Daily Business Report: Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022
What would Shirley Weber do
as California secretary of state?
By Alexei Koseff | CalMatters
It did not take long after Gov. Gavin Newsom handily defeated a recall attempt last year for California Democrats to begin calling for changes to overhaul a process they complained had been weaponized.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democrat from San Diego appointed by Newsom in 2020 as the state’s chief elections officer, was among them, offering several ideas of her own to the Legislature earlier this year.
But when the dust settled on the legislative session in August, all of the bills proposing revisions to how California removes a governor from office had stalled, with little public explanation for why lawmakers dropped their efforts.
Weber, who is running this fall for her first full term as secretary of state, told CalMatters that, if she wins, she will continue pushing for changes to the recall system, even though anything the Legislature adopts will not go before voters for approval until November 2024 — more than three years after the Newsom recall election.
Top Photo: California Secretary of State Shirley Weber is interviewed at the CalMatters offices on Oct. 5, 2022. (Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters)
California pig law exposes a divided America
CalMatters
Although it deals primarily with pigs, the California case that had oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday could potentially result in a decision as far-reaching as those striking down federal abortion protections and expanding gun rights.
At issue is Proposition 12, the ballot measure California voters approved in 2018 requiring bigger cages for certain farm animals, including breeding pigs, veal calves and egg-laying hens. Pork producers sued, arguing that since 99 percent of the pork consumed in the Golden State comes from outside its borders, California was essentially imposing its laws on other states in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Joining the pork producers in opposing the California law, the Biden administration argued in court filings that it would throw “a giant wrench into the workings of the interstate market in pork.”
Alexander Khalessi named president-elect
of Congress of Neurological Surgeons
By Jackie Carr
Dr. Alexander A. Khalessi, neurosurgical chair at UC San Diego, has been named as 2023 president-elect of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the leading academic society for neurosurgical professionals with more than 10,000 members worldwide.
A globally recognized board-certified neurosurgeon, Khalessi specializes in complex cranial and endovascular neurosurgery for the treatment of cerebrovascular and oncologic conditions. He became chair of neurosurgery at UC San Diego in 2018 and was named the inaugural chair holder of the Don and Karen Cohn Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in 2021.
Sharona Ben-Haim, M.D., neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health, will join Khalessi in CNS leadership. She has been elected Member-at-Large to the CNS Executive Committee and was recently named chair-elect of Women in Neurosurgery (WINS) — a group dedicated to advancing women neurosurgeons.
Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas reflects on breaking barriers
By Nandi Maunder and Mario Sevilla
Six years ago, the residents of Chula Vista elected Mary Salas as mayor making her the first Latina to hold the office. Salas’ commitment to developing and modernizing her community over her 30 years of public service is a reflection of her personal lifelong journey toward reinvention.
Salas’ childhood and K-12 education prepared her to be a stay-at-home wife and mother, but after her divorce, she had to develop an entirely new set of skills to support her family financially. Salas went back to school, and it was a San Diego State University professor who set her on a course to make history.
Salas is a fifth-generation Chula Vista native and the second of three daughters; her mother, a homemaker, her father, a World War II veteran and airplane mechanic. She had no ambition for politics but remembers her uncles were all “civically minded people,” one who would become Chula Vista’s first Latino elected to the elementary school board.
“My mom, her idea for me was to become a nice little housewife and have a nice husband that would provide well for me,” Salas recalled. “That’s old school. That’s the reality I was brought up in.”
Ionis announces plan for new
manufacturing facility in Oceanside
Carlsbad-based Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement with Sudberry Properties to develop and lease a new development chemistry and manufacturing site in Oceanside. Sudberry will develop and construct the shell for the approximately 217,000-square-foot building. Ionis will design and construct improvements to customize the facility. Under the terms of the agreement, Ionis will lease the property for 20 years, with two 10-year options to renew and a right of first offer to purchase the property.
The new facility will include advanced sustainability and environmental protection features such as generating 50 percent of its power from solar panels and renewable offset, increased automation to reduce manual material handling, emissions controls and spill containment for all production areas. Ionis expects to occupy the new facility in 2025, with active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing beginning in mid-2026. At approximately 217,000 square feet, the new facility will be more than double the size of Ionis’ existing development chemistry and manufacturing facility, which is in Carlsbad. Sudberry Properties is a San Diego-based real estate development and asset management company.
SDG&E adds energy storage project in Fallbrook
Following a summer of record temperatures in California, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced the start of testing for the company’s new 40 MW energy storage project in Fallbrook and the start of construction on one of four energy storage and microgrid projects that will bring an additional 39 MW of battery capacity to the region. SDG&E has been rapidly expanding its energy storage portfolio. The company has about 95 MW of utility-owned energy storage currently available, with another 200+ MW in development.
These batteries provided an estimated 4 percent of the electricity supply during peak demand to help avert rotating outages. Within SDG&E’s service territory, utility-scale battery storage systems – utility and third party-owned – served as much as 7 percentof the regional load during peak hours of the heatwave.
San Diego City College Nursing
Program ranks No. 5 in California
San Diego City College Nursing Program ranks fifth in the state for best nursing school in California, according to RegisteredNursing.org. Nursing programs were assessed on several factors which represent how well a program supports students towards licensure and beyond. RegisteredNursing.org analyzed past and present first-time National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses pass rates, weighted by year. For academic years 2019-20 and 2020-21, with both years having a cohort of 52 nursing students, the NCLEX RN pass rate was 100 percent.
