oakland business review july 2011

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April 2010 | 1 TRAVEL WITH THE CHAMBER TO CHINA ‘Above and beyond your expectations!’ | Page 3 THE AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION OF THE OAKLAND METROPOLITAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | Oakland Business Review Visit www.oaklandchamber.com for more business opportunities, news and event registration. SPECIAL SECTION Transportation update Page 11 > Chamber helps break ground for Remember Them monument > Meet Jesse Ortiz at Chamber Golf Classic Aug. 29 When the Chamber presents its annual Golf Classic on Monday, Aug. 29, partici- pants will have an opportunity to meet and learn from Jesse Ortiz, highly regarded as one of the best golf club designers in the industry. Ortiz, the executive vice president of the Bobby Jones Division and chief designer of golf equipment for the HMX Group, will be on hand to share his expertise with Chamber members and guests. Ortiz, who has more than 40 years of golf industry experience, began his club designing career as a teenager in 1968 with guidance from his father Lou, founder of Orlimar Golf. Together, Jesse and Lou hand-crafted golf clubs for many of golf’s greatest, from Ken Venturi to Johnnie Miller. The Ortiz’ became personal craftsmen for Northern California’s finest golf professionals. And this year, Jesse Ortiz will person- ally pass on his knowledge to participants at the Chamber Golf Classic at the Tilden Park Golf Course in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills. This annual, all-day tournament brings together some of the top business leaders in the city for breakfast, a shot- gun start, and the 19th Hole Awards Reception. Restaurants that wish to provide food for 100 golfers at various holes throughout the course can do so at no charge. An introductory golf academy for beginners is also available, where partici- pating players will be taught basic golf skills, business golf etiquette, and how to use golf as a business tool. The annual golf tournament is an important fundraiser. Help support the Chamber and become a Corporate Sponsor for $2,500 or a Chamber Challenger for $1,750. Or how about a Business Hole Sponsorship for $500 where you can have a display table and a member of your staff on hand? Or a Tee Sign Sponsorship for $325? Golfers can register as individuals for $325, or for the Academy for just $50. For reservations and sponsorship information, visit www.oaklandcham ber.com or contact Amanda Medina at the Chamber at (510) 874-4800, ext. 319 or at [email protected]. > The stars come out at Chamber’s 106th Annual Meeting www.oaklandchamber.com | VOL XXXVIII NO. 7 July 2011 > A’s tickets, memorabilia available Chamber members can now purchase vouchers for field-level outfield seats at a discount for any remaining home game of the Oakland A’s. The vouchers, which can be redeemed at any Coliseum ticket window, cost $20 apiece for Chamber members – a $25 value. In addition, the Chamber has pieces of A’s memorabilia available free of charge. To get in a drawing for these baseball prizes, or to purchase the A’s tickets, contact Hank Masler at [email protected]. – Continued on page 6 Oakland’s Ambassadors Safety and maintenance of the community – Page 7 Oakland Restaurant Scene Test your knowledge Page 24 Celebrate the winners at the Annual Meeting – (seated left to right) C.J. Hirschfield (Children’s Fairyland), Ron Guerra (KaiserAir), Chamber Chairman of the Board John Nelson, and Giovanna Tanzillo (Uptown Body & Fender). Standing left to right are guest speaker Manette Belliveau (Visit Oakland), Debbie and Mark Everton (Waterfront Hotel); Brian Rogers (Rogers Family Foundation), Steve Eckert (East Bay Agency for Children), Suzan Bateson (Alameda County Community Food Bank), Gary Wolff (StopWaste.org), guest speaker Michael LeBlanc (Pican) and Lisandro Allende (Uptown Body & Fender). Breaking ground for the Remember Them monument (left to right): George Granger, AT&T; Joe Haraburda; Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; Audree Jones-Taylor; Oakland Parks & Recreation; Victoria Jones, The Clorox Company; Mario Chiodo, sculptor, Chiodo Art Development; Robert Wilkins, YMCA of the East Bay; City Councilmember Jane Brunner; Vice Mayor Desley Brooks, Bettie Coles, retired, Kaiser Permanente; and City Councilmember Nancy Nadel. photo by Photographer@Large For more pictures and a wrap-up of the event, see pages 4-5. > Council divides – Mayor decides – Budget passes The city of Oakland has a budget. The City Council split – four votes in favor and four votes opposed – to a plan authored by Councilmembers Reid, Brooks, Brunner and De La Fuente. Mayor Quan cast the vote breaking the tie in favor of the plan that now becomes the city budget. Aer months of threats to close libraries and recreation centers, cut public works, cultural arts, the Film Office, senior centers and other city services, close fire stations, furlough city employees and layoff hundreds – most of those cuts will not occur. The city was projecting a $58 million shortfall in FY 2011-12 which begins this month and a $76 million the following year. To close the gap the city negotiated with all labor groups and secured savings for the general purpose fund that is reported to average about $15-$16 million the next two years. The city also approved sale of the Kaiser Convention Center to the Redevelopment Agency for $28.3 million. Savings were realized by moving operation of the Oakland Museum of California from the city to the Museum Foundation, a move that is being challenged in court by one of the employee unions. Other measures to balance the budget included changing assumptions about arition rates for the police department and shiing the cost of more city employees on to the Redevelopment Agency and other city funds. Positions were eliminated in the city aorney’s office, the Public Ethics Commission, and other city departments. Revenues will be raised by converting the I-580 underpass lot to 169 metered parking spots and restoring 100 meters in Eastlake. Commercial fire inspections will be increased to raise $500,000 and taxi cab inspection fees are another example of fee hikes to raise revenue. The fate of the parcel tax or a possible hike in the by Paul Junge A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the construction and installation phase of the Remember Them: Champions for Humanity monument was held on June 20. The monument, which will honor 25 humanitarians and have a corresponding K-12 educational curriculum, will be unveiled on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at the Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park in Fox Square on 19th Street between Rashida Muhammad St. and Telegraph Ave. “We never gave up, never once believed we could not make it happen,” said Chamber President Joe Haraburda, who then introduced Beie Coles, the former senior vice president of Kaiser Permanente, the principal financial sponsor of the monument. “It was easy for me to go to Kaiser Permanente and talk about how important it was for the community to have something meaningful right here in the middle of the city,” she said. Sculptor Mario Chiodo, whose dream of a monument has finally been realized, said, “It’s really two stories. We set out to make a monument about 25 people and that’s one story. But there’s really the story about this commu- nity coming together to make this project happen. What a positive testament and story about Oakland.”

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Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce monthly newspaper, July 2011 Issue. Contains a special section on Transportation.

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Page 1: Oakland Business Review July 2011

April 2010 | 1

TRAVELWITHTHECHAMBERTOCHINA‘Above and beyond your expectations!’ | Page 3

THE AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION OF THE OAKLAND METROPOLITAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE |

Oakland Business Review

Visit www.oaklandchamber.com for more businessopportunities, news and event registration.

SPECIAL SECTIONTransportation updatePage 11

> Chamber helps breakground for RememberThem monument

> Meet Jesse Ortizat Chamber GolfClassic Aug. 29

When theChamberpresents itsannual GolfClassic onMonday, Aug.29, partici-pants will havean opportunityto meet andlearn fromJesse Ortiz,

highly regarded as one of the bestgolf club designers in the industry. Ortiz,the executive vice president of the BobbyJones Division and chief designer of golfequipment for the HMX Group, will be onhand to share his expertise with Chambermembers and guests.

Ortiz, who has more than 40 years ofgolf industry experience, began his clubdesigning career as a teenager in 1968with guidance from his father Lou,founder of Orlimar Golf. Together, Jesseand Lou hand-crafted golf clubs for manyof golf’s greatest, from Ken Venturi toJohnnie Miller. The Ortiz’ became personalcraftsmen for Northern California’s finestgolf professionals.

And this year, Jesse Ortiz will person-ally pass on his knowledge to participantsat the Chamber Golf Classic at the TildenPark Golf Course in the Oakland/BerkeleyHills.

This annual, all-day tournamentbrings together some of the top businessleaders in the city for breakfast, a shot-gun start, and the 19th Hole AwardsReception. Restaurants that wish toprovide food for 100 golfers at variousholes throughout the course can do soat no charge.

An introductory golf academy forbeginners is also available, where partici-pating players will be taught basic golfskills, business golf etiquette, and how touse golf as a business tool.

The annual golf tournament is animportant fundraiser. Help support theChamber and become a CorporateSponsor for $2,500 or a ChamberChallenger for $1,750. Or how about aBusiness Hole Sponsorship for $500where you can have a display table and amember of your staff on hand? Or a TeeSign Sponsorship for $325?

Golfers can register as individuals for$325, or for the Academy for just $50.

For reservations and sponsorshipinformation, visit www.oaklandchamber.com or contact Amanda Medina atthe Chamber at (510) 874-4800, ext. 319or at [email protected]. �

> The stars come outat Chamber’s 106thAnnual Meeting

www.oaklandchamber.com | VOL XXXVIII NO. 7 July 2011

> A’s tickets,memorabilia availableChamber members can now purchase vouchers forfield-level outfield seats at a discount for any remaininghome game of the Oakland A’s. The vouchers, whichcan be redeemed at any Coliseum ticket window, cost$20 apiece for Chamber members – a $25 value.

In addition, the Chamber has pieces of A’smemorabilia available free of charge.

To get in a drawing for these baseball prizes,or to purchase the A’s tickets, contact Hank Maslerat [email protected]. �

– Continued on page 6

Oakland’s AmbassadorsSafety and maintenanceof the community –Page 7

Oakland RestaurantSceneTest your knowledgePage 24

� Celebrate the winners at the Annual Meeting – (seated leftto right) C.J. Hirschfield (Children’s Fairyland), Ron Guerra(KaiserAir), Chamber Chairman of the Board John Nelson,and Giovanna Tanzillo (Uptown Body & Fender). Standing leftto right are guest speaker Manette Belliveau (Visit Oakland),Debbie and Mark Everton (Waterfront Hotel); Brian Rogers(Rogers Family Foundation), Steve Eckert (East Bay Agencyfor Children), Suzan Bateson (Alameda County CommunityFood Bank), Gary Wolff (StopWaste.org), guest speakerMichael LeBlanc (Pican) and Lisandro Allende (Uptown Body& Fender).

� Breaking ground for the Remember Themmonument (left to right): George Granger, AT&T;Joe Haraburda; Oakland Metropolitan Chamber ofCommerce; Audree Jones-Taylor; Oakland Parks &Recreation; Victoria Jones, The Clorox Company;Mario Chiodo, sculptor, Chiodo Art Development;Robert Wilkins, YMCA of the East Bay; CityCouncilmember Jane Brunner; Vice Mayor DesleyBrooks, Bettie Coles, retired, Kaiser Permanente;and City Councilmember Nancy Nadel.

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e For more pictures and a wrap-up of the event, see pages 4-5. �

> Council divides – Mayordecides – Budget passes

The city of Oakland has a budget. The City Council split – fourvotes in favor and four votes opposed – to a plan authored byCouncilmembers Reid, Brooks, Brunner and De La Fuente. MayorQuan cast the vote breaking the tie in favor of the plan that nowbecomes the city budget.

Aer months of threats to close libraries and recreationcenters, cut public works, cultural arts, the Film Office, seniorcenters and other city services, close fire stations, furlough cityemployees and layoff hundreds – most of those cuts will not occur.

The city was projecting a $58 million shortfall in FY 2011-12which begins this month and a $76 million the following year. Toclose the gap the city negotiated with all labor groups and securedsavings for the general purpose fund that is reported to averageabout $15-$16 million the next two years.

The city also approved sale of the Kaiser Convention Center tothe Redevelopment Agency for $28.3 million.

Savings were realized by moving operation of the OaklandMuseum of California from the city to the Museum Foundation,a move that is being challenged in court by one of the employeeunions.

Other measures to balance the budget included changingassumptions about aarition rates for the police department andshiing the cost of more city employees on to the RedevelopmentAgency and other city funds. Positions were eliminated in the cityaaorney’s office, the Public Ethics Commission, and other citydepartments.

Revenues will be raised by converting the I-580 underpass lotto 169 metered parking spots and restoring 100 meters in Eastlake.Commercial fire inspections will be increased to raise $500,000and taxi cab inspection fees are another example of fee hikes toraise revenue. The fate of the parcel tax or a possible hike in the

by Paul Junge

A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the construction andinstallation phase of the Remember Them: Champions forHumanity monument was held on June 20.

The monument, which will honor 25 humanitariansand have a corresponding K-12 educational curriculum,will be unveiled on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at the Henry J. KaiserMemorial Park in Fox Square on 19th Street betweenRashida Muhammad St. and Telegraph Ave.

“We never gave up, never once believed we could notmake it happen,” said Chamber President Joe Haraburda,who then introduced Beaie Coles, the former senior vicepresident of Kaiser Permanente, the principal financialsponsor of the monument. “It was easy for me to go toKaiser Permanente and talk about how important it wasfor the community to have something meaningful righthere in the middle of the city,” she said.

Sculptor Mario Chiodo, whose dream of a monumenthas finally been realized, said, “It’s really two stories. Weset out to make a monument about 25 people and that’sone story. But there’s really the story about this commu-nity coming together to make this project happen. Whata positive testament and story about Oakland.” �

Page 2: Oakland Business Review July 2011

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com2

COUNTDOWN TO SEPTEMBER 2011 UNVEILING

e’re not done quite yetYes, it’s true – after years of planning, we’ll unveil the “Remember Them: Champions forHumanity” monument on Sept. 6. But that’s not the whole story – at this time three of the foursections will be unveiled as we continue to fundraise to allow us to unveil the final section.

Be part of history. Don’t delay. The sooner the remaining money comes in the sooner thefourth section will be unveiled.

Give now. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.remember-them.org orcontact me directly at (510) 874-4810 or at [email protected].

Remember Them: Champions for Humanity, a 501(c)3 nonprofit project in Oakland, is aworld-class monument honoring 25 humanitarians with a corresponding K-12 educationalcurriculum. The largest bronze monument in the west, Remember Them will weigh more than40,000 pounds, cover more than 1,000 square feet and measure 25 feet tall and 52 feet wide.The monument will be unveiled and dedicated Sept.6-11, 2011, at The Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park inFox Square on 19th Street between RashidaMuhammad St. and Telegraph Ave. Make your tax-deductible donation today at www.rememberthem.org.

Five of the 25 humanitarians are featured here. �

malcom x 1925-1065Malcolm X left a life of crime and dedicatedhimself to the civil rights movement in the UnitedStates by becoming a disciple of the Nation ofIslam. After an enlightening trip toMecca, he saw a vision of globalunity that changed his perspectiveand he devoted the last years of hisshort life to peaceful activism.

nelson mandela1918-presentCalling himself “an ordinary manwho had become a leader becauseof extraordinary circumstances,”Nelson Mandela has the kind ofcourage and perseverance that can

W change the world. Faced with apartheid, Mandela chose nonviolence as astrategy to achieve an open democracy and through his personal sacrificeand suffering, went on to become the first democratically elected StatePresident of South Africa in 1994. Even when faced with the indignities ofprison, Mandela used the time to continue to educate himself and otherprisoners.

harvey milk 1930-1978Harvey Milk, known as the “Mayor of Castro Street,” was a leading activistfor San Francisco’s gay community and minority rights. Elected as SanFrancisco City Supervisor in 1977, he was the first openly gay official in theUnited States and sponsored a gay rights bill. As a community leader forsocial justice, Harvey Milk promoted pride in a person’s unique identity andan individual’s ability to make a difference in society.

rosa parks 1913-2005Rosa Parks is known as the motherof the civil rights movement forrefusing to give up her seat on abus in Montgomery, Alabama. Apetite woman of courage andstrength, she stood up to segrega-tion and became an activist in thecivil rights movement alongsideMartin Luther King, Jr. In 1987 sheestablished an institute for youthdevoted to self-developmentthrough study of history and the

global human condition. Parks exemplifies the point that one person canmake a difference.

franklin delano roosevelt 1882-1945Franklin Delano Roosevelt obtained the highest governmental position ofour nation as President, despite the fact that he was a paraplegic. Afterleading the nation in WWII, he initiated the United Nations Charter in thehope that it would help prevent future wars. On Jan. 6, 1941 PresidentRoosevelt proclaimed that four freedoms are essential to a flourishingdemocracy – freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship,freedom of want, and freedom from fear.

