Daily Business Report: Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Cross-border effort now underway
to vaccinate 10,000 maquiladora workers
A coalition of six United States subsidiary companies have sponsored a COVID-19 mobile clinic to vaccinate 10,000 maquiladora workers employed in Baja California, Mexico.
“We started, six to eight months ago, talking to the private sector on how to help our people with their health and the economy of our state. We have to accelerate the pace of recovery from this pandemic because our health and our economy are hurting,” said Luis Lutteroth, president of Consejo de Desarrollo de Tijuana, speaking on behalf of Cámara Nacional de la Industria de la Transformación Tijuana and the participating companies: Poly, Compañía Embotelladora Del Fuerte-Coca Cola, Jacuzzi, Flex, Call Center Services International-CCSI and Sempra-IEnova.
Approximately 1,500 workers, recruited by their employers, will be vaccinated daily over seven non-consecutive days at a temporary UC San Diego Health mobile clinic in San Ysidro. The companies are covering operating and vaccine costs.
Because of the complex logistics required to vaccinate 10,000 people, the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine was selected for this clinic.
The vaccination clinic was made possible through the efforts of the Consulate General of Mexico and County of San Diego, which secured approval from the State of California.
County supervisors move closer to
regional transportation, land use plan
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Wednesday discussed how to move forward on a land use and transportation plan that could impact future building development in unincorporated regions. The county needs to comply with state Senate Bill 743, which changed how jurisdictions analyze transportation impacts.
Any policy change would directly affect residential and commercial developers, whose projects would have to mitigate traffic impacts. The policy could also raise development costs and housing prices.
The board voted unanimously for staff to present options for a potential regional plan, including infill development that doesn’t require miles traveled analysis and a full review of San Diego Association of Governments’ transportation plan when it’s released.
San Diego Workforce Partnership continues
monthly webinar May 27 to help employers
The San Diego Workforce Partnershipis continuing its monthly webinar seriesMay 27 at noon to help connect employers with crucial resources. This webinar is designed to help businesses through their recovery efforts and to help them navigate COVID-19 employer requirements.
The webinar series will cover an array of topics including health and safety requirements, workers’ compensation insurance, leave of absences, paid sick leave and vacation policies, California For All employer portal and resources, and Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards. To register, click here.
Energy and infrastructure partner
rejoins Latham & Watkins in San Diego
Latham & Watkins LLP announced that Jennifer Roy has rejoined the firm’s San Diego office as a partner in the Environment, Land & Resources Department and member of the Project Siting & Approvals Practice.
Roy brings substantial experience in clean energy, regulatory, and environmental compliance matters, with experience both at Latham and in the private sector. Roy previously worked in the firm’s San Diego office and rejoins the firm from Venture Global LNG, where she served as assistant general counsel.
Roy has built a strong reputation in project entitlement matters, administrative and municipal hearings, land use litigation, and federal environmental review and permitting issues, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sector.
Roy has frequently advised on regulatory compliance, environmental policy, diligence, and financing matters related to the development, environmental review, permitting, construction, and operation of a wide range of land use and infrastructure projects, ranging from desalination projects to renewable energy projects to multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas export facilities and pipelines.
Nicole Rathsam joins ICW Group Insurance
Companies as senior VP, chief financial officer
ICW Group Insurance Companies, a group of property and casualty carriers, has named Nicole Rathsam as senior vice president, chief financial officer in charge of driving the company’s financial strategy to support long-term growth targets for its workers’ compensation, assumed reinsurance and catastrophe lines of business.
Rathsam has a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Informatics from Indiana University. Rathsam and her family relocated from Chicago to San Diego to assume her position with ICW Group.
The San Diego Press Club presents Write Better Now Workshop
The San Diego Press Club will host a virtual workshop on June 3 from 6 to 7 p.m. The “Write Better Right Now” workshop is part of the ongoing Press Club “Nuts and Bolts” professional development series featuring veteran journalists.
In honor of Pride Month, Neal Broverman, digital editor-in-chief of The Advocate, and Mae Rude, staff writer at Out Magazine, will share “Write with Pride” writing tips for “Write Better Right Now.” They will discuss the importance of journalists using appropriate pronouns, tips on writing about transgender people of all ages, taboo language and more.
This event is free to attend for San Diego Press Club members, guests, and non-members. An optional donation of $15 is suggested to cover the nonprofit’s future programming and operational costs .
To register for the event, click here
UBS Advisors Courtney Liddy, Kalyn Maher
named to Forbes/SHOOK Top Women Advisors list
UBS Wealth Management USA announced that two financial advisers in San Diego have been named to the Forbes/SHOOK Research Top Women Wealth Advisors list for 2021. The advisors are Courtney Liddy of the Downtown office and Kalyn Maher Walker of the Carmel Valley office.
Liddy is a managing Director at UBS and she and her team serve the diverse and dynamic needs of high-net-worth individuals, families, foundations, and businesses. She ranked #59 on this year’s list of 1,000 female advisers and has been recognized by Forbes since 2019 for her commitment to clients. Courtney serves on the national board of Humble Design, which furnishes homes of families and veterans emerging from homelessness and has been an active member of charities such as ROCK and the Gary Sinise Foundation, which supports injured veterans, first responders, and their families.
