The Leading Voice of Business
Thursday, April 1, 2021 | View as Webpage
D.C. SUMMIT, NEW OC GUIDELINES, CITY OF HOPE/LENNAR, VACCINES EXPAND, SOUTH OC JOB FAIR, AND MORE!
HOT OFF THE PRESS
DON’T MISS OCBC VIRTUAL WASHINGTON D.C. ADVOCACY SUMMIT - APRIL 27:*  
  • Join OCBC’s Virtual Washington, D.C. Advocacy Summit on Tuesday, April 27 for a chance to help make the voice of business heard and strengthen Orange County’s competitive advantage. Hear from prominent elected leaders like Congressman Mike Levin (CA-49), John Garamendi (CA-3) and Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47). Register today! Contact Jennifer Ward, OCBC SR. VP of Advocacy and Government Affairs, for more information.  It's not too late to register here for OCBC's Sacramento Summit on April 6 & 7!

OC’S TRANSITION TO ORANGE TIER MEANS MORE BUSINESSES CAN REOPEN:* 
  • Retail stores no longer need to limit how many shoppers come in; churches and other worship centers can increase to 50% capacity; movie theaters, museums and restaurants can also operate at 50% indoors; and bars that only serve drinks can reopen outdoors. Lucy Dunn, OCBC President and CEO, said, “I’m thrilled. Folks have taken the vaccinations seriously, good health protocols seriously – our numbers are reflective of that.” View orange tier guidelines.   

VACCINE ELGIBILITY INCREASES TO COVER 90% OF AMERICANS ON APRIL 19:* 
  • President Biden announced on Monday that by April 19, 90% of Americans will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and will have access to vaccination sites within five miles of their residence. Read more.  

CITY OF HOPE OC RECEIVES $50 MILLION GIFT FROM LENNAR FOUNDATION:*  
  • Lennar Foundation’s $50 million gift is the largest single philanthropic contribution to City of Hope OC and will be transformative in the development of a nationally recognized and comprehensive cancer campus in Irvine and an OC network of cancer care. City of Hope Orange County will establish Lennar Foundation Cancer Center to advance the vision of cancer eradication. 

OC FAIR GROUNDS OPENS AS VACCINATION SITE:*
  • Natalie Rubalcava, OCBC's Chief Operating Officer and OC Fair & Events Center Board of Directors Chair, was on site to make the announcement! Watch the recap here.

STATEWIDE SURVEY RESULTS ON INTERNET ACCESS AND ADOPTION:*
  • A new Statewide Survey released by California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) and University of Southern California (USC) finds more than 90% of the state’s households have high-speed Internet connectivity at home through either a computing device or a smartphone, but 9.6% still are not connected. The results show that home broadband adoption is increasing, up more than 2 percentage points from 2019, the last time the Statewide Survey on Broadband Adoption was conducted. Read the full findings here!

JOIN GIRL SCOUTS OF OC FOR 10TH ANNUAL VOICE FOR GIRLS FORUM:*
  • Girl Scouts of Orange County’s 10th Annual Voice for Girls forum, The Power of the All-Female Environment in Fueling Female Leaders, presented by Angels Baseball, is Friday, May 7, 2021 from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Click HERE to learn more and register for this FREE virtual event. To recognize a colleague paving the way for women in the workplace, learn about our Spotlight Sponsorship and other sponsorship opportunities HERE.

REGISTER FOR TOMORROW’S FREE WEBINAR PRESENTED BY CALIFORNIANS FOR THE ARTS:* 
  • Join Californians For The Arts at 11 a.m. tomorrow for a walk through of the recently released state guidelines for Outdoor seated live events and performances with Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (Go-Biz) and a representative from California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Cal OSHA. Register today!

OC RECEIVES A RECORD NUMBER OF COVID-19 VACCINE DOSES:*

JOIN HOAG FOR A DISCUSSION ON THE LATEST ADVANCEMENTS IN CANCER CARE:*
  • Don’t miss a virtual presentation from Hoag clinicians on the latest advancements in cancer care, discussing how these therapies and technologies are further shaping the meaning of personalized cancer treatment. Register and learn more here! Presenters Include:
  • Gary Ulaner, M.D., Ph.D. - Hoag Radiologist & Nuclear Medicine Physician - Director of Hoag Molecular Imaging & Therapy Program
  • Peter Chen, M.D. - Hoag Radiation Oncologist - ViewRay MRIdian Linear Accelerator
  • Sourat Darabi, Ph.D., M.S. - Clinical Genomics Scientist/Educator - Hoag Center for Applied Genomic Technologies
  • Special Patient Testimonial - Discussing how molecular imaging at Hoag has greatly impacted their cancer journey. 