Nelson Mandela Harvey MilkMalcolm X

Rosa Parks Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Page 3: Oakland Business Review July 2011

July 2011 | 3

With the assistance of my fellow members of the Chamber Board ofDirectors as well as input from you – our Chamber members – we’llcontinue to strive to be coalition builders, to meet members’ needs,and to be the finest and most influential business organization in theEast Bay.

And as chair, I plan to solicit your help. Now, more than ever, we needvolunteers who can assist us through this critical time in Oakland’s history.It’s your turn to bring your expertise to the table, becoming a collaborativepartner in the quest to move Oakland forward.

Remember that the strength of the Chamber is in our members. As hasbeen said by many past Chamber leaders, a member only gets out of theChamber what he or she puts in. Whether it’s an event, a committee or a taskforce, there’s something for everyone.

Do don’t just be a member – be an active member. Get involved. Andshow your continued support for this organization, which works so hard onyour behalf.

Help us extend our voice to City Hall, to Sacramento and beyond, to pushfor a successful, prosperous local business community.

Be a member in good standing, renew your membership at the appropri-ate time with a promise to help, and assist in recruiting new members.

Remember, the Chamber works for all businesses, as evident by the workin the Central Estuary, standing up for businesses – Chamber members ornot – in the Tidewater area.

Let’s strive in the coming year to take a little more time to put your caringinto action. Together, let’s work to make Oakland a truly great city. If wecombine our efforts, our ideas and our expertise, and add a dash of civicpride and responsibility, the result will be an improved business communityand a greater Oakland. �

John Nelson, the principal in the architectural firm of murakami/Nelson, has just

entered his second term as the Chamber’s chairman of the board.

From the ChairChamber Chairman of the Board John Nelson For detailed information on the trip,

attend an informational meeting onMonday, July 25 at 5:30 p.m. at theChamber offices, 475 14th St. There isno obligation to sign up.

The trip, which costs just $1,999 perperson (based on double occupancy),includes roundtrip airfare, four- and

five-star hotel stays, three full meals every day, deluxe bus tours, English-speaking tour guides, and admission to countless tourist attractions inChinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

An optional – and highly recommended – side trip to Xi’an to see thefamous Terracotta Warriors is available.

To RSVP for the informational meeting on July 25, contact AmandaMedina at the Chamber at [email protected] or at(510) 874-4800, ext. 319. �

> Chamber’s China trip departsMarch 2012 The Chamber of Commerce,in partnership with CitslincInternational, invites you tojoin us for the 2012 Trip to

China. This nine-dayadventure is scheduled for

March 22-30, 2012.

“Digital Equity for Small Businesses” is a new morning seminar series ofone-hour classes that are designed to educate small businesses in a broadrange of online marketing tools. Classes will be offered on key topics,such as building a successful website, driving traffic to your site withsearch engines, using social media, video and mobile marketing, andcreating an effective online marketing plan for your business. Thesuggested donation is $20 per class. All classes will be held at theChamber offices, 475 14th St.

To register for the seminars, visit http://digitalequity/eventbrite.com,email [email protected] or call (510) 435-2945. �

> Learn online marketing toolswith seminar series

Page 4: Oakland Business Review July 2011

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com4

KaiserAir, Inc. President Ronald J. Guerrawas honored by the Oakland MetropolitanChamber of Commerce with the LifetimeAchievement Award on June 22 at itsAnnual Meeting.

Guerra received the prestigious lifetimeachievement award for his contributions toOakland’s growth and success over the past 30years as sole owner and president of KaiserAir.

Pamela Calloway, Port of OaklandCommissioner and First Vice President,recognized Guerra at the luncheon, attendedby family members, friends, and KaiserAiremployees.

Guerra joined KaiserAir in 1960 as a captainon a DC-3, which was the extent of the com-pany’s flight department. He was elected to hiscurrent position as president in 1979, when heand other senior pilots purchased the organiza-tion following the voluntary liquidation ofKaiser Steel Corporation. Under Guerra’sleadership, KaiserAir today is an independent,successful company with a staff of over 125employees in two locations: Oakland, atOakland International Airport, and Santa Rosa,at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport.

With more than 25,000 hours of flight time,Guerra has flown to six continents includingflights into China, Australia, and Russia. He hasflown all of the Gulfstream products, from theGI to the GV, along with Cessna Citation,Learjet, Hawker, Falcon, and Lockheed JetStar.

Guerra served as a member of the NBAABoard of Directors from 1967 to 1976, and waschairman of the NBAA Safety and AwardsCommittee from 1968 to 1973. He served on theboards of Aeronautical Radio Inc. and ARINCResearch. He was also a member of theGulfstream Pilots Advisory Board.

In 2005, Guerra was the recipient of the

The 106th Annual Meeting and AwardsLuncheon of the Oakland MetropolitanChamber of Commerce recognized andcelebrated its members, the lifeblood ofthe organization.

The Lifetime Achievement Award waspresented to Ron Guerra, the president ofKaiserAir, Inc., with the Volunteer of the Yeargoing to Mark Everton, the general managerof the Waterfront Hotel and Miss Pearl’s JamHouse, who has been so active with theChamber’s new Oakland RestaurantAssociation.

Five companies and organizationswere also honored, as was Steve Eckert,Leadership Oakland’s Alumni of the Year,who is currently executive director of theEast Bay Agency for Children.

Other winners were Alameda CountyCommunity Food Bank, Community Service;Children’s Fairyland, Nonprofit Impact;Rogers Family Foundation, Education First;StopWaste.org, Green Business; and UptownBody & Fender, Small Business Innovator.

“Our Board members, staff and volunteersare here today to thank the hundreds of localbusinesspeople who continue to work on thecritical issues that make this Chamber thefinest and most diverse business organizationin the most diverse city in America,” saidChamber President Joe Haraburda.

The event was sponsored by Visa, Inc.,The Preferred Card, and was aaended bysome 350 local businesspeople at theOakland Marrioa.

During his remarks, Haraburda touchedon a number of areas where the Chamber hastaken the lead:

• Oakland Restaurant Association –Provides education, advocacy, cost-savingmeasures, and marketing, and has introducedrestaurant roundtables and open housereceptions.

• Remember Them: Champions forHumanity – The Chamber recentlyassisted with the groundbreaking for theproject, which will be officially unveiled onTuesday, Sept. 6 at the new Henry J. Kaiser

and promote their businesses.• Working for all businesses – by

urging the City Council to save industrialland, most recently along the Central Estuary,where the Chamber stood up for businessesin the Tidewater area.

During the awards ceremony, RonGuerrawas presented with the LifetimeAchievement Award. The president ofKaiserAir, Inc., Guerra was recently honoredby the Federal Aviation Administration withthe Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. Hejoined KaiserAir in 1960 as a captain on aDC-3 and has flown to six continents. Priorto joining KaiserAir, Guerra was a pilot forvarious airlines including Resort Airlines andWorld Airways in Oakland, during which timehe became, at the age of 23, the youngestfour-engine airline captain in the UnitedStates. Info: (510) 553-8437.

Mark Everton, the general manager ofthe Waterfront Hotel and Miss Pearl’s JamHouse in Jack London Square, sees hisvolunteer work as an opportunity to work

by Sarah Kassab

The “Community Service” award was presented toSuzan Bateson of the Alameda County CommunityFood Bank (center) by Victoria Jones of The CloroxCompany. They were joined by Annual Meeting guestspeaker Michael LeBlanc of Pican.

“Volunteer of the Year”Mark Everton is honored byKim Delevett of SouthwestAirlines.

Award winner Brian Rogers of RogersFamily Foundation (right) received his“Education First” award from MickyRandhawa of Wells Fargo.

“Lifetime Achievement” award winner RonGuerra of KaiserAir is honored by PamelaCalloway of the Port of Oakland.

John P. “Jack” Doswell award, which recognizeslifelong individual achievement in support ofthe aims, goals, and objectives of businessaviation. In 2010, he accepted the NBAA 60Year Safe Flying Achievement Award forKaiserAir’s history of unblemished aviationsafety. In March 2011, KaiserAir (led by Guerra),was the first air carrier to successfully completeFAR 121 Certification and ETOPS simultaneouslyand become a member of a small special groupof air carriers certified to operate aircraft underFAR Parts 91, 121, and 135.

The company is the second Oakland home-based air carrier in Oakland’s airport history.Most recently (April 2011), Guerra was honoredby the Federal Aviation Administration with theWright Brothers Master Pilot Award for hisaviation expertise and more than 60 years ofsafe pilot operations.

Prior to joining KaiserAir, Guerra was a pilotfor various airlines including Resort Airlines andWorld Airways in Oakland, during which timehe became, at the age of 23, the youngest four-engine airline captain in the United States. Forthe past 60 years, he has been and continues tobe totally involved in the flying industry.

KaiserAir offers more than 65 years of safeflying experience and expertise worldwide toprivate and corporate business jet ownersunder the Federal Aviation Administration’s FARparts 91, 21, 35 and 145. The company is alsowell known for its full-service fixed-baseoperator line services, fueling and maintenanceservices under KaiserCare at OaklandInternational North Airport and Charles M.Schulz Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa.�

Sarah Kassab is marketing manager atKaiserAir, Inc.

Memorial Park.• MegaRegion Summit – This year’s

event brought local, regional, state andfederal leaders together to communicate andleverage resources that impact the effective-ness of the region. Eight mayors from variouscities signed the Regional Export Initiative,the first time so many mayors met toimprove exports.

• The ‘REAL’ Coalition – Just over ayear ago the Chamber joined the RegionalEconomic Leaders Association Leaders ofCalifornia with 17 statewide organizationsfrom San Diego to Sacramento. We havejoined together to insure that business voiceis heard in our state capitol.

• Retail – The Chamber assists with itsconvening of the Oakland Retail AdvisoryCommiaee to provide direction and retailexpertise to the city enhancement efforts.

• Business Improvement Districts –The Chamber has been hosting meetingsthat allow the groups to share best practiceand develop strategies to work with the city

> t h e s t a r s c o m e o u t a t c h a m b e r ’ s 1 0 6 t h a n n u a l m e e t i n g

> ronald guerra: Honoringa lifetime of achievement

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Page 5: Oakland Business Review July 2011

July 2011 | 5

The “Nonprofit Impact” award was presented to C.J.Hirschfield of Children’s Fairyland (center) by NateOubre of Kaiser Permanente. They were joined byAnnual Meeting guest speaker Manette Belliveau ofVisit Oakland.

Gary Wolff of StopWaste.org (right) received the“Green Business” award from Gary Foss ofRecology East Bay.

Guy Philips of Visa (center) presented the “Small BusinessInnovator” award to Giovanna Tanzillo and Lisandro Allende ofUptown Body & Fender.

for causes in which he feels he can make adifference. Besides, he says, there’s a chanceto network with other business leaders andwork on his own personal development.Working with co-chair Michael LeBlanc onthe Oakland Restaurant Association, Evertonhas introduced restaurant roundtables,open house receptions and training classesto assist at both the management andemployee levels. More than 70 restaurantsand sponsors have already joined theorganization. Info: (510) 836-3800.

In the last ten years, the AlamedaCounty Community Food Bank’s operat-ing budget has gone from $3.7 million to$10 million, the roster of employees andvolunteers has increased, and – mostimportantly – the total of food distributionto those in need has increased by 100percent. The Food Bank now serves 49,000people each week with a total of 20 millionpounds of food each year – ten million ofwhich is fresh produce. Info: (510) 635-3663.

Children’s Fairyland is now an urbanwildlife refuge, a haven for at-risk youth whoare introduced to gentle animals, a library ofliteracy programs for low-income children,and the only performing arts children’stheater in Northern California. The nation’sfirst storybook theme park, Fairylandencourages our youngest children to create,imagine, play and learn. With more than30 storybook sets, the children’s theaterprogram, rides and animals, it’s a place wherekids can still be kids. Info: (510) 452-2259.

The Rogers Family Foundation has avision that all Oakland students graduatefrom high school prepared to succeed in life,college and career. Its focus is on Oaklandeducation and youth development. In apartnership with Lighthouse CommunityCharter School, for example, the foundationpurchased and renovated a new building forthe school, gave it a long-term lease, andnow services some 700 youth in kinder-garten through 12th grade. The result?Lighthouse now graduates more than 95percent of its students and sends themajority off to four-year colleges. Info:(510) 899-7914.

The StopWaste Business Partnershiphelps companies and institutions inAlameda County lower operating costs,increase efficiency and protect the environ-ment through recycling and waste preven-tion improvements. All services are free ofcharge and include publications and tools,technical assistance such as onsite wasteassessments and phone consultations,grants and loans, and an annual recogni-tion program. The Partnership has workedwith numerous Oakland businesses andorganizations, collectively saving themmillions of dollars and keeping thousandsof tons of waste out of the landfill. Info: www.StopWastePartnership.Org oremail [email protected] .

At Uptown Body & Fender, owners

Giovanna Tanzillo and Lisandro Allendehave not only run a first-class vehiclecollision repair center for the past 20 years,but have also opened up their facility tomembers of the community, especiallyarts organizations and nonprofits. In anindustry typically known for grease andgrime, Uptown has added something abit unusual – grace and charm – and adedication and commitment to the

community it serves. Info: (510) 251-8009.The Chamber thanks the many sponsors

that made the Annual Meeting such a greatevent:

• Presenting Sponsor:VISA, ThePreferred Card

• Award Sponsors: The Clorox Company,Kaiser Permanente, Port of Oakland,Recology East Bay, Southwest Airlines andWells Fargo

• Patron Sponsors: Bank of America;Barney & Barney; Claremont Resort & Spa;Clear Channel Outdoor; ColliersInternational; East Bay Municipal UtilityDistrict; Fitzgerald, Abboa & Beardsley;Full Court Press; Grubb & Ellis; KaiserAir, Inc.;KTVU Channel 2; Matson Navigation Co.;McGuire & Hester; murakami/Nelson;Rogers Family Foundation; and SwinertonManagement & Consulting �

> t h e s t a r s c o m e o u t a t c h a m b e r ’ s 1 0 6 t h a n n u a l m e e t i n g

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Page 6: Oakland Business Review July 2011

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com6

> Parker wants to remove‘acting’ from her title

Public PolicyCreating a strong economy

She told the group that she would like to remove theword “acting” from her title and complete the termof recently departed City Attorney John Russo. TheCity Council has 60 days (until approximately Aug.12) to select a new city attorney. If the Council fails

to act by the deadline an election must be heldwithin 120 days (by about Dec. 10).

Parker has been a trailblazer for much ofher personal and professional career. A na-tive of Seattle, she spoke movingly aboutfamily visits to the segregated South of heryouth. She was one of the first African-American women admitted to Harvard LawSchool and she graduated in 1975 deter-mined to use the law as a tool to help un-derrepresented communities.

She served as an assistant U.S. attorney and has now served 20 years,the last 11 as chief assistant in the Oakland city attorney’s office.

Continuity and the ability to affect a smooth transition were twothemes Parker emphasized as she explained her reasons for wanting tostay in the role of city attorney. She acknowledged that she has longpreferred her role behind the scenes, but says she is eager to take on themore public role as the face of the city attorney office. She says she wouldwork collaboratively with the Mayor and City Council, and says she wouldbe a city attorney for all of Oakland.

The budget, risk management and public safety were the top threepriorities for Parker during this transition time. She says that in the lastseven years the city attorney’s office has lost one-third of its staff andthat this has led to increased costs for outside council. She says keepingstaffing levels at higher levels will reduce the need for outside council andsave the city money.