La Mesa Councilmember Colin Parent honored
La Mesa Councilmember Colin Parent was selected as one of 16 leaders from across the country to join the NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders), a selective national network of state and local elected officials. Parent was selected to join NewDEAL because of his dedication to issues like public transit, housing affordability and engaging more people in public service. Parent is a strong advocate for transportation systems that work for everyone, and effective land use decisions that put affordability first. Parent also co-founded the San Diego Leadership Alliance, an organization that trains young people to be equipped for civic leadership.
Sony Electronics launches first
over-the-counter hearing aids
Sony Electronics announced the availability of its first over-the-counter hearing aids for the U.S. market. Sony is re-imagining the hearing device space with a focus on innovation, accessibility and personalization. With the unique products, developed in partnership with WS Audiology, a leading innovator in hearing aid technology for more than 100 years, Sony says the product it will enhance the lives of consumers by combining its unique premium technology, ultimate ease of use, and uncompromised comfort and wearability, to deliver an unprecedented hearing experience that easily bridges the gap between the wearer and their environment.
Soraya Alexander named COO of GoFundMe
Classy, a GoFundMe affiliate and online fundraising platform for nonprofits, announced new leadership and promotions that will usher further growth opportunities for the social sector. Soraya Alexander will serve as the new chief operating officer of GoFundMe and president of Classy. Eric Pannese, Classy’s senior vice president of product and design, will serve as the new chief product and technology officer, and Chris Silver, vice president of product marketing for Classy, will join the executive team as senior vice president of marketing. Chris Himes, Classy’s current CEO, will transition to an advisory role.
Alexander, who started as Classy’s vice president of product marketing in 2018, was tapped to manage multiple facets of Classy’s business over the past four and half years.
Vista’s Local Roots opens second kombucha taproom
Local Roots, a Vista-based kombucha company, has expanded to open a second North County location in Solana Beach. The new taproom, Solana Booch, opened in September
in the Cedros Avenue Design District. It has 20 hard and non-alcoholic kombucha draft options. All Local Roots’ kombucha is brewed at the “Boochyard,” their first taproom in Vista. Their Vista location has also recently partnered with Blade 1936 to open a full kitchen. Cans of Local Roots kombucha can be found in select stores, featuring cocktail-inspired flavors, including strawberry mojito, blood orange mimosa and Cali mule.
Deadline extended for Youth for
Clean Water microgrant program
The deadline for student-led teams to apply for the Youth For Clean Water microgrant program has been extended to Oct. 30, 2022. Back in March, Project Clean Water, the countywide initiative dedicated to protecting water quality, introduced the microgrant program which will award $500 each to three teams for pollution prevention-themed projects addressing polluted runoff reduction, proper trash and pet waste disposal, or the capture and reuse of stormwater. To learn more about the application process, selection criteria and apply visit www.projectcleanwater.org/youth-engagement/.
San Diego to get smart city growth support
Honeywell and Accelerator for America announced the launch of the Honeywell Smart City Accelerator Program to help cities strategically plan their futures and build capacity to fund transformational initiatives. Honeywell is engaging with five U.S. cities to provide in-kind support to accelerate progress on their smart city strategic planning. The cities are San Diego, Cleveland, Louisville, Ky., Kansas City, Mo., and Waterloo, Iowa. Each city will receive technical support from Honeywell and Accelerator to develop a Smart City Strategic Plan. Each strategic plan will align key stakeholders, define priorities, and identify high-impact and inclusive initiatives that advance residents’ quality of life.
Operation Happy Nurse founder honored
as L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth member
Shannon McPeek, CEO and founder of Operation Happy Nurse in San Diego, has been named to the 2022 L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth class sponsored by L’Oreal Paris USA, which recognizes the charitable achievements of nonprofit leaders who epitomize extraordinary commitment to the nation’s most vulnerable communities. Operation Happy Nurse provides a free, safe and secure platform to help nursing professionals cope with work-related anxiety and depression.
DirectMed Parts & Service acquires ScanMed
DirectMed Parts & Service LLC , a leading medical imaging parts, systems, and service company in San Diego, has acquired ScanMed LLC, a leader in MRI coil design, manufacture, and repair. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed
ScanMed was founded by Randall Jones, an industry innovator with a doctorate in electrical engineering, and 30 years of experience in medical imaging. Jones and his team have been awarded 12 design patents and developed numerous trade secrets enabling ScanMed to be the foremost MRI depot-level coil repair partner for healthcare networks, independent service organizations and diagnostic imaging parts suppliers.
Cubic launches new Cisco-powered
router and switch module
Cubic Corporation’s Cubic Mission and Performance Solutions business has launched a new Cisco-powered router and switch module. The M3-SE5 uses the ESR6300 router and ESS3300 switching technologies to deliver high-speed networking capabilities to the tactical edge.
“The increasing volumes of data being transferred throughout the mission chain means high-speed trusted networking capabilities are required from the enterprise to the tactical edge,” said Anthony Verna, senior vice president. “Cubic’s latest generation of Cisco-powered routers and switches highlights our commitment to meeting the customer’s mission data requirements.”
