• OC health officials plan to provide a digital option for people to show they’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine. OC Health Care Agency will pilot a digital vaccine record to address some of the concerns over fraud and duplication of the CDC-issued cards. Private businesses may choose to require proof of vaccination, but the county will not impose a mandate. Get vaccinated today! 

• On April 14, OCBC welcomed Superintendent Dr. Al Mijares and Associate Superintendent of Educational Services Dr. Christine Olmstead to give an update on the state of K-12 education in OC. They covered how OC schools responded immediately to the pandemic, including ways they supported students and utilized technology. 75% of families want their children to return to full in-person instruction heading into the summer and fall, with an even higher percentage for OC's low and moderate-income families. For more information on the meeting, please contact Jesse Ben-Ron. 

• OCBC CEO Lucy Dunn is featured presenter in a podcast produced for the Orange Catholic Foundation’s Business & Ethics Series. Check out the podcast here: Business & Ethics Interview with Lucy Dunn. OCF’s Annual Conference on Business & Ethics is Friday, April 16, 9 – 10:30 am. For more info, OCF Conference on Business & Ethics.

• District Export Council of Southern California will host the OC World Trade Week Forum with a fantastic program of speakers and sessions designed to help SoCal firms get the insights and tools needed to move their business forward. For more information on the different sessions over May 18-20, click here.  

• OCBC will host meetings with numerous federal leaders, including Representatives Tony Cárdenas, Judy Chu, John Garamendi, Alan Lowenthal and Mike Levin on April 27, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from decision-makers on infrastructure, education, energy and other policy areas important to Orange County. Register today!

• OC’s vaccination pods have removed the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in alignment with CDC recommendations. CDC recommended a pause in the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson out of an abundance of caution after six reports of U.S. cases of a rare and severe blood clot type in individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Read more. 

• Goodwill of Orange County, in collaboration with the PR committee of the Orange County Veterans & Military Families Collaborative, has launched its “Ask The Questions” Campaign. The Campaign aims to have OC service providers add two simple questions to its intake forms to better identify and serve veterans and military families. 

• The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is seeking feedback on its efforts to refresh the Statewide Housing Plan, intended to address CA’s housing crisis. Respond to this survey by April 23 to ask the state for CEQA reform, improvements to new VMT mitigation standards, and removal of other barriers that limit the ability and increase costs to build badly needed housing in CA. 

• The CA Transportation Commission is hosting two workshops next week on April 20 and 23, 1-5 p.m., on the State’s Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI). Join OCBC and other business and industry leaders in calling for more specifics on the plan’s funding strategy, and consideration for impacts on the economy, jobs, and goods movement as California transitions out of the pandemic.

• Workplace safety remains a top priority as CA plans to reopen. COVID-19 restrictions may soon be lifted, but guidelines for outstanding items such as leave and accommodation, vaccination protocols, hero pay and work return procedures have not been definitively established. Employers are left to grapple with the creation of safety procedures. Read more. 

• Calling all OCBC members! OCBC is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and wants to support members in their efforts to do the same. In May, OCBC will host a Workforce Development Committee meeting, where DE&I officers or other executives focused in this space are welcome to participate. If your organization is interested, please contact Jesse Ben-Ron , VP of Workforce and Economic Development. 

• Join GO-Biz, the US Commercial Service, and the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce on May 3, 4 and 6 to hear from potential business partners, government officials and prime contractors in Baja California. Opportunities include the ability to discover and plug into current supply chain market. Register by April 21.  

• Join United to End Homelessness on April 20 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for answers to the most frequently asked questions about OC homelessness. Break myths and discover how to play a key role in the lives of neighbors experiencing homelessness. Register today!

• Since November 2018, Chrysalis Center in OC has helped nearly 400 people secure full-time, sustainable jobs, partnering with over 30 major employers including Disneyland Resort and Honda Center. Chrysalis has been a trend-setter in the field of employment social enterprise with Chrysalis Enterprises (CE). For those with significant barriers to employment, CE offers paid, transitional employment with in-house businesses – including a staffing agency, a street maintenance company, and Roads, a program in partnership with Caltrans. To find out how your company can provide employment opportunities, click here. 

• Southwest Airlines recently announced a new order for 100 Boeing airplanes. “In addition to supporting our efforts to operate sustainably and efficiently, the 737 MAX offers Employees and Customers travel comforts such as a quieter cabin, larger overhead bin spaces, seating with adjustable headrests, and more galley space for onboard service,” said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest’s chief operating officer. “As vaccine distribution continues to pick-up, people are returning to the skies and fueling hopes for a full recovery and renewed growth across our industry,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.” Read more here.