Under the heading of “public safety,” Parker identified problem liquorstores, blighted, vacant properties and prostitution as particular areas ofinterest.

When asked about the gang injunctions, Parker noted that the CityCouncil had recently voted to use them as a tool in the effort to reduceviolence, and said like any tool it should be examined for its effectiveness. �

Paul Junge is the Chamber’s director of public policy.

by Paul Junge

Acting City AttorneyBarbara Parker was ourguest at June’s InsideOakland Breakfast

Forum.

� Pictured at InsideOakland (left to right)are Chamber PresidentJoe Haraburda; BielleMoore, chair of InsideOakland; Barbara Parker,acting city attorney;Chamber Public PolicyDirector Paul Junge; andAlex Nguyen, director ofthe Neighborhood LawCorps.

> City budget – continued from page 1

> Using hearts and feet to fight cancerWalkers will go around the clock in the battle against cancer when the seventhAmerican Cancer Society Relay For Life® of Oakland gets underway with teams ofresidents gathering at Bishop O’Dowd High School on Saturday, July 30 at 10 a.m.

Relay For Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams camp out at an athletictrack, park or other gathering area with the goal of keeping at least one team member on thetrack or pathway at all times throughout the evening. Teams do most of their fundraisingprior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their camp sites duringRelay – all aimed at furthering the American Cancer Society’s efforts to save lives by helpingpeople stay well, by helping them get well, by finding cures and by fighting back.

The event needs the community’s support through teams, donations for a silent auction,food for survivors and participants, sponsors, entertainment, volunteers and – mostimportant – survivors of people who want to honor those who have lost the battle.

Relay for Life’s Luminaria Ceremony takes place after sundown, honoring the community’scancer survivors and remembering those lost to the disease. Participants will circle a trackthat is surrounded with glowing luminaria that bears the name of someone who has battledcancer. Luminaria may be purchased for $10 by calling (510) 258-3458 or by visitingwww.relayforlife.org/oaklandca. �

> Standing ovation at Stagebridge’syear-end celebrationTears, laughter and applause marked the day as more than 130 guests honored two oftheir own at Stagebridge theatre company’s recent annual awards luncheon in Oakland.After more than six years at the helm as Stagebridge’s marketing director, Maryann Maslan will jointhe generation of Baby Boomers saying goodbye to punching a time clock and saying hello to re-tirement. “It’s been quite a ride and I’ve learned from all the wonderful students at Stagebridge thatretirement will be the greatest adventure yet,” said Maslan.

Oakland-based Stagebridge is the nation’s oldest senior theater company since 1978. Theyoffer classes to elder adults and have a mission to give back to the community by bridging thegeneration gap through the performing arts.

No Stagebridge event is complete without entertainment. To honor the 15 years BarbaraJohnson, schools program coordinator, has been with the organization, Sally Holzman, OlithiaO’Toole and Eloise Farren gently roasted the honoree with a story, a poem and recollections.

Terrance Kelly, known locally for his work with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, led hisStagebridge choir class in a series of songs. But it was their rendition of “Marvelous,” offeredas a tribute to Maslan and Johnson, that was the cause of more than a few glistening eyes.

“All of us at Stagebridge, including community supporters, board members, teachers andstaff, can give each other a well deserved pat on the back for a year of many accomplish-ments,” said managing director Gary Osteraas. �

local sales tax awaits Council action later this month.To get to a budget the Council divided in to two groups.

Councilmembers Nadel, Kernighan, Kaplan and Schaaf (called NKKS)formed one group and Council President Reid, and CouncilmembersBrooks, Brunner and De La Fuente (RBBD) formed the other. What hadbeen a fairly constructive dialogue among the Councilmembers Tuesdaynight, June 28 got a liale more acrimonious Thursday night.

One point of contention was the hiring of police officers. The planeveryone was working from envisioned 22 officers being hired this monthfrom among a group of 44 officers recently laid off or graduated from anacademy. The NKKS group wanted to hire the other 22 immediately toguard against future aarition, arguing that among future hiring optionsthis would be the least expensive and they may not remain availablemuch longer. Ultimately the plan called for only 22 officers to be hired.

Council President Reid predicted the Council may be coming backto the budget soon. With Governor Brown signing into law a measureeliminating Redevelopment Agencies, uncertainties about other stateand federal funding and other assumptions that may prove inaccurate –that prediction may prove true.

Paul Junge is the Chamber’s director of public policy. �

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July 2011 | 7

Bay Area travelers have many choices as OAK offersmore than 140 daily nonstop departures on 13airlines to 33 cities in the U.S., Mexico and Europe.Here are a few tips to ensure your travels aresmooth through OAK this summer.

Planning for your trip at homeBefore packing, visit the Transportation SecurityAdministration’s (TSA) website, www.tsa.gov, to

brush up on bag packing skills and what to expect when going throughsecurity screening. Also, consider the following so you board your fight ontime:

• Plan to arrive at OAK at least 90 minutes prior for domesticdepartures and two hours prior for both Hawaii and internationaldepartures to allow for increased passenger volume at airline check-inand security screening;

• All passengers must have a boarding pass or airline-approved docu-ment, and travelers age 18 and older must show government-issued photoidentification before going through the passenger security checkpoint;

• Leave gifts unwrapped, both in carry-on and checked baggage, asthey may need to be inspected; and

• Remember that most airlines allow you to check in for your flight andprint boarding passes up to 24 hours before flight departure time. Also,airline policies differ regarding how many bags you can check for free.Visit your airline’s website for more infor-mation.

Rock star parkingConvenient parking is available in all ofOAK’s lots, which are open 24 hours a day.Special discounts of up to $10 off per day in all of OAK’s lots are available atwww.oaklandairport.com/parking_coupon_offers.shtml. The Premier Lot,the most convenient parking option, is located within walking distance of theterminals, and is competitively priced at just $36 per day. For travelers parkingfor multiple days, the Economy Lot is a great value at $16 per day. Travelersshould look for roadway signs or tune to 1700 AM near the airport foradditional information.

The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland Interna-tional Airport and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifthbusiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is thesecond largest San Francisco Bay Area airport and fourth largest airport inCalifornia, offering over 300 daily passenger and cargo flights; and thePort’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack LondonSquare and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas.

The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independentdepartment of the city of Oakland. Visit portofoakland.com andoaklandairport.com. Facebook / Oakland International Airport. �

Rosemary Barnes is the head of media relations/marketing forOakland International Airport, and Lakita Logan handles theairport’s visitor information program.

ASK THE EXPERT

> Summer’s here and it’s timeto fly OAKby Rosemary Barnes and Lakita Logan

OaklandInternationalAirport (OAK)is in the midst

of the peaksummer

travel season.

OAKLAND’S AMBASSADORS

> Making a daily impact on the communityAt 9:40 a.m. on a Tuesday, May 10 morningin downtown Oakland, an elderly AsianAmerican woman showing obvious signs ofdistress flagged down Soupou Saechao, asafety ambassador at 1221 Broadway.

Enlisting the help of another passerby, onefamiliar with the woman’s language, Saechao wasable to understand that the woman was the victimof theft: while riding the bus, a young woman hadapproached the victim and asked to see her Clippercard and when the victim handed her the card, thesuspect took the card, hid it on her person andexited the bus at the next stop. Saechao contactedthe Oakland Police Department, which dispatchedtwo officers to interview the victim, take a state-ment and make contact with the young suspect.

That was the first of a series of incidents thatday in which the safety ambassadors, like Saechao,interacted with members of the public and OPD.

“No day is typical, there is always somethingnew in this job, but on any given day we may han-dle a dozen or more requests from members of the community – from helping them withsimple directions to find their way around to instances of distress which may need policeto get involved,” said Saechao.

Saechao is one of 18 “ambassadors,” employed by two specially-funded communitybenefit districts – the Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt/Uptown District Associations– to provide street-level services to residents, workers, landlords and visitors indowntown Oakland.

The Ambassador program is headed by operations manager for Block by Block, TedTarver.

“At first I think some people in the community feared we were creating a private policeforce in Oakland; that’s definitely not the case,” said Tarver. “Our ambassadors are eyesand ears on the street for the Oakland Police Department and we have the same powersas any other private citizen – no more, no less.”

The program has evolved into one of mutual respect and a strong working relationshipwith the Oakland police officers, allied law enforcement agencies and the safetyambassadors, according to Tarver. There are daily interactions and communication withthe police officers working in the area to keep it safe and clean.

“The main strength of the program is that we deal with quality of life issues thatmost urban cities have historically lacked the resources to deal with such as loitering,panhandling and even public urination,” he said. “The ambassadors also have trainingon dealing with the mentally ill and have a professional ability to communicate withthem. Even dealing with homeless individuals, the first offer is always of assistance tohelp get services.”

Like any large city, Oakland has its public safety issues and challenges in dealing withthem, not least the least of which is paying for policing. The ambassador programs in theDowntown Oakland and Lake Merritt Uptown districts were formed before the economicdownturn took firm hold, but are paying off in an era when public funds are dwindling.

“The folks who live, work and play in our districts know that we are out there everyday and we are making sure not just that the area is as secure and safe as possible, butalso that it’s being cleaned regularly, that graffiti is being dealt with in a timely andeffective way, plants are being tended to, that we are reporting incidents to theappropriate authority, even providing maps or information to visitors coming into thedistricts,” says Tarver.

In addition to safety ambassadors, the districts employ maintenance ambassadorsand, last year, initiated a hospitality ambassador program assisted by a grant from Bankof America.

“One of our early goals in forming the districts was to make the streets clean and safebecause that would help toward our ultimate goal of attracting businesses and people tothe area over the long term and drive economic growth,” says JC Wallace, president of theDowntown Oakland Association. “Ted and his team have done a fantastic job of workingwith the community, OPD and the city to make the program a tremendous success.”

Deborah Boyer, president of the Lake Merritt Uptown District (LMUDA), echoesWallace’s view. “We know the program is working because we receive evidence every day– from the many emails and letters received in the district office thanking us for havingambassadors out on the streets – to the feeling we get when a new restaurant opens ora company moves in or a business with a presence here announces it is expanding,”she says.

“Our ambassadors really are the biggest tangible evidence that the people of Oaklandsee on a daily basis that shows what we have here is working,” says Marco Li Mandri,executive director of the LMUDA and Downtown Oakland Association. “Ted and his teamhave honesty, integrity and a genuine desire to change the perception of Oakland andshow that, contrary to what many see on the nightly news, this city has its fair share ofgood people,” Li Mandri says.

One recent example that didn’t make the news, but probably should have – SafetyAmbassador Nikolay Levin was on foot patrol when he picked up what he thought waslitter during his normal duties – a discarded envelope on the sidewalk in the Uptowndistrict. As he was about to throw it into a nearby trash can, he noticed something wasinside the envelope and upon further investigation realized it was a Cashier’s Check…for$20,000. Levin called Tarver to the scene and the operations manager was able to contacta local businessman to whom the check was written. “The man was actually at a nearbybank, where he had gone to deposit the check, when he realized the check was lost,” re-calls Tarver. “Nikolay and I walked the check over to him and he was pretty relieved andthankful. It’s perhaps a cliché to say ‘It’s all in a day’s work,’ but it really is,” Tarver says. �

� Michael Edwards (left) andDurrell Sanders are safetyambassadors.

> Promotional offer for Microsoft Office 2007 training coursesThe Alameda County Training & Education Center has a promo-tional offer for all Chamber members to enroll in their upcomingMicrosoft Office 2007 Training Courses at a discounted rate.

The course schedule begins on Thursday, July 7 and ends inSeptember. Each all-day class is $175 and half-day class is $110.The courses will cover Microsoft Access, Excel, Outlook,PowerPoint, and Publisher.

For more information, or to enroll in any of the courses, visitthe Events section at www.oaklandchamber.com or contactAmanda Medina at (510) 874-4800, ext. 319 or at [email protected]. There are only seven spots available at thediscounted rate, so register today.

July 7 – “Excel 2007 – Formulas, Functions & More,” 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

July 12 – “Power Point 2007 – Intermediate,” 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.July 26 – “Outlook 2007 Fundamentals,” 9 a.m. to noonJuly 26 – “Outlook 2007 – There’s More to Outlook Than You

Think,” 1-4 p.m.Aug. 2 – “Publisher 2007 Fundamentals,” 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Aug. 9 – “Power Point 2007 Fundamentals,” 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Aug. 25 – “Excel 2007 Fundamentals,” 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. �

Page 8: Oakland Business Review July 2011

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com8

Page 9: Oakland Business Review July 2011

July 2011 | 9

by the employer, though the employee may voluntarily opt out of the plan. Thislegislation has caused an uproar in many circles, and unless certain provisions ofthe law are repealed, business owners with 50+ employees will have to complywith the requirements.

The good news – there are ways to saveBusiness owners will find that while insurance for older employees may costmore, younger employees may qualify for less expensive coverage. An individualbetween 60 and 64 costs three times as much to insure as someone in his/her30s. To continue this trend, a person aged 65 is about 25 percent more expensiveto insure than a 60-year-old.

Using a real company of 40 people with a $500 deductible and a favorablerating, an individual aged 30-39 costs $344; aged 60-64 costs $1,049 and at age65 costs $1,291. But employers can realize cost savings because of Medicare, andall people aged 65 and older are eligible, whether they’re working or not. Signingup for Medicare is easy and can be completed online or by phone.

A workshop that addresses the complexitiesTo help you understand the complexities of the new healthcare laws, long-termcare and Medicare, we invite you to join us for a complimentary workshop onTuesday, July 19 from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Oakland Chamber offices, 475 14thSt. Lunch will be provided.

The topic will be “What you Need to Know about Medicare.” Joining me willbe Lynn Caffrey of Caffrey Insurance Solutions, a benefits administrator withmore than 30 years of experience and an expert on the new healthcare laws;and Jain Williams, a State Farm agent with more than 20 years of experience inlong-term care.

To register for the workshop, contact Lynn Caffrey at (510) 444-5447; JainWilliams at (510) 530-3222, or you can call me and RSVP with our receptionist. �

Frank Paré, CFP® is president of PF Wealth Management Group, LLC. aRegistered Investment Advisory firm in Oakland. He can be reached at (800)750-5764. He sits on the CFP Board of Standards Public Policy Council inWashington D.C., and is the co-chair of the Government Relations Committeefor the FPA – East Bay chapter.

SPECIAL SECTION Small business

Unless you’ve just emerged from Sleepy Hollow, you’ve heard about proposedchanges to healthcare laws. If you are a business owner, you are wonderinghow these new laws will affect your bottom line. These laws are particularlyimportant for baby boomers aged 55 and older because of Medicare.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010This law requires that most individuals have minimum health insurance. Thelegislation creates new public plans and expands the Medicare and Medicaidprograms to include more beneficiaries, while requiring that all health plansextend coverage to individuals, regardless of health status.

Employers are generally not required to offer coverage, but those who don’tmay be subject to a penalty tax. Specifically, any employer with more than 50employees who does not offerhealth insurance faces a poten-tial monthly tax penalty of$166.67 per full-time employee(excluding the first 30 employ-ees) for any month that insur-ance is not offered.

Similarly, even employerswith more than 50 employeesthat do offer coverage could beassessed a fee. Employers with200 or more employees mustautomatically enroll employeesin health insurance plans offered

COMPLIMENTARY WORKSHOP

> The new healthcare laws and Medicare: What they mean for individuals and business ownersby Frank Paré

To help youunderstand thecomplexities ofthe new health-care laws, long-term care andMedicare, weinvite you tojoin us for acomplimentary workshop onTuesday, July 19 from 11:45a.m. to 1 p.m. at the OaklandChamber offices, 475 14th St.Lunch will be provided.– Frank Paré

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| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com10

HEALTH REFORM LEGISLATION

> Hey, boss, which long-term carepolicy should I get?by Paula R. Taylor

A new employee benefit is coming for millions ofemployees throughout the United States – access toaffordable long-term care insurance (LTCI).

