obr march 2012

April 2010 | 1

THE AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION OF THE OAKLAND METROPOLITAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE |

Oakland Business Review

www.oaklandchamber.com | VOL XXXIX NO. 3 MARCH 2012

RESTAURATEURSVital part of OaklandPage 24

Visit www.oaklandchamber.com for more businessopportunities, news and event registration.

> Calling all Broadwayneighbors and developers– breaking news

> Third annualMegaRegion Summitset for May 4Join in for the third annual MegaRegion Summit,“Oakland: Heart of the MegaRegion,” on Friday,May 4, an educational half-day conference.

The Summit will gather business leaders, laborrepresentatives, industry experts, technologyinnovators, government leaders, educators,development planners, and community partners tobrainstorm solutions, identify obstacles, and developstrategies to keep the Northern California regioncompetitive.

This year, the program will provide something foreveryone, with a selection of themed mobileworkshops that allow participants to explore Oakland –the thriving city at the heart of the Northern CaliforniaMegaRegion.

With the support of the local technologycommunity, the Port of Oakland, and the city ofOakland, summit participants can choose from anumber of in-depth mobile workshops. Each sessionwill feature experts in the field and provide conferenceattendees with a deeper understanding of the giventopic:

• Trade and Exports at the Port of Oakland –This workshop tours Oakland’s Port and former ArmyBase site by boat and features an in-depth discussionon expanding exports at the port, increasing local andquality employment, growing trade routes to Asia, andcreating a superior multi-modal logistics center for thecoming decades.

• Commercial Development in the city ofOakland – This workshop will examine the question,“What are the service, entertainment, and retail follow-ups to Oakland’s 10K housing initiative of the early2000s?” In a roving bus classroom, workshopparticipants will traverse Oakland’s arterial Broadwaycorridor from the “Hills to Bay.”

• Technology and Innovation Panel Discussion– This workshop will examine Oakland’s diverse andthriving technology sector. Participants will walk toSungevitiy’s new Jack London Square headquarters fora comprehensive conversation on the city’sadvancements in green innovation, new media, venturecapital, and technology workforce development.

“Oakland: Heart of the MegaRegion” will be heldfrom noon to 6:30 p.m. at the Jack London SquareMarket Building (55 Harrison St), and will conclude witha reception featuring Oakland restaurants, brewers andvintners.

To secure your participation at this excitingeconomic development event, please visit theregistration website – http://bit.ly/zC6Aa6.

Note: Individual workshops will fill on a first-come,first-served basis, so don’t delay.

Conference sponsorship packages are now available;please email [email protected] formore information. �

The city of Oakland, in partnership with the nationalUrban Land Institute (ULI) (www.uli.org), is in themidst of a strategic reassessment of the Broadwaycorridor in Oakland from “Hills to Bay” that presentsa great opportunity for existing local business owners,brokers, developers, and private industry to getinvolved in revitalizing the “Main Street” of our city.

The Broadway corridor from Jack London Square tothe Pill Hill district (at the I-580 overpass) was treatedto a distinguished panel of urban design and planningexperts as part of the ULI Daniel Rose Fellowship program(http://www.uli.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/Rose%20Center/11_12RoseFellows.aspx) study visit of Feb. 28-March 1. The fellowship challenges mayors and fellowsfrom selected cities to discuss how they are strategicallyusing land use, planning, and economic developmentinitiatives to improve the quality of life they can offerresidents and businesses to be competitive in the fiscallychallenging global economy of the 21st Century. The cityof Oakland selected the retail environment along thelength of Broadway as its “land use challenge” for 2012.

The expert panel presented its analysis, recommenda-tions, and directives to the city in a full City Councilchamber of invited Broadway land use stakeholdersand city department heads on March 1. Several keyobservations and recommendations included – Broadwayis made up of five nodes or districts – Pill Hill, Broadway-Valdez Triangle, Uptown Arts and Entertainment District,City Center (including Old Oakland), and Jack LondonSquare. The panel recommended that the priority focusbe on strengthening the Broadway-Valdez, Uptown,and Jack London nodes first. The other two areas areconsidered stable and will benefit from the improvementof the surrounding nodes.

The panel stated that the auto dealerships in theBroadway Valdez node (aka “Auto Row”) were an assetto be celebrated in this district and should be viewed ascomplementary uses to developing comparison retailshopping in this area. The panel also observed that“retail development is a tactic to achieve policy goals,not a goal in itself.” For example, an articulated policygoal of increasing sales tax revenue could be achieved ifthe thousands of downtown workers at City Center spentone more dollar per day in Oakland nearly $3.9 millioncould be captured in sales tax revenue annually.

Other panel recommendations stressed leveragingpublic private partnerships for development along theBroadway corridor and that creating predictability in theentitlement process with the city would be important toachieving the land use goals of the challenge. They alsosuggested that creating an “expediter” position withincity government to facilitate business access for cityservices would help achieve this goal.

The panel gave the Rose Fellows (Mayor Jean Quan,City Administrator Deanna Santana, and City of OaklandDepartment heads Aliza Gallo and Gregory Hunter) a

> Great success

All it took was a handshake andthe networking was on at theChamber’s recent Oakland and EastBay Business and Procurement Fair.Some 60 vendors and hundreds ofvisitors made the afternoon a greatsuccess. Above, Carolyn Pryor (left)of Carolyn’s Marketing Services hasthe attention of potentialcustomers.

