News & Updates

Chamber Hosts “Beyond Traffic” Roundtable with the Federal Highway Administration

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In partnership with the Otay Mesa Chamber, the San Diego Regional Chamber hosted a roundtable discussion with Federal Highway Administator Gregory Nadeau to discuss the border region’s growing freight economy. By 2045, San Diego’s freight economy is expected to grow by 65 percent which requires a large investment in infrastructure in order to support the increased demand of transportation of goods and services. The meeting was an opportunity for business and policy representatives to share ideas, insights, and experiences to improve freight movement and strategies to raise the conversation to the national level.

San Diego is the first border city to host a freight economy meeting with the FHWA; additional meetings will be scheduled along the border region. For more photos of the meeting, visit the Chamber’s Facebook photo album.

Member Spotlight: McKinney Advisory Group

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McKinney Advisory Group is a full-service real estate firm that focuses on the representation of clients in order to optimize the value of their real estate assets. McKinney Advisory group is an Achieve Your Vision company that prides itself on finding customized solutions, providing a comprehensive approach, and building relationships for long-term business success.

What We Do

McKinney is comprised of a team of advisors with multiple specialties including: brokerage, tenant representation, asset management, portfolio management, investment analysis, and development. McKinney represents clients worldwide in all stages of acquisition, disposition, and financing of commercial real estate.Damian McKinney Headshot

About the Founder & CEO

Damian McKinney, Founder & CEO, has over 35 years of experience in commercial real estate. Damian represents Corporate America’s best interests working with decision makers to leverage real estate and proficiencies towards bottom-line savings. His understanding of the current economy and experience in multi-market real estate transactions allows Damian to be an innovative advocate on behalf of his clients.

Giving Back – The Why Behind What We Do

McKinney Advisory Group commits to donating 10% of its annual profits to charity. We believe that the more success that we have professionally, the more responsibility we have to support our community.

Non-profit organizations nationwide benefit from our team’s participation on Boards of Directors and from personal contributions. We give back to our local community in many different ways, including walking for charitable causes, gardening at homeless shelters, and providing meals for homeless teens. By working with like-minded individuals, we find that the charitable giving of time, talent, and treasure are not mutually exclusive, but intertwined.

To learn more about how McKinney Advisory Group can add to your company’s bottom line, please visit our website at www.McKinneyAdvisory.com.

McKinney Advisory Group
12250 El Camino Real, Suite 220
San Diego, CA 92130
858-519-3240
Linked In | Facebook | Twitter

Ken Gronbach Discusses Business in the Face of Rapid Change

GGSS_KenGronbach1The Chamber hosted a lively Good Government Speaker Series with expert demographer and futurist Ken Gronbach. During the discussion, Gronbach explained how the United States’ rapidly changing demographics will affect the global economy, and examined strategies for businesses to stay relevant.

A few interesting takeaways:

  • The United States has a “barbell” demographic with many, young liberals on one end and many, older conservatives (i.e. baby boomers) on the other. The last time this happened? 1964.
  • Successful businesses will watch trends in demographics and meet the gap, particularly with housing, “deathcare,” and technology (especially cyber-security), among many others.
  • To stay ahead in one’s industry, workplace diversity is the new name of the game.

We’re extremely grateful to Ken Gronbach for taking the time to speak with us, and to everyone who attended and took part in our engaging discussion. For more photos, visit our album on Facebook or check out the Chamber’s Twitter.

For those unable to attend, the following video is a visual interpretation of Ken Gronbach’s philosophy:

 

San Diego Regional Chamber Meets with Tijuana’s Business Leadership

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Along with Vice President of International Business Affairs, Paola Avila, Chamber President & CEO Jerry Sanders attended a meeting with the Consejo Coordinador Empreserial (CCE) in Tijuana and was featured as the meeting’s guest speaker. CCE Tijuana is an alliance comprised of each of the city’s economic development organization presidents; the meeting was an excellent opportunity to introduce the Chamber’s international policy work and discuss possibilities for cross-border collaboration.

Moving forward, the Chamber anticipates working closely together with Tijuana’s business leadership, particularly during the upcoming trade delegation to Mexico City.

How the Trans-Pacific Partnership Can Benefit Your Business

ACTION ALERT: On May 18, the U.S. International Trade Commission released an economic report analyzing the likely impact of Trans-Pacific Partnership.We urge all members to take a moment to learn how the TPP will benefit their business and sign-on to the Chamber’s open letter of support.


 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a free trade agreement between twelve Pacific-Rim countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam.

TPP maintains free trade between these countries by eliminating all tariffs and trade barriers, establishing protection for intellectual property, and introducing mechanisms to settle investor-state disputes, among other measures. (Read the full details on Medium.)

What This Means For San Diego

Although San Diego is the 17th largest economy in the United States, it ranks only 61st in terms of export intensity. With considerable growing industries such as the life sciences, cleantech, IT, and maritime, TPP presents an opportunity for San Diego to expand its foothold in the global marketplace and create more jobs in the region. (As of June of this year, 110,000 San Diego jobs were directly supported by international exports and foreign investment.)

