Daily Business Report: Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Governor appoints three county residents
to the San Diego County Superior Court bench
Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed three San Diego County residents to serve as judges in the San Diego County Superior Court. They are Nadia J. Keilani, 49, and Leonard N. Trinh, 41, both of San Diego, and Sherry M. Thompson-Taylor, 57, of Chula Vista.
Nadia Keilani has been a commissioner of the San Diego County Superior Court since 2019 and served as a staff attorney there from 1999 to 2019. She served as an attorney at the San Diego County Office of the Alternate Public Defender in 1999 and as a sole practitioner from 1998 to 1999. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Roger W. Krauel. Keilani is a Democrat.
Sherry M. Thompson-Taylor has been a deputy district attorney at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office since 1995, where she has served in several positions, including division chief, assistant chief and team leader. She was vice president of business and legal affairs at Angelic Entertainment from 1999 to 2000. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Margie G. Woods. Thompson-Taylor is a Democrat.
Leonard N. Trinh has served as a deputy district attorney at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office since 2006. He served as a deputy district attorney at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office in 2005. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Timothy M. Casserly. He is a Democrat.
Refinancing arranged for Linda Vista
multi-housing project
JLL Capital Markets has arranged $13.1 million in the refinance of Blend-SD, a 54-unit multi-housing community located in Linda Vista.
JLL represented the borrower, Tailored Properties and The Niki Group, to secure a 10-year, 2.8-percent, fixed-rate permanent loan with five years interest-only through a major life insurance company.
Built in 2021, Blend-SD, located at 5585 Mildred St., consists of studios and one-bedroom units with stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, smart thermostats, ample closet storage, oversized bathrooms with walk-in linen closet, vaulted ceilings, in-unit laundry and private patios. Community amenities include ocean views, a gated parking garage, outdoor recreation centers and surfboard and bike storage rooms.
Bay Park.
The JLL Capital Markets Advisory Team representing the borrower was led by director Olga Walsh and analyst Bharat Madan.
Local lawmakers claim hundreds of millions
for military and local projects
San Diego’s Congressional delegation and other lawmakers secured $107 million for local community projects and $127 million for local military and veteran projects as part of the massive federal spending bill federal lawmakers passed last week, officials announced.
The $1.5 trillion appropriations bill, which authorizes federal spending through October, averts a shutdown and directs $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine and $15.6 billion to the national pandemic response. The bill passed the House Wednesday, and President Joe Biden is expected to sign it this week.
Some of its biggest San Diego-area investments are military, such as the $63.6 million for an aircraft maintenance hangar at Naval Base Coronado for the new CMV-22B Osprey aircraft, $21.7 million for an air traffic control operations support facility there, and $12 million for a naval special warfare group’s support facility.
Engiven launches cryptocurrency
Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund
Engiven, a leading cryptocurrency donation services company, announced the launch of its Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund through the Engiven Charitable Foundation (ECF). The Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund provides the ability for crypto donors to support Ukraine relief efforts to nonprofit organizations who are currently engaged in humanitarian relief work in Ukraine..
The Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund currently supports United Help Ukraine, The Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse, Unicef, Doctors Without Borders, Convoy of Hope, UNHCR, and World Vision. Additional nonprofit organizations may be added to the fund.
Crypto donations made to the fund and the nonprofits supported by the fund are immediately exchanged for fiat and given directly to the nonprofits. Donations made to the fund are divided equally. Crypto donations to support Ukraine can be made at https://platform.engiven.com/ukraine.
Princess Cruises announces new fleet deployment plans
Princess Cruises announced new deployment plans for the United States with a return to homeport cruising in San Diego starting in September 2022.
Cruises from San Diego — Diamond Princess
From September 2022 through February 2023, cruising in California expands with a return to San Diego. Diamond Princess will be joining the fleet of West Coast-based ships with a series of brand-new cruise itineraries ranging from five to 16 days and calling at ports along the Mexican Riviera, California Coast, and the Hawaiian Islands.
In addition, the ship will sail a unique 20-day cruise to Central America, roundtrip from San Diego in November 2022. The on-sale date for these cruises is March 24, 2022.
Ed Walton joins Rick Engineering Company
as senior project manager/public agency liaison
Ed Walton has joined Rick Engineering Company as senior project manager/public agency liaison in the Public Works Division. He will manage public works projects with an emphasis on pipeline and transportation assignments and augment client staff for the cities of Lemon Grove and Murietta.
A civil engineering graduate from the University of Wyoming, Walton brings 38 years of experience as a professional engineer in both the private and public sectors.
He spent 33 years with the City of Coronado in various engineering positions, most recently as the director of engineering and project development.
His award-winning infrastructure projects include the Transbay Sewer Force Main, the Pomona Avenue Roundabout, and the Naval Base Coronado Coastal Campus Force Main.
Walton has been active in the American Public Works Association (APWA), serving as president of the local chapter and as chapter delegate to the national organization.
He is on the host planning committee for the upcoming APWA national convention in San Diego in 2023.
David Lang named vice president
of finance at Brixton Capital
Accounting and finance veteran David Lang has joined Brixton Capital as vice president of finance.
Lang will be responsible for managing debt financing, contributing to Brixton’s strategic plan and overseeing the financial health of company projects.
Lang brings an extensive background in accounting and finance to his new position. Prior to joining the Brixton Capital team, he served as senior vice president of Capstone Advisors where he was an employee for 17 years.