For the complete story andmore photos from the event, seepages 2-3. �

SUMMIT CAMPUSLast beam placed on Alta Bates Summit Medical Center9

WOMEN IN BUSINESSDr. Teresa Swartz to speak April 6Page 9

‘REMEMBER THEM’ MONUMENTRalph Abernathy III pays a visitPage 5

The Chamber’s annual “Daywith the A’s” comes witha special treat in 2012.Besides gathering Chambermembers and guests for anOakland A’s – San FranciscoGiants game at O.coColiseum (Oakland Coliseum)on Friday evening, June 22,the Chamber will also hostmembers for an A’s – NewYork Yankees game andfireworks display on Fridayevening, May 25.

Tickets for each game, withexcellent seats close to homeplate in the stadium’s secondlevel, are $40 per person, withGiants tickets being sold at asubstantial discount. Thosesame seats for the Giants gamenormally sell for more than $50per person at the box office.Should you wish to purchasetickets for both games (thefireworks show will immediatelyfollow the Yankee game), therate drops to $75, a $5 savings.

For more information on theA’s games against the Giantsand Yankees, contact AmandaMedina at the Chamber [email protected] at (510) 874-4800, ext. 319. �

> Fireworks: A’s vs. Yankees

by Eleanor Hollander

– continued on page 7

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com2

> Exhibitors proclaim

Procurement Fair a great

success

It’s not too late to advertise in the2012 Spring/Summer Baseball edition.Call (510) 845-2035 today! Or [email protected]

Alameda County salutes the vision andis proud to be a supporter and participantwith the OaklandMetropolitan Chamberof Commerce 2012Oakland and East BayBusiness & ProcurementFair. Partners in local

economic development

Mo Aabas of Modern Express Courier tries his luck at the Cranbook roulette wheel as property manager Kathleen Andrade looks on.

Blasdell’s Business Products president Margee Witt (left) meets Michael Weber and Myra Espinosa of Executive Inn & Suites.

Karen Dhillon (left) of Scott Valley Bank discusses company history with Gary Foss of Recology East Bay.

Detect All Security & Fire Operations Director Amy Roither discusses safety devices with Wim-Kees van Hout of Scott Valley Bank.

Karen Rice of Constant Contact conducted two social media seminars during the fair.

March 2012 | 3

This month’s Oakland and East Bay Business andProcurement Fair featured 60 organizations and hundreds

of businesspeople gathered over a three-hour period to discussways local businesses can work together in 2012. The fair is anannual event – hosted by the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber ofCommerce – that was expanded in recent years to include a variety ofstate and county public agencies in addition to local businesses. Thefinal tally of exhibiting organizations was 60 – with 45 businesses and15 public agencies participating.

The successful mid-afternoon event was attended by a varietyof Chamber members eager to participate in quality business-to-business networking and customer lead generation. The day includeda number of raffle drawings and a presentation by Constant Contact,a social media marketing company.

Chamber members and exhibitors gained much from their partici-pation. The following are comments from a number of exhibitors whofound their time at the fair to be well worth their while.

“This is an invaluable way to meet potential customers and makeOakland’s businesspeople aware of our hotel.”– Michael Weber, Executive Inn & Suites

“I’ve had a chance to talk to a lot of local businesspeople aboutthe programs that would benefit them and about the soldiers whowill soon be getting out of the Army.”– Staff Sgt. Corey Edwards, United States Army

“This has been an excellent way to introduce ourselves toChamber members, make a lot of good contacts, and plant a lotof seeds.”Lou Nihoul – LawRoom

“We’re delighted to be Chamber members and find it helpful tomeet new customers and say hello to some current ones.Margee Witt – Blaisdell’s Business Products

“Even though Torrey Pines Bank has been in the Bay Area for fiveyears, I always meet people who didn’t know about their localcommunity bank. It’s also a personal chance to get re-connectedwith friends from the Chamber’s Leadership Oakland and EastBay Women in Business programs.”Dale Marie Golden – Torrey Pines Bank

“We’re here for community awareness and to drum up somesponsorships for the event. I’ve also met a lot of people who areanxious to participate.”Gene Brtalik – Oakland Running Festival

“We’ve made a lot of contacts here both today and in the past. It’scertainly worth our time and effort to have a booth.”Steve Parry – Fidelity Roof Company

Christopher Weills of Bay Sports Publishing shows off a copy of the Ultimate Sports Guide to Anastasia Nicole of Recology East Bay.

Vice President Dale Marie Golden of Torrey Pines Bank makes a point with Scott Leary of Builders Exchange of Alameda County.

Bob Griffin (right) of Williams Adley explains his company’s services to Ron White of LegalShield.


Names in the news

• Eric Kisshauer, the director of businessdevelopment for Pankow Builders, hasbeen elected president of the Design BuildInstitute of America (DBIA) Western Regionfor 2012. The region includes California,Hawaii, Arizona and Nevada. DBIA promotesthe value of design-build project deliveryand teaches the effective integration ofdesign and construction services to ensuresuccess for owners and design andconstruction practitioners.

• The law firm of Donahue GallagherWoods LLP has announced the addition oftwo new associates, Christian Martinez andCasey Williams. Martinez specializes inintellectual property and dispute resolutionwith broad experience in matters involvingtechnology, trade secrets, business torts,international disputes, state and federallitigation, including significant experience inpatent litigation. Williams’ practice focuseson business and corporate matters and civillitigation.

• The Oakland Board of PortCommissioners has promoted Jean Bankerto deputy executive director and ChrisChan to director of engineering. Banker isresponsible for assisting the executivedirector in planning, developing organizing,and directing the activities of the Port of

Oakland. Chan oversees the Port’s engineering division, whichconsists of five departments: Project Design and Delivery – Aviation;Project Design and Delivery – Maritime; Engineering Services; IT; andUtilities.

• Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLPPartner William Acevedo has been appointedvice president of the Regional ParksFoundation Board of Directors for 2012. Heoriginally joined the governing board as amember in 2008. The Regional ParksFoundation was established in 1969 toencourage private contributions in supportof the East Bay Regional Park District. TheFoundation’s mission is to support the EastBay Regional Parks District through fund-raising that provides broader public access, resource protection andpreservation, education and recreational programs, and the

acquisition of parklands.

• David Armijo, who has more than 30years of experience in government and is ahighly recognized transportation executiveworking in aviation, toll roads, and thepublic transit industry, has been namedgeneral manager for the AC Transit District.Armijo has served as chief executive fortransit agencies in California, New Mexico,Texas and Florida, and specializes in bus andrail planning, capital program development,

aviation leases, grants, contract negotiations and public involvement.

• The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (formerly AfricanAmerican Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame), which is dedicated to honoringsports legends and community leaders of all races, will induct formerprofessional football quarterback Craig Morton and seven otherretired professional athletes at its annual Bay Area InductionCeremony on Saturday, March 31 at the Waterfront Hotel in JackLondon Square. For ticket information, contact Barbara Taylor at(510) 436-5253 or at [email protected].

• AC Transit has announced the hiring of a veteran transitengineering expert to head the agency’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)Program. Arul Edwin, who has successfully managed similar trans-portation projects from Boston to Seattle, is now the programdirector for a BRT plan that will modernize and improve East Baybus service. Once completed, the BRT system promises to reducetravel times, traffic congestion and ozone emissions, and generallybenefit the environment overall. �

Eric Kisshauer

Christian Martinez

Casey Williams

David Armijo

William Acevedo

March 2012 | 5

Good news for Oakland

From the President | Joe Haraburda

Ralph Abernathy III views ‘Remember Them’ monumentRalph Abernathy III, son of former civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy,recently inspected and viewed the “Remember Them: Champions forHumanity” monument in Oakland’s Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park. Themonument contains a full-figured image of his father during the civilrights march in Selma, Alabama.

Abernathy was joined by sculptor Mario Chiodo, who created themasterpiece, and both spoke to seventhand eighth grade students from SaintMartin de Porres School in Oakland.

During their visit, Abernathy andChiodo discussed the prospects of asimilar Remember Them sculpture inAtlanta at the original site where RalphAbernathy and Martin Luther King Jr. firstconceived their plans for the civil rightsmovement. This is extremely positive forthe city of Oakland – to be used as anexample of how a city can create changethat inspires, educates and changes anarea for the betterment of all.

Welcome Faz RestaurantFaz Restaurant held its ribbon cuttingrecently and welcomed the Oaklandcommunity with a wonderful array offood and beverages. Located on theground floor of 1111 Broadway, therestaurant has experienced great successin its first weeks in Oakland. Owner Faz

We stand up for businesses in every part of Oakland.

Poursohi is excited about his new restaurant and was overheard saying, “I havealways wanted to be in Oakland.” Faz joins a long list of trendy restaurants thatare receiving rave reviews by locals and in the national media! You are in for atreat for lunch, cocktails and/or dinner. Call for reservations at (510) 272-1111 oronline at www.fazrestaurants.com.

National planning leaders focus on OaklandPlanning in Oakland has reached a new and positive height with the help ofthe Urban Land Institute! City Administrator Deanna Santana lauded thepartnership and the focus the national Urban Land Institute team has broughtto a tough land use challenge along the Broadway corridor in our city. Readmore about ULI involvement in Oakland in a page 1 article written by ChamberEconomic Development Director Eleanor Hollander, AICP.

Coliseum City one step closerFred Blackwell, the city’s assistant city administratorfor economic development, gained approval from theCouncil Committee on Economic Development toadvance the Coliseum City Project to the full Councilon March 6. Council approved funding in 2011 andnow the ED Committee authorized the exclusivenegotiating agreement with JRDV UrbanInternational, HKS Sports and Entertainment, HKS Inc,and Forest City Real Estate Services LLC, or AffiliatedEntities, and authorized a professional servicescontract with Lamphier-Gregory for approval by thefull Council. Supporters of the project believe it couldvery well aid in retaining the A’s, Raiders and Warriorsin Oakland. �

� Ralph Abernathy IIIspoke to students andguests when he visitedthe Remember Them:Champions for Humanitymonument last month.


Remember the cartoon the “Jetsons,” whereeverything from making the bed to fixing dinnerwas done with the push of a button? One thingrarely seen was Rosie the robot or Elroy taking outthe trash. Who knew the Jetsons were portraying a“Zero Waste” family back in 1962?

Flash forward to 2012 – zero waste isn’t futuristic,it’s becoming the norm. Effective July 1, 2012,California AB 341 requires mandatory recycling bybusinesses and public entities generating fourcubic yards or more of solid waste per week and bymulti-family complexes with five units or more.

Surprisingly, compliance with AB 341 is easierthan you think – almost as easy as the push of abutton.

Here are some quick and easy tips from the recycling team at WasteManagement of Alameda County. Whether you have an existing recyclingprogram or are starting from scratch, practicing the 4 R’s – Reduce, Reuse,Recycle and Rot (composting) can help you maximize your success. The firststep is evaluating your waste stream for recycling.

• Appoint an office champion – Identify someone who will take owner-ship of the AB 341 process, coordinate employee participation, arrange a sitevisit with your waste service provider and conduct periodic reviews.

• Request a free site assessment – A recycling coordinator will conducta comprehensive site assessment to determine ways you can reduce wasteand increase recycling. The assessment also includes determining appropriatelevels of service and proper carts or containers as well as free staff training tosustain the program.