LTCI provides funds for in-home, assisted living or nursing-

home care in case of longer-lasting illnesses or disabilities not

covered by regular health insurance.

The CLASS Act (Community Living Assistance Services

and Supports) is expected to become operational sometime

after October 2012. It’s the part of health reform that provides an employer-

administered “public option” for long-term care insurance. But many employers

will also educate their employees on their options for private long-term care

insurance in lieu of the public option. Now is not too soon to start doing that.

LTCI will become a mainstream benefit at last. The very existence of the new

public option, the CLASS Act, will raise the issue of private alternatives, so employ-

ees and companies that did not previously consider LTCI in their benefits offerings

are now starting to do so. Employers of all sizes are presenting their employees

with the full range of options, private as well as public.

Why this surge of interest? In addition to the nudge from Uncle Sam, a high

proportion of employees are currently caregivers to loved ones and are beginning

to be concerned about their own long-term care. They know they’re at risk but

often don’t know their options.

Companies that participate in the CLASS Act need to be aware that their em-

ployees will automatically be enrolled in the public plan, with payroll deductions,

unless they opt out. Why? That’s what the law mandates. So it’s incumbent on

employers to let their people know they CAN opt out.

Many employees will be upset if they haven’t been told about all their options –

for public or private coverage. For example, the average private plan has a 90-day

waiting period before one can collect benefits, but with the CLASS Act there’s a

five-year waiting period.

Today only a small percentage of companies include long-term care insurance

as an employee benefit. That is changing. More employees are asking about it and

as a consequence of the attention brought by the CLASS Act, LTCI is becoming the

new big thing in benefit packages.

It’s about time for this new focus. Prudential Financial Inc. notes that 74 percent

of consumers age 55 to 65 polled for a recent survey said they are concerned about

needing some kind of long term care. That’s about three in every four of us. And

according to a survey by MetLife, the national average cost of a private room in a

nursing home is now about $80,000 per year, and rising. With this kind of risk,

LTCI warrants a more prominent place in benefits packages.

But there’s a catch for companies. Long-term care insurance is more complex

and requires more time to understand than vision, dental, and even health

insurance. Few companies are prepared to explain the complexities so employees

can make the best choice – not only between the CLASS Act and private options,

but the best choice among the many private options.

It’s time for employers to look for help in revamping their benefits programs

but also to educate their employees. It’s a crash effort to get everyone up to speed.

Long-term care specialists teamed with employee benefits consultants are helping

companies decide what type of program to implement – a Group or Multi-Life

long-term care program – or go for the CLASS ACT.

Often when an employer offers a plan the employee can extend the discounts

and free educational resources to any family member anywhere in the country.

Individuals as well as organizations have the opportunity to decide between

the CLASS Act and private long-term care alternatives. Long Term Care insurance

is not for everyone. But, education is free and no employer wants to hear, “I wish I

had known I had options. Why didn’t you tell me?”

For information on free educational seminars for the management and

employees of companies of all sizes and free literature, visit

www.paulataylorltc.com or call Paula Taylor at (510) 764-5002 or (800) 303-1103,

or email [email protected]. �

Paula Taylor, MA is a partner and the regional sales manager, NorthernCalifornia, for LTC Partners & Insurances Services, LLC.

Paula Taylor

SPECIAL SECTION Small business

Page 11: Oakland Business Review July 2011

July 2011 | 11

> Mayor Quan leads OaklandPort/city trade mission to China

SPECIAL SECTION Transportation

“The city and Port are working together, along with our partners in the private

sector, to reach agreements that will lead to more jobs, tax revenue and

economic benefits.” – Mayor Jean Quan

A month and a half ago Mayor Jean Quan led a historic trade mission to Chinawith the Port of Oakland, covering the cities of Beijing, Shenzhen, and HongKong. The mission was focused on bringing investment, business, and jobs to

Oakland, and was historic for two reasons – it was the first time in recent history

that the Port and city came together to jointly promote seaport, airport, and real

estate opportunities – and, it was also the first time the Mayor and City Council

President traveled jointly with Port Commissioners and executives to China,

Oakland’s #1 trading partner.

“This trade mission was a great opportunity for the Port of Oakland,” said Port

Executive Director Omar Benjamin. “We demonstrated unity and strength to our

overseas business partners by having Mayor Quan, Council President Reid, Port

Commissioners Pamela Calloway and Michael Lighty, and Port staff all aligned

and promoting the compelling investment opportunities in Oakland: marine

terminals, air passenger and

cargo service, and real es-

tate sites like those around

the Coliseum District and

Airport Park.”

Most of the Chinese

businesses involved in over-

seas trade and investment

are either officially

state-owned enterprises or

receive significant support

from the state. They there-

fore like to see similar

public sector support from

potential business partners.

Benjamin remarked, “And

they often get it, but usually

from places like Canada,

which rolls out a coordi-

nated ‘Red Carpet’ on which

local, regional, and federal

officials jointly pitch

initiatives such as Canada’s

Asia-Pacific Gateway

Initiative – Canada: Gateway

to America’s Heartland –

which is about direct

competition with U.S. ports

like ours.”

Port Commissioner and

1st Vice President Pamela

Calloway commented, “The

Port/city trade mission sup-

ports the competitiveness

of our three core businesses

– aviation, maritime, and

commercial real estate, the

heart of our five-year Strategic Plan.

On the maritime front, we are competing for “discretionary” cargo that can

go through any port to reach its final destination.” Currently, about 20 percent of

the Port’s business is discretionary, 80 percent local or regional. For comparison,

the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle 43 percent discretionary cargo.

Transforming the former Oakland Army Base into a world class, intermodal trade

and logistics center will aid the Port in this competition because it will improve

Oakland’s efficiency in transferring cargo between ship and train in and out of

the Northern California megaregion to destinations around the world.

The Port also promoted its Export Program, in line with President Obama’s

National Export Initiative, which calls for doubling exports by 2015. Oakland

is the only West Coast container port that exports more than it imports,

approximately 55 percent versus 45 percent. Developing a “cold supply chain”

between California and China will further improve the Port’s positioning as the

gateway for California agriculture and food products to the world.

The delegation also highlighted the strengths of Oakland International

Airport, seeking to develop direct air passenger service with China. “The future

of air travel will be in

international markets

including Asia, particularly

China,” observed Port

Aviation Director Deborah

Ale-Flint, adding, “To

capitalize on this requires

us to market aggressively

abroad, and to continue

our advocacy with federal

agencies at home, which is

essential to expanding our

international service.” With

FedEx's Asia-Pacific Hub

located at Oakland; as well

as Oakland’s central location

and surrounding

development opportunities,

air cargo is a catalyst for

additional major

opportunities.

Port Director of External

Affairs Isaac Kos-Read also

noted, “We weren’t just

talking, we were also listen-

ing. This was an opportunity

for us to hear first hand

what our potential business

partners want. They all

asked us, ‘What does

Oakland offer?’ We pitched

our smart, productive, and

diverse workforce; local and

regional attractions; California Enterprise Zones, federal Empowerment Zones,

and Free Trade Zones; as well as additional regulatory support and willingness to

work with them.”

Mayor Quan is already focused on next steps, commenting “The city and Port

are working together, along with our partners in the private sector, to reach

agreements that will lead to more jobs, tax revenue and economic benefits. The

Port and city have already had multiple follow-up meetings locally and hosted a

visit by a Chinese delegation that we met with in Beijing.”

Port analyses indicate that the potential benefits of this work are significant:

doubling exports would create 5,000 more jobs; and the economic benefit of

just one new international air service to Oakland amounts to as much as

$25 million for the regional economy. �

� “The Oakland Port/city delegation at the Shekou Container Terminal, a ChinaMerchants Holdings (Int.) trade and logistics center in Shenzhen, similar to theintermodal logistics center planned for the former Oakland Army Base. Picturedleft to right: Port of Oakland Aviation Marketing Manager John Albrecht; PortMaritime Director James Kwon; Port Secretary of the Board John Betterton; PortDirector of External Affairs Isaac Kos-Read; Port Commissioner and 1st VPPamela Calloway; Port Executive Director Omar Benjamin; Oakland Mayor JeanQuan; Carl Shem, VP Commercial, Chiwan Container Terminal Co., Ltd.; PortCommissioner Michael Lighty; Robin Li, chief commercial officer and deputy gen-eral manager, China Merchants Maritime Logistics (Shenzhen) Ltd.; Port AviationDirector Deborah Ale Flint; Port Maritime Administration and Finance ManagerJean Banker; and Special Assistant to the Mayor Maisha Everhart.

� The Oakland Port/city delegation met inBeijing with a leading Chinese company withinterests in shipping, airlines, real estate, andinvestments.

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SPECIAL SECTION

“While Matson has had a long relationship with the Port of Oaklandfrom a maritime perspective, we have really embraced the city as ourhome base since relocating the company’s corporate headquarters fromSan Francisco to Oakland in 2003,” says Ron Forest, Matson seniorvice president, operations, and outgoing board member of the OaklandMetropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

“Supporting the communities in which we do business is a strong part ofMatson’s corporate culture. Our involvement with Oakland includes financialsupport to nonprofit organizations through our parent company’s charitablearm, the A&B Foundation, as well as hands-on activities that involve our

employees donating their time in per-forming community service for Oaklandorganizations.”

Matson’s Oakland employees workat either the company’s headquarters at555 12th St. or Howard Terminal where Matson ships call twice a week. Inaddition, the Matson subsidiary, Matson Logistics, also operates a warehousefacility in Oakland, as well as Hayward.

The company has been based in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1882 andwas the Port of Oakland’s first container terminal operator beginning in 1968.“We have long, deep ties with the Bay Area, particularly as it pertains to theregion’s maritime history,” says Forest. “In the past eight years, we’ve reallybecome much more East Bay-centric, focusing our community involvement ona number of Oakland-based organizations.

Twice a year, Matson works with the United Way of the Bay Area (UWBA) inorganizing community service activities for Matson employees. During theUWBA’s annual “Week of Caring,” Matson employees have shown their supportfor the region by donating their time by working for organizations such as theAlameda County Community Food Bank and Wardrobe for Opportunity, as wellas other East Bay nonprofits.

In addition, Oakland personnel organize their own initiative, “Matson GivesBack,” a program in which the company partners once again with the United Wayin supporting local nonprofits by donating employee time to community service.

Matson’s commitment to promoting “green” initiatives also extends to thecompany’s community service efforts, particularly the Ocean Conservancy’sAnnual International Coastal Cleanup Day. Each year, a large group of employeesand their families come out on a weekend to participate in a clean up effort,generally at the Port of Oakland. Last year, the Matson team spent the daycleaning up Alameda’s Encinal Boat Ramp. “Matson employees throughoutthe organization – in Oakland, Hawaii, Guam, Long Beach and even Phoenix –volunteer to spend a Saturday every year cleaning up trash and debris in theirrespective location as part of the program,” says Forest. “We take a great dealof pride in the high level of participation by Matson employees.”

Financial support through the A&B Foundation reaches a wide rangeof Oakland nonprofits, including Friends of the Oakland Public Library,International Maritime Center, Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland, OaklandBallet Association, Children’s Fairyland, Oakland-based Urban Gardens,Oakland Military Institute, and Oakland Museum of California Foundation.

“While the economic downturn of recent years has necessitated thatMatson focus oncontrolling costs andaddressing declines invirtually every aspectof our business, wehave nevertheless con-tinued to demonstrateour commitment tosupport the commu-nity of Oakland,” saysForest. “We trulybelieve in giving backto the communitieswe serve.” �

> Matson – A proud supporterof the Oakland community

� Matson employees and theirfamilies spent a Saturday lastSeptember participating in aCoastal Cleanup effort atAlameda’s Encinal Boat Ramp.

� Outgoing Oakland Chamber Board memberRon Forest (front, left) joins other Matson employ-ees at a recent community service day at theAlameda County Community Food Bank.

Transportation

Page 13: Oakland Business Review July 2011

July 2011 | 13

SPECIAL SECTIONTransportation

Bay Area residents monitoring the progress of the self-anchored suspensionportion of the new east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge have witnessed adramatic transformation of the construction site in recent weeks. The $2 billion project –slated for completion in 2013 – took a huge step forward in mid-May when workerscarefully placed the world’s largest cable saddle atop the new span’s signature singletower. Less than a month later came installation of the first catwalk, which will provideaccess for workers putting into place the nearly mile-long single main cable for the2,047-foot structure.

Beginning early in the morning of May 19, strand jacks slowly hoisted the 450-ton,steel cable saddle, which was custom crafted at Japan Steel Works, more than 500 feet

into the air and then eased itonto another custom-built steelcomponent, known as thegrillage, which evenly distributesthe weight of the saddle – andeventually the cable as well –amongst the four legs of thebridge tower. The cable saddle,which is nearly 33 feet tall at itshighest point, features a flat basemeasuring about 24 feet by 20feet with a curved top to bettercarry the cable over the top notjust once but twice. This makesit one of the few double cablesaddles used in bridge construc-tion, and the largest and heaviestfor any suspension bridgeanywhere.

The tower will reach its full525-foot height later this summerwhen an ornamental crown knownas the tower head is set into place.The tower’s position closer to thewest end of the self-anchored

suspension span will create adistinctive asymmetrical design,with the main cable presentinga sharper angle on the 607-footsegment west of the tower and a

more sloping appearance on the 1,263-foot east end.Unlike traditional suspension bridges where the cables are anchored into the ground,

a self-anchored suspension bridge’s cable is anchored in the road decks. The cable willanchor into the east end of the roadway, travel up and over the tower to wrap around thewest end before traveling back up and over the tower to anchor back into the east end.As Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney puts it, “The 2.6-foot-wide cable will act like a giant,unbelievably strong sling.”

Positioned between the San Andreas and Hayward faults, the new east span isengineered to withstand a massive earthquake. Each of the tower’s four pentagonal legsconsists of five vertical sections, or lifts, and is connected to the others by shear linkbeams, which function much like a fuse in an electrical circuit. The shear link beams aredesigned to absorb most of the impact from an earthquake, thus preventing damage tothe tower legs. And if one of the legs is damaged, the others will provide support to keepthe bridge standing.

In addition to strength and flexibility, aesthetics rank high on the list of designpriorities for the new east span. The faceted forms of the tower legs are tapered andslender to enhance their appearance and to allow light to permeate through the interiorof the tower and between the legs. All vertical elements of the self-anchored suspensionspan – including the tower, piers and even the lights – have been designed to emphasizeits clean modern lines.

Because the new east span is being constructed north of the existing bridge and willfeature side-by-sideroadways rather thanthe double-deckdesign of the currentbridge, drivers travel-ing in either directionwill enjoy unob-structed views ofthe bay as they passbeneath an angledcanopy of suspensioncables.

John Goodwin is apublic informationofficer for theMetropolitanTransportationCommission andthe Bay Area TollAuthority.

> Towering achievements accelerateprogress on new Bay Bridgeby John Goodwin

� Installation of the cable saddle atop thetower of the Bay Bridge’s new east span thisMay brings the signature element of the newspan to nearly its full 525-foot height.

� A newly-installed catwalk will be used by workers toposition the nearly mile-long single main cable for the self-anchored suspension portion of the new Bay Bridge eastspan.

photos by Barrie Rokeach

> Port’s future success restsin our collective resolve

While volumes have recovered from the depthsof 2009 – a year in which ocean carriers lost arecord $20 billion – we are by no means out ofthe woods.

This is because the recession only servedto amplify long-term trends that are sympto-matic of deteriorating trade competitivenessin California. The double whammy of the re-cession and increased competition has led toreductions of port container volumes and jobsfrom their peaks in 2006. Even before therecession was in full swing, in 2007, everysingle one of the world’s 50 largest container

ports was growing, with two exceptions: the ports of Los Angeles andOakland. And, Savannah passed Oakland to claim the spot of the fourthlargest container port in the U.S.

