Valley Industry & Commerce Association | |
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- VICA and Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce Advocate in Sacramento
- VICA Hosts Newsmaker Council District 6 Forum
- Port of Los Angeles hosts VICA International Trade Committee
- VICA advocates at City Hall in Support of Bvlgari Projects
- VICA SFV Business Hall of Fame Inductees
- SoCalGas Gas Assistance Fund
- Health Net Medi-Cal Redetermination
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Quick Jump - Register to Attend!
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“This budget will make Los Angeles more livable for all. It will allow us to confront the emergency of homelessness with the urgency we need and innovative investments in bold new methods to make our neighborhoods safer. This budget process has been a prime example of how working together, can we move LA forward." | |
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Mayor Karen Bass
Statement on City Council's Approval of City Budget Proposal
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VICA and Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber Advocate at California Chamber's Capitol Summit | |
From Left to Right: VICA President Stuart Waldman, Maricela Gomez (Bechtel), State Senator Caroline Menjivar, Fuyumi Hashimoto (Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce), VICA Chairman Victor Berrellez (US Bank) | |
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This week, VICA and the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce attended the California Chamber's Capitol Summit, where members of both organizations worked to advocate on key legislative proposals in the run-up to a marathon of bills being taken through their respective appropriations committees this week.
VICA and GSFV Chamber members spoke with Assemblymembers Isaac Bryan, Rick Chavez Zbur, Timothy Grayson, Pilar Schiavo, Jesse Gabriel, Senators Caroline Menjivar, John Laird, Anthony Portantino, Lena Gonzalez, Ben Allen, Monique Limon, and with staff of Assemblymember Jim Wood.
Members advocated on many priority proposals being heard in each appropriations committee, with members opposing restrictive and arbitrary ambulance patient offload times, joint liability for franchisees and franchisors, and industry-based minimum wage increases. Members advocated for streamlining housing development, extensions of California's Film and Tax Credit, and maintaining flexible outdoor dining, which has been key to recovery for many restaurants.
If you would like to attend our future Sacramento Advocacy trips, please click the links below to register.
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VICA Hosts Newsmaker Connection: Council District 6 Candidate Forum | |
From left to right: VICA Past Chair Lisa Gritzner (LG Strategies), Imelda Padilla, Stephanie Medina (Goodwill Industries) VICA President Stuart Waldman | |
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On Tuesday, VICA hosted a Newsmaker Connection Candidate Forum for the Los Angeles City Council District 6 runoff election. VICA members were joined by Imelda Padilla, one of the two candidates in the runoff.
The forum, moderated by Lisa Gritzner (LG Strategies), began with some opening statements from Padilla, who shared that she is excited about the potential of the district. With her prior experience working for both the City and County of Los Angeles and her work as a community organizer, she explained that she has an understanding of both what happens day to day in her district, as well as how things work behind the scenes of City Hall.
Following her opening statements, Padilla tackled a number of questions that addressed a wide range of topics, including housing, homelessness, business and the business community, transportation, safety, and building trust for city government.
When asked how her approach to tackling homelessness differs from what we have already seen, Padilla shared concerns over the growing number of RVs in the district and explained that there is a growing need to hold social services accountable when it comes to helping out the homeless population. When asked about public safety, she stated plainly, "I have neve said defund the police," which she followed by stating that to tackle crime, we must start by investing in the safety of our youth.
In closing, Padilla promised that she will increase trust in local government by being available to her constituents and accessible within her district.
Thank you to Imelda Padilla for taking the time to speak to our members. Marisa Alcaraz was also invited, but did not attend.
A special thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, State Farm.
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VICA International Trade Committee Attends Port of Los Angeles Boat Tour | |
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This Thursday, VICA's International Trade Committee had a meeting at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, where members had a presentation on the Port of Los Angeles activities and programs, followed by a boat tour of the Port facilities and operations.
Director of Trade Development Marisela DiRuggiero spoke with members regarding the Port's history, their Full-Service mainline activity, top trading partners and commodities, Trade Connect Program, and sustainability and clean air priorities for operational and structural development.
Following our presentation, members boarded a ship which provided members with a full view of the various cargo ships, shipment activity, and Port infrastructure.
We thank our sponsor, the Port of Los Angeles, for facilitating our meeting and hosting our members.
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From Left to Right: Abigail Flores (POLA), Howard Katchen (Coldwell Banker Realty), Shefali Mistry (CSUN), Helen Schorr (Gibson Transportation Consulting), Lisa Pope (YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles), Yolanda De La Torre (YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles), Joshua Chan (YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles), VICA Vice Chair Francisco Uribe (The Home Depot), VICA Board Member Gabriel Hungerford (Trammell Crow Company), Alex Valente (Trammell Crow Company), VICA Board Member David Gershwin (David Gershwin Consulting), International Trade committee Chair Jeffery Daar (Daar & Newman) | |
VICA Advocates in Support of Bvlgari Hotel and Estates Project | |
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On Tuesday, VICA advocated at City Hall to support the Bvlgari Resort and Estates Project and against the proposed motion to rescind the General Plan Amendment.
