News & Updates

Member Spotlight: Optima Office

Member Spotlight

April 30, 2019

Optima Office has a team of accounting specialists, from strategic CFOs to bookkeepers and every accounting role in between. Optima also has a team of HR professionals who are ready to help your business stay compliant. Our services range from doing the daily transactional accounting work, such as accounts payable and receivable, doing bank and credit card reconciliations, to accounting manager work performing tasks such as balance sheet reconciliations and month-end close. Our Controllers spend time creating financials and analytics which drive profitability and ensure that companies have a 13-week cash flow forecast, budget to actual reporting and that the overall accounting department is efficient. At the CFO level, our role is to provide high-level strategic advice and forward-looking direction. We ensure our clients have the day to day accounting handled but focus our efforts on the value-added activities which help our clients grow and thrive.

Companies choose Optima because of how personalized the services are. We take careful consideration with every single new customer to identify a team who not only fits from an industry, software and technical standpoint, but we also take the time to fit the culture and personality of the organization.

We strive ourselves on ensuring our clients have peace of mind, accurate and timely financial statements and are as efficient as possible. Our approach is not a one size fits all and we truly believe that every company is unique.

Each team member from Optima works on an as-needed basis, and are generally onsite, although remote work is also an option. We make sure that everyone on the team is doing exactly what they are good at. You never want a CFO doing bookkeeping work on an ongoing basis and you certainly don’t want your Staff Accountant or Bookkeeper trying to do cash flow forecasting or providing high-level analytics. At Optima we strive to ensure our clients are better off by outsourcing their accounting to us year after year.

Jennifer Barnes, CEO
Optima Office
optimaoffice.com
5120 Shoreham Place, Suite 280, San Diego, CA 92122,
858-283-1234
info@optimaoffice.com

Member Spotlight: Olympus Corsair

Member Spotlight

April 30, 2019

Olympus Corsair: Luxury Apartment Living in the Heart of San Diego

Experience lavish living at Olympus Corsair, an Olympus Property, where superior class and unmatched convenience come standard in our exquisite San Diego apartments. Take advantage of a prime location near the city’s leading restaurants, dining, entertainment, and attractions while enjoying an impressive collection of resort-style amenities at home. Soak up the sun by our beautiful sparkling pool or host gatherings in our expansive outdoor social spaces. Our coveted apartments in San Diego were expertly crafted with premium design features and contemporary conveniences to compliment your unique lifestyle.

Inside our San Diego apartments, residents will feel instantly at home. Each of our stylishly designed one and two-bedroom apartments features wood plank style flooring, large walk-in closets, and a full-sized washer and dryer. Find your passion for cooking in our chef-inspired kitchens showcasing stainless appliances and a 5-burner gas cook-top, or unwind on your private balcony. We have it all!

Within our beautiful community, residents enjoy various on & off-site events, including wine & food pairing, happy hours, fitness classes, painting workshops, and more. Our state-of-the-art fitness club comes with weight training and cardio equipment along with a private dance/yoga studio featuring Fitness on Demand. Our community is also pet-friendly with a beautifully landscaped dog walking path and a dog washing station. Living at Olympus Corsair means living the luxury lifestyle you deserve. If you’re interested in learning more about our modern apartment community, please contact our office directly at 858-268-8858 to schedule your personalized tour. You can also view our floorplans and additional community photos at www.OlympusCorsair.com!

Olympus Property
Sarah Gencarella – Marketing Manager
www.OlympusProperty.com
Instagram: @olympusproperty
Twitter: @olympusproperty
Facebook.com/olympuscorsair
Facebook.com/olympusproperty

Impact Class of 2019 Law & Society Seminar

LEAD

April 16, 2019

In March, Impact’s class visited Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility for their seminar on Law and Society. The class heard from Sheriff Bill Gore, as well as Rob Smith from Center for Employment Opportunities, which helps formerly incarcerated individuals find employment.

Another presenter was Bishop Cornelius Bowser, who is one of LEAD’s 2019 Visionary Award honorees. He is a faith leader and former gang member, who shared about his work to prevent gang and gun violence.

The cohort heard from Christine Taylor-Brown, Reentry Services Manager for the Sheriff’s Department and learned how Las Colinas has created gender-responsive and trauma-informed reentry services for women before touring the campus.

They also learned about the California Innocence Project, and heard from SDSU Criminal Justice Professor Alan Mobley about Project Rebound and re-integration. Professor Mobley led the class in a reflective exercise about their experience that day.

