A Weekly Newsletter Promoting Monterey County:
Open for Business

Friday, Feb. 24, 2023

Edition 969

Celebrate with Us
25th Silver Anniversary & Covid Business Survival Awards

The Board of Directors at MCBC and our team are honored to recognize the incredible work, leadership, and care for our community provided during the pandemic by this year’s honorees. Join us at the Inn at Spanish Bay on Feb. 24. Click here to register for an incredible evening. For more information on table purchases and sponsorship opportunities, please email our CEO at Kimbley@MCBC.biz. We look forward to celebrating with you.

Monterey County Business Council announces honorees for the COVID Business Survival Awards

Monterey County Business Council Board of Directors is proud to honor businesses and individuals who have made a significant impact during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join MCBC in celebrating the following for their community efforts during these unprecedented times:   

Small Business Innovation — Stonies Taphouse & Bistro: Demonstrated resilience and innovation during the pandemic by being one of the first local businesses to immediately pivot their business plan to offer online to-go ordering and curbside pickup. Due to their success, Stonies was able to expand its location during the pandemic.

Agriculture — Braga Fresh: Industry leaders in developing safety protocols for keeping the agricultural workforce vaccinated and safe. Their program was a trailblazing model for the agriculture industry.

Higher Education & Research — CSUMB: Strictly implemented immediate COVID safety precautions during the pandemic including a new ventilation system, walk-up COVID testing for students and staff, hybrid schooling, and individualized dorms for students.

Hospitality & Tourism — Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay: Led the hospitality industry to support and focus vaccine efforts on the Salinas Valley and farm workers. The leadership of Portola Hotel & Spa was at the forefront of bridging communication and relationships between hospitality and agriculture.

Health & Wellness — Clinica De Salud Del Valle De Salinas: Instrumental in obtaining specific state-designated vaccine allocations for farmworkers and organizing large-scale vaccination clinics.

Nonprofit — Community Foundation for Monterey County: Established the COVID-19 Collaborative, a countywide multi-sector collaboration of both existing and needed efforts fighting COVID-19 and its impacts on our community. They advanced a coordinated action plan driven by science and best practices in public health and equity.

Creative & Technology — Virus Geeks: Immediately deployed regional free mobile testing at locations throughout Monterey County, including Monterey Peninsula Regional Airport, Monterey Peninsula College, Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay, and other locations.

Lifetime Achievement Award — MaryAnn Leffel: Honored for her decades-long work in the business community.  MaryAnn is a founder of Monterey County Business Council and has served as an executive in the banking industry for 45 years. Her community work includes the Monterey Peninsula Airport District Board, current chair of the Local Agency Formation Commission, and Vice-Chair of the Monterey County Workforce Development Board. She is also a founder of Monterey Bay Economic Partnership and Leadership Monterey County, and over the last several decades has participated on many more non-profits boards.

Membership Lunch with guest speaker CSUMB President Vanya Quiñones

The Monterey County Business Council is excited to announce our March luncheon with guest speaker CSUMB President Vanya Quinones. Join us as we get to know President Quinones and hear her vision and priorities for CSUMB.
Vanya Quiñones became the fourth president of California State University, Monterey Bay on Aug. 15, 2022. A neurobiologist, biopsychologist, and noted researcher, she came to CSUMB after serving as provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Pace University since 2018.

President Quiñones earned a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's in cell biology from the University of Puerto Rico, and a doctorate in neurobiology and physiology from Rutgers University. Over the course of her 20-plus-year career at the City University of New York (CUNY) - Hunter College, Quiñones served as a professor, chair of the Department of Psychology, and associate provost. In 2018, she was appointed to her roles at Pace University, where she also held the rank of full professor in the Department of Psychology. Learn more about President Quiñones

What: MCBC March Membership Lunch

When: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 17 

Where: Bayonet & Blackhorse Golf Course, 1 McClure Way, Seaside 

Black Business Summit highlights resources available to minority-owned businesses

Thanks to Monterey County Weekly (MCBC member) Editor Sara Rubin for shining the spotlight on our Black Business Summit, a first-of-its-kind event hosted Thursday morning in honor of Black History Month.

The event, which took place virtually and also in person at the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, was hosted by Building Business Back (BBB) and the Monterey County Business Council (MCBC), in collaboration with the Monterey County Black Caucus, the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, and local black business owners.

Featuring a panel discussion on the history, financial impact, and outlook of black businesses in California, the event highlighted resources — from funding options to professional development opportunities — available to minority business owners so that they can succeed.

And that's the mission of BBB: To foster a flourishing Monterey County economy that lifts all, especially our local black-owned businesses.

Read Rubin's article and check out some photos (or video?) of the event here. ???

