Solano Economic Update: May 2023

MAY 23' UPDATE SPONSORED BY:

CHRIS RICO

President & CEO

Dear Members, Partners, and Friends of the EDC,

A few weeks back I joined Don Burrus, Vacaville’s Director of Economic Services and his team at the American BioManufacturing Summit in Burlingame. Don is always sure to invite me to regional Bio events, and I’m sure to lend my support whenever my schedule permits. Cluster development is crucial to building a thriving economy and Vacaville has been making all the right moves to further grow this burgeoning ecosystem. I had the good fortune to sit in on a panel that focused on how workforce development can drive business attraction. Jim DeKloe shared how the development of a bio-manufacturing curriculum and bachelor’s program at the Solano Community College has been the catalyst for Vacaville’s success. As we look to create more advanced manufacturing in Solano County, we hope to replicate this strategy. Stay tuned.

We had the pleasure of celebrating Congressman Mike Thompson’s return to North Solano County. As you may know, redistricting brought Rio Vista, Vacaville, and Dixon back into Congressman Thompson’s district, as had been the case previously. Travis Credit Union was gracious enough to host. Thank you to Janae Davis, Damian Alarcon-Young, and our esteemed Board Treasurer, Kevin Miller, for such a lovely luncheon. The event was well attended by a cross-section of constituents from farmers, to scientists, to local electeds. Congressman Thompson spoke at great length about the benefits of the American Rescue Plan, The Inflation Reduction Act, and the Infrastructure bill. He also shared his passion for clean, renewable energy and sensible gun control legislation.

Lastly, thank you to all of you who supported Aids Lifecycle, the 545 mile bike ride from SF to LA I’ll be participating in this June. I’m $3K away from my personal goal of raising $10,000. If you have the ability to support me and this worthy cause, thank you in advance. You can donate here.

Wishing you all good health and continued prosperity.

Chris Rico President/CEO

Nitrogen is key to plant growth, and agricultural operations depend on chemical fertilizers to increase productivity. But much of what is applied is lost, leaching into soils and groundwater.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found a way to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers needed to grow cereal crops. The discovery could save farmers in the United States billions of dollars annually. The discovery could also help the environment by reducing nitrogen pollution, which can lead to contaminated water resources, increased greenhouse gas emissions and human health issues.

Click Here - Full Article

Explore more stories on food and agriculture: ucdavis.edu/food

Thank you to everyone who attended our "Welcome back to North Solano County Congressman Mike Thompson" luncheon.

Sponsored By:

NorthBay Health Foundation Launches Initiative for Women

The Women’s HOPE steering committee (left to right) is Keyo Tocchini, Susan Cianci, Gaylene Andersen, Francie Bryan, Katie Lydon, Ana Reyes and Wendy Jackson.

NorthBay Health Foundation has announced a new initiative for women in Solano County called “Women’s HOPE for NorthBay, ” that will focus on Health, Opportunity, Philathropy and Engagement.

“Our goal is to build a network of like-minded women making a difference through collective philanthropy and engagement, ” explained Paul McGinty, President of NorthBay Health Foundation.

Throughout the year, HOPE members will be invited to exclusive, fun and educational events, where they will hear from physician leaders, specialists and hospital administrators about general health care issues and the care NorthBay provides.

A kick-off reception to introduce HOPE’s mission and goals was recently held but more events are being planned.

To join Women’s HOPE, members make a tax-deductible annual donation of $1,000. Corporate memberships are $2,500 and include three memberships. Every Fall, members will vote on how to invest their collective donations to fund patient care needs at NorthBay Health.

For more information, contact Susan Cianci at SCianci@NorthBay.org or call (707) 646-3131.

New Ambulatory Service

Vice President Joins NorthBay

Tim Williams, an executive leader with Adventist Health, has accepted the role of Vice President for NorthBay Health’s Ambulatory Services and will begin this summer.

Williams has more than a decade of experience in outpatient clinics and operations, most recently serving the Northern California region of Adventist Health, as the operations executive for ambulatory and physician services, where he drove alignment and integration within complex systems for the care delivery of five hospitals. He was directly responsible for the operations of 84 outpatient facilities serving more than 510,000 patient visits each year.

With a passion for building, improving and growing operations to better serve the community, Williams is committed to clinical quality, patient experience, consumer value and process improvement.

He will work with senior leadership and the Network Operations Council (NOC) to develop a strategic plan to move opportunities forward with key growth initiatives, service line enhancements, physician and employee engagement, clinical quality, and an intentional focus on key consumer efforts to drive experience in improving relationships and financial viability for sustained mission success.

Prior to his time with Adventist Health, Williams served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. His role with the Medical Service Corps was leading outpatient operations in health care facilities. He helped lead and implement numerous initiatives for the Defense Health Agency and Air Force Medical Service. He was commissioned as an officer at David Grant Medical Center on Travis Air Force Base, prior to receiving orders to go to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina.