Council puts Measure on March 2020 Ballot to Finance Convention Center Expansion, Homelessness Solutions, and Infrastructure

Policy

April 16, 2019

On Monday, the City Council placed the citizens’ initiative financing measure on the March ballot. A coalition, including the Chamber, organized labor, and homelessness advocates among others are in support of the measure to fund three priorities of the City: a convention center expansion, homelessness solutions, and infrastructure.

Ribbon Cutting – Star Club

Ribbon Cuttings

April 15, 2019

Star Club has been serving the downtown San Diego for over 45 years. Owner, Star Thompson and her staff celebrated with long time customers with a ribbon cutting and party on March 19th, 2019. 

Future of Planning and Civic San Diego

Policy

April 15, 2019

Since 1992 Civic San Diego and its predecessor CCDC has helped to guide the development of Downtown San Diego into the thriving and successful downtown we see today. The pending settlement between the City and Labor provides an opportunity for the City to integrate the success learned by Civic San Diego into the larger City and elevate the planning and permitting services the City provides to its urban neighborhoods, as well as enhance the City’s efforts to tackle the housing crisis, create jobs, and improve the quality of life in San Diego communities. The pending settlement also allows Civic to continue its successes in community development by providing an opportunity to focus greater attention and resources on executing Civics’ growth strategy within its New Markets Tax Credit and Community Lending Programs.  Both of these programs generate exceptional impacts for low-income individuals and communities within San Diego, including quality jobs and critical services.  The settlement will also provide Civic the ability to expand its housing initiatives, which will secure funds to help increase our regional housing supply for middle and low-income residents. Additionally, Civic will continue to assist the City in the wind-down of redevelopment.

Mexican Consulate in San Diego Holds Citizens’ Forum

International

April 11, 2019

Earlier this month, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard, presented a strategy to increase assistance provided to Mexican citizens living abroad. The 10-point plan included a series of citizens’ forums which provide Mexicans abroad an opportunity to participate in Mexico’s national development plan. This document is generally designed within the first semester of each President’s six-year term and remains in effect for the entire term.

Each forum consists in an approximately three-hour session where attendees review and comment on topics relevant to citizen’s rights, health and welfare, and economic development.

The San Diego forum took place on April 4, where attendees included students, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and representatives from the business community. Chamber Director of International Business Affairs, Kenia Zamarripa, participated as a panelist and facilitator of the economic development discussion. Zamarripa spoke about the Chamber and the private sector’s role in the region’s economic development, and our partnership with the Mexican Consulate.

Roberto Valdovino, chief of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad, shared that the forums are an effort to engage communities in the development plan and in the political transformation that Mexico is undergoing. With more than 11 million Mexicans living in the United States, the deadline for the forums has been extended to incorporate their comments. This is the first time that Mexicans residing outside of the country will be participating.

New DHS Acting Secretary

International

April 11, 2019

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan has been appointed as acting Secretary of Homeland Security following the resignation of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. The Chamber has appreciated having a long standing relationship with McAleenan and looks forward to working with him in this new role.

Christopher Landau Nominated as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico

International

April 11, 2019

President Trump has nominated Christopher Landau to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. The position has been vacant since Ambassador Roberta Jacobson left the post in May of 2018.

Christopher Landau is a partner at the law firm of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, and previously partner and associate at Kirkland & Ellis, in Washington D.C. Born in Madrid, Landau is fluent in Spanish and earned an undergraduate certificate in Latin American Studies at Harvard. His father, George Landau, served as U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, Chile, and Paraguay.

This nomination is still pending Senate confirmation.

Save the Date: Cross Border Forum May 29

International

April 11, 2019

With a $230 billion economy, the Cali-Baja Mega-Region represents a tremendous growth opportunity for all industries, including manufacturing, biotech, agriculture, clean tech, and more. Through the Cross-Border Business Forums, the Chamber provides business leaders the essential knowledge and resources needed to thrive within the binational marketplace.

Meetings are held quarterly, and alternate between the San Diego Regional Chamber office and in Tijuana.

Registration is open to Chamber members and those considering membership. If you are not yet a Chamber member, please contact Member Benefits Coordinator, Joshua Peters at jpeters@sdchamber.org or 619.544.1368, to discuss membership opportunities or to register as a guest.

Please save the date for the Chamber’s upcoming Cross Border Business Forum will take place Wednesday, May 29, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., in Tijuana.