Daily Business Report: Friday, Jan. 6, 2023

Hillel of San Diego announces long-awaited

opening of Jewish center at UC San Diego

Following 20 years of legal challenges, Hillel of San Diego on Jan. 15 will open the $18.7 million Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center  – a long-anticipated center for Jewish students and the entire community adjacent to the UC San Diego campus at 9009 La Jolla Scenic Drive North. 

 According to David Michan, a past president of Hillel of San Diego who chairs the building committee and oversees the project, the 6,500-square-foot state-of the-art facility has been designed to meld with the surrounding community – encompassing two single-story buildings and one two-story structure, all clustered around a central courtyard. 

Situated on just under one acre, the facility will serve as a foothold for UC San Diego students, hosting Jewish holiday experiences and Jewish learning and community activities – with flexible spaces designed for student programs, meetings, one-on-one mentorship and religious services. 

Primary components of the new center include a large multipurpose room for dining, social events and performances; a lounge that transitions into a sanctuary; study rooms; and outdoor activity terraces, which provide more space for socializing and connecting.  

Top Photo: The Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center.

EPA reaches settlement with San Diego’s Pacific

Ship Repair & Fabrication over clean water violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has reached an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) with Pacific Ship Repair & Fabrication Inc. over claims of Clean Water Act (CWA) violations at its facility in San Diego. Under the terms of the AOC, the company will undertake several steps to prevent stormwater pollutants—particularly metals—from discharging into Chollas Creek, a tributary to San Diego Bay. 

“By completing facility upgrades, Pacific Ship Repair is taking the necessary steps to prevent further metal exceedances in stormwater discharges,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “Addressing pollution in stormwater is a vital part of the Clean Water Act. Enforcing noncompliance ensures safer, cleaner waterways.”

The Chollas Creek has been identified as an impaired water under the CWA for metals, including copper and zinc. From 2016 to 2021, Pacific Ship Repair exceeded the applicable levels for copper and zinc in its stormwater drainage on four occasions, according to the EPA.

Dinsmore adds decades of banking, real estate

experience with San Diego Mulvaney merger

Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, a large, Cincinnati-based law firm, announced a merger with San Diego firm Mulvaney Barry Beatty Linn & Mayers LLP that will add 10 attorneys and a team of eight business professionals to Dinsmore’s Southern California offices. The firm’s San Diego officed is at 655 W. Broadway, Suite 800, in Downtown.

“Everett Barry is a, if not the, premier commercial lending lawyer in Southern California,” said Joshua Lorentz, Dinsmore’s newly elected firm managing partner. “For decades he has been the go-to counsel in banking, real estate, creditor’s rights and insolvency law, while partner John Mayers keeps the other half of the house busy with commercial litigation matters. The Mulvaney Barry team is excited about joining forces with the Dinsmore & Shohl team.” Rex Beatty, one of the founding partners of the firm, has announced he will be retiring in the coming weeks after practicing law for four decades.

Registration opens Jan. 9 for San Diego Promise

More students than ever before are now eligible for the San Diego Promise, which offers a free community college education at San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges. Registration opens Jan. 9 for the 2023-24 academic year.

The San Diego Promise offers up to two years of free college tuition and health fees, grants for books and instructional supplies to students who demonstrate financial need, and support for all students to promote academic success.

Based on state funding and private grants, the San Diego Promise was limited to students attending college for the first time. This year, California has expanded eligibility to allow previous students who have not been enrolled for three or more semesters (summer not included) to receive the Promise grant. Eligibility includes being registered in 12 credit units each semester and not earned a bachelor’s degree.

 For more information, visit sdccd.edu/promise.

Oliver Richards and Jared Smith elevated

to principal at Fish & Richardson law firm

Fish & Richardson announced the elevation of Oliver Richards and Jared Smith as principals, based in San Diego.

Oliver Richards has experience in cases involving integrated circuit design and fabrication, wireless standards, graphical user interfaces, and encryption technologies.

Beyond these technologies, Oliver’s focus is on complex legal analysis and writing, and one of his primary strengths is efficiently drafting effective briefs before a wide variety of tribunals.

Prior to joining Fish, Oliver served as a law clerk for the Honorable Timothy B. Dyk of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. 

Jared Smith has extensive experience in intellectual property litigation with an emphasis on patent litigation in the consumer electronics sector.

Smih was recognized for his pro bono service by the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program in 2018 with its Pro Bono Publico Award (i.e., lawyer of the year). Before joining Fish, Jared was a senior systems engineer at Raytheon and then Northrop Grumman for a total of eight years. 

BioMed Realty promotes four on its executive team

BioMed Realty, a provider of real estate solutions to the life science and technology industries, announced the promotion of four officers in support of the company’s continued expansion and investment in core innovation markets. 

Allyn Aguirre becomes senior vice president, accounting and treasury after serving as vice president, senior controller. Aguirre’s increased role encompasses overseeing the company’s in-house accounting, tax, treasury and financial reporting functions.Prior to BioMed, Aguirre was an audit Manager at KPMG LLP, where she served global real estate clients in San Diego and Sydney, Australia.