There, he built an accounting, finance and human resource team that supported a large portfolio of operating properties, renovations and ground up developments.
Lang also served as vice president of finance and administration for On A Mission (OAM), LLC and worked for the finance and accounting teams at Equity Management Inc., Vail Associates and La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club.
Alison Urquia joins Ronald McDonald House Charities
Alison Urquia is bringing more than 16 years of nonprofit experience to her new role as Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego’s director of corporate and community philanthropy.
Urquia joins the nonprofit organization after 14 years managing community partnerships at University Settlement at the Houston Street Center in New York City, where she oversaw the Center’s $1.2 million annual budget and raised upwards of $900,000 from various funding streams including public and private grants, major gifts, donations, government contracts and other creative revenue-generating programs.
Urquia also provided oversight to the center’s Community Partnership program that served over 300 corporations, small businesses, nonprofit organizations and community groups, generating over $600,000 in annual revenue.
In her new role, Urquia will be responsible for strengthening the charity’s connections with corporate sponsors and community partners, whose contributions are critical to fulfilling the organization’s mission of providing a “home away from home” for families with a child in the hospital.
City of Carlsbad offers free cyber
security program to small businesses
The City of Carlsbad is helping their small businesses by offering a free cyber security program to inform their community about the importance of cyber threats. Due to the pandemic, there has been a increase in cyber attacks on companies, resulting in many small businesses closing. Carlsbad wants to see their small businesses flourish and decided to create this program to help give back to their community members.
This program offers great advice from well trained professionals in the field and provides an opportunity to gain access to free cyber security systems and courses. Only 250 small businesses are eligible to have access this program.
Huneed Technologies to supply Circuit
Card Assemblies to General Atomics
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has awarded Huneed Technologies, a global aerospace and defense company specializing in tactical communication and avionics equipment, a contract to manufacture and supply Circuit Card Assemblies for its unmanned aircraft. GA-ASI makes Unmanned Aircraft Systems including the Predator, Reaper, Gray Eagle Extended Range and Avenger aircraft.
GA-ASI is manufacturer of the MQ-9, a Remotely Piloted Aircraft operated by the U.S. and many NATO countries, as an intelligence-gathering and strike-capable asset. GA-ASI has delivered more than 1,000 unmanned aircraft since its founding in 1992 and its aircraft have flown over 7 million hours. GA-ASI’s newest and most advanced aircraft, the MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian, are tailored to meet the multi-domain and multi-environmental needs of its customers.
In 2017, Huneed entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with GA-ASI in identifying strategic partnership areas. The MOU was renewed in 2021.
The San Diego Foundation seeks applicants
for equitable outdoor access grants
The San Diego Foundation announced that it has upwards of $400,000 in Opening the Outdoors grants available for nonprofit organizations providing equitable outdoor access programming in San Diego County.
“For more than a decade, The San Diego Foundation and its partners have worked together to increase community-driven efforts to enhance accessible outdoor space, encourage youth to learn more through hands-on education and create the next generation of environmental stewards in the San Diego region,” said Christiana DeBenedict, director of environment initiatives for The San Diego Foundation.
Nonprofits interested in applying for an Opening the Outdoors grant must submit an application by 5 p.m., Monday, April 18. Grants are expected to range from $25,000 to $50,000. The San Diego Foundation will host a webinar to review the grant guidelines and application process for interested applicants from 10 – 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 23
UC San Diego receives $7.35 million in
federal community project funding
UC San Diego will receive $7.35 million in Community Project Funding as part of an appropriations bill approved by Congress on March 12. The one-time community project funds came at the request of California’s senators and members of the San Diego congressional delegation, and are designed to provide critical infrastructure, health and human services, and research resources to help the region continue on its path to post-pandemic recovery.
The funds are part of more than $100 million dollars in community project funding awarded to the San Diego region following requests from Sens. Dianne Feinstein, Alex Padilla and Congressmembers Scott Peters, Juan Vargas, Mike Levin, and Sara Jacobs.
“The award of these community project funds represents important recognition and support for the cutting-edge and vital work taking place at UC San Diego every day,” said Pradeep K. Khosla, chancellor, UC San Diego.”
City of San Marcos debuts COVID-19
Nonprofit Community Grant Program
The City of San Marcos is debuting a $3 million COVID-19 Nonprofit Community Grant Program, aimed at helping essential nonprofits that serve San Marcos residents who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Eligibility to Qualify:
• Be a tax-exempt charitable organization in good standing, as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Focus all or in part on benefiting the lives of San Marcos residents. Applicants will be required to indicate the number of San Marcos residents you intend to serve on the funding application and report participant zip codes, should funding be awarded.
Priority will be given to projects in which participants are economically disadvantaged per
HUD’s Qualified Census Tract. However, recipients may also provide these services to other populations, households, or geographic areas disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Elipsebio announces $14 million Series A financing
Eclipse Bioinnovations Inc. announced the close of an oversubscribed $14 million Series A financing. The financing was co-led by Alexandria Venture Investments and iGlobe, with participation from Photon Venture Alpha and Phoenix Venture Partners. The proceeds of the financing will be used to expand Eclipsebio’s suite of RNA genomics technologies and products.
Eclipsebio also announced the appointment to the company’s board of directors of Hallie Kuhn, vice president of science and technology at Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. and Alexandria Venture Investments. Kuhn joins Daniel Vasella, M.D., former CEO and chairman of Novartis, and the company’s cofounders as board members.