• Recycle – Place a desk-side recycling container (an empty copier papercarton will suffice) at every desk. Collect paper, bottles, cans, and card-board/paperboard from all your employees. Recycle old printer cartridgesusing mail-back containers from the supplier. Collect batteries, compactfluorescent bulbs and tubes, along with e-waste for convenient recycling bymail (www.thinkgreenfromhome.com). Help turn old items into somethingnew and useful.

Additional activities to help lower your monthly trash bill:• Reduce – Are you purchasing products with more packaging than prod-

uct? Think before printing a hard copy of a document. E-mail information toco-workers instead of using a hard copy. By reducing the amount of materialgoing into your trash bins and increasing the level of recycling, you will havean immediate impact on your monthly garbage rate.

• Reuse – Use items again! From office supplies to the water cooler,encourage employees to reuse. Set your printer to automatically printdouble-sided. Use paper already printed on one side for notes or printingdrafts. Bring your lunch to work in reusable containers. Drink your coffeeout of a mug or bring a travel mug with you to the coffee shop.

• Rot – Do your employees bring their lunch to work or do you have acafeteria? Organics comprise nearly one-third of the materials in our landfills.Starting a food scraps program eliminates food from the trash, contributes tothe creation of compost and helps conserve natural resources.

Compliance with AB 341 can be easy. In fact, you’re just a few buttonsaway from success. Push (510) 613-2104 or (510) 613-2849 to schedule yourfree site assessment with a Waste Management recycling/sales coordinator.

Mission to Zero Waste is within your reach. �

David Tucker is municipal affairs manager at Waste Management ofAlameda County.

> Mission to zero wasteby David Tucker

David Tucker

�Waste Management of Alameda County assisted in the development of arecycling program at Nestle Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream in Oakland.

The Chamber’s Inside Oakland Breakfast Forum has already featuredtwo interesting and informative speakers at its 2012 Friday morningmeetings – Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley in January andOakland City Auditor Courtney Ruby in February.

Supervisor Miley spoke with hope about the economic prospects forAlameda County. He noted that new automobile registrations were up, as werethe number of home sales. Down were the number of foreclosures and theunemployment rate.

After years of declining property values and tax revenues, Miley suggestedthat better times may be ahead.

Transportation funding was another topic of discussion. Supervisor Mileytold the group that a sales tax measure to extend the .5 cent sales tax andincrease it by another half-cent will be coming to the ballot in November. Overthe first 30 years the tax will raise nearly $8 billion and will fund a number ofprojects including road maintenance and repair, infrastructure at the OaklandArmy Base, and extension of the BART system to Livermore.

Last month City Auditor Ruby explained that she has the duty to reviewmany activities of city government and has the right tolook into any matter of government she chooses. Infulfilling that oversight role, Ruby has issues 50 reportson city government over the past five years, with thosereports including more than 550 recommendations toimprove city operations. She told the audience ofChamber members and guests that for every onedollar spent in the City Auditor’s budget there are $10identified in potential savings.

Ruby's team has reviewed the city's hiring practices,public campaign financing, funding for children and

youth services, library services fund, emergency medicalservices and paramedic services funds, Public WorksAgency, the grant management for the Measure Y

Violence Prevention Programs, and more. One recent effort was an audit of theFox Theater.

The Chamber’s Inside Oakland BreakfastForum continues this month when Oakland CityCouncilmember Patricia Kernighan speaks on at8:30 a.m. on Friday, March 23. �

Paul Junge is the Chamber’s director of publicpolicy.

> Recent ‘Inside Oakland’ breakfastsfeature guests Miley, Rubyby Paul Junge

� Alameda County SupervisorNate Miley.

� City Auditor CourtneyRuby (third from right)was surrounded byChamber members andguests following herInside Oakland addressin February.

March 2012 | 7

Creating a strong economy

economic development

In mid-February, the Chamber’sEconomic Development Forumhosted Solomon Belette, chiefexecutive officer of Catholic Charitiesof the East Bay (CCEB) and HeatherKulp, external affairs manager forChevron, who discussed stimulatingworkforce development throughpartnerships.

Kulp and Belette discussed how theirpartnership first began back in 2009 whenChevron joined the California Partnership,an organization whose focus is oneducation and economic development. The partnership allowed Chevron a fewlarger grants than usual, allowing the company to do something “new andexciting.”

Kulp underscored how important it is for Chevron to support programs thatare attached to metrics and that provide training that is linked and relevant totoday’s economy within the communities that Chevron serves. They wanted tofund a program that that would have “impact on the ground” and would havereportable metrics to the “community shareholders.”

Into this role stepped Catholic Charities of the East Bay (and four othergrantees), an organization with a long history of working in Richmond. TheCatholic Charities of the East Bay had a very successful Bilingual MedicalAssistant Training (BMAT) program underway at the time that allowed Englishlanguage learners to both get ESL (English as a Second Language) training anda medial assistant degree

Together with both monetary and programmatic assistance from Chevron,the program has been a great success. In its first two years, 37 students havecompleted the program and been successfully placed in an internship. Fifteen

> Economic Development Forumexplores corporate social responsibilityby Eleanor Hollander

� At the Economic Development

Forum (left to right): Cristina

Hernandez (Catholic Charities of

the East Bay – CCEB), Chamber

Economic Development Director

Eleanor Hollander, Solomon Belette

(CCEB), Nain Lopez (CCEB), Heather

Kulp (Chevron), Cynthia Rothschild

(CCEB), and Charissa Frank of

Swinerton Builders and chair of

the Chamber’s Economic

Development Department.

