Daily Business Report-Sept. 18, 2017
Amazon will occupy 107,000 square feet at 10300 Campus Pointe Drive in UTC.
Amazon Chooses UTC for its
First Big Office in San Diego
Amazon is setting up its first major office in San Diego.
Amazon signed a lease for a for 107,000 squre feet of space in University City. The office, located at 10300 Campus Point Drive, is expected to house 500 employees.
San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. said Amazon has a plan for housing, through building up apartments in the area. There is also a traffic abatement strategy for the influx of employees expected.
Amazon currently has a smaller office in Solana Beach. This will be the company’s first major office in the county.
The move coming in the midst of Amazon’s nationwide search for a second North American headquarters location. Any city has until October 19 to get a bid into Amazon, but the company said it would give preference to areas with 1 million residents or more.
San Diego put a bid in. A spokesperson said: “San Diego has the geographic proximity to international markets, unparalleled quality of life and workforce talent that companies like Amazon are looking for, so Mayor Faulconer’s office has directed the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation to coordinate a regional response.”
There is no word yet on when Amazon will move into the Campus Point Drive office.
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Vice Adm. Nora Tyson Relinquishes 3rd Fleet
Command; Ends 38-Year Naval Career
Vice Adm. John D. Alexander relieved Vice Adm. Nora W. Tyson as commander of U.S. 3rd Fleet during a change of command and retirement ceremony held aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt at Naval Air Station North Island on Saturday. During the ceremony, Tyson retired from active duty after 38 years of naval service.
Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet Adm. Scott H. Swift, who served as the ceremony’s guest speaker, said that when Tyson was commissioned the opportunities available for women was much different. “Women were not allowed to serve in combatant ships, and they’d only just been given the opportunity to serve on sea duty aboard support and auxiliary ships less than a year prior. But for those of us that know her well, Nora was never one to let apparent obstacles get in the way of success,” said Swift.
In July 2010, Tyson became the first woman to command a carrier strike group when she took control of the George H.W. Bush Strike Group, leading 13 ships, 80 combatant aircraft, and about 9,000 sailors, as the commander of Carrier Strike Group Two. She assumed command of the U.S. 3rd Fleet in July 2015, becoming the first woman to command an operational numbered fleet.
Alexander has served as commander of Battle Force 7th Fleet 5, forwarded deployed aboard USS Ronald Reagan in Yokosuka, Japan; assistant commander for Career Management at Navy Personnel Command; commanding officer of Electronic Attack Squadron; commanding officer of USS Juneau, forward deployed to Sasebo, Japan; and commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
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San Diego Community College District
Trustees Approve $727 Million Budget
The San Diego Community College District has a new balanced budget of nearly $727 million for the 2017-18 fiscal year that extends efforts aimed at promoting student success, expands an array of programs that are putting people to work, and allows for the district to serve more students at San Diego City College, Mesa College, Miramar College, and San Diego Continuing Education.
The district’s board of trustees unanimously approved the annual spending plan at its Sept. 14 meeting.
Expenses this year will decrease $64 million, most of which is related to a sharp decrease in spending on Proposition S and N construction projects. The voter-approved, $1.55 billion program is winding down, and the final $122 million in bonds were sold November 16, 2016.
The budget fully funds an expanding menu of intersession class offerings between the fall and spring semesters, enabling students additional opportunities to take the core classes they need to graduate on time. Expenditures for Student Success and Support Programs (SSSP) are set at $10.7 million, and spending on student equity efforts is set for $5.5 million, which combined enable the district to continue supporting students in achieving their educational goals. Enrollment is projected to rise by 1.5 percent districtwide, with San Diego Miramar College accommodating the majority of the new students as part of its planned expansion.
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Olive PR Solutions Becomes
Olive Creative Strategies
Olive PR Solutions Inc. has changed its name to Olive Creative Strategies Inc. and will offer expanded services under the direction of Ann Berchtold, who was hired as director of marketing and development. Back in 2009, Berchtold was one of Olive’s first clients and brings over 20 years of experience in the field.
“As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, we realized we were beginning to recommend new solutions to our clients,” said Jennifer Borba von Stauffenberg, founder and president of Olive. “It became clear to us that clients need a combined approach to achieve maximum results.We are very excited to have Ann’s support in this expansion.”
Olive represents a variety of clients including community improvement associations like San Diego’s Little Italy Association and Liberty Station Community Association, as well as Bay Area communities such as the Redwood City Improvement Association and the San Leandro Improvement Association; national consumer lifestyle brands like VIM & VIGR, Designer Protein, PMD and EVERYSTORE; national organizations with regional events like Bigsley Event House and Free To Breathe; and several others.
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San Diego County’s August
Jobless Rate Unchanged from July
The unemployment rate in San Diego County was 4.7 percent in August, unchanged from July, the state Employment Development Department reported. This compares with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 5.4 percent for California and 4.5 percent for the nation during the same period.
Between July and August, total nonfarm employment increased from 1,441,000 to 1,444,200, a gain of 3,200 jobs. Agricultural employment remained unchanged over the month.
Between August 2016 and August 2017, total nonfarm employment increased by 19,200 jobs, or 1.3 percent. Agricultural employment increased by 200 jobs or 2.2 percent.
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Personnel Announcements
Debra McIntyre Reappointed to Optometry Board
Debra McIntyre, 51, of Escondido, has been reappointed to the California Board of Optometry by Gov. Jerry Brown. McIntyre has served on the board since 2016. McIntyre has been managing doctor at Regency Eye Care since 2016. She was an optometrist at West Coast Eyecare from 2013 to 2016 and from 2002 to 2003. She was chief executive officer and an optometrist at Accent on Eyes Optometry from 2003 to 2013 and at Paradise Optical from 1999 to 2002. McIntyre is a member of the Escondido Sunrise Rotary. She earned a Doctor of Optometry degree from the Marshall B. Ketchum University, Southern California College of Optometry. The position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. McIntyre is a Democrat.
