Category: News

San Diego Regional EDC welcomes new board of directors

By San Diego Regional EDC,

EDC welcomed 10 new directors to its board, with Janice Brown, founder of Brown Law Group, continuing to serve as chair through May 2020. The board will help guide the programs and initiatives for the privately-funded, nonprofit organization with more than 180 investors.

“I’m thrilled to continue serving as board chair of EDC,” said Janice Brown, founder of Brown Law Group and chair of EDC. “EDC’s board is now stronger than ever. With our pool of dedicated board members, we will be able to set an impactful agenda for all of San Diego’s economy, lifting every community in our region. I truly believe there’s no mountain high enough for us to overcome, San Diego!”

EDC’s board is comprised of elected directors and trustees representing partner organizations in the business community. Directors are vetted by EDC’s governance committee and elected annually by its membership to serve two-year terms. For 2019, 25 directors were re-elected alongside 10 new directors. Two new trustees were also appointed by the organization’s executive committee. The board represents executives from companies, organizations, institutions and the military along with elected officials, who are all working cohesively to advance San Diego’s economy.

“Thanks to the support from our investors, board and the entire San Diego business community, EDC is working to positively shape the region’s future.” said Mark Cafferty, president and CEO, San Diego Regional EDC. “Together, we can make San Diego a better place to live and work for all residents and businesses.”

2019 Officers:

  • Chair – Janice Brown, Founder at The Brown Law Group
  • Vice Chair – Rob Douglas, President and COO at ResMed, Inc.
  • Vice Chair – Julian Parra, Business Banking Executive at Bank of America Merrill Lynch
  • Treasurer – June Komar, Executive Vice President at Scripps Health
  • Secretary – Phil Blair, President and CEO at Manpower San Diego
  • Mark Cafferty, President and CEO at San Diego Regional EDC

Newly elected Directors:

  • Dennis Doucette, Partner at Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP
  • Cheryl Goodman, Head of Corporate Communications at Sony Electronics
  • Dan Harrington, EVP and Chief Services Officer at Teradata
  • Don Kearns, President Emeritus at Rady Children’s Hospital
  • Mark Navarra, Managing Partner at Jerome’s Furniture
  • Mike Neal, President and CEO at HG Fenton
  • Tom Pellette, President at Solar Turbines
  • Greg Richardson, Lead Advisor at Dowling & Yahnke
  • Manuel Rodriguez, Market President at US Bank
  • Matt Thoene, CEO at AIS

Newly appointed Trustees:

  • Hasan Ikhrata, Executive Director at San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
  • Jim Madaffer, Board Chair at San Diego County Water Authority

On the horizon for 2019

With and through its investors, EDC will remain focused on sustaining and growing existing initiatives and programs including San Diego: Life. Changing, the Defense Innovation Voucher Program, regional research and Innovate78. World Trade Center San Diego, an affiliate of EDC, will continue to drive an international agenda for San Diego through programs including MetroConnect as well as an upcoming trade mission to Germany in late 2019.

Additionally, EDC will continue to support companies of all sizes with their growth efforts by assisting with regulatory/permitting support, economic incentive consulting, strategic partnerships and more. EDC services are underwritten by its investors that believe in creating a more prosperous San Diego, and are free-of-charge to companies looking to expand, stay or locate in the San Diego region. In 2018 alone, EDC directly assisted more than 170 companies, which represented approximately 7,000 jobs in San Diego.

Announced in April, EDC will be launching Advancing San Diego, which is made possible through a $3 million grant provided by the JPMorgan Chase AdvancingCities initiative. This grant will complement EDC’s ongoing inclusive growth strategy. In collaboration with City of San Diego, San Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association (SDICCCA), San Diego Workforce Partnership and United Way of San Diego County, the program seeks to strengthen the region’s local workforce by enhancing relationships between employers and education systems.

Meet our Board: David Andrews

By San Diego Regional EDC,

For our next Board Member Spotlight, we are pleased to introduce David Andrews, president of National University. Read the Q&A below and get to know David, the work he is doing with National University, and why serving on EDC’s board is important to him.

What is your “day job”?

I have the privilege of leading National University, the second largest private, nonprofit university in the state. Having spent all of my career in higher education, it is very rewarding to run an open-access, adult-serving institution that is changing student’s lives and transforming the higher education sector.

Of all the boards in San Diego, why EDC?

Economic conditions in San Diego are central to our ability to attract and retain talented faculty, staff, and students. As an open-access, adult-serving institution in California, we need to be at the table and doing our part to maximize opportunities for our students.