> Ambassador of the MonthChadwick Spell, a business account executive with Comcast Business Class,has been named the Chamber’s Ambassador of the Month for the second

consecutive month.“I thank the Chamber and all members for the honor

of being able to be a part of a community that is based oncooperation, partnership, and support,” Spell says. “WhenI was introduced to the Chamber I had the same questionsmany have – ‘What is the benefit of being a member?’ and‘What does an Ambassador do?’”

Says Spell, “As a businessperson, the Chamber is theone place I can connect, learn, and develop relationshipswith other professionals in Oakland. We can come together

to assist in the growth and development of our businesses and this great city.”Spell and Comcast have launched the “Chamber Affinity Program,” which is

designed to give savings to members above the offering that one could get outsideof the organization.

“Comcast and I are committed to bringing the fastest and finest services to theBay Area,” says Spell, “and with new construction around the bay, I’m confident thatwe are on the path to helping Oakland and the entire bay in its efforts and growth.” �

Chadwick Spell

students have landed full-time jobs as medical assistants working for at least an$11 per hour wage.

At the Chamber’s Economic Development Forum, Kulp and Belette sharedsome tips on what makes for a successful corporate social responsibilitypartnership. They underscored that it takes:

• Committed corporate partners• A nonprofit that has a clear social mission that aligns with that of the

corporate partner• Both parties have to be willing to make a long-term sustainable investment

(that will likely take time to mature)• The nonprofit partner has to able to achieve results.The Forum’s attendees then had a robust round of questions about what

makes a grant proposal “yes-able” – though there are many factors, some tipsinclude (1) doing your homework on the corporate funder (2) demonstrating howyour goals align (3) designing a program with metrics so you can best indicatehow successful your work has been in the past.

Overall, it was inspiring to hear about a unique partnership that had donejust that.

The next Economic Development Forum will be held on Wednesday, March 14at 3 p.m. and will feature a distinguished panel from the East Bay Regional ParkDistrict who will discuss the economic value of parks, especially with respect toworkforce. Please join us! �

Eleanor Hollander is the Chamber’s director of economic development.

“homework assignment” to complete before the group meets again,which included:

• Developing a place-based vision statement or tag-line for theBroadway Corridor

Collaboration with the Broadway centered CBDs and BIDs to outlinea comprehensive public safety strategy for the corridor, utilizing theexisting safety ambassador program.

• Convening a committee of the business community to get feedbackon how to better serve the needs of the business community (both newand existing) along this corridor.

The city is challenged to report its progress back to the expert panelagain in six weeks; the length of the entire program is due to continuefor a year. To read more about the other 2012 fellowship cities, includingKansas City, Providence, and Tampa, visit http://www.uli.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/Rose%20Center/11_12RoseFellows.aspx.

How you can get involved – If you have a business or developmentplan (or would like to have plans in this area), especially along theBroadway corridor, your involvement in this process is encouraged. OnMay 4, the Chamber (along with the city) will delve into the BroadwayCorridor development with a mobile workshop (http://business.oaklandchamber.com/Events/details/megaregion) that traverses the entireBroadway corridor area from Bay to Hills. Sign up today! �

> Broadway corridor – continued from page 1

March 2012 | 9

> ‘Women are making the EastBay better,’ says TaylorMore than 100 people – mostly women – packed the February session ofthe Chamber’s “Women in Business Roundtable” at the Waterfront Hotelin Oakland to hear East Bay Community Foundation President & ChiefExecutive Officer Nicole Taylor pull back the curtain on a little-discussedtopic – how economically empowered women are making the East Baybetter.

Taylor’s presentation – ending with a standing ovation – describedfactors driving the East Bay’s economy as well as the large businesses andnonprofit organizations headed by women and the contributions of thoseorganizations. She profiled a number of economically empowered womenin business, education, the nonprofit sector, and philanthropy whose lead-ership is making the East Bay stronger. And she discussed the importance

of understanding themotivations that propelboth women and men intoleadership positions.

The first African-American to lead theEast Bay CommunityFoundation since itsinception in 1928, Tayloralso detailed what the Foundation has accomplished under her leadershipto make the East Bay better by helping those most in need get good jobsand the education leading to those jobs.

“Exactly 55 of the Bay Area’s 100 largest women-owned companies areheadquartered in the East Bay, including seven of the 10 largest companieson that list,” said Taylor. “The 25 largest women-owned businesses in theEast Bay together employed more than 2,700 people here in 2010 andgenerated $1.93 billion in revenue, a portion of which finds its way backto the East Bay economy in addition to jobs provided.”

Taylor also disclosed that 11 of the largest 25 nonprofit organizationsin the East Bay are headed by women. “The primary mission of each andevery one of these organizations,” she said, “is to make the East Bay abetter place, whether it is through health, the well being of children, orproviding food to those who are hungry.”

Taylor said the untold story of women making the East Bay betterincludes leaders who have unusual stories, walking distinctive paths toget where they are, but who also shared similarities of “determination,guts, a bit of brilliance, hard work, passion, patience and perseverance,self-discipline, business and financial sophistication, a stiff backboneand a willingness to make personal sacrifice when necessary.”

She challenged women in the audience to understand their motiva-tions for doing what they do in their careers and asked them to join herand other economically empowered women to make the East Bay better.

“We can address the issues in our community only through the powerof many,” said Taylor. “The force of many empowered women can and willmake a huge impact on this region.” �

Women in Business SPONSORED BY SOUTHWESTEAST BAY

5 1 0 . 6 5 3 . 2 1 5 3 • c c @ c h e r i e c a r t e r d e s i g n s . c o mC O M M U N I C A T I O N D E S I G N T H A T R E A L L Y M E A N S B U S I N E S S

BrandstormingWe work with you and your team to connect your product

or service with your target. We create quality publications

and websites that help build your brand – annual reports,

brochures, logos, corporate newsletters,

advertising, sales kits and

WordPress sites.