PG&E Corporation Foundation is helping hometowns recover from major January storms

The PG&E (MCBC member) Corporation Foundation is supporting hometowns across PG&E's service area with $250,000 in charitable contributions through its Winter Storm Relief Fund. Contributions will be directed to nonprofit organizations, agencies and tribes providing emergency support to areas and people most impacted by the recent storms, including the Community Foundation of Monterey County.

The Foundation’s 2023 Winter Storm Relief Fund builds on $2 million in charitable contributions last year from PG&E and The Foundation for localized emergency services. Additionally, PG&E contributed $300,000 to the American Red Cross for its disaster response program, a portion of which was used to support shelter locations for California residents impacted by the recent January storms. PG&E also provided local communities with go-bags that included water, snacks, blankets and battery packs and supported organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank. Read more

Monterey Regional Airport touts spring training

The Monterey Regional Airport (MCBC member) is highlighting spring and summer routes, with beaches and baseball being big selling points.

JSX, the hop-on jet service flying out of the Monterey Jet Center, has new summer seasonal routes planned to connect the Monterey Peninsula area with Southern California. JSX has announced its plan to have round-trip flights on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday, making it easier for people in the Monterey Bay region to get to iconic beaches and cities in Orange County and beyond starting April 6. The hop-on jet service arrives and departs from the Monterey Jet Center at 200 Sky Park Drive at the Monterey Airport, linking travelers to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana.

The Monterey Regional Airport is also touting its flights to Phoenix so fans can attend spring training games in Arizona where 15 major league teams play more than 200 games across the greater Phoenix area from late February through March. Read more
Source: Monterey County Herald

Monterey-Salinas Transit seeks public input on transit-oriented development survey

Monterey-Salinas Transit's (MCBC member) SURF! Transit Oriented Development Planning Survey is open for public input, which will help inform MST as it is studying programs, policies, and infrastructure improvements that could increase access to active and public transportation and support future development along MST’s SURF! project in collaboration with local cities. Community members are encouraged to help shape the future of transportation in Monterey County by taking the five-minute survey here.

Middlebury Institute launches new 'Subtitling for Streaming' online course, with more to come

Online video production is skyrocketing and it’s driving demand for people who are trained to create high-quality subtitles.

That’s why the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MCBC member) has launched a new self-paced, short course titled "Subtitling for Streaming."

“It’s all about access—whether someone is hard of hearing, speaks a different language, or simply needs to view the video with the volume off because they are in a public space,” said Professor Max Troyer, who developed the course, which includes hands-on training exercises.

There didn’t used to be clear quality standards for subtitling across the language services industry. However, in recent years Netflix has emerged as a key player, codifying specific standards for all content streaming on their platform that reflect best practices based on the latest research.

The Institute plans to expand its offerings like this one, providing timely and accessible trainings drawing on the deep expertise of Institute faculty in intercultural communication, sustainability, and global security.

“Successful professionals never stop learning,” said Patricia Szasz, dean of academic innovation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. “We want more people to be able to access the incredible knowledge and learning that our master’s students have through these new shorter-term credentials.” Read more
Source: Middlebury Institute of International Studies

Monterey votes to extend outdoor seating permits

The Monterey City Council has decided to extend outdoor seating permits until Dec. 31, 2023. The council voted unanimously to extend temporary outdoor business permits and outdoor heaters on Fisherman's Wharf, an extension that allows them to coincide with the California Coastal Commission permit review. Read more
Source: KION

Career opportunities with Fenton & Keller

Fenton & Keller has offered practical solutions to complex legal challenges faced by clients in the Monterey Bay Area and beyond for more than 70 years. The firm is seeking applicants for the following positions:

• Litigation / Employment Associate Attorney
• Business Transactions / Real Estate / Estate Planning Attorney
• Litigation / Personal Injury Paralegal
• Business Transactions / Real Estate / Estate Planning Paralegal

Learn more about these career opportunities, qualifications and compensation packages here. Submit a cover letter and résumé to: ndehaven@fentonkeller.com. For more information, call (831) 373-1241.

Visit the Monterey Bay PTAC website at www.montereybayptac.com to learn more about government contracting, see upcoming webinars, or contact our PTAC team.

Special thanks to the County of Monterey for its ongoing support of the Monterey County Business Council's efforts for economic development and education.

Submit news items of general interest about your organization or upcoming events for consideration for inclusion in Friday Facts, our weekly MCBC e-newsletter that reaches key decision-makers, industry leaders, movers and shakers in Monterey County and the greater region.  And if you aren't yet a member, join us now and help shape the future of Monterey County for the better. Download the membership application or call 216-3000.

Founded in 1995, the Monterey County Business Council (MCBC) is a 501(c)(6) organization comprised of a diverse group of members representing all industries and geographic areas of Monterey County. It remains the only countywide organization focused on business advocacy, economic development and workforce readiness.

Please support our efforts, by becoming a member today: Membership Application
 
If you are a current MCBC member, please help us grow our membership by forwarding this email to businesses who will benefit from our services.