Furthermore, with six of San Diego’s largest trading partners represented (Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Signapore ), TPP’s elimination of trade barriers gives San Diego direct access to 500 million consumers, representing a total GDP of almost $12 trillion.

We Need Your Help!

The Chamber strongly urges all members to sign on to our open letter of support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. With your help, we can open new markets, create new jobs, and strengthen our regional economy.

Member Spotlight: Buckboard Catering

Buckboard LogoA corporate event is a time for team building, improving productivity and employee morale. Allow Buckboard Catering & Events to be a part of taking your company function to the next level by providing an exciting and delectable menu for you and your employees that infuses variety, flavors and innovation at every turn. Whether in an important meeting with coworkers, planning a company holiday party, or company training sessions we can provide menu options, from grill to gourmet, that will tantalize and thrill all in attendance while being cost effective for any budget.

There is a reason why many companies throughout San Diego County count on us as their full service catering and event planning source to provide them with impeccable service and irreplaceable food quality that will continue to impress even after the event is over.
We have created an online ordering system that allows the user to browse our menus and get quick quotes 24 hours a day. Our repeat clients even create their own contracts and send them to us.

Corporate events is not the only thing we do – we’re here to help with any of your social parties, from birthday parties to weddings, and will work within your needs and budget.

Contact: Fadi Shihadeh, 858.748.1617, fadis@buckboardsd.com

 

Grill to Gourmet

Chamber Young Leaders Hosts First General Membership Meeting

SDYL Gen Membership MeetingOn February 29, the Chamber Young Leaders kicked-off their first general membership meeting at 3RDSPACE, followed by a happy-hour mixer at the popular Park & Rec bar in University Heights. During the meeting, expert communications strategist, Deborah Linggi, delivered a presentation on how to become an effective thought leader in their respective fields.

Although membership for SDYL’s Board of Directors is full, general membership for the program is still open. For more information on how to apply, visit www.sdchamber.org/SDYL.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making our first general membership meeting a successful event, especially to our event sponsors, 3RDSPACE and McKinney Advisory Group. For more pictures, visit our photo album on Facebook or check out the #SDYL hashtag on Twitter.

Brightwood College Celebrates a Ribbon Cutting and Rebranding

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Last week, Brightwood College, formerly known as Kaplan College, hosted an open house at its campus located at 9055 Balboa Avenue in San Diego. The event was a celebration of the college’s rebranding since its acquisition by Education Corporation of America (ECA) this year.

“The Brightwood College name represents a cornerstone for opportunity and growth for our students and the entire company,” said David Movsesian, Campus President of Brightwood College in San Diego. “We are delighted to host an open house for the business community to showcase the new possibilities created by the close alignment of Brightwood programs and those offered at ECA’s Virginia College which currently has 27 locations across the United States.”

Brightwood College has been in the community since 1976 with 85 percent of its graduates receiving placement into their respective fields. As part of the ECA, Brightwood is a leader in the post-secondary career school market with an accredidation from the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). For more information, visit brightwood.edu or call (858) 654-3690.

Community Partner of the Month: DECA

DECA 2DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

California has always been a place of unlimited innovation, monumental discovery, and no matter your circumstances, a place where you can achieve big dreams. That is why our great state adopted “Eureka” as our motto based on our long history of gold discovery. And in that same Californian spririt, California DECA, since 1951, has always supported the unparalleled innovation for our students, providing them with opportunities to discover new interests and develop essential skills for a 21st century workforce, all while serving as a place where students from the most rural parts of our state to our largest cities can make their dreams a reality.

DECA 3If you are looking help students find success and prepare for meaningful careers with the same passion for innovation and discovery that helped build California and make it the entrepreneurial leader it is today, we believe once you learn more about California DECA, you will proudly proclaim “Eureka!”

To keep pace with the growing needs of a changing workforce and evolving education system, California DECA has worked tirelessly to expand and innovate our programs to ensure our students are at the cutting edge of college and career readiness.

DECAWe have eight guiding principles that will give you more insight into our commitments to the students, schools, and communities.

DECA…

  • Integrates into the classroom learning
  • Applies learning
  • Connects to business
  • Promotes competition

 

DECA ensures students are…

  • Academically prepared
  • Community oriented
  • Professionally responsible
  • Experienced leaders

DECA LogoUsing these eight principles, California DECA continues to excel as a co-curricular organization that connects the learning students are doing in the classroom with real world experience and industry connections.

Are you interested in helping prepare today’s emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management?

See more and learn how you can become involved at californiadeca.org/judge/index.php.

Contact California DECA by reaching out to our volunteer coordinator at becky@californiadeca.org.

A Meeting with the Tijuana Conventions and Tourism Committee

COTUCOLast week, Chamber Staff – including President & CEO, Jerry Sanders – met with Francisco Villegas, President of the Tijuana Conventions and Tourism Committee (COTUCO) and the organization’s Binational Liaison, Juan Saldana. In addition to promoting Tijuana as a destination spot for tourists, COTUCO advocates for city improvements in order to support the city’s thriving businesses. The meeting was an excellent opportunity for the Chamber and COTUCO to establish open and frequent communication, plus discuss binational tourism opportunities and mutual participation at each other’s events.