=C A R T E RD E S I G N S

� Following the East Bay Women inBusiness Roundtable luncheon, membersof the Steering Committee and ChamberPresident Joe Haraburda thanked guestspeaker Nicole Taylor (third from the left).From left are Haraburda, co-chairs KimArnone (Buchalter Nemer) and AllysonFattore (Sunwest Bank), Cherie Carter(Carter Designs), and Chamber Boardmember Kim Delevett (Southwest Airlines).

> Dr. Teresa Swartz to speak April 6on the ‘transformative power of education’

The East Bay Women in BusinessRoundtable (EBWIBR) 2012 luncheonseries, “Women Defining the East Bay’sFuture,” continues in April with a womanwho educates many of the Bay Area’supcoming business leaders. Dr. Teresa (Terri)Swartz, dean of the College of Business andEconomics and professor of marketing atCalifornia State University, East Bay, headlinesthe April 6 luncheon at the Waterfront Hotel inJack London Square.

Dr. Swartz will draw on her substantial experience as an instructor anduniversity administrator to discuss the transformative power of educationand how education can impact the development of business leaders andthe businesses they run. She has a B.S. and M.B.A. from Clarion Universityand a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. Dr. Swartz was named dean of theCollege of Business and Economics at California State University, EastBay in December 2007. She spent 11 years on the faculty of Arizona StateUniversity where, among other positions, she was director of research forthe Center for Service Leadership.

Just prior to joining CSU East Bay, Dr. Swartz was a professor for 16years at the Orfalea College of Business at California State University, SanLuis Obispo. She has worked on marketing research projects in southernAfrica, the Middle East and Europe, in addition to the United States.

Dr. Swartz’s expertise and insight into how education is shapingbusiness leaders, in particular, businesswomen, promises to make thisevent enlightening. Her vision and leadership has resulted in the selectionof CSU East Bay's College of Business and Economics, as one of the bestbusiness schools in the United States by the Princeton Review for the sixthconsecutive year.

Dr. Swartz’s recent accolades also includes that she has been named, bythe San Francisco Business Times, one of the Bay Area’s Most InfluentialWomen for the past two years.

The event will be held at the Waterfront Hotel at 10 Washington St. inJack London Square, and will begin at 11:15 a.m. with the program startingat 11:45 a.m. The event concludes with networking until 1:30 p.m.

The cost is $35 for Chamber members and $45 for non-members.Same day registration increases the price by $10.

For questions or to register, visit www.oaklandchamber.com orcontact Amanda Medina at [email protected] or at(510) 874-4800, ext. 319. �

Kim Y. Arnone, senior counsel at the law firm of Buchalter Nemer,is co-chair of the East Bay Women In Business Roundtable.

Dr. Teresa (Terri) Swartz

by Kim Y. Arnone


> Major League BBQ, baseball and celebrities team up for foster youthby Nader R. Shabahangi, Ph.D.

Born into a time, circumstances and culture,these outside forces can bear heavy on ourformation. Parents, schools, friends,environment and major events as we grow upinfluence how it is we experience this worldand ourselves.

While outside forces are strong in the waythey impact our formation, they are,nevertheless, small when compared to the

thousands, even millions of years of ourhistory and becoming. These years are part ofus and constitute the bedrock of our existence.

Exceptional people in our human historynot only have attempted to uncover thisbedrock of our existence, but have alsoprovided us with ways to access and connectwith this foundation. They have given usmeans such as meditation, prayer, education,

selfless service and other ways of learning to be in the world. Throughsuch means, every one of us common mortals has the ability to enterthe realm of timeless truths.

This compass can direct us towards a life grounded in the deepwisdom of our ancestors as we need to face the challenges of ourpresent lives. Grounded as such, the challenges we face in life are nolonger a source of suffering. Rather, they have become the very meansthrough which we understand who we are.

The process of aging equals the process of taking time. All of ourgrowing and learning takes time. It is understood that the formation ofa child, its education and development into an adult, takes time. Here Iam proposing that growing into a full human being also takes time andthus requires of us to age into “old age.” It is through aging that we areafforded the opportunity to become more human, that we are able toconnect to our ground of Being.

As we age we begin to notice and question the very ground wewalk on, the very Being we are. This kind of questioning, philosophicaland often spiritual in nature, brings us to a deeper layer ofunderstanding of who we are, our meaning and purpose.

Such questioning has far more backing and support from thewisdom of the ages than does today’s modern scientific mindset amere few hundred years old. From philosophers and mystics, to nowtheoretical and Quantum physicists, the understanding of some formor energy holding all together, has been expressed time and time againin all of the world’s documented traditions. The thought that theworld is an indivisible whole and that a form of spirit and/or energyencompasses us all, form part of the canon of timeless truths.

To age differently means to understand the purpose of our aging,of our lives, as a deepening of our awareness of these timeless truths.Through aging we are afforded the opportunity to grasp the ground ofour Being, to experience our interconnectedness, to learn about loveand to love.

I would like to propose amindset of life-long learningand growth that understandsthat becoming an elder is thegoal of life. This elder is onewho has become aware ofthe timeless truths of life.It is time to reshape thediscourse on agingdominated by an anti-agingsentiment to one that looksat aging as an opportunity tolive a deeper and morefulfilling life. Instead ofmaterial accumulation andoutward success, instead ofa youthful body and spirit,the goal of life is wisdomand deep awareness. Agedifferently. Take your time. �

Nader R. Shabahangi, Ph.D.is founder and chiefexecutive officer ofAgeSong, an organizationproviding assisted living,independent living andforgetfulness support forelders in the Bay Area.