ORANGE COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE AND POD SCHEDULE
ADVOCACY UPDATE
JOBS NOT POLITICS:
  • Statewide coalition “Californians for a Safe and Rapid Recovery” launches to oppose government-mandated premium pay that is counterproductive for workers and hurts consumers and communities. In OC, the Cities of Irvine, Santa Ana, Buena Park, and Costa Mesa have adopted these “hero pay ordinances” for certain grocery and pharmacy workers. Read more about the negative implications for the economic recovery here.

BUSINESS RESOURCES
SOUTH OC VIRTUAL JOB FAIR 2021:*
  • Calling all employers and job seekers! Don’t miss the chance to join OC Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, OC Community Services and the OC Workforce Development Board on April 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the South OC Virtual Job Fair. Includes complimentary participation for all employers, opportunities to visit ‘virtual booths’ for job seekers, and connections to build a broader network.  

CALIFORNIA WORKERS: MODERNIZED TELECOMMUTING POLICIES TO BUILD EQUITY AND REDUCE COSTS:
  • Despite being at the forefront of technological advances and innovation, California’s current policies related to teleworking have remained static. Prior to COVID-19, primarily the higher paid, highly educated Californians had the most access to the benefit of telecommuting. In an analysis of 2019 jobs data, 70 percent of all higher wage jobs (more than $100,000 average annual wage) occupations could do their work entirely from home. Read more!
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
OC VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE PRESENTS “BIG VOICE” MONTHLY REPORT:*  
  • OC Veterans Service Office (VSO) offers resources, news, and events for veterans through “Big Voice” monthly report. On military bases, Big Voice refers to loudspeakers that broadcast important messages. “Big Voice” aims to connect the veteran community with important resources, highlight success stories, and show participation in broader veteran's initiatives and collaboration in Orange County. For more information contact VSO.  

PAINKILLERS ARE NOT ADVISED BEFORE COVID-19 VACCINE: 
  • CDC recommends people avoid painkillers before their Covid-19 vaccine. CDC guidelines outline that painkillers prior to vaccination may diminish the immune system’s response. Read more.

SERVE OC TAXPAYERS AND HELP ADVISE COAST COLLEGES DEVELOPMENT: 
  • Coast Colleges is seeking a taxpayer's representative to serve on the Citizens’ Oversight Committee responsible for reviewing expenditures from construction activity associated with the Measure M General Obligation Bond. Click here to learn more and apply! 
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
BANK OF AMERICA INCREASES COMMITMENT TO ADVANCE RACIAL EQUALITY AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY TO $1.25 BILLION:*
  • Bank of America today announced that it has increased its $1 billion, four-year commitment to advance racial equality and economic opportunity to $1.25 billion over five years. This effort further accelerates work already underway to address racial equality and opportunity through direct actions, investments and work to catalyze similar efforts across the private sector. 

MEMORIALCARE ADDED TO BLUE SHIELD TRIO NETWORK IN OC:*
  • MemorialCare Medical Group, Edinger Medical Group, MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center, Saddleback Medical Center, and the many community-based surgery, imaging and physical therapy centers will be added to the Blue Shield Trio HMO network in Orange County. Congratulations MemorialCare!

ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT DEBUTS NEW LOGO:*
  • Orange County Sanitation District has changed its logo and abbreviation from OCSD to OC San. The switch represents their high-quality work and community, OC San is more recognizable and will provide more familiarity and distinction. Although the logo may be different the excellent service remains the same. Read more.  

AMAZON SPEEDS UP PACKAGE ARRIVAL IN SOUTHERN CA WITH NEW DELIVERY HUBS: 
  • Amazon has quickly expanded to meet demands for faster e-commerce distribution. 2020 e-commerce sales estimates range from $792 billion to $861 billion. On Oct. 19 2020 Amazon purchased the old OC Register office in Santa Ana and plans to build a 112,485-square-foot last-mile distribution center. Last-mile delivery sites aim to get products through busy areas in as little as a day. Read more.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS
OCBC EVENTS
April 6 & 7, 2021 | 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Join OCBC for a series of exclusive virtual meetings with elected officials and state leaders.
For more information contact Jennifer Ward, OCBC Sr. V.P., Advocacy and Government Affairs.

April 27 | 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Join OCBC for an exclusive opportunity to hear from top elected officials and federal leaders.
For more information contact Jennifer Ward, OCBC Sr. V.P., Advocacy and Government Affairs.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS
April 14 | 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Register with Jesse Ben-Ron, OCBC V.P., Economic and Workforce Development.
NOT AN OCBC MEMBER? JOIN TODAY!
Join OCBC and connect with the most influential companies and top executives actively engaged in creating a pro-business environment and prosperous economy. Hundreds of Orange County's leading businesses, cities and non-profit organizations represent an elite group from every industry cluster. But we need YOUR VOICE! For more info, contact Natalie Rubalcava, OCBC Chief Operating Officer.
If you have questions on how to get connected with OCBC online,
contact James Alley, Director of Communications, at 714.501.9893 or jalley@ocbc.org.