Maria Huntalas becomes vice president, corporate communications and marketing after serving as senior director, corporate communications and marketing. Huntalas has direct oversight of BioMed Realty’s corporate communications and marketing efforts, including brand awareness, media relations and various corporate and property marketing initiatives. Prior to BioMed, Huntalas held strategic marketing roles at IBM for over 20 years.

Lan Nguyen becomes vice president, risk management after serving as senior director, risk management. Nguyen has direct oversight of the global risk programs and safety for the firm’s operating portfolio and in-process developments. She has achieved premium savings through integrated risk and safety programs for BioMed’s operations and assets. Prior to BioMed, Nguyen held risk management roles in the air transportation and energy industries.

Emily Yu has been elevated to vice president, legal after serving as managing attorney, legal. Yu will take on an increased leadership role within BioMed’s legal team, which covers the entire BioMed portfolio. Since joining BioMed in 2015, Yu has contributed to acquisition, disposition, leasing, development and financing transactions for the East Coast and U.K. markets. Prior to BioMed, Yu served as counsel at Locke Lord LLP.

Wendy Watson take executive director

post at Higgs Fletcher & Mack law firm

Wendy Watson has joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack law firm as its new executive director. For over 20 years, Watson served as the director of administration for the San Diego office of global law firm Latham & Watkins.

Watson is a Certified Public Accountant and has extensive experience in all facets of law firm administration, including overseeing the financial management, human resources, operations and information technology functions.

In her role at HFM, Watson will direct and oversee all operations and participate in all strategic business initiatives for the law firm. 

Watson’s experience at Latham & Watkins included managing significant projects including two office relocations, a considerable reduction in force, development of a program to help new associates transition into the practice of law and directing the firm’s recruiting efforts.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from the University of West Florida and a Master of Science degree in Finance from San Diego State University. 

Peter Gammel is new CEO of UBILITE

Peter L. Gammel has joined UBILITE as its new chief executive officer.

Gammel most recently held the position of vice president and CTO of the Mobile and Wireless Infrastructure Business Unit at GlobalFoundries.

Previously, he was the CTO of Skyworks Solutions Inc. and also served as CTO and vice president of engineering at SiGe Semiconductor before its acquisition by Skyworks.

Prior to SiGe Semiconductor, he was vice president of engineering at Renaissance Wireless and CTO at Advance Nanotech and for Agere Systems’ Analog Products Business. 

Rachel Jans joins San Diego Museum of Art

The San Diego Museum of Art has hired Rachel Jans as associate curator of modern and contemporary art, responsible for curating exhibitions, advise on acquisitions, and conducting research for all modern and contemporary art.

With more than 10 years of experience, she joins the institution from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art where she served as assistant curator of painting and sculpture.

In her previous role at The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Jans contributed to the museum’s outdoor sculpture program and artist commissions and worked closely with the collection of American and German art. 

Paul Shew named president of Cubic

Missions and Performance Solutions

Cubic Corporation has appointed Paul Shew as president of Cubic Mission and Performance Solutions (CMPS) effective Jan. 9, 2023.

Shew will lead the strategic vision for CMPS and its product lines while identifying opportunities to continue to drive CMPS’ performance for existing customers and partners, expand its presence with new products and customers, and grow the business.

Shew joins Cubic from Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions, a provider of highly engineered electronic products for aerospace and defense prime integrators, where he most recently served as senior vice president and general manager for integrated defense systems. His experience included leading the operations for an international, multi-site division while increasing profitability through technology investments and capacity expansions.

Shew held leadership roles at General Atomics and United Technologies Corporation. 

San Diego’s TechFlow awarded

$8 million cloud.gov contract

TechFlow, a San Diego-based energy, platform, logistics, and digital solutions company, announced that the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Technology Transformation Service (TTS) awarded it the cloud.gov follow-on contract to provide development and sustainment support services for the cloud.gov platform. The contract has a value of $8,023,014.80.

SCORE workshop: ‘How to Write a Business Plan’

SCORE San Diego will offer a Jan. 11 workshop on “How to Write a Business Plan” in-person at 8825 Aero Drive, Suite 102, San Diego, or on Zoom. The cost is $25 per person. The presenter will be Bryan Jones, who has a finance MBA and has worked for both Fortune 50 companies and small startups. Register here

General Atomics flies firs M2DO MQ-9A aircraft

On Nov. 10, 2022, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) flew the first production MQ-9A Multi-Domain Operations-ready variant of the U.S. Air Force MQ-9A Reaper. This upgraded version of the MQ-9A Block 5 remotely piloted aircraft, also known as a the “-25,” includes key features that will enable future integration and fielding of Open Mission Systems (OMS) as well as new sensors that will further expand the MQ-9A Reaper’s strategic reconnaissance capabilities.

AleSmith kicks off Dry January campaign

 Local San Diego brewery AleSmith Brewing Company is kicking off the new year with a Dry January campaign featuring an Enter-to-Win sweepstakes. One lucky Grand Prize winner will be chosen at the end of the month and receive a NewAir 100 Can Beverage Refrigerator. AleSmith fans can enter the sweepstakes by entering online or going to their local beer shops and scanning a QR code located on their Dry January featured posters.