> Age differently – Take your time

To be humanrequires effort in

living. We areroughly shaped

clay and it is left tous to complete andpolish who we are.

Nader R.Shabahangi, Ph.D. California’s premier barbecue destination is bringing some of the

biggest names in the world of professional barbecue to heat upthe Oakland Coliseum parking lot on Saturday, July 7 for thesecond Bay Area BBQ Championship (BABC). Certified judges andcelebrities determine who will be the professional, amateur andpeople’s choice champions.

All the proceeds from the BABC benefit the thousands of fosterchildren, youth and families served by Alternative Family Services.

The event will be held prior to an Oakland A’s game that eveningagainst the Seattle Mariners.

According to world renowned chef, restaurateur and critic NarsaiDavid, a celebrity judge at last year’s event, “For a first-year event, theBay Area BBQ Championship was really spectacular. It reminded me ofthe early years of the Gilroy Garlic Festival which I hosted to 13 years.”

Highlights for 2012 include:• A professional BBQ cook-off with top teams sanctioned by the

Kansas City Barbecue Society.• AAA Minor League cook-off (for backyard enthusiasts, first

timers, foodies, corporate teams, etc).• People’s Choice (Pro, AAA, corporate and community partners)

serve samples of BBQ-related items to earn the “People’s” vote.• Celebrity chefs and judges including Ray Lampe, aka Dr. BBQ –

celebrity chef, author and television personality• Benefit concert• Live BBQ demo tent• Barbecue and Beer Tasting tent• BABC Boardwalk for families and sponsors (Home Depot Kids

Clinic, urban gardening, carnival attractions)Join the BABC and help Northern California foster youth. Sponsors,

volunteers and professional, amateur, corporate and communitypartner BBQ teams are needed.

For more information, contact Jennifer Harper at (510) 759-1271 orat [email protected] for more information. �

March 2012 | 11

SPECIAL SECTION Health Care

30 years on the front lines of the HIV/AIDS pandemic

December 1, 2011, marked World AIDS Day. The United Nations chose “Getting toZero” as its theme. Zero infection, zero discrimination. At Children’s Hospital &Research Center Oakland, getting to zero is more than a theme. It’s a mission, andhas been for three decades.

“We were pioneers,” program director of the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Program AnnPetru, MD, frankly admits when asked about the early years of AIDS treatment atChildren’s Hospital. When AIDS first appeared in California three decades ago, Dr.Petru had been at Children’s four years, working in pediatric infectious diseases foronly a year. By the time she saw her first case of AIDS at Children’s in 1983, an epi-demic was fully underway. Back then, treatment amounted to little more than diag-nosis and death.

“There was no HIV test,” she recalls. “No way to get critical information about anindividual’s T-cell numbers or viral loads. We were still figuring out that the diseasecould be transmitted to children and newborns.” In one early case, Arthur Ammann,MD, traced pediatric infection to a local blood bank. His work helped prevent futuretransmissions, but it couldn’t help dozens of already affected babies and children.

In 1986, Children’s established a Pediatric HIV/AIDS Program with Dr. Petru as di-rector. Dr. Petru’s team also sought treatments for mothers. In 1989, Children’s Hos-pital Oakland received federal funding as part of the national Pediatric AIDS ClinicalTrials Group. Many parents allowed their children to participate in these vital clinicaltrials. Petru encouraged her HIV-infected patients to enter studies – including thoselooking at new drugs for HIV and childhood vaccines – with more than half of herpatients eventually participating.

As a result of major groundbreaking studies, Children’s patients received drugslike AZT and protease inhibitors, which drastically changed AIDS and its course inthe population, including children infected with HIV/AIDS.

“In 1994, pregnant women who carried full-term babies had a one-in-fourchance of passing the virus on to the child, while premature infants had a one-in-two chance of getting HIV,” explains Dr. Petru. “However, when women were givenAZT in the last six weeks of pregnancy and during labor, and their newborns givenAZT for their first six weeks of life, the rate of infection decreased from 25 percent to

> Children's Hospital Oakland – 8 percent in full-term infants.”And, Dr. Petru says, “When protease

inhibitors came along in the mid ’90s,transmission fell and remains now as lowas 1 to 2 percent.” This means that, witha good drug regimen, up to 98 percent ofchildren delivered by mothers with HIVare born without HIV. “In our clinicalone, where we meet with HIV-infectedmothers to help them give birth tohealthy babies, 300 to 350 consecutivewomen have not passed the virus totheir babies,” states Dr. Petru. “That’s areal achievement.”

If Children’s first decade of HIV/AIDSwas about facing disease and death, the second was about transmission preven-tion, and the third was about maintenance. Children and youth with HIV and AIDSlearned to live with their condition, and Dr. Petru’s program has been at their side.“This is no longer a fatal disease in children,” she says. “But getting kids to followtheir treatment regimen – medicative adherence – is the name of the game.”

The work of Dr. Petru and her team has established a solid foundation for pre-venting new infections through birth. Today, their work continues to positivelyimprove the lives of children living with the disease.

Heading into its fourth decade of the AIDS epidemic, Children’s Hospital,through the Pediatric Hospital Aids Program, continues to provide care for about60 HIV/AIDS-infected children and teens, along with 20 to 30 pregnant, infectedwomen annually, encouraging them to care for themselves and their unborn chil-dren.

“HIV/AIDS awareness has helped limit new infection rates,” explains Dr. Petru.“However, to date there is still no vaccine and none on the horizon. We cannot be-come complacent. Further research needs to be done to develop new drugs, studynew drug combinations, simplify the drug regimes – and thereby improve the livesof those living with disease.”

