Daily Business Report-Jan. 7, 2021
Assemblymember Shirley Weber gives a press conference in the capitol following the passage of her bill AB 392 which would limit the use of deadly force by police in California on July 8, 2019. (Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters)
Shirley Weber of San Diego,
next secretary of state, aims to teach
Californians ‘how fragile the democracy is’
By Ben Christopher | CalMatters
Seventy years ago, sharecroppers David and Mildred Nash refused to back down in a dispute with a white farmer, and fled from a lynch mob in Hope, Arkansas. With their 2-year-old daughter in tow, they found a new home out west in a place so different her grandfather, who would die without ever being able to vote, called it a “foreign land.”
This year that toddler, Shirley Weber, is slated to become the first Black Californian to become the state’s top election official.
Weber’s appointment was not widely anticipated. But her biography indicates life experience relevant to the job of California’s top election administrator.
Voting, denied to the Webers in the South, became a precious, fiercely guarded and unfailingly exercised right for the whole family.
A university professor and a school board member before joining the Legislature in 2012, Weber’s most notable legislative achievements have focused on education policy — where she’s often ticked off the state’s teachers unions — new regulations on when police can use lethal force and racial justice.
Last year, she carried bills to place a repeal of California’s ban on affirmative action on the ballot (it failed) and to create a committee to study possible reparations for California’s descendants of slaves.
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Cristiano Amon taking top spot at Qualcomm
CEO Steve Mollenkopf retiring after 26 years at Qualcomm
Qualcomm’s Board of Directors unanimously selected company President Cristiano Amon to take over the CEO position from Steve Mollenkopf effective June 30, the company announced.
Amon started working at Qualcomm in 1995. Mollenkopf has been with the company for 26 years and has served as CEO since March 2014. The company said in a press release that Mollenkopf will stay on “as a strategic advisor for a period of time.”
Amon became company president in January 2018. He has overseen the company’s successful and rapid expansion into the RF front-end space as well as continuing growth in connectivity and networking.
He said in a statement: “We have been at the forefront of innovation for decades and I look forward to maintaining this position going forward. In addition to driving the expansion of 5G into mainstream devices and beyond mobile, Qualcomm is set to play a key role in the digital transformation of numerous industries as our technologies become essential to connecting everything to the cloud.”
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Clean vehicles a top priority in governor’s
$4.5 billion plan for business and job recovery
Emily Hoeven | CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday unveiled a $4.5 billion plan for business and job recovery, dedicating one-third of the funding to eliminating new gas-powered cars by 2035.
The plan offers a glimpse into Newsom’s priorities for the 2021-22 budget, which will be released in full on Friday, kicking off months of negotiations with the Legislature. However, Newsom wants lawmakers to immediately approve nearly $1 billion — mainly for small businesses and housing — when they return to Sacramento on Monday. Legislative leaders seemed amenable to this request, even as they emphasized that they had proposals of their own — signaling they don’t want a repeat of last session, when many felt their role was reduced to “simply giving a yes or no answer to the governor’s priorities,” in the words of then-state Sen. Holly Mitchell, a San Diego Democrat.
Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon: “A unified effort is critical to success, and we look forward to working with the governor on the specifics of his, and legislative, proposals to take early action in providing meaningful additional relief.”
Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer: “In the middle of a pandemic and deep recession, California’s highest priority should not be zero-emission vehicles. We need K-12 education at the top of the list.” (Faulconer recently launced a gubernatorial esploratory committee.)
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COVID Relief Grant Program
launched for small businesses
The State of California launched a $500 million COVID Relief Grant Program for small businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic and accompanying safety restrictions. Eligible underserved small businesses and nonprofits may apply for up to $25,000 in grant funds by Wednesday, Jan. 13.
To qualify, businesses must:
- Be active and operating since at least June 1, 2019 and have been impacted by COVID-19 and accompanying safety restrictions.
- Be currently operating or have a clear plan to re-open once permitted.
- Be able to provide evidence of between $1,000 and $2.5 million in annual gross revenue.
- Be able to provide organizing documents such as: 2018 or 2019 tax returns, Form 990s, or copy of official filing.
- Be able to provide an acceptable form of government-issued photo ID
Applicants with multiple business entities, franchises, or locations are not eligible for multiple grants and may only apply once using their eligible small business with the highest revenue.
Click here to apply
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Sheriff’s Department launches ‘Text to 911’ technology
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officially announced the launch of “Text to 911” technology Jan. 5, a service that includes the Sheriff’s Department as well as all county fire and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies and will help to make the county safer.
“Text to 911” technology is designed to help make emergency services available to some of the county’s most vulnerable residents who are unable to dial 911 during an emergency.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, dialing 911 is still the fastest way to reach help in an emergency, but there are certain situations when texting may be a better option.
These situations may include being deaf, hard of hearing, non-verbal, or have difficulty speaking over the telephone.
The Sheriff’s Department also said the “Text to 911” service may be beneficial in a situation where it is not safe to call 911 for help, or if someone is having a medical emergency and is unable to speak.
To use the “Text to 911” service, individuals needing emergency assistance should enter the numbers 911 in the “To” field of the text message, provide the location and nature of the emergency in the body of the message, and then send the message. The user should then respond via text to any questions the dispatcher may have, and follow any direction given in text format.