The trade community knows that we will not simply reclaim our NorthAmerican market share on the West Coast through recession recovery alone.And with the Panama Canal expansion looming on the horizon and newinvestments in expanded marine terminals, roads and rail infrastructure atcompetitive ports and trade gateways that didn’t even exist in 2006, thecompetition for intermodal cargo that might otherwise come to Oaklandwill only become more intense in the years to come.

We can recapture market share at the Port of Oakland, but it must bedone by starting from a point where we work with the fact that our supplychain is burdened with substantial expenses that simply don’t exist in therest of the country. For example, the Port, the maritime industry and oursupply chain partners now labor under a series of regulatory air qualitymeasures in California that will cost approximately $5 billion. There aremany good things about these rules and benefits for the state, but tocompete we must acknowledge these are rules and costs that simply donot exist anywhere else in the nation and be smart about improvingcompetitiveness in other ways.

In other words, if we are to keep the Port of Oakland competitive, everystakeholder in our supply chain must demonstrate a commitment to long-term trade competitiveness and put the tools in place to grow our containervolumes. In practical terms, this commitment must manifest itself in both

holding the line on any new, additional costs and in creating additionalincentives to ship through, and invest in, California ports generally and thePort of Oakland in particular.

And it’s not just holding the line on operating costs. If we want topromote trade at the Port of Oakland everyone must work together to avoidthe imposition of new fees, mandates or financial burdens on the Port andits customers. It means standing together to reject even higher pilotagetariffs than what are among the highest on the coast. It means findingcreative ways to help the Port and its customers and supply chain partners,including trucks, ships and trains, implement and finance compliance withnew environmental rules before any additional regulations are proposed. Itmeans giving the Port of Oakland the political support it needs whenseeking federal and state funding for its key infrastructure improvementinitiatives.

And, it also means we must never allow any raids on port funds by otherlocal jurisdictions looking for a fast buck, a practice which has decimatedport finances in other jurisdictions.

We must all recommit ourselves to these keys to growth and success.Or, we can do nothing, rest on our laurels, and risk stunting our ability tofinance new infrastructure, environmental mitigation and the thousands oftrade and logistics jobs that come with it. The choice is stark, and it is oursalone. �

Mike Jacob is vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Associ-ation, an independent trade association representing marine ter-minal operators and ocean carriers operating U.S. andforeign-flagged cargo and passenger vessels engaged in trade atU.S. West Coast ports. The association maintains offices in LongBeach, San Francisco and Seattle.

by Mike Jacob

The Port of Oaklandand its tenants, the

marine terminals andocean carriers thatconduct the actual

business of trade, arestill emerging from theworst recession in thecollective history of

the maritime industry.

Transportation

Page 14: Oakland Business Review July 2011

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Page 15: Oakland Business Review July 2011

SPECIAL SECTION Transportation> Airport Connector scheduled to open in spring of 2014

Oakland International Airport (OAK), thesecond largest Bay Area airport and fourthlargest airport in California, offers morethan 300 daily passenger and cargo flights.

The following represents new service:Delta Air Lines – Delta will launch five daily

nonstop flights between Oakland and LosAngeles International Airport (LAX) beginningAug. 1. The new service will connect OAK withDelta and SkyTeam’s airline alliance hub todestinations around the globe.

“Delta Air Lines’ service expansion at OaklandInternational Airport means more options fortravelers through the vast Delta and SkyTeamnetwork at LAX,” said Deborah Ale Flint, directorof aviation for the Port of Oakland, which ownsand operates OAK. She elaborated, “Convenientconnections are available via LAX to cities suchas Atlanta, Miami and New York/JFK. Bay Areatravelers going beyond the U.S. now have morechoices and great connections to Europe, SouthAmerica and Asia, including desirable cities suchas Moscow, Istanbul, Rome, Cancun, Sydney andGuangzhou.”

Spirit Airlines – Spirit will launch servicebetween Oakland and Las Vegas McCarranInternational Airport (LAS). Spirit, the ultra low-cost carrier, will begin serving OAK with twodaily nonstop flights on Aug. 18, and service willincrease to three daily nonstop flights on Sept. 7.

Volaris Airlines – Volaris, headquartered inSanta Fe, Mexico D.F., expanded its low-costservice at Oakland International Airport in Maywith daily nonstop flights to Mexico City (MEX).Now, Bay Area travelers have 21 weekly flights tochoose from between OAK and Mexico as Volarisalso operates two daily nonstop flights toGuadalajara.

“We are pleased that Volaris is increasingits economic impact in Oakland by addingconvenient nonstop travel between OaklandInternational and Mexico City, the capital ofMexico and largest city in the Americas, inaddition to their double- daily service toGuadalajara,” said Flint.

“Volaris, Mexico’s second largest carrier,began service at Oakland in July 2009 andoperates from Terminal 1. OAK is the fourthlargest airport in California and the additionalflight will make it the third largest gateway toMexico. �

> New serviceat OaklandInternational Airport

The Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) is noexception. Study began on the project in the 1970s; it was approved bythe voters for funding in 1999, and selected by the BART Board in 2002.The project inched forward and finally reached construction only throughstrong regional support, and adequate funding in a competitive APMmarketplace. Having languished for nearly nine years – through two successful attempts to procure the system, whilechasing excessively increasing costs in the midst of two wars and a worldwide construction boom – the OAC finallycaught a break. In 2009, the combination of a slowing world economy, federal stimulus funding, and the emergenceof a new APM system technology, set the project in motion again.

In 2004, when the first OAC procurement documents were issued, no real interest was shown by cable systemproviders. The performance criteria required a proven system complex enough to operate in a pinched loop configu-ration. At that time, the world’s largest cable system providers were still relatively limited players in the APM market,providing mostly short shuttle or shuttle bypass systems. Doppelmayr Cable Car (DCC) had only a single shuttle APMsystem operating in Las Vegas. Over the next five years, DCC would go on to build four more APM systems – in theU.S., Britain, Canada and Italy – while garnering positive reviews from owners, and improving their technology witheach installation.

On the funding side, the situation took a turn for the better in early 2009, benefiting from the distribution of over$350 million in Federal Stimulus funds to the San Francisco Bay Area. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission(MTC), the agency responsible for prioritizing and allocating transportation funds in the region, allocated $70 millionto the OAC because of its “shovel ready” status, and the need to create jobs in an area with a very high unemploy-ment rate.

The project was on again, and a third OAC Request for Proposals quickly followed in May 2009. Four months later,the Joint Venture of Parsons Transportation and Flatiron Construction, teaming with DDC, submitted a proposal thatwas selected as the best value among three other competitive proposals. The cost was well within BART’s budget,and DCC was able to demonstrate their experience in building a multi-cable pinched loop system over three mileslong.

Still the project would not go forward without a monumental fight: the $70 million in federal stimulus fundingthat had sparked the third successful attempt to get the project built, became a source of contention, and came veryclose to being the straw that broke the project’s back. A small group of local bus advocates felt strongly that federalstimulus funds would be better spent on filling the regional transit operators’ budget shortfalls than on new infra-structure projects. They fought a public campaign to strip the project of stimulus funds, but the region backed theproject at every opportunity. The new FTA administration, however, agreed with the advocates, and in early 2010,shortly after the initial OAC award had been given, FTA Administrator Rogoff insisted on pulling the stimulus funds

from the project. That seemed a death blow to the project as a battle ensuedbetween its proponents voicing its support and its opponents trying to stripit of any remaining public funds. While the project award that occurred inDecember 2009, the contract could not be executed due to the unexpectedfunding shortfall created by the FTA.

Surprisingly, the loss of the stimulus funds did not kill the projectbecause even though there was a small group of local opposition, nothingcould subdue the strong local and regional support. Time and again the regionsupported the project, understanding the long-term need to connect theregion’s second largest international airport, carrying up to 14 millionpassengers a year, to BART, the region’s transit operator. A long-time coalitionof local and regional project supporters made up of the business community,state and local funding agencies, and the labor unions, the region rallied atevery public hearing to not only keep the funding intact, but also fight fornew funding. The region successfully cobbled together enough new local andstate fund sources for the contract to finally be signed. On Oct. 1, 2010, oneyear after the proposals were received, BART executed a contract for theDesign-Build of the OAC project with the Joint Venture of ParsonsTransportation and Flatiron Construction. The APM system provider and thefollow-on 20-year operations and maintenance (O&M) contract went to DCC.

BART would like to extend a very special thanks to the Lea+Elliott staff,past and present who did most of the hard work. Elaine Cartwright (now withBART), Bill Leder (retired), Jackie Yang, Harley Moore and John Kennedy alltook turns working tirelessly to keep the project inching along. In the end itwas Lea+Elliott who opened BART’s eyes to the possibility of a cable technol-ogy, and turned the cable technology providers on to the OAC project. Thetiming was perfect – BART could not be more excited about bringing a newlyinnovative cable technology to the Oakland side of the Bay Area for thebenefit of the entire region.. �

Tom Dunscombe is project manager, TSD for the Bay Area Rapid Tran-sit District (BART).

Large publicly

funded transit

projects are often

controversial, com-

ing to fruition as

they do after

years, sometimes

decades, of studies

and starts and

stops.

by Tom Dunscombe

July 2011 | 15

“Construction isjust beginning with

guideway foundation

piles being driven

between the airport

roadway and the golf

course on the airport

property. By the end

of summer there will

be similar foundation

construction along the

entire Hegenberger

Corridor.”– Tom Dunscombe

� The project was given Notice ToProceed on Nov. 1, 2010 and has athree-year duration. It’s scheduledto open in the spring of 2014.

Oakland International Airport (OAK) re-quested and received authorization by UnitedStates Customs and Border Protection to offernonstop charter passenger service betweenthe Bay Area and Cuba.

It is the only Bay Area airport to hold thedesignation, and flights to Cuba from OAKwill be the first to bridge the Bay Area and thesmall island nation.

OAK has partnered with California-basedtravel company Cuba Travel Services (CTS), whichexpects to begin offering charters for sale to thepublic beginning in late-summer for flightscommencing as soon as year-end 2011.

The decision to allow airports to scheduleflights to and from Cuba is part of a broad effortto reach out to the Cuban people for academic,religious, humanitarian and news-gatheringpurposes as announced by President Obama inJanuary of 2011. Prior to this, charter flights tothe island nation were only allowed from LosAngeles, Miami and New York/JFK. �

> A new Bay Areagateway to Cuba

Page 16: Oakland Business Review July 2011

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com16

> Local car dealer supports local groups

Have you ever taken a good look at your carand decided that you wanted it detailed, onlyto call a detailer and find that the actual de-tailing process is very complicated? Somepeople may have gotten their cars detailed and re-alized after the work that certain areas of concernwere not addressed. Another common scenario isa potential client confused about the differencebetween detailing packages and the effect eachpackage will have on his or her car.

Have you ever wondered why previous autodetails did not meet your expectations? At MagicDetailings, expectations are discussed before ac-cepting your business. This ensures that they arethe correct detailers to achieve your goals. The company believes in explaining why “a detailinside and out” is not a sufficient request when seeking to get your car detailed. The staff atMagic Detailings needs to know what you are trying to accomplish in your particular detail-ing experience. As a result of this discussion, they can create a personal detail package foryour car and your budget.

For example, if you are concerned about the center console cup holders then that issueshould be discussed before beginning any work.

Magic Detailings has enhanced the auto detailing experience by demonstrating thatthey can meet their clients’ requests and often times exceed expectations. The secret totheir success? Educating clients about auto detailing from washing and waxing to interiorleather treatments and carpet spot removal.

The company can even help the “do it yourself” clients, showing them the basictechniques for detailing their own cars.

So if you find yourself thinking, “I want my car detailed,” make a list of the things youwould like to see carefully detailed, so you can have the best experience this summer. �

> ‘I want my car detailed’

SPECIAL SECTION Transportation

It helps to know where Ed Fitzpatrick has been to understandwhere he’s heading. The journey began with his parents, whose strongwork ethic set the tone for his career. His father worked his way up fromjanitor to parts manager at a large auto dealership in Ohio. His mother, adomestic worker, earned just $1 an hour but taught Fitzpatrick invaluablelessons about hard work.

From that foundation, Ed Fitzpatrick launched his own automotivecareer as a management trainee with the Chrysler Corporation in 1968.Now, more than 40 hard years later, he owns and operates three luxurydealerships, including Coliseum Lexus of Oakland. He’s grateful for everycustomer who steps through his dealership’s doors, and makes it a pointto express that gratitude in the form of community involvement.

“Business owners need to realize that what they ‘get’ from theircommunity is in direct proportion to what they ‘give’ their community,”he says. “First in terms of the products or services they offer, and secondin the extent of their involvement as citizens.” Fitzpatrick delivers thatstatement as if teaching a class on the fundamentals of business; not as atheory open to debate, but as a proven principle. Not coincidentally, hespent four years as a teacher upon leaving Ohio University.

Among the community organizations with which he has becomeinvolved is East Oakland Youth Development Center, a nonprofit agency dedicated tohelping children become healthy, self-supporting adults. Coliseum Lexus makes an annualdonation to the organization as part of its efforts to support the Oakland community.

But such direct contributions play a limited role in Fitzpatrick’ssupport for Oakland. More importantly, he seeks opportunities toconduct business with other local businesses to co-sponsor events,host events, and generally demonstrate his unwavering faith inOakland’s economy.

That strong bond with Oakland is why Ed Fitzpatrick isdisappointed when he hears that potential customers shy away fromhis dealership because of its location. Particularly because autodealerships have the ability to contribute significant sales tax revenuesto the city. “It pains me to see people from Oakland leave Oakland todo business elsewhere simply because they assume their options aregreater through the tunnel or across the bridge,” he says. “It’s just nottrue. But, the perception persists, and that means we have to try evenharder.”

Such focus on the interrelationship between business and communityis not new to Fitzpatrick. In 2005, while serving as chairman of theCalifornia Motor Car Dealers Association (CMCDA), he was selected byMinorities in Business magazine to receive the MIB Entrepreneurial SpiritAward, during the 10th Annual Multicultural Prism Awards Gala. The galacelebrates and honors outstanding individuals across a number ofprofessions for the positive changes they have brought about in theirbusinesses and communities.

What’s more, in 2009 Time magazine honored Fitzpatrick with theirDealer of the Year Award, which salutes the exceptional performance of

new-car dealers, including distinguished service to their community.For Oakland’s sake, we’re just glad he’s part of our community. �

� Founder Ryan Woodlee andMagic Detailings offer a 10 percentdiscount to all Chamber members.

> Douglas Parking – Celebrating 81 yearsDouglas Parking was founded by Sanford Douglas in 1930, and the company hasremained one of Oakland’s oldest family-owned and operated businesses. It’s alsoone of the first parking companies in the country.

According to family lore, Sanford Douglasstarted parking cars in 1930 after a motorist offeredhim a nickel to park cars for the day at his ClaremontAvenue service station in Oakland. Slowly, as moreand more people drove to Oakland to shop at thecity’s bustling downtown retail stores, parkingbecame the focus of his business.

Today, Douglas Parking is run by the second andthird generation of the Douglas family – Leland Douglas, Sanford’s son, and Leland’s twosons, David and Steven Douglas.

The Douglas family business operates under one simple rule. Off spring could come towork at Douglas Parking after working somewhere else – anywhere else – for at least twoyears. The two-year “sabbatical” could be spent doing anything as long as they gainedvaluable work experience. Both David and Steven followed this rule by working for parkingcompanies – David in Ohio and Steven in New York.

While still based in Oakland on Webster Street, Douglas Parking is now a nationalparking company with more than 140 locations in seven states. The company offers arange of parking services that include parking and garage lot management, valet parkingand shuttle service. It is a progressive organization with an ethnically diverse workforce.

Despite the distinction of a national parking company, Douglas Parking is proud toalso be known as a local business that has called Oakland home for 81 years. �

“I support the community because the community supports us. I believe that’s the way businesses should behave.”