Williams holds a master’s degree in business administration-healthcare management from the University of North Carolina-Fayetteville State University. He is a Fellow in both the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and the American College of Medical Practice Executives (FACMPE).

WHAT IS THE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM?

The Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP) offers eligible students at public colleges & universities the opportunity to earn additional state aid to help cover their educational costs while gaining education-aligned, careerrelated employment

The Learning Aligned Employment Program aims to:

Enhance the affordability of higher education

Promote equity in work-based learning opportunities

Better align higher education with workforce needs

EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

Bridging the gap between Earn money to help pay for college while gaining education-aligned, careerrelated employment

Eligible students are from an underrepresented background & meet all the following criteria:

At least half-time enrollment at a participating public college or university

California resident classification

Satisfactory academic progress in a program leading to a degree or certificate

Demonstrated financial need

Eligibility to work in the U.S.

Priority will be given to firstgeneration college students, current/former foster youth, & students who are homeless or at risk of being homeless

Further priority given to students majoring in STEM disciplines

WHICH EMPLOYERS ARE ELIGIBLE?

NONPROFITS & FOR-PROFIT EMPLOYERS

Nonsectarian, nonpolitical organizations or corporations capable of providing or connecting students to full time employment after graduation

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Public schools operated by school districts, county superintendents of schools, Dept. of the Youth Authority, or Dept. of Education Research centers & institutions operated by public post-secondary educational institutions are given opportunities to participate in research

PUBLIC COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

An Employer Agreement between the institution & employer is required for all LAEP positions with outside employers

Valero Benicia Supports Annual STEAM Festival

Valero Benicia is proud to have supported Solano College's annual Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math Discovery Festival (STEAM) in partnership with Benicia Makerspace and the Solano County Office of Education.

Valero had a 'How a Refinery Works' exhibit featured at the event. We were proud to encourage all the young attendees to grow up to be the future engineers, scientists, educators, makers, and leaders in our community.

Upcoming Energy Code Trainings

Heat Pump Water Heaters for Building Department Staff

May 10th – 9am-10:30am

REGISTER HERE

2022 Code Changes - Single Family

May 17th – 9am-10:30am

REGISTER HERE

2022 Code Changes - Multifamily

May 24th – 9am-10:30am

REGISTER HERE

Our partners at BAYREN provided 110 seniors with free energy saving toolkit information at The Fairfield Community Services Foundation's (FCSF) annual Spring Dinner. The toolkits are full of great products that can replace inefficient products in homes to reduce energy use and save money. Click here for more information. Seniors were served Santa Marie barbecue of try-tip, chicken, pinto beans, salad, garlic bread and strawberry pie. Proceeds from the event benefited the Adult Recreation Center.

VACAVILLE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT & SOLANO COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFFER BIOTECH CLASSES FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS

In the upcoming academic year, the Vacaville Unified School District and Solano Community College will give students who attend Vacaville and Wood High School, the opportunity to take biotechnology courses.

These credits will go towards both high school and college. Students who pass, will only need between 14-20 more credits to earn a certificate of achievement or an associate of arts degree in biotechnology.

SCHOLARSHIP AEP STUDENT

We invite you to apply for the For students pursuing a career in the environmental field

APPLY HERE! $1,000 for at least one undergraduate and graduate student.

*AEP membership is required

WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBER

NextEra Energy Resources are a leading wholesale power generator, operating power plants and offering a diverse fuel mix to utilities, retail electricity providers, power cooperatives, municipal electric providers and large industrial companies. Today, they are the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and the sun. They have invested billions of dollars – with plans to invest even more – in energy infrastructure across North America, including new wind and solar facilities, transmission and natural gas pipelines, offering their customers innovative solutions to meet their energy needs.

WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBER

A.G. Spanos Companies are a family-owned builder of multi-family housing and master planned communities with over sixty years of operational experience. Their mission is to enhance the communities where we build and develop projects that endure.

WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBER

Larsen & Toubro are an Indian multinational engaged in EPC Projects, Hi-Tech Manufacturing and Services. It operates in over 50 countries worldwide. A strong, customer-focused approach and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business for over eight decades.

WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBER

MCE is a not-for-profit public agency that has set the standard for clean energy in our communities since 2010. We offer more renewable power at stable rates, significantly reducing energyrelated greenhouse emissions and reinvesting millions of dollars in local energy programs. MCE provides electricity service and cutting-edge energy programs to more than one million residents and businesses in 37 member communities across four Bay Area counties: Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano.

With the help of local leadership, champion businesses, and individuals like you, MCE has redefined the local energy landscape and created choices where there were none before. Ultimately, what drives MCE is the same purpose that we all share. We want a better future, for ourselves, for the ones we love, for all things living on this planet.