Bvlgari Resort Los Angeles is a resort and private residency coming to the Los Angeles region, ecologically designed to reflect the natural setting of the rolling Los Angeles landscape and a focus on sustainability, conservation, and community integration.
Councilmember Yaroslavsky’s motion to discourage the General Plan Amendment application is premature and looks to circumvent the city’s codified procedures. It is important that the project be allowed to proceed through review - subject to the same rules and procedures that ensure thorough and open deliberation.
The City Council failed to pass the motion to rescind the General Plan Amendment, allowing the Bvlgari Resort Project to continue under city procedures.
VICA will continue to advocate for a fair and transparent due process for all development projects.
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Recognizing this Year's Hall of Fame Inductees | |
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VICA established the San Fernando Valley Business Hall of Fame to recognize those who have made valuable contributions to the region's rich history and ongoing economic success.
This year, we recognize the Boys and Girls Club of the West Valley for the development of youth, Hilton Universal City for their continued services in hospitality in the middle of the tourism capital of the world, Radford Studios for the state-of-the-art media infrastructure to support the entertainment industry, Smoke House which has been a legendary steakhouse for valley residents, and Rickey M. Gelb for his lifelong civic leadership in helping those less fortunate.
Join VICA members, business leaders, and officeholders as we honor members of our community during a garden reception and program at The Garland on June 8, 5:30 PM.
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If you are interested in attending and want to register, email Cathy at cathy@vica.com or click the button below. | |
If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please email Yoko at yoko@vica.com. For more information on sponsorships, click the button below. | |
SoCalGas Gas Assistance Fund Available for Low Income Customers | | |
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SoCalGas' Gas Assistance Fund is currently available for low-income and senior customers. The Gas Assistance Fund is a joint effort of SoCalGas and United Way of Greater Los Angeles. United Way works with non-profit organizations throughout their service territory to manage the program.
If you're having difficulty paying your natural gas bill, the Gas Assistance Fund (GAF) may be able to provide you, or someone you know, with a one-time grant for the amount of the gas bill, not to exceed $400.00.
Additionally, if you are a non-profit, please share this information with your network to spread the word! You can click the button to the right to visit the website for more information and to view a list of participating agencies.
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Preparing for Medi-Cal Redeterminations | |
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During the public health emergency, the federal government waived the annual requirement for states to verify eligibility for Medi-Cal – a process known as redetermination. Because of that flexibility, millions of Medi-Cal members maintained their coverage.
With the pandemic entering a new phase, California made this requirement mandatory again on April 1, 2023. Each county needs this information to reach residents with important updates about keeping their Medi-Cal coverage.
Members can visit BenefitsCal.com to learn more, update their information, or enroll in Health Net Medi-Cal. Health Net has launched a new website for members with questions, including how to verify eligibility and what to do if they are no longer eligible for Medi-Cal.
To read more about Medi-Cal redetermination, click here. To take action on your Medi-Cal Coverage, click the button below.
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VICA University: What You Don't Know About Medicare and Medicare Health Plan Options
June 21 | 3:00 - 4:30 PM
Zoom
VICA invites you to join us for this informative 90-minute program (including a Q&A session) that will cover Medicare and Medicare health plans. Failure to follow the rules or knowing your options can prove costly to you and to your client or employee. Click the button below to register!
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VICA Leaders Forum: LA City Council President Paul Krekorian
June 29 | 11:30 AM
Burbank Airport Marriott
Since 2010, Paul Krekorian has served on the LA City Council where his leadership of the Budget and Finance Committee helped guide the city through the Great Recession. He also leads the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments, a coalition of leaders fighting for the Valley, and serves as a board member for Metro and Metrolink. In 2022, he was unanimously elected by his colleagues to serve as President of the City Council.
Click the button below to register!
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Restaurants, Dry-Cleaning Businesses Worried About Economic Impact of Ongoing Writers Strike
ABC 7 | May 17
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Some Say Proposed Wage Increase for LA Tourism Workers will have Negative Effect on Hotel Industry
ABC 7 | May 18
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Energy, Environment, Manufacturing & Utilities Committee
Thursday, June 1
Noon - 1:30 PM
At the VICA Office
Sponsored by MWD
RSVP
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Sports, Entertainment, Tourism & Hospitality Committee
Wednesday, June 7
8:30 - 10:00 AM
At the VICA Office
RSVP
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Member Messages
Get Your Message in VICA Weekly!
VICA members can promote their business, events and news in VICA Weekly. Member messages are available for $50 per week or $175 for four weeks. Messages are text-based and may not contain more than 70 words. A logo may be added for an additional $5 per week. For more information or to schedule your member message, contact yoko@vica.com or call (818) 817-0545.
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ABOUT VICA
Presenting the business perspective on behalf of employers in the
San Fernando Valley cities of Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Calabasas,
Hidden Hills, San Fernando and Santa Clarita.
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