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Landscape architect Phil Armstrong appointed
to the Division of the State Architect
Phil Armstrong, senior landscape architect for The Lightfoot Planning Group in Carlsbad, has been appointed to the Division of the State Architect, Public School Construction Collaborative (PSCC) for a three-year term in an advisory capacity concerning technical building code updates and confer on legislative and policy issues. The board will offer insight on matters that protect the intent of the Field Act (one of the first pieces of legislation that mandated earthquake-resistant construction, specifically for schools in California).
The Division of the State Architect provides design and construction oversight for K–12 schools, community colleges, and state-owned or state-leased essential-services buildings, ensuring these buildings meet accessibility, structural safety and fire and life-safety standards.
A licensed landscape architect with over 30 years of expertise, Armstrong provides insight and support for a variety of project markets in both private and public sectors.
Armstrong served as president of the American Society of Landscape Architects, San Diego Chapter, from 2019–2020. He has a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from UC Davis and is a resident of the La Costa neighborhood of Carlsbad.
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Michelle Johnson is Palomar Holdings’ first
new chief talent and diversity officer
Palomar Holdings Inc. announced that Michelle Johnson has been promoted to chief talent and diversity officer, effective immediately. Johnson was previously senior vice president of people and talent, having served in this role since joining the company in 2019.
Prior to joining the company in 2019, Johnson spent over 20 years in HR leadership positions, including senior management positions at Option One Mortgage, an H&R Block subsidiary, AMN Healthcare and Panasonic Avionics Corporation.
Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a concentration in human behavior from California State University Long Beach.
“I am excited to see Michelle ascend into this newly created role as Palomar continues to build an agile and innovative workplace grounded in ethical behavior and inclusivity,” said Mac Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Since joining Palomar, Michelle has demonstrated a stellar aptitude for cultivating and expanding a dynamic workforce for our growing Company. In this new role, Michelle will continue to oversee our talent strategies and programs while expanding on the company’s diversity and inclusion practices. Her continued leadership will only strengthen our position as a leading specialty insurance company and a desirable employer.”
Warwicks to host author James Patterson
On Thursday, Feb. 11th at 6 p.m., Warwick’s will host the world’s #1 bestselling author, James Patterson, as he discusses his new book, “Walk in My Combat Boots: True Stories from America’s Bravest Warriors,” in conversation. This is a ticketed virtual event on Zoom. More information is available at https://www.warwicks.com. UPDATED: Free access for active and retired military.
About the book: “Walk in my Combat Boots” is a powerful collection crafted from hundreds of original interviews by James Patterson and First Sergeant U.S. Army (Ret.) Matt Eversmann, part of the Ranger unit portrayed in the movie “Black Hawk Down.” These are the brutally honest stories usually only shared among comrades in arms.
Carlsbad author releases highly
anticipated book on Amazon and Google Play
“Don’t wait for your daughters to come to you with questions about puberty because that day may never come,” states Carlsbad’s Toyna Chin, author of the newly released book “The Big P: A Girl’s Journey Through Puberty.”
This is the author’s second book in a five-part series focusing on the changes a girl’s body will go through as she grows. “Ideally, as a parent, you’ve already begun having conversations with your daughter about the changes she will go through as she matures. Before girls hit puberty they are already begun asking questions about their bodies and this is the perfect opportunity to start those conversations, have healthy dialogues and build trust,” says Chin.
Toyna Chin was born in Jamaica and raised in Connecticut before finally settling in California with her daughter. She became interested in women and girl’s health and education as the founder of Hygeia Personal Care Products, a company she launched in 2004 to help girls and teens transition through puberty with the right products and education at every stage. She’s an avid adventurer and a seeker of knowledge. When she’s not spending her free time with her daughter you can find her in some of the most remote parts of the world volunteering. For additional information, visit www.toynachin.com
Athelytix appoints ex-Dodgers GM as
president and director of baseball operations
San Diego-based Athelytix, developers of the “GRID” laser-based analytics sports analytics system, announced the appointment of Dan Evans, former GM of the L.A. Dodgers, as its president and director of baseball operations.
Throughout his career, Evans has worked in decision-making roles for five MLB organizations (Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, and Toronto Blue Jays).
“As a pioneer in the use of technology throughout my career, I have evaluated nearly every training device ever developed. For me, The GRID is the gold standard—a real game-changer,” Evans said. “I’m proud to join the Athelytix team to help them realize their vision of making professional-grade training available to athletes of all levels.”
“We developed the first iteration of The GRID system for baseball, so enlisting the help of a seasoned baseball veteran will dramatically enhance our business and product development,” said Athelytix Director Norb Seufert.
Carnival Cruise Line notifies guests of cruise cancellations
Carnival Cruise Line is notifying guests of additional cruise cancellations, including extending its pause in all operations in the U.S. through March 31, 2021, as well as select ships and homeport operations related to itineraries and dry dock work.
Booked guests and travel agents are being notified directly of the cancellations and their options for a future cruise credit and onboard credit package, or a full refund.
In summary, the cancellations include:
- All embarkations from U.S. homeports through March 31, 2021.
- Carnival Miracle from San Diego and San Francisco through Sept. 16, 2021 (which includes many 10-day and longer itineraries not allowed under the current CDC guidelines).
“We are sorry to disappoint our guests, as we can see from our booking activity that there is clearly a pent-up demand for cruising on Carnival. We appreciate their patience and support as we continue to work on our plans to resume operations in 2021 with a gradual, phased in approach,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