– Ed Fitzpatrick, owner of ColiseumLexus of Oakland

Page 17: Oakland Business Review July 2011

July 2011 | 17

SPECIAL SECTION Transportation> AC Transit ‘Freedom Bus’honors Civil Rights movement

In travel, as with real estate, location iskey

Located in the hub of the Bay Area, Oak-land is a convenient location for individualsfrom around the country to come by plane,train or automobile. Few cities in the countryare as easily accessible as Oakland. OaklandInternational Airport’s value and on-timerecord are great draws, and it’s also easy to gethere by car or train.

Groups –Whether it’s an associationmeeting or a family reunion, planners chooselocations that are easy for people in disparatelocations to get to. Oakland InternationalAirport offers hundreds of daily flights, whileBART makes it fast and easy for attendees toget to Oakland from San Francisco Interna-tional Airport.

In addition to the halls and rooms at theOakland Convention Center and adjacentMarriott City Center, some 17 other Oaklandhotels at the airport, on the waterfront, down-town and in the hills offer meeting and eventspace. They include the Best Western AirportInn & Suites, Claremont Hotel Club & Spa, theClarion Hotel Oakland Airport, the Courtyardby Marriott Oakland Airport, the CourtyardOakland Downtown, Days Hotel OaklandAirport, Executive Inn & Suites, Hilton OaklandAirport, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites,Holiday Inn Oakland Airport, HomewoodSuites by Hilton, Red Lion Inn, The Inn at JackLondon Square, the Washington Inn and theWaterfront Hotel.

Individual travelers –Direct connectionsand affordable flights are an important drawfor both business and leisure travelers. Manybusiness travelers use Oakland hotels as a basewhen going to San Francisco and other partsof the Bay Area for meetings, while leisuretravelers can use Oakland as a base for explor-ing Napa and Sonoma as well as Berkeley andSan Francisco – and of course Oakland’s manyrestaurants, entertainment events andattractions.

Oakland hotels all have parking that is easy– and in many cases, parking is free. ManyOakland hotels also offer free shuttle service to BART, Jack London Square and theairport.

International visitors – San Francisco isn’t the only Bay Area locationattracting global visitors. As the tourism market improves, tour groups are startingto return to Oakland because of the good values and easy proximity to freeways.New direct flights from Mexico City on Volaris are bringing Mexican business andleisure travelers.

Visit Oakland is marketing Oakland to the world in partnerships with VisitCalifornia and the U.S. Travel Association. �

Manette Belliveau is chief executive officer/president of Visit Oakland, thecity’s official destination marketing organization. For more informationon Oakland as a visitor destination, visit visitoakland.org.

> Great transport makes Oakland a great visitordestination

The AC Transit Freedom Bus, and itsrolling art exhibit honoring America’s civilrights era, was unveiled this spring with agrand celebration at the Oakland Schoolfor the Arts.

The bus was the focal point of theFreedom Bus Project, a joint effort by theAlameda County Office of Education andAC Transit in conjunction with West ContraCosta Unified School District and Art IS Ed-ucation.

Specifically, the Freedom Bus Project com-memorates the 55th anniversary of Rosa Parks’historic bus ride in Alabama. Parks sparked the381-day Montgomery bus boycott that ignitedthe nation’s Civil Rights movement. Along withParks, the project salutes the East Bay’s rich di-versity and legacy of community activism byencouraging youth to express their visions ofsocial justice through art.

“Considering that a passenger on a publicbus was the catalyst for a civil rights movementthat literally swept the world, it is only fittingthat AC Transit – a public bus agency – be a partof this historic educational project,” said AC

photo by

Noa

h Be

rger

by Manette Belliveau

Transit Interim General Manager Mary King.“As an agency, we are both honored and proudto be a part of the Freedom Bus Project’s un-precedented effort to integrate fine arts withcivil rights and public transportation.”

Students at elementary, middle, and highschools in the AC Transit service area submit-ted social justice-themed artwork to be con-sidered for the Freedom Bus Project’s mobileart exhibit. Winning entries were displayed inthe interior advertising spaces of approxi-mately 250 buses to make passengers a keypart of the Freedom Bus Project experience.

But the Freedom Bus – the actual vehicleitself with a bright mosaic on its exterior – was

the main attraction. The bus was “wrapped”with artwork depicting scenes from the Mont-gomery bus boycott. Created by Berkeley HighSchool Arts and Humanities students, the artshowed silhouettes of would-be bus riderswalking in the bus boycott, intertwined withpowerful text – including quotes from RosaParks. The dominant color scheme of the wrap istraditional yellow and green, evoking the styleof a 1950s bus from Montgomery, Alabama.

The Freedom Bus was put into regular dailyservice and rotated to various routes so that itsexpressive design could be seen by everyonewithin AC Transit’s 13-city, 364-square-mileservice area.

“There is a gap in education when it comesto teaching civil rights,” said AC Transit BoardDirector Joel Young, the project co-chair. “Andour goal is to bridge that gap by integrating civilrights and arts education.”

With that in mind, the Freedom Bus went onspecial tour to four East Bay schools in Rich-mond, Berkeley, San Leandro and Hayward, dis-playing its artwork as part of more in-deptheducational programs at each school.

“It is inspiring to see that the passion of civil

AC Transit honoredAC Transit’s real-time businformation system, provided byNextBus, has been awarded the2010 Project of the Year by theInstitute of TransportationEngineers – San Francisco BayArea Section (ITE.)

AC Transit was honored for“innovative. . .technologicallyadvanced” engineering in implement-ing the computerized system on everybus within the agency’s service area.Most notably, the transit agency wassingled out for making “innovativeapproaches (under) unusualcircumstances” that proved to beunique, cost effective and publiclyembraced.

AC Transit also announced that theFederal Transit Administration (FTA)has given its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)project the highest overall rating ofany project in the United States thisyear, marking another significant mile-stone in the agency’s effort to bring amuch-needed new express service lineto the East Bay.

“The project would improve thespeed and reliability of service tocurrent riders, including largenumbers of minority, low-income,and transit-dependent residents, byoffering higher frequency service,reduced travel times, and greaterschedule reliability,” according to theFTA’s 2011 New Starts report.

The report also gives AC Transit’sBRT a cost-effectiveness rating of“high,” making this one of only fourother transportation projects in theUnited States to receive that level ofrecognition.

It was also announced thatPresident Obama’s FY 2012 budgetincludes $25 million for AC Transit’sBRT project.

AC Transit’s vision is to provide atruly world-class transit service that isconvenient, reliable and safe; one thatincreases mobility, enhances thequality of life, and improves the healthof the environment throughout thecommunities it serves. Bus RapidTransit (BRT) will link one of thebusiest traffic corridors in thecountry with a fast, economical andenvironmentally-friendly means oftransportation. It will be a high-capacity rapid transit system thatreduces passenger travel times. Withdedicated lanes and signal priority,and prominent stations with conven-ient boarding of buses, BRT will offerresidents a viable alternative to drivingon congested city streets. It willreduce traffic levels, significantlycutting emissions and pollutants.

BRT is essentially light rail withoutthe tracks. It combines the expressservice and capacity of light rail withthe convenience and affordability ofriding the bus. It can be planned andbuilt at much less expense, and morequickly than traditional light railsystems. �

rights is very much alive,” said Dria Fearn, theexecutive director of the Freedom Bus Project.“To see the artistic interpretations of social jus-tice through the artwork of so many young peo-ple is very special.”

In the end, the Freedom Bus demonstratedthe learning and personal growth of studentswhen they have the opportunity to studyrelevant and important topics, make their ownmeaning artistically, and share their creativeideas with real audiences.

And like the civil rights movement itself,the bus is what made it happen.

Sponsors of the Freedom Bus Projectinclude Titan Worldwide; Clear ChannelOutdoor; Kaiser Permanente; WasteManagement; Booz Allen Hamilton; TheClorox Company; Comcast; Entrust Capital,Inc.; Union Bank; and Veolia Transportation. �

Page 18: Oakland Business Review July 2011

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SPECIAL SECTION Transportation> Coming in 2013 – Plan Bay Area

The Port ofOakland’s -50 FootHarbor DeepeningProject is set toreceive $18 millionin operations andmaintenance fromthe U.S. ArmyCorps ofEngineers’ fiscalyear 2011 workplan, fundingthat is vital tothe Port’scompetitiveness.

Oakland Board ofPort CommissionersPresident James Headexpressed the Port’sreaction to this goodnews, “We greatly

appreciate that Congresswoman Barbara Lee and the entire Bay AreaCongressional delegation stepped up and helped the Port achieve thiscritical funding to keep the Oakland harbor navigable and safe for theefficient flow of commerce.”

“I am very pleased to have helped the Port of Oakland secure thiscritical federal funding to maintain its position as the premier gatewayfor international trade in the region,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee.“As a major export seaport, maintaining Oakland’s channel supportsPresident Obama’s National Export Initiative objective of doubling ourexports by 2015, which is critical to our nation’s economic recovery andlong-term competitiveness.”

The initial deepening to -50 from -42 feet represented a $433 millioninvestment, with $243 million contributed by the federal governmentand $190 million contributedby the Port, and took ten yearsfrom planning to completionin late 2009. Once initiallydeepened, channels beginto silt in as currents shiftunsettled material onto theharbor floor. Annualmaintenance dredging isnecessary for clearing thismaterial out and keepingchannels deep.

The trend towards ever-larger ships requiring deeperchannels, which shows nosigns of abating, makesmaintenance dredging all themore critical.

Port of Oakland ExecutiveDirector Omar Benjamin said,“It is essential for the Port tobe able to accommodate theever-larger container shipsthat require a deeper harbor.This type of public-privateinvestment in partnershipwith the federal governmenthelps the Port of Oaklandcreate over 50,000 direct andindirect jobs in the region andsupport over 800,000 jobsacross the country.”

Dredging also offersenvironmental benefits viahabitat and wetlandrestoration. For example, theHamilton Wetland RestorationProject received dredgedmaterial from the Oaklandharbor which has helped withflood damage reduction andecosystem restoration. Also,larger ships carry morecontainers providing animportant reduction in fueluse and air emissions pertransported container. �

> Port secures $18 million infunding for harbor deepening

Slated for adoption in the spring of 2013, Plan Bay Area will be theregion’s first such long-range plan to incorporate a SustainableCommunities Strategy, mandated by the 2008 passage of state SenateBill 375, which requires the Bay Area and other California metro areasto develop integrated regional land-use and transportation plans tomeet state targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from carsand light trucks.

Following the March release of an Initial Vision Scenario, MTCand ABAG conducted a series of ten workshops – including a May 24workshop in Oakland and a May 19 event in Berkeley – around theregion to gather input from residents, businesses and local govern-ments about how the Bay Area’s expected growth can be served bynew transportation investments and about where new developmentshould occur. The Initial Vision Scenario assumes a strong economy inwhich the region will add some 1.2 million jobs by 2035 and will need903,000 more housing units than currently are available.

Designed to make the most of the Bay Area’s existing infrastruc-ture, the initial vision scenario for Plan Bay Area projects 97 percentof all new households from 2015 to 2040 being in already urbanizedareas, with 70 percent of the region’s growth taking place in areas that

have been designated “close to transit” by local governments. Indeed, Oakland, San Franciscoand San Jose together would account for nearly one-third of all new housing units in the regionduring these years.

Initial projections show Alameda County as a whole adding more than 200,000 new resi-dences over 25 years, growing by 38 percent to more than 770,000 households in 2040. Prioritydevelopment areas include most of the city of Oakland, particularly along the Telegraph Avenue,San Pablo Avenue and International Boulevard corridors served by AC Transit’s 1R and 72R rapidbuses. Other areas targeted for more intensive development include downtown Oakland, JackLondon Square, West Oakland, and the Dimond, Fruitvale, Laurel and Temescal districts.

Workshop results indicate a solid consensus among Bay Area residents to accommodate newhouseholds within the nine counties, rather than relying on in-commuting by workers living inadjacent regions such as the Central Valley. Less clear, however, is how East Bay residents wantto grow. The largest portion of Oakland and Berkeley workshop participants (38 percent and44 percent, respectively) supported a “most urban” future. Yet 25 percent of Oakland attendeesand 10 percent of Berkeley attendees favored a lower-density, suburban development patterndescribed as “business as usual.”

Between these extremes was a “more urban” model supported by 25 percent of participants in

Oakland and 40 percent in Berkeley. Interestingly,a “planned future” consistent with existingtransportation and housing policies won theapproval of just 12 percent of attendees inOakland and only 6 percent in Berkeley.

In addition to the public workshops, MTC andABAG worked with several community-based organizations – including Youth Radio and CausaJusta/Just Cause in Oakland – to learn more about the growth and development priorities of oftenunderserved communities such as low-income, nonwhite, or non-English-speaking residents.

The next step in the two-year Plan Bay Area process will involve analyzing several alternativescenarios to gauge the impact of different approaches on key performance targets such asreducing per-capita carbon dioxide emissions from cars and light trucks by 7 percent by 2020 andby 15 percent by 2035; and housing 100 percent of the region’s projected 25-year growth withoutdisplacing current low-income residents. The alternatives will use different combinations ofgrowth patterns (including job and housing distribution), transportation investment and support-ive policies. Each will take into account constraints on housing production and transportationfunding.

The analyses will be used to establish a preferred scenario that best meets the region’s goalsand complies with SB 375 and other metropolitan planning requirements. MTC and ABAG plan toconduct another round of public workshops beginning this fall to discuss the preferred scenariowith Bay Area residents.

For more information about Plan Bay Area, visit www.onebayarea.org. �

John Goodwin is a public information officer for the Metropolitan TransportationCommission and the Bay Area Toll Authority.

The Oakland-based Metropoli-tan Transportation

Commission(MTC) and Associ-ation of Bay Area

Governments(ABAG) have

kicked off develop-ment of Plan BayArea, which willdetail a 25-year

transportation in-vestment and

land-use strategyfor the nine-county regionfrom 2015 to

2040.

by John Goodwin

� MTC and ABAG conducted a seriesof public workshops this spring tohear Bay Area residents’ views onthe best way to accommodate theregion’s anticipated growth over thenext 25 years.

photo by

Noa

h Be

rger

> Port awardedfifth Energy StarThe Port of Oakland headquarterslocated at 530 Water St. has earnedthe Energy Star label from the UnitedStates Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) and the United StatesDepartment of Energy for the fifthconsecutive year. The Energy Star labelis awarded based on a comparison of afacility’s energy performance (electricityand gas usage) to that of similar facilitiesaround the U.S.

The label shows a particular facility’senergy performance on a scale of 1 to 100.The Port of Oakland headquarters scored84, which means that it ranked in the top16 percent of EPA benchmarked facilitiesnationwide.

Energy Star is commonly recognizedfrom products such as computers,refrigerators and other electrical equip-ment; however, buildings can earn thisdistinction as well. To achieve an EnergyStar award, a facility must rank amongthe top 25 percent most energy-efficientbuildings in the market. Factors that affectscoring include building systems, hoursof operation, regional climate, equipmentscheduling and monitoring theequipment.

Since 2007, the Port of Oakland hasannually saved, through its operationsport-wide, an average of 138,140 kilowatt-hours in energy efficiency and 30 kilowattsin energy demand. “The Port of Oaklandstrives to continually exceed former goalsfor energy efficiency,” said President of theBoard of Port Commissioners James Head.“In March of 2010, the Port of Oaklandadopted new energy efficiency savingsand demand reduction goals for 2011-2020.” �

Page 19: Oakland Business Review July 2011

July 2011 | 19

SPECIAL SECTIONTransportationat Blue Bottle Coffee’s West Coast roasting plant. For a full list of restaurant options, go to theFood & Drink section of visitoakland.org.

For more information: • www.eastbayferry.com • www.jacklondonsquare.com • www.visitoakland.org �

Elisa Williams is marketing communications director at Visit Oakland, whichrecently hosted a party on the ferry for more than four dozen internationaljournalists and tour operators during San Francisco’s Pow Wow 2011, the largestglobal tour and travel show in the United States.