Favorite quote?

“No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it.” –Albert Einstein

We know San Diego is a life changing place, what was your life changing moment?

My life-changing moment was when I found my wife, Marti, nearly four decades ago. All who knew me before meeting her regularly attest to the positive transformation she made in my life.

What is your favorite EDC program or initiative?

San Diego: Life. Changing.

Meet our Board: Dan Broderick

By San Diego Regional EDC,

For our next Board Member Spotlight, we are pleased to introduce Dan Broderick, who is Regional Managing Principal for the Southwest region at Cushman & Wakefield. Read the Q&A below and get to know Dan, the work he does for Cushman & Wakefield, and why he’s proud to serve on EDC’s board.

What is your “day job”?

At Cushman & Wakefield, I lead all of our commercial real estate services lines for the Southwest region – Brokerage (Occupier and Investor), Capital Markets, Asset Services, Construction Management, and Valuation & Advisory. In San Diego, we are the market leader in the full spectrum of real estate services throughout the county, operating out of five offices with approximately 250 people in the region.

Of all the boards in San Diego, why EDC?

EDC exemplifies what is great about San Diego: our demographics, our talent, our resources, our community, and our culture. EDC is the intersection where information, politics, business, trade, and technology converge for the betterment of our region. It is the gold standard for collaboration and creating a cohesive vision for the future of our great home, San Diego.

Favorite quote?

“The choice isn’t between success and failure; it’s between choosing risk and striving for greatness, or risking nothing and being certain of mediocrity.” – Keith Ferrazi

We know San Diego is a life changing place, what was your life changing moment?

In 2010, I was asked to be the CEO of BRE Commercial, a 25 year-old San Diego firm. I will forever cherish the experiences and relationships I developed. Nine years later, we have achieved what we set out to do. We have become a premier global firm and a leader in the region. We work with amazing people, who are talented, dedicated, driven, and leaders in the industry. I am proud to work with all of them, and to be on this great journey together.

What is your favorite EDC program or initiative?

San Diego: Life. Changing.

San Diego receives $3 million investment from JPMorgan Chase’s AdvancingCities Challenge

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Today, JPMorgan Chase has announced that San Diego is one of five cities to win a $3 million grant from the AdvancingCities Challenge. Launched in 2018, the inaugural competition is a $500 million, five-year initiative to drive inclusive growth and create greater economic opportunity in cities across the United States. This grant will be used to fund a new collaborative program—Advancing San Diego.

“The Advancing San Diego program is going to be a game-changer and will provide resources to underserved communities that need it most,” said Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer. “It’s going to lift up our small businesses, prepare San Diegans for skilled jobs and make a real difference in people’s lives. It’s also going to level the playing field so that no matter where you grow up in San Diego, you have access to opportunity. I want to thank JPMorgan Chase for choosing San Diego, as well as the San Diego Regional EDC and all of the participating agencies who supported our proposal.”

JPMorgan Chase received more than 250 applications from 143 communities. Among the four other winning cities in the U.S.—Chicago, IL; Louisville, KY; Miami, FL; and Syracuse, NY—San Diego was selected because its proposal successfully outlined local coalitions of elected, business, and nonprofit leaders who will work together to address major social and economic challenges such as employment barriers, financial insecurity, and neighborhood disinvestment.

Through Advancing San Diego, EDC and its partners will collectively work to double the production of skilled workers by 2030 and enhance relationships between local employers and the region’s education systems. The concept incorporates a demand-driven, employer-led strategy to both connect underrepresented residents with high-demand jobs, while also providing small business access to diverse talent applicants. More specifically, these efforts focus on elevating San Diego’s Hispanic population, who is projected to be San Diego’s largest demographic group by 2030. Currently, 84 percent of Hispanics do not hold a bachelor’s degree and are drastically underrepresented in the region’s innovation economy.

“With unemployment rates at multiyear lows, companies need to compete for talent like never before. The good news is that our future talent pool— the engineers, scientists, data analysts— will be homegrown,” said Janice Brown, Board Chair, San Diego Regional EDC. “EDC has embarked on Advancing San Diego— a collaborative effort between business, nonprofit, philanthropy and academia, aimed to increase degree and credential completions required for high demand jobs and support the small businesses that drive our economy forward.”