Walker is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and holds Series 7 and 66 FINRA securities licenses, registered in 21 states, as well the State of California Insurance License. She and her team focus on advising families on multigenerational wealth planning. She has been named to the Forbes/SHOOK Top Women Wealth Advisors list every year since 2019.
MiraCosta and UC Irvine partner to bring
women of color into computer science
MiraCosta College has partnered with UC Irvine on an initiative to open more doors to careers in the computer science industry. The Pathways to Computing for Women of Color partnership is intended to increase the number of women of color pursuing bachelor’s degrees in STEM-related careers by providing them with access to professional mentors, industry tours, academic success workshops, conference funding, and a small stipend.
According to the National Science Foundation, women account for less than 18 percent of those earning bachelor’s degrees in computing, and the Integrated Education Data System reports that just 8.4 percent of all bachelor’s degrees in computing went to Latino students. MiraCosta College is attempting to reverse that trend, where more than 60 percent of computer science students are from communities of color and 24.6 percent are female.
Scripps enters fourth week of ransomware attack
Scripps Health hopes to restore full electronic medical record capabilities, including resumption of its MyScripps patient portal, in “the latter part of this week,” according to an update sent to patients by its chief executive officer Monday afternoon.
For the first time, Chris Van Gorder, Scripps’ CEO, acknowledged in writing that the cyberattack his organization suffered on May 1 was ransomware, a fact confirmed May 2 in The San Diego Union-Tribune.
So far, Scripps has not specified the amount of ransom that hackers demanded nor whether it paid the cyber extortionists.
Cubic completes acquisition by Veritas
Capital and Evergreen Coast Capital
Cubic Corporation announced the completion of its sale to Veritas Capital and Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation, an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management L.P., in a transaction valued at approximately $3.0 billion, including the assumption of debt.
The go-private transaction, which was announced on Feb. 8, 2021 and the terms of which were amended on March 31, 2021, received approval from Cubic shareholders on April 27, 2021. As a result of the completion of the transaction, Cubic shareholders will receive $75.00 per share in cash, and Cubic’s common stock will be suspended from trading on the New York Stock Exchange prior to the opening of business on May 25, 2021 and will be removed from listing on the NYSE.
Cubic will remain based in San Diego, and the transition is expected to be seamless for customers and employees across Cubic’s businesses.
How to Help Senior Citizens in Isolation Socialize
A 2020 study by UC San Diego reports that 85 percent of residents in independent senior housing communities experience feelings of loneliness ranging from moderate to severe. This spurred on an array of movements in support of senior residents, including the fundraising campaign No Seniors Alone Initiative. Organized by the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, its goal was to raise $1 million that would be used to support isolated elderly residents across San Diego County.
While these movements are vital in caring for our elderly loved ones, it’s not always up to movements to help the elderly. As a relative or caretaker of a senior citizen, these are just some of the things you can do to help them socialize and stay connected in these trying times.
Schedule Regular Video Calls
Communication is an effective way to fight off loneliness. What you can do is assist your elderly loved one in setting up their device, so that they can accept video calls. Register their contacts list and teach them how to schedule video calls whenever they feel like it. This could give them something to look forward to and a direct (albeit digital) opportunity to socialize with family and friends.
Some user-friendly applications that you can use for your video calls include Zoom and Skype. Zoom is a reliable application where users are not required an account to sign in, but it has a time limit for calls with more than two participants. Skype is a good option too, just be sure to walk your loved one through the signup process. Alternatively, you can teach them how to hop on calls through apps they might already be familiar with, like Facebook Messenger or Viber.
Sign Them Up for Online Activities
Staying entertained can also help distract seniors from being disconnected, and games are an excellent avenue for this. Moreover, a study published by the Frontiers in Medicine journal shares that online games and activities can improve the cognitive skills of older adults. This includes their reaction time, ability to focus, and visuospatial functions.
So, why not try something like bingo given that it is already a favorite pastime for the elderly? The good news is that bingo easily translates to the digital sphere in terms of ease of gameplay and the ability to find different games. There is also a huge benefit of playing bingo online that will help combat social isolation – it’s an effective avenue for players to socialize with fellow bingo players. Foxy Bingo incorporates this social element into their online bingo platform with its thriving online community and easy-to-use chat features. This allows players to easily communicate with each other and form new meaningful relationships. Even though it is digital, it will more than help senior citizens maintain their overall wellbeing while in isolation.
Of course, bingo isn’t the only game seniors can enjoy. There are plenty of other games they can play if they’re willing to try something new. For example, Words with Friends is a digital version of Scrabble that lets you play against other people. Other examples are online Mahjong and chess that could be ideal.
Enlist in Companion Services
For elderly loved ones who require daily assistance, it might be worth considering companion services. This refers to a form of home care where a caregiver provides non-medical support to seniors. This service includes assistance with daily chores and hygiene practices. Before looking through your options, it’s worth talking to your elderly loved one about whether this is something they’re comfortable with.
Some of the reputable home care service providers in San Diego County are Right at Home, Home Instead Senior Care, and Partners in Home Care. Make sure to read up or inquire about their services before hiring, to ensure the safety of your older relative.
These three methods of helping isolated seniors may seem simple, but you’d be surprised at how effective they will be. Taking the time to interact and attend to your elderly loved ones makes waves in alleviating their isolation.