You don’t have to be a tourist at San Fran-cisco’s Pier 39 to enjoy a boat trip on SanFrancisco Bay. Commuter ferries offeringdaily service between the San FranciscoFerry Building and Oakland’s Jack LondonSquare combine convenient transport withbreathtaking views of the Oakland and SanFrancisco skylines, construction of the newBay Bridge, activity at the Port of Oakland,and wildlife ranging from birds to marinemammals.

What to expect – The commuterferries are much more luxurious than thelarger boats that service Alcatraz or tourthe bay. The catamarans provide a stableride, so skip the seasick pills. Comfortable seating is available inside upstairs and downstairs.Outdoor seating (with heat lamps, when necessary) is upstairs. Free bicycle parking is in theback downstairs. Beer, wine, cocktails and soft drinks plus snacks are available at the bar.

When to go – During the week, service begins from Oakland at 6 a.m. and the last ferryfrom San Francisco leaves the Ferry Building at 8:25 p.m. Weekend service varies by the season;in the summer, service begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday in Oakland and the last ferryfrom San Francisco’s Ferry Building is at 9:55 p.m.

What it costs – Buy your tickets onboard. Adults pay $6.25 each way for individual tick-ets. Rates vary by age and discounts are available for seniors, youth, active military personneland the disabled. Park for free at the Washington Street garage with a dockside validation.(Group tickets and validation are not available on special ferries to Giants games at AT&T Park.)

Great for groups – Plan a floating party on the ferry! Even small groups can take advan-tage of commuter discount booklets that bring the price down to as little as $8.50 round tripfor adults and offer free connections on MUNI and AC Transit at each end. Buy your alcohol onboard, but feel free to bring food and soft drinks.

Where to stay – Oakland’s waterfront is a terrific base for a Bay Area visit, either forbusiness or pleasure. Hotels at Jack London Square include the Waterfront Hotel and The Innat Jack London Square. Located down the estuary, The Homewood Suites and the ExecutiveInn offer free shuttle service to Jack London Square.

Jack London Square – Located at the bottom of Broadway on the Oakland Estuary, JackLondon Square offers attractions, entertainment, recreation and great restaurants. Tour theUSS Potomac, FDR’s Floating White House, and then sip a beer at Heinhold’s First & LastChance Saloon, where Jack London used to drink. Rent a bicycle at Bay Area Bikes or a kayakfrom California Canoe & Kayak. Hear world-class jazz at Yoshi’s or enjoy a concert, dance les-son or movie outside. Check out more than a dozen urban wineries or join a “cupping” tasting

> Ferries – Cross the bay the fun wayby Elisa Williams

> Capitol Corridor: On track for supersummer funSkyrocketing gas prices shouldn’t keep you from having fun this summer. Ditchyour car and ride Capitol Corridor trains for your summer “staycation” solutioninstead. The Capitol Corridor intercity passenger rail service serves 16 stations in NorthernCalifornia from Auburn to San Jose, including two stops located right here in Oakland: JackLondon Square and Coliseum stations.

Capitol Corridor currently has three discounts aimed to help folks on a fuel-savingbudget. There are two popular favorites – “Kids Ride Free on Weekends” and the “SeniorsHalf Off” midweek offer – as well as the new Oakland A’s 25 percent home game discount.The Capitol Corridor Coliseum station is steps closer to the field than BART’s Coliseum stop,so the discounted fare for A’s games is perfect for all of the out-of-town A’s fans you know.

Getting the discount is easy. Kids Ride Free on Weekends applies when children 15 yearsand younger are accompanied by a full-fare paying adult who uses discount code V486when purchasing a ticket. For the Seniors Half-Off offer, which is valid on Tuesdays,Wednesdays and Thursdays for passengers aged 62 years and older, use discount code

V730. A’s fans using code H855 whenbooking their tickets save 25 percentoff their regular adult train fare.

Tickets can be purchased online,at a staffed station, or when using aQuik-Trak ticketing kiosk.

For complete details about theseand other Capitol Corridor seasonalpromotions, visit capitolcorridor.org.Don’t let high gas and toll prices,congested highways and parkinghassles prevent you from summer fun– ride Capitol Corridor and enjoy theease of train travel. �

photo by John Wright

Page 20: Oakland Business Review July 2011

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com20

> Economic Development Committeewelcomes new chair

The Economic Development Committee of the OaklandMetropolitan Chamber of Commerce welcomes Charissa Frank,business development manager at Swinerton Management andConsulting, as its new chair.

Frank has been actively engaged in the Chamber and brings20 years of experience in client management, sales, corporate de-velopment, and government affairs. She has worked withmultiple public, private, and nonprofit organizations andcommunity stakeholders on infrastructure and architectureprojects during all phases, from concept to construction.

Recently she served as vice-chair for Oakland’sTransportation/Land Use Committee, executive board vice president for Women’sTransportation Seminars, past president of the American Public Works Association,Northern California Chapter, and on SPUR’s High Speed Rail/Transit Center Task Force.

She succeeds Eric Kisshauer of Pankow Builders, whom the Chamber of Commercethanks for his leadership of the Economic Development Committee. �

Grubb & Ellis Company,a leading real estateservices and investmentfirm, has announced thatBeacon Group Venturesselected John Dolby,senior vice president,Paul Adelman, associate,of the company’s OfficeGroup, as the leasingagents of the former I.Magnin & Co. buildinglocated at 2001Broadway.

“This art deco gem isrich in history and uniquein architecture with itsgreen terra cotta and black marble façade,” said Dolby. “It’s well known from its years as anI. Magnin department store and has since gone through major renovations that resulted inan office building with both a historical and creative atmosphere. Space has not beenavailable at the property for nearly six years and is ideal for a firm seeking a creative spacewith high ceilings 16 feet tall.”

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 2001 Broadway was originally built in1933. The four-story art deco building offers 57,000 square feet of space, with nearly 18,000square feet currently available. The building was renovated in 2000, which included aseismic upgrade, new electrical/mechanical data systems and new interior finishes. Theproperty sits atop the 19th Street Oakland BART station and is adjacent to the UptownTransit Center of the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit.

“This building is a prime example of reuse and how you can take a historical retailspace and convert it into a modern high-tech space with a state-of-the-art technologyinfrastructure,” said Scott Newman, principal of Beacon Group Ventures.

For more information, call (510) 444-7500 or contact Dolby [email protected].. �

> Grubb & Ellis to lease former I. Magnin Building

Economic DevelopmentCreating a strong economy

Charissa Frank

> ‘Free B’ gives Oakland competition

By providing free and seamless connections from BART,Amtrak Capitol Corridor and the ferry to office buildings, theshuttle has become a valuable business attraction tool for thecity. Businesses are aware that employees increasingly preferto work where they can take transit to their jobs instead of acar. Making Oakland’s office buildings more accessible bytransit gives the city a competitive advantage.

The Free B has also been a boon for downtown’s retailand dining establishments by encouraging residents, workersand visitors to circulate and explore the different districts andbusinesses along the route.

Operating since last August along Broadway betweenJack London Square and Grand Avenue, Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the shuttle hasquickly become an iconic fixture buzzing up and down Oakland’s central corridor.

And beginning July 1, the shuttle also began operating on Fridays from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.and Saturdays 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. between Jack London Square and 27th Street. The shuttlesruns every ten minutes during commute and lunch times, and every 15 minutes other times.

After operating for almost one year, shuttle ridership has more than doubled from 1,300during the first month of service to more than 2,700 passengers each day – totaling505,000 passengers since the shuttle’s launch.

While the Free B may be a useful and fun service for commuters and restaurant-goers,the shuttle also has a very serious environmental goal – to reduce downtown Oakland’scarbon footprint. By making it easier for people to forgo their cars in favor of public transit,the Free B is reducing carbon dioxide emissions and removing cars from the road. In fact,46 percent of Broadway Shuttle passenger survey respondents who walk, bike or taketransit to work stated that they would be more likely to drive to work more often withoutthe Broadway Shuttle.

The Broadway Shuttle is funded primarily by the Oakland Redevelopment Agency,and grants from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Alameda CountyTransportation Commission. Additional funders include the developers of Jack LondonSquare, the Downtown Oakland Association, Lake Merritt/Uptown Association, ForestCity (developers of the Uptown Apartments), and the Water Emergency TransportationAuthority (operators of the ferry between Oakland, Alameda and San Francisco).

The neighborhoods served by the Free B include Jack London Square, Old Oakland,Chinatown, City Center, Uptown and Lake Merritt districts. In order to better serve thepost-work hour demographic, the nighttime route does not stop in the Lake MerrittFinancial District, but instead services the burgeoning Valdez Triangle and Koreatown-Northgate districts. �

The city of OaklandBroadway Shuttle

(also called the “FreeB”) capitalizes on

downtown Oakland’srich transit network

by providing the “lastmile” link betweentransit stations andfinal destinations.

Page 21: Oakland Business Review July 2011

July 2011 | 21

Shea Ohlott The Lake Chalet, 1520Lakeside Drive • www.thelakechalet.com

BACKGROUNDCulinary degree in San Francisco. My firstsous chef opportunity was at RestaurantLulu.

First job? Sports Bar in Sonora, CAin 1997.

Education?Graduate of CaliforniaCulinary Academy in 2003.

Residence? Alameda.

BUSINESS STRATEGYHow’s business? Increasing warm

weather drives people here to enjoy ourdock and patio, and our Lake Room with

its amazing views of Lake Merritt and outstanding food and awesome cocktails. Plus weare doing a lot of banquet business – weddings, corporate meetings, social celebrations– you name it.

Biggest challenge that you face? Life.Personal goal yet to be achieved?Culinary Director.Why people like working for you? I have a passion for culinary arts, and I love to

spread my knowledge to all the up and coming cooks coming through my kitchens. Mentor? Jared Doob was my executive chef at Restaurant Lulu, who saw something

in me and mentored me through the years. We have since worked together in multiplecompanies. Oh yeah you too DAD!

What do you like most about your job? I enjoy the people I work with and theconstant challenges of running The Lake Chalet.

Best meal/dish you ever created and to whom was it served? The last mealI cooked for mom.

PREFERENCESStranded on a desert island, what cookbook would you want? “Medium Raw”

by Anthony Bourdain.Lunch with Julia Child – one question for her?Are you gonna drink all that?Favorite cause?Melanoma Research Foundation.Favorite movie? The Big Lebowski.Favorite restaurant?Commis.Favorite way to spend spare time?Golf and of course OAKLAND RAIDER FOOTBALL.On your iPod? Bad Religion, ACDC, Johnny Cash. �

> Chef’s Corner – Chef Shea Ohlott

> Property left behind after a lease– What to do with all that stuff

As the comedian George Carlin famously observed, “A house is just a pile ofstuff with a cover on it.” Whether a residence or commercial space, it is often thecase that, at the end of a lease, a tenant may leave some portion of the tenant’sstuff behind, particularly where the tenant has been evicted. What is the landlordto do about making an orderly and legally permissible disposition of the stuff –the tenant’s personal property under the law – remaining on the premises?

Under California law, a landlord is legally obligated to follow a statutorilyproscribed and often cumbersome public sale process to dispose of personalproperty left behind by a tenant. The law does make an exception where thepersonal property is believed to be worth less than $300. In that case, thelandlord may keep the property or dispose of it in any manner the landlordchooses. Civ. Code § 1988(a).

Unfortunately for commercial landlords, the value of the personal propertyleft behind by a tenant often far exceeds this statutory threshold, requiring apublic sale. However, legislation that became effective Jan. 1, 2009 has givencommercial landlords some, albeit small, relief. Under this law, a commerciallandlord can rely upon a higher value threshold governing when a public salewill be required. The statute applies to all commercial real property except“self-storage units.” Civ. Code § 1993(a).

In the case of a commercial tenancy, a public sale is not required if the totalresale value of the tenant’s personal property is less than “the lesser” of $750 or$1 per square foot of the premises occupied by the former tenant. Civ. Code §1993.07(a). Landlord groups advocated for raising the threshold because theexisting law often required commercial landlords to hold public auctions forproperty whose sale failed to even cover the costs of the sale.

The landlord must first give the tenant notice of the tenant’s right to reclaim

> Grubb & Ellis to lease former I. Magnin Building

by Leonard Marquez

the personal property within a specified time period. Sometimes that notice willbe given as part of proceedings leading up to an eviction if the tenant is notvacating the premises voluntarily. If not, the law proscribes the content of thenotice to be given to the tenant. Civ. Code § 1993.05.

In both scenarios, in order to reclaim the personal property, the tenant isrequired to pay the reasonable cost of storage and take possession of the property.Civ. Code § 1987. If the tenant fails to timely reclaim the property, the landlord maykeep it if its resale value is under the threshold amount.

Where the resale value of the tenant’s personal property exceeds the statutorythreshold and a public sale is required, the landlord must undertake a multi-stepprocess. The landlord is first required to give notice of the sale by newspaperpublication. At the appointed time, the public sale must be conducted bycompetitive bidding. The landlord is entitled to reimbursement from the saleproceeds for the costs of storage and the sale, including advertising. Any balanceof the proceeds not claimed by the tenant must then be turned over to the countytreasurer. The tenant has up to one year to claim the proceeds of the sale.

Failing to follow the law governing the disposition of tenant personal propertycan result in the landlord being liable for the value of the property and otherdamages.

The landlord may be able to avoid resorting to a public sale based upon thelandlord’s rights under the lease or other applicable security instrument.Landlords with bargaining power may be able to negotiate, at the inception of thelease, for broader rights with respect to the disposition of the tenant’s personalproperty at the end of the lease term (or upon breach) or may be able to obtainsecurity interests in the tenant’s personal property that give the landlord greaterrights.

Given that the law regarding the disposition of tenant property is cumbersomeand not particularly advantageous for commercial landlords, commercial landlordswill want to consider the issue at the outset of a lease negotiation. �

Leonard Marquez is a real estate litigation partner at Wendel, Rosen, Black& Dean LLP. He can be reached at [email protected].

“Failing to follow the law governing the disposition of tenant personal property can

result in the landlord being liable for the value of the property and other damages.”

– Leonard Marquez

Page 22: Oakland Business Review July 2011

> There’s healthy outdoor fun inthe East Bay Regional ParksThere’s plenty to do outdoors in Oakland this summer. Whether you havetime for a quick pick-me-up walk, or a leisurely picnic and swim, there’s aregional park with something to offer.

Here are a few ways to get in the summer spirit:Bring the family to Anthony Chabot campground in the hills spanning Oakland and

Castro Valley for summer evening fun in the fresh air. Every Saturday in July and Augustfrom 8 to 9 pm, Park District naturalists host a classic campfire program with games,songs and entertainment. It’s free, and you don’t have to be camping at the park toattend. Dress warmly – and don’t forget the marshmallows! Meet at the AnthonyChabot campground amphitheater.

Come on in, the water’s great! Whether you prefer splashing in the pool at RobertsRecreation Area or getting your toes in the sand at Lake Temescal, summer’s the timeto go swimming in Oakland. Swim hours are posted online. For an invigorating walk bythe water, stroll by the newly completed Tidewater Aquatic Center at Martin LutherKing Jr. Shoreline.

July programs in the East Bay Regional Parks:• July 2 – Beginning Bicycling –Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline• July 10 – Saturday Stroll –Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline• July 14 – Fuel Break Program – Redwood Regional Park• July 20 – Wednesday Walk – Leona Canyon• July 23 – Biggest Trees in the World? – Roberts Regional Recreation Area• July 24 – Sunday Stroll – Redwood Regional Park• July 30 – Three Parks in Day – Redwood, Huckleberry and Sibley Parks• July 31 – Gopher Snake Meet & Greet – Temescal Regional Recreation Area

For program times, directions and more information on outdoor opportunitiesavailable in the regional parks, visit www.ebparks.org or call (888) 327-2757. �

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com22

5 1 0 . 6 5 3 . 2 1 5 3 • c c @ c h e r i e c a r t e r d e s i g n s . c o mC O M M U N I C A T I O N D E S I G N T H A T R E A L L Y M E A N S B U S I N E S S

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and sales kits.