The San Diego of tomorrow is going to look very different than the San Diego of today. With the AdvancingCities Challenge, EDC is able to support its existing inclusive growth efforts, which aim to build a strong local talent pipeline, equip small businesses to compete, and address the affordability crisis. Together with San Diego Workforce Partnership, San Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association (SDICCCA), United Way of San Diego County, and City of San Diego, San Diego Regional EDC is leading a region wide approach to sustain growth throughout San Diego County.

To learn more about AdvancingCities and the other AdvancingCities Challenge Winners, visit jpmorganchase.com/advancingcities.

Join us in Advancing San Diego. For more information about EDC’s inclusive growth efforts, visit sandiegobusiness.org/inclusivegrowth.

Presenting: Herb Klein Civic Leadership Award 2019

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Each year, San Diego Regional EDC honors an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership by addressing challenges and making significant contributions to improve our region. For 2019, we are thrilled to award Dr. Karen Haynes with the Herb Klein Civic Leadership Award, presented by SONY.

Karen Haynes has served as President of CSU San Marcos since 2004 and is the longest-tenured president in the university’s history. Under her leadership, the school’s population has grown from 7,000 students to 17,000, while also overseeing the addition of 15 new buildings, more than 100 academic programs, and a new satellite campus in Temecula.

Aside from fulfilling the duties as university president, Dr. Haynes has gone above and beyond to address the needs of underrepresented students. She has a passion for helping every student achieve their academic potential by removing barriers to access. CSUSM serves the highest per-capita numbers of both military veterans and Native American students in the CSU system and more former foster youth per capita than any institution of higher education in the United States.

In addition to the new award she’ll be receiving, Dr. Haynes carries a long list of notable awards and accolades, including:

  • In 2016, Dr. Haynes became the senior president in the 23-campus CSU system—the first woman to ever serve in that role.
  • 2017 Social Work Pioneer Award by the National Association of Social Workers, for contributions to the evolution and enrichment of the profession.
  • 2015 Woman of the Year Award from San Diego Magazine for her commitment to creating positive change in the region.
  • 2015 President of the Year Award from the California State Student Association, which represents all 460,000 CSU students, for outstanding commitment to CSU students.
  • Named a Power Broker of 2015 by the San Diego Business Journal for being a “catalyst for change and a champion for the underserved” in her leadership of Cal State San Marcos.

Please join us on May 2 at Sea World, where will be recognizing Dr. Haynes for great achievements.
More information & tickets are available: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/edcs-annual-dinner-tickets-55729391109

World Trade Center San Diego assists manufacturer with international compliance

By San Diego Regional EDC,

World Trade Center (WTC) San Diego’s flagship export assistance program, MetroConnect, helps local companies in the region with their efforts in accessing international markets and executing sales overseas. For the 2019 program, twenty companies are selected to participate, including five defense companies who received exclusive access to a consultant that advised on regulatory compliance issues in addition to the services available for supporting international expansion plans.

During Q1 2019, WTC, LRAD Corporation and JAS Forwarding were able to sit down and discuss specific ways to potentially update LRAD’s internal and export compliance procedures for its long-range acoustic devices. To assist in furthering its global footprint, WTC was able to leverage the organization’s extensive global network and put LRAD in touch with data privacy experts in the European Union.

Additionally, LRAD identified South and Central America as target areas for potential sales growth, and the WTCSD team connected the company with a vetted list of port operators in Latin America and the Caribbean. These relationships stemmed from a delegation held in fall 2018, in partnership with Port of San Diego and World Trade Center, DC.

WTCSD connects environmentally-conscious Japanese company with San Diego ecosystem

By San Diego Regional EDC,

World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD) works to connect San Diego to global resources. Before a company sets up a location in San Diego, it needs customers. That’s where WTCSD comes in.

Recognizing San Diego’s role as a cleantech’s hub and the region’s forward-thinking adoption of green policies, in January, a Japanese-maker of alternative paper and plastic products reached out to World Trade Center San Diego. Not only was the firm interested in potential customers that might need its product, but they were also looking to cultivate relationships with local manufacturers.

Through WTCSD’s MetroConnect participants and other regional partners, WTCSD was able to compile a list of potential leads and provided curated introductions to hoteliers and retailers in San Diego with a track record of progressive climate action. On the manufacturing end, EDC also was able to connect the company with contract manufacturers in the San Diego region, which lays the foundation for the Japanese-based company to make a future investment in San Diego.

