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Thursday, June 3, 2021 | View as Webpage
OCHCA SURVEY, CHILD CARE NOW A $4.3B PROBLEM, EMPLOYEE VACCINE ACCESIBILITY AND MORE!
HOT OFF THE PRESS
OCHCA COVID-19 COMMUNITY SURVEY:* 
  • OC Health Care Agency wants to help you. Click here to confidentially fill out a survey with your struggles and challenges a year after the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey results will help determine the community’s greatest needs.  

CHILD CARE ISSUES COST OC ECONOMY $4.3B:* 
  • Recent research by Dr. Wallace Walrod, OCBC’s Chief Economic Adviser, shows that the shortage of childcare has a $4.3B toll on local businesses and public coffers through loss of productivity and wages, along with $372 million in tax revenues. Read more.   

NEXT WEEK! PART 2 OF OCBC’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FORUM SERIES:* 
  • Join OCBC’s Economic Development Forum Series: Part 2 on Tuesday, June 8 at 9:00 a.m. to hear from a panel of industry experts on how the Biden Administration will affect taxes, regulation, global trade and investment, recent and upcoming legislation, bipartisanship and more. This event is sponsor supported and complimentary. Thank you sponsors: Amazon, Cal State Fullerton, and John Wayne Airport. Register here. 

TODAY! LEARN ABOUT HOW TO MAKE VACCINES ACCESSIBLE TO YOUR EMPLOYEES:* 
  • Today at 4:00 p.m., join the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and the California Department of Public Health for an informational webinar on the state’s new Employer Vaccination Toolkit. These online resources ease the process for employers to request a workplace clinic or local provider partner. Register here. 

ICYMI: LIVE@5 WITH JERRY SULLIVAN:* 
  • On May 27, former longtime editor of OC and LA Business Journals Jerry Sullivan sat down with Miguel Santana, CEO of the Weingart Foundation, Jim Mazzo from Advanced Medical Optics and Mike Mussallem, CEO of Edwards Lifesciences for an insightful conversation on quality of life and economic development. Click here to view.   

COVID-19 METRICS HIT NEW LOW:* 
  • Last week OC’s case rates fell to 0.9 cases per 100,000 residents, for the first time. OC’s test positivity also hit a record low at 0.6% while the health equity rate remained at 0.7%. Read more.  
ADVOCACY UPDATE
OCBC SUPPORTS TWO BILLS INCREASING HOUSING SUPPLY:* 
  • Orange County needs state and local leaders to take immediate steps to increase the region’s workforce housing supply. OCBC supports SB 9 (Atkins) and SB 10 (Wiener), two bills that help build housing while respecting local control. SB 9 allows developers to take advantage of developed but underutilized land, while SB 10 authorizes cities to voluntarily streamline the process of zoning areas for middle-income density. Read OCBC’s letters for SB 9 and SB 10. 

SB 12 THREATENS HOUSING PRODUCTION:
  • Housing is a major driver of economic and workforce development, yet even as CA's housing crisis worsens, initiatives that make it harder to build and chip away at the supply continue to arise. SB 12 places new and increased regulatory burdens on housing development and threatens to render many new projects infeasible. OCBC opposes this bill unless commonsense amendments are made, and thanks BIASC for this easy "one-click" way to contact your State Representatives about SB 12.

BUSINESS RESOURCES
SBA’S $100M COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PILOT PROGRAM:* 
  • U.S. Small Business Administration’s Community Navigator Pilot Program is a new initiative geared to help the nation’s smallest businesses, with a priority focus on those owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, women and veterans. SBA will accept applications through July 12, 2021, and anticipates making award decisions by August 2021. 

GO-BIZ UPDATES CA OPPORTUNITY ZONE SITE: 
  • Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) released a comprehensive update to the California Opportunity Zone website. New features include funding opportunities, best practices and tools to support economic and business development in economically-distressed communities. View the new site here.  
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
‘VAX FOR THE WIN’ PROGRAM:* 
  • If you are vaccinated or about to be then you have a shot at winning $50,000 or a grand prize of $1.5 million with the Governor’s “Vax for the Win” program. Read more here or click here to view in Spanish. 

SPECTRUM DIGITAL EDUCATION GRANT: 
  • Applications are now open for Spectrum Digital Education Grants. The program supports nonprofit organizations that educate community members on the benefits of broadband and how to use it in their lives. Nonprofit organizations can click here to apply for support.  

OC SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAMS: 
  • District leadership teams from across OC put together extended learning programs that incorporate fun, innovative enrichment and recreational activities for students. The majority of classes offered are open to students assigned to summer school for remedial work and those just looking for fun activities. Click here to view summer programs offered by districts across OC. 

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
$20M FOR UCI HEALTH CANCER CARE EXPANSION:* 
  • Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care is named after the Chao family who recently made the single largest donation of $20 million towards building the new center in Irvine. Over the past 25 years the Chao’s have committed over $50 million to help fight cancer at UCI Health. Read more.  
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS
OCBC EVENTS
Economic Development Forum Series: Part 2 – What the Biden Administration Means for the Economy
June 8 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Join OCBC’s Economic Development Forum Series: Part 2 to hear from a panel of industry experts on how the Biden Administration will affect taxes, regulation, global trade and investment, recent and upcoming legislation, bipartisanship, and more. This event is sponsor supported and complimentary. Thank you sponsors: Amazon, Cal State Fullerton, and John Wayne Airport.
Register here. For more information contact Lauren Martin, OCBC Events Manager.  
 
Chairman’s Leadership Breakfast featuring Greg Seibly
July 21 | 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Join OCBC virtually for the second event in the 2021 Chairman’s Leadership Breakfast Series featuring Greg Seibly, President, Head of Regional Banking, Union Bank.
Register here. For more information contact Lauren Martin, OCBC Events Manager.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS
June 4 | 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Join OCBC for updates from the California Redistricting Commission and Assemblymember Laurie Davies.
To register, contact Connor Medina, OCBC Government Affairs Manager.

June 8 | 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Join OCBC for an update from the Port of Long Beach.
To register, contact Connor Medina, OCBC Government Affairs Manager.

June 9 | 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Join OCBC and HR colleagues for an open discussion on the return to work.
To register, contact Jesse Ben-Ron VP, Workforce and Economic Development

June 10 | 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Join OCBC for an update from CA Housing and Community Development (HCD) Director Gustavo Velasquez.
To register, contact Connor Medina, OCBC Government Affairs Manager.
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.