeks to understand which genes and molecular mechanisms determine how roots develop and grow, and respond to the environment. Recently, Busch uncovered a gene responsible for helping plants thrive in stressful environments. Prior to that, he discovered a gene that determines whether a root grows deep or shallow in the soil.

“We believe the scientific advancements by Salk’s plant science team will play a pivotal role in addressing climate change, and we are honored to support their groundbreaking work,” says John Hess, CEO of Hess Corporation.

Board of Port Commissioners appoints Mark Yeilding as port auditor

The Port of San Diego announces the appointment of Mark Yeilding as port auditor. He had been serving as acting port auditor since Jan. 8, 2020. Yeilding succeeds Robert “Bob” Monson, who served as the port’s auditor from 2013 until his retirement on Jan. 7, 2020.

In his job, Yeilding plans, organizes, directs and oversees the port’s audit function. He is responsible for auditing internal accounting and financial management activities to assure compliance with statutory requirements and accounting standards. In this position, he will examine and analyze fiscal procedures, verify accounts and expenditures, and provide other analyses of financial and operating data as directed by the Board of Port Commissioners.

Yeilding began his career at the Port in February 2014 as a deputy port auditor. In April 2018, he was appointed assistant port auditor, overseeing four deputy port auditors. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California and is a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Government Auditing Professional, earning both of these standings through the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Cal State San Marcos names next VP of finance and administrative services

California State University San Marcos President Ellen Neufeldt announced the appointment of Leon Wydem as the university’s new vice president of finance and administrative services. Wyden currently serves as vice president for administration and finance at Frostburg State University (FSU) in Frostburg, Md. Frostburg is part of the University System of Maryland.

At CSUSM, Wyden will be responsible for overseeing a division of 240 employees with six subdivisions: administration, business and financial services, facilities development and management, human resources, the university police department and the CSUSM Corporation. Wyden’s appointment will begin at the end of May 2021.

Wyden’s previous positions include vice president for business affairs at the University of Findlay, vice president for finance and administration at Tiffin University, and associate vice president of finance and planning at Upper Iowa University. Wyden’s first position in higher education was as deputy controller at Howard University. 

Wyden holds a bachelor’s of business administration in accounting from the University of Detroit Mercy and is a certified public accountant. He succeeds Mary Stephens, who has served in the interim role since the retirement of Neal Hoss in fall 2020.

Bosa announces pre-leasing for its first multi-family development Downtown

Diega, Downtown San Diego’s newest luxury high-rise apartment community by Bosa, announces 617 new residences are now available for pre-leasing, giving new residents the opportunity to be one of the first to see floor plans and finishes. 

Diega spans a full city block with two towers rising 20 and 41 stories high, solidifying its position as a landmark structure in the center of Downtown. 

Diega will feature high-rise apartments including studios, one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms, along with penthouse residences located on the 41st floor. Interior highlights include designer finishes such as sleek stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, wood-style plank flooring, and views that overlook the vibrant city.

Diega is now pre-leasing with move-in dates anticipated for spring 2021. The Pre-Leasing Center is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. 

New San Diego Public Library program will focus on media literacy

The San Diego Public Library is beginning a series of free programs that will focus on media literacy and will include discussions on political reporting, investigative journalism and so-called “fake news.” The program will kick off with a virtual panel discussion featuring local journalists on Monday, March 15, 2021 at 6 p.m.  

The first program in the series of four panels is “Where Do We Go from Here: Life After the Trump White House” and will focus on how journalists report on elected officials. The program will be moderated by The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial and Opinion Director Matthew T. Hall and will feature Kate Morrissey, immigration reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune, Ismael Estrada, managing editor of NBC 7 San Diego, Chris Megerian, White House reporter for the Los Angeles Times, investigative journalist Jean Guerrero and Alex Presha from ABC News.  

To register for the program, visit the San Diego Public Library event calendar. Registration closes on March 14, 2021 at 6 p.m. Other programs will be announced at a later date. 

VOXOX announces partnership with YouMail Inc.

VOXOX, a 5G-enabled AI cloud communications company, announced its partnership with YouMail Inc., which provides security-first, cloud-based communication services for mobile phones.YouMail protects consumers, enterprises, and carriers from harmful phone calls.

VOXOX, which processes billions of calls and texts monthly, will be using YouMail’s sophisticated Robocall Mitigation Service and patented technology to block robocalls and phishing messages, protecting users from spam, identity theft, stalkers, and corporate fraud. YouMail’s robocall mitigation services protect carriers from originating, carrying, or terminating bad traffic on their networks, and have helped shut down numerous illegal robocalling campaigns, which allows carriers like VOXOX to quickly prevent bad calls from reaching peers or consumers and proactively shut down fraud.

“We believe security is of utmost importance. We are excited to team up with YouMail to provide trustworthy security and mitigation to all our users,” says Cleve Adams, CEO of VOXOX.

SBCS receives $20,000 from NECA to help Chula Vista residents pay rent and utilities

SBCS has received a $20,000 donation to its new rental and utility assistance program that will assist Chula Vista residents who have been impacted by the pandemic from the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) San Diego chapter. 

The donation was coordinated by Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas who has worked alongside both organizations and comes just a week before SBCS will begin accepting applications for assistance from the program. 

“I’ve worked with NECA for many years and I know how passionately they advocate for their members. It’s wonderful to see them step-up on behalf of their neighbors as well,” said Salas. “NECA’s $20,000 donation to the SBCS rental assistance program is a wonderful demonstration of community spirit.”  

San Diego and San Francisco school districts announce big summer school programs

CalMatters

Two of the state’s largest districts have unveiled plans for multimillion-dollar summer school programs, signaling this could be one of California’s main strategies to address a year of learning loss during the pandemic. 

On Tuesday, San Diego Unified approved a $22 million summer school program with in-person and online options, intended to help students improve their grades and increase the number of graduating high school seniors; currently, 20 percent aren’t on track to graduate in June.

San Francisco Unified announced a $50 million initiative Wednesday to offer in-person classes, summer camps and child care to all 52,000 K-12 public school students free of charge, with online options for those who choose. 

‘Revolutionary’ federal stimulus bill  could cut California child poverty by half

CalMatters

California’s child poverty rate could be slashed in half by the $1.9 trillion relief package the House of Representatives sent to Biden’s desk on Wednesday — marking a potential turning point for the Golden State, which has the nation’s highest poverty rate when accounting for the cost of living. 

Roughly two-thirds of California’s families with children will receive monthly cash aid for a year with no strings attached, something the state’s progressives had long dreamed of, but never managed to achieve, CalMatters’ Jackie Botts reports.

The expanded child tax credit, paired with California’s $600 Golden State stimulus payments, could help hundreds of thousands of undocumented families — who were shut out of earlier relief efforts — turn a financial corner amid the pandemic.