EDC-led program helps Chula Vista PD hit new drone milestone

By San Diego Regional EDC,

From surveying land after natural disasters to delivering packages, drones offer a world of possibilities to advance society and unlock economic potential. However, in order for this type of drone work to become a reality, they must be able to operate beyond a visual line of site(BVLOS). At the moment, no one is allowed to fly BVLOS in U.S. airspace without obtaining a special, hard-to-get waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Chula Vista Police Department is the exception. As part of the FAA’s Integration Pilot Program (IPP), San Diego is one of only 10 agencies nationwide selected to partner with private sector entities to accelerate safe UAS integration and innovation both regionally and nationally. In October, the Chula Vista Police Department announced a new test program to deploy drones as first responders. Now, thanks to the support of CAPE, Airmap and, Skyfire, the Chula Vista PD has become the first public safety agency within the 10 IPP destinations to receive a beyond visual line of sight waiver. This waiver will help Chula Vista continue to expand its Drone as First Responders program across the city providing faster responses and better services to the community.

San Diego’s IPP is comprised of the city of Chula Vista, the city of San Diego, and San Diego Regional EDC. Recognizing the potential of drone technology for the regional economy, EDC plays a key role in driving the IPP work and supporting the cities of Chula Vista and San Diego with successful integration.

Military Transition Conference supports more than 40 transitioning vets & community members

By San Diego Regional EDC,

With the largest concentration of military assets in the world and the largest federal military workforce in the country, San Diego has the third highest population of veterans in the United States.

Each year, more than 20,000 Sailors and Marines stationed in San Diego leave military service. A third of these individuals, who are often highly trained, team oriented, and hardworking, are expected to stay in the San Diego community when transitioning to civilian life. However, adjusting to life outside the military structure and regime comes with its own challenges. According to the National Veterans Transition Service Inc. (NVTSI), 81 percent of transitioning military personnel do not feel fully prepared for the process of entering the job market.

With such high volume of transitioning military personnel comes countless local support services for veterans. Navigating the programs and resources can be a daunting process that leaves many feeling discouraged. Now in its fourth year, the Military Transition Conference, hosted at USD in partnership with EDC, was created to provide a holistic, fresh perspective on the transition experience through the lens of education. Content focused on translating military experience into skills and knowledge applicable to a wide variety of industries, and addressed key questions military personnel and veterans have around educational benefits, job hunting, and more.

More than 40 veterans and their dependents received personalized coaching on how to continue meaningful work in San Diego. The day kicked off with a keynote address by Justin McAnear, former exec of J&J, Apple, and Tesla, Naval Academy grad, navy aviator, with an MBA from USD. Following the keynote were a series of breakout sessions where participants could get their resumes reviewed, speak one-on-one with industry representatives, or get coached on job search strategies. Finally, a panel of accomplished veterans from Petco, Intuit, Cubic, and Teradata wrapped up the conference by sharing their honest transition stories and how they ended up in successful careers across tech, law, and retail.

Supporting our veterans in San Diego means expanding access to education, training, and opportunities that catalyze a smooth transition. Representing nearly 10 percent of San Diego’s population, veterans are an important pool of talent helping drive San Diego’s economic success. EDC will continue to support the veteran ecosystem by elevating local opportunities for transitioning military.

Strengthening San Diego’s future workforce – the next gen of STEM talent

By San Diego Regional EDC,

In February 2019, EDC supported The San Diego Foundation’s annual convening to recognize the accomplishments of its 2018 Science and Technology program grantees. The San Diego Foundation supports efforts that encourage more students to pursue STEM careers and academic research, with the goal of strengthening our regional economy. Grantees have a demonstrated track record of engaging students in STEM fields, particularly among underrepresented populations. Eduardo Velasquez, research manager at EDC, participated in a panel alongside City of San Diego’s Deputy Operating Officer Erik Caldwell and Qualcomm’s Inclusion and Diversity Manager Carrie Sawyer for a discussion on the importance of building a strong local talent pipeline.

The San Diego region is recognized as a tech hub, with some of the most innovative companies and world-class research universities. Yet, not all students have the opportunity to explore and pursue STEM-related fields that lead to high-paying jobs in the innovation economy. San Diego’s Hispanic population is statistically the least prepared to enter or complete a degree or credential, yet represents nearly half of the future local talent pool.

This demographic gap in educational attainment, combined with rapidly changing skill requirements and a nationwide battle for talent, is likely to lead to an increased shortage of skilled workers in our region. As a member of EDC’s Inclusive Growth Steering Committee, The San Diego Foundation’s convening directly supports the regional goal of producing 20,000 new skilled workers per year by 2030.

Learn more at talent.inclusivesd.org