==C A R T E RD E S I G N S

� A leisurely day of fishing at Lake Temescal in Oakland.

> Elnora Webb – Truly aninspirational leader

Laney College President ElnoraWebb was born to a 13-year-old,raised in more than six fosterhomes, beaten and emotionallyabused. Certainly, she didn’t have themost ideal upbringing.

Growing up being viewed as an“economic resource,” Dr. Webbheard the word “no” a lot. It did notdefeat her. In high school she asked to enroll in college prep classes, but wastold that “McDonalds’s is down the street.” She did not take this offensepersonally. Instead she learned to be self-sufficient, and chose to dare.

The Laney College president was guest speaker at the June East Bay Womenin Business Roundtable luncheon at the Waterfront Hotel in Jack London Square.

While most of us grew up in a household with loving parents and a feelingof belonging, Dr. Webb grew up on a farm slaughtering chickens and cultivat-ing crops. She grew to be a responsible child and young adult.

She looked at college as a means of survival, a roof over her head, butduring her undergraduate years she was diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Webb kepther illness a secret from her peers and most professors. She did not want thissituation to be seen as a crutch. She willed herself back to health after multiplesurgeries, and returned to school after she was declared cancer free. Manydoctors and medical professionals saw this recovery as a miracle; Dr. Webbsaw it as the only possible outcome.

Dr. Webb’s positive attitude and adverse childhood experiences had preparedher for what was next. As a self-proclaimed education ambassador, she went on tofinish her undergraduate studies and eventually ended up with her PhD from UCBerkeley. She has helped to create more than 60 fellowships at Cal and continuesto help others find their own personal spirit in her position at Laney. �

Annie Wenzel is the assistant director of MBA Program & Corporate Outreachat Holy Names University. She can be reached at (510) 436-1642 or [email protected].

by Annie Wenzel

� Laney College President Dr. ElnoraWebb (fourth from the left) is greetedat the East Bay Women in BusinessRoundtable by Steering Committeemembers (left to right) ChamberBoard member Kim Delevett, DonnaSinger, Annie Wenzel, Cherie Carter,Dawnn Hill, Sherri Goldsmith, KimArnone, and Gini Graham Scott.

Meet Jesse Ortiz at the Chamber Golf Classic

Monday, Aug. 29For info, visit www.oaklandchamber.com

Page 23: Oakland Business Review July 2011

July 2011 | 23

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OBR OAKLAND BUSINESS REVIEW (ISSN 1092-7220)is published monthly at $100.00 a year by the OaklandMetropolitan Chamber of Commerce, 475 14th Street,Oakland, CA 94612-1903. Membership dues includesubscription. Periodicals postage at Oakland, CA.Contents can’t be reproduced without permission.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OAKLANDBUSINESS REVIEW, 475 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612.

Editor

HHAANNKK MMAASSLLEERR,, ((551100)) 887744--44880088

[email protected] | www.oaklandchamber.com

Design/Production Editor

CCAARRTTEERR DDEESSIIGGNNSS

The articles published in this publication do not necessarily

reflect the policies or opinions of the Oakland Metropolitan

Chamber of Commerce.

EEXXEECCUUTTIIVVEE CCOOMMMMIITTTTEEEEChair of the BoardJOHN NELSONmurakami/Nelson

Vice Chair MARIO CHIODOChiodo ArtDevelopment

Vice Chair SHANNON PEDDERBRAND: CREATIVE

DAN COHENFull Court Press

ERIC KISSHAUERPankow Builders

ZACK WASSERMANWendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP

KENNETH WHITEFidelity Roof Company

MICHAEL ZIEMANNSummit Bank

Immediate Past ChairPATRICIA SCATESWells Fargo

BBOOAARRDD OOFF DDIIRREECCTTOORRSS

MANETTE BELLIVEAUOakland Convention &Visitors Bureau

ALICIA BERTPG&E

TERRY BRADYSecuritas SecurityServices

DAVE CANNONBarney & Barney LLC

JOHN CASASJT2 Integrated Resources

DIANN CASTLEBERRYPort of Oakland

ANA CHRETIENABC Security Service

KIM DELEVETTSouthwest Airlines

MARK EVERTONWaterfront Hotel /Miss Pearl’s Jam House

RONALD FORESTMatson NavigationCo.

GEORGE GRANGERAT&T

TODD HANSENClear ChannelOutdoor

STAN HEBERTCalifornia State University, East Bay

WRIGHTLASSITER, IIIAlameda CountyMedical Center

MICHAEL LEBLANCPican

ELSIE LUMAlameda CountyTraining & EducationCenter

KEN MAXEYComcast Cable

MARK MCCLURECalifornia Capital andInvestment Group

VIC MEINKEAlta Bates SummitMedical Center

NATHAN NAYMANVisa

NATHANIELOUBRE, JR.Kaiser Permanente

MICKY RANDHAWAWells Fargo

DAVID ROUNDSBay Area Newsgroup

EMILY SHANKSBank of America

DICK SPEESConsultant

DAVID TUCKERWaste Managementof Alameda County

ELNORA TENA WEBB,PH.D.Laney College

RICHARD WHITEFitzgerald Abbott &Beardsley LLC

JOSEPH HARABURDAPresident and CEO

East Bay Women in Business networking event“The Business Connections Game” | July 14

All events held at Chamber offices, 475 14th Street, unless otherwise noted. Call 874-4800 to confirm dates and times. Meetings are open to all Chamber members.

Keeping you connected and informed

> JULY

13 | Ambassador Committeemeeting |noon - 1 p.m.

13 | Economic DevelopmentForum |3 - 4:30 p.m.

14 | East Bay Women in Businessnetworking event, “The BusinessConnections Game” |5:30 - 7:30 p.m.free for Chamber members, $10 fornon-members, Holy Names University,Brennan Lounge, Building G, 3500Mountain Blvd.

15 | Inside Oakland BreakfastForum |8:30 - 10 a.m.no charge for Chamber members, $10 fornon-members

19 | Nonprofit RoundtableCommittee meeting|2:30-4:30 p.m.

21 | Breakfast at the Chamber|7:30 - 9 a.m.hosted by Homewood Suites, an update ofChamber activities for prospective, newand long-time members

25 | China trip orientation|5:30 p.m.for those thinking about joining theChamber for the 2012 trip fromMarch 22-30

28 | After Five Reception |5:30 - 7:30 p.m.San Leandro Marina Inn, 66 Monarch BayDrive off Marine Blvd. in the San Leandromarina, $15 for non-members

> AUGUST

5 | East Bay Women in Businessluncheon |11:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.featuring a panel of inspiring women:Manette Belliveau, president/CEO, VisitOakland; Karen Engel, executive director,East Bay Economic Development Alliance;and Samee Roberts, director of marketing,city of Oakland, $35 members, $45non-members, Waterfront Hotel,10 Washington St. in Jack London Square

10 | Ambassador Committeemeeting |noon - 1 p.m.

10 | Economic DevelopmentForum |3 - 4:30 p.m.

16 | Nonprofit RoundtableCommittee meeting|2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

18 | Breakfast at the Chamber|7:30 - 9 a.m.hosted by The Bread Project, an update ofChamber activities for prospective, newand long-time members

Breakfast at the ChamberJuly 21 |Hosted by Homewood Suites

July28 After Five Reception

San Leandro Marina InnMonarch Bay Drive off Marine Blvd. in the San Leandro marina

No charge for Chamber members. • $15 for non-members.

China trip orientationJuly 25 |Fifth annual trip information

Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park in FoxSquare,

14 | Ambassador Committeemeeting |noon - 1 p.m.

14 | Economic DevelopmentForum |3 - 4:30 p.m.

15 | Breakfast at the Chamber|7:30 - 9 a.m.hosted by Principal Financial Group,an update of Chamber activities forprospective, new and long-timemembers

20| Nonprofit RoundtableCommittee meeting|2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

22 | After Five Reception |5:30 - 7:30 p.m.Uptown Body & Fender, 401 26th St.,just off Broadway, no charge forChamber members, $15 fornon-members

19 | Inside Oakland BreakfastForum |8:30 - 10 a.m.no charge for Chamber members, $10 fornon-members

25 | After Five Reception |5:30 - 7:30 p.m.Pacific Coast Brewery, 906 Washington St.in Old Oakland, no charge for Chambermembers, $15 for non-members

29 | Annual Golf Classic & Clinic | Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., shotgunstart begins at 10 a.m. and 19th HoleReception follows event.

Tilden Park Golf Course, CorporateSponsorship $2,500, Chamber Challenger$1,750, Business Hole Sponsor (with displaytable) $500, Tee Sign Sponsor $325, indi-vidual players $325, Clinic participants $50.

> SEPTEMBER6 | Unveiling “Remember Them: Champions for Humanity” monument | 1 p.m.

Bridgette Mckernan, the sales manager for the Executive Innand Suites located on the Oakland Estuary, has been namedthe Chamber’s Ambassador of the Month for May.

Mckernan, who relocated to the Bay Area from Dallas,has quickly fallen in love with the city of Oakland and allit has to offer. She’s currently looking forward to theexcitement of the America’s Cup. From training runs to theChallenge races in 2012, to the big event in 2013, it will bea stimulus for Oakland area businesses.

The Executive Inn, which has been ranked #1 onTripAdvisor for all hotels in Oakland for the last 18 months, is

Oakland’s third largest hotel with 224 guest rooms and over 6,000 square feetof indoor meeting space and 1,500 square feet of outdoor patio space.

Mckernan is happy to see the newest updates to her hotel taking form, suchas the installation of 37” x 42” flat panel televisions in the rooms. And guestswill find incredible speeds available with the new 20mbps pipe to the world-wide web on all hard-wire connections and wireless connections. The hotel hasalso just added new workout equipment in the main building to complementthose in the fitness center.

Other amenities include a free shuttle to and from Oakland InternationalAirport and locally around town, a free hot breakfast daily, free internet, freeparking, and free use of the two business centers.

For more information contact Mckernan at [email protected].�

AMBASSADOR COMMITTEE

> Ambassador of the Month

BridgetteMckernan

Page 24: Oakland Business Review July 2011

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com24

> How well doyou know Oakland’srestaurants?

permission by telling her she was signing a school progressreport. He served three years in the Army and was honor-ably discharged in 1983. Jerry got a janitorial job but soonstarted meeting up with old friends, hanging in the streetsand doing drugs. He supported his addiction by writingbad checks and hustling on the streets, which led toshoplifting and stealing cars. Jerry went to prison for 12years. He was admitted into the Kitchen of Championsand showed great precision and speed in the prep room,excellent culinary math and vocabulary retention. Jerrygraduated with distinction and got a job as a cook in ahealth care setting, where he plans to work his way up tosous chef.

Conniewas born and raised in Oakland. One of eightkids in a single-parent family, she remembers eating in theSt. Vincent de Paul Free Dining Room when times weretough. As a young adult, she visited the women’s drop-incenter at the St. Vincent de Paul Community Center forhelp with diapers and clothes for her kids – and she ate inthe dining room when times were tough. She heard aboutthe Kitchen of Champions program and figured she could

certainly cook, so she’d give it a try. Conniecompleted the 12-week course and, whenchallenged by the speaker at her graduationceremony, applied to Laney College’s two-yearculinary program. She was accepted and

became the first member of her entireextended family ever to attend college.Today, she is one semester away fromgraduating into an advanced position onher culinary career pathway.

Rodney has been in Oakland since hisfamily moved from Alabama when he wasfour. As an adult, he had done some workas a cook but then hit a rough patch in life.Recently released from prison, 50-year-old Rodney wanted to “get a fresh start onthe future.” He had always loved cookingand always hoped to be a chef on a cruiseship. He heard about the Kitchen ofChampions from a presentation at thehalfway house where he had been placedwhen first released on parole. He enrolled

in the program and quickly became a class leader. Whenhe completed his 12-week term with St. Vincent de Paul’sKitchen of Champions, he had no trouble landing a job.Today, he works full-time as a line cook in a localrestaurant. “I got my fresh start,” he says with a smile.

For more information about the St. Vincent de PaulKitchen of Champions Culinary Training Program, visitwww.svdp-alameda.org/kitchenofchampions.php. Fortickets and information about the East Bay Food Fight,visit www.eastbayfoodfight.org.

*Graduate names have been changed to protect privacy. �

SPECIAL SECTION

Oakland restaurants have made a splash onthe national scene with articles in the WallStreet Journal, New York Times, and othernational publications. People outside of the BayArea are coming to Oakland to experience the“Dining Scene” that Oakland has created.

Oakland restaurants have blended into the city’surban scene by integrating the restaurants intohistoric and iconic buildings.

Please take a minute and test your knowledgeof Oakland’s restaurants. Match the restaurant withthe description of the historic and iconic Oaklandbuilding.

1. Pacific Coast Brewing Co2. Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill3. Flora4. The Fat Lady5. BocanovaA. The core structure that has become the

building housing this restaurant was constructed in1909 as a high pressure salt water pumping stationfor the Oakland Fire Department.

B. This restaurant is housed in the beautifullyornate Oakland Floral Depot Building, a landmarkArt Deco jewel of Oakland architecture, locatedacross the street from the Fox Theatre.

C. The building itself, built in 1876, has beenbeautifully restored inside and out. The elaboratestained glass window, which adorns the storefront,along with the ornate bar and beer cooler, oncegraced the interior of the historic Cox Saloon,formerly located not far from their present dayhome in Old Oakland.

D. This restaurant has transformed a formericehouse into a stylish post-industrial milieuperfectly in tune with Oakland’s citywide restaurantrenaissance, and the best of Jack London Square’srecent additions.

E. The building housing this restaurant datesback to 1884 and was once a house of ill repute. Thenamesake of this restaurant was reported to be thenickname of the Madame that ran the formerestablishment. It is rumored that Jack London alsospent a night or two in this building.

Answers: 1. (C), 2. (A), 3. (BI), 4. (E), 5. (D)

Scoring: Give yourself 3 points for each correctanswer. Deduct -2 points for each wronganswer. Deduct -1 point if you guessed (andgot it right). Add +1 point for each of therestaurants that you have visited. If you scored:

15+ points You should be a food writer5-15 points Visit the VisitOakland.org

website and bone upLess than You need to get out more often5 points

Prize: A $10 gift card for Pican or Levende East orMiss Pearl’s Jam HouseIf you scored 12+ points, email your snail address toMark Everton at [email protected].

The East Bay Food Fight, scheduled forSaturday, July 23 at the Jack London Square Pavilion, bringstogether some of the country’s top culinary talent tosupport the St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen of Champions.This event will showcase the East Bay’s dynamic diningscene and help the Kitchen continue to lead the charge fora sustainable response to poverty through its innovativeculinary training program.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has long providedhot meals to the homeless and the hungry. But it takesmore than a meal to change people’s lives. The Kitchen ofChampions integrates classroom instruction and hands-onjob training to bridge the transition from unemployment toliving-wage food service jobs.

In addition to classroom work on food preparation,nutrition and food safety, students work on key skills withvisiting chefs from localrestaurants, support specialcatering projects, and helpprepare the 1,000 hotlunches served daily in the

St. Vincent de Paul Free Dining Room. The program alsoincludes Job Club instruction emphasizing soft skills,financial literacy and employment preparation, along withkey support services and placement support. The Kitchenof Champions partners with several local businesses toplace graduates in jobs.

Here are some of their stories: Jerry’s* family moved to Oakland when he was six.

As a child, his love for sports was matched only by his loveof helping his mother in the kitchen. In 11th grade, Jerrydecided to enter the Army rather then get recruited by thelocal gangs. Since he was a minor, he got his mom’s

> Eat! Drink! Fight Poverty!

The new Oakland Restaurant Association

Brought to you by the Oakland Restaurant Associationwww.oakrest.org

See our Chef’s Corner, featuring Chef Ohlott from the Lake Chalet, on page 21.