We haven’t gotten to zero yet, but Dr. Petru and her team are working towardsthat goal, one mother and one child at a time. �

� Ann Petru, MD, in 1991, shares ahug and a laugh with a youngpatient during a blood transfusion.


March 2012 | 13

by Wade Overgaard

Given the busy day-to-day activities in theworkplace, it’s easy to overlook theimportance of tracking the overall health ofyour workforce. But chronic conditions –including diabetes, asthma and obesity – currentlyaccount for more than 75 percent of health carespending in the United States, and that can be anexpensive proposition for employers.

How expensive? Studies have shown thatchronic conditions can add about $3,600 a yearper person to employer health care costs.

Fortunately, many of these chronic conditionscan be prevented or more effectively managed by leading healthier lives, andyou as employers can play an important role in this effort by taking steps toimprove the health of your workforce. Encourage your workers to get routinescreenings, promote physical activity in the workplace, and provide healthieroptions in your vending machines and cafeterias.

Well-structured, evidence-based wellness programs can have a realimpact on a company’s bottom line and can help control health care costsfor everyone. Focusing on an employee’s total health can lead to a moreenergetic, productive workforce that can give your company a competitiveedge.

There are many resources to help employers find ways to get theirworkforce healthier. For some businesses, the information that can be easilygenerated from electronic medical records (EMRs) can help make preventionmore of a reality. EMRs can provide aggregated high-level data that gives anoverall snapshot of employee health. The businesses must be large enough –100 employees or more – so that this aggregated data does not revealpersonal health information about individual employees.

Those businesses can ask their health care providers and insurers todetermine the share of employees who smoke, have high cholesterol or havehigh blood pressure. With this information, ranked to show which problemsare most severe in the workplace, employers can offer targeted healthprograms and activities aimed at preventing chronic conditions.

If the majority of employees are overweight, it makes sense to offer a

wellness program that actively promotes healthier eating. If there are a largenumber of smokers, an in-house smoking cessation program would be inorder.

Controlling health care costs requires a multi-pronged, integrated effortthat goes beyond the medical providers and health insurer trying to preventchronic diseases, though. Employers also need to stress and consistently rein-force the same healthy lifestyles in the workplace and model good behavior.

You can start small. When eating with employees, order a salad insteadof a cheeseburger. With small groups, hold “walking” staff meetings. Evenbetter: Start a walking program to encourage all employees to get morephysical exercise (see the benefits of regular walking at www.everybodywalk.org/). There’s even a smart phone app to help track those workplacewalks.

You can also learn more about how to turn your workplace into a“wellplace” by downloading a free step-by-step guide to customize awellness program that’s just right for your business at:https://businessnet.kp.org/health/plans/ca/workforcehealth/resourcecenter/healthworks#anchor1 �

Wade Overgaard is Kaiser Permanente’s senior vice president forCalifornia Health Plan Operations.

> Targeting chronic diseases canlead to a healthier bottom line

Wade Overgaard

Kaiser Permanente already has the largest electronic medical record systemin the world. Recently, the health care organization announced that nearlynine million Kaiser Permanente patients now can easily access their ownmedical information anywhere in the world on mobile devices through amobile-optimized website.

Kaiser Permanente has released a new app for Android devices, andusers of other mobile devices, including the iPhone, can also get full accessto that information from the Kaiser Permanente health record system withthe mobile-optimized version of kp.org. An additional app for iPhone willbe released in the coming months, but iPhone users can easily download ashortcut icon onto their home screens that will take them directly to themobile-friendly kp.org with a touch of the finger.

Kaiser Permanente has led the health care world in providing onlineaccess to information for its patients. In 2011 alone, more than 68 millionlab test results were made available online to Kaiser Permanente patients.The mobile-optimized site and the new app make that information, andmuch more, securely available at members’ fingertips.

Kaiser Permanente patients will have 24/7 access to lab results,diagnostic information, direct and secure email access to their doctors,and will also be able to order prescription refills. Patients have been ableto email their doctors for five years, with more than 12 million e-visitsin 2011 alone. Kaiser Permanente expects that number to increase signifi-cantly with the new app and mobile-optimized site.

The Android app is available now in the Android market at no charge.Users of other mobile devices can access the same set of care-supporttools at no charge through the new secure, mobile-optimized memberwebsite, which is available through smart-phone Internet browsers.

With the new offering, Kaiser Permanente patients have 24/7 accessfrom their mobile devices to view their secure personal health records,email their doctors, schedule appointments, refill prescriptions andlocate Kaiser Permanente medical facilities.

Members who have the ability to act on behalf of a family member onkp.org now can accomplish the same tasks. Those caring for an elderlyparent or someone with a chronic condition can now more easily checklab results, refill prescriptions and communicate with the doctor’s officeon behalf of the patient. �

> Millions of Kaiser Permanentehealth records securely available on mobile devices

Kaiser Permanente has launched the Sidney R. Garfield Health CareInnovation Center Virtual Tour, which for the first time gives peopleworldwide a behind-the-scenes peek at how Kaiser Permanente developsand tests health care innovations that benefit the organization’s nearlynine million members.

It all starts with an idea – a fresh approach that some of KaiserPermanente’s 16,000 physicians and 167,000 employees want to investigatein hopes of discovering a better way to deliver health care. Caregivers cometo the Garfield Center, located in San Leandro, to find better ways to servethe organization’s members. Every considered detail is examined herethrough simulations, technology testing, prototyping, product evaluations,and training in this unique facility, which looks like a Hollywood movie set.

For the first time, this venue will be open to the public, virtually. Cometake a virtual, 360-degree tour of the Garfield Center from the comfort ofyour computer. Through your web browser, you can explore this dynamicfacility and hear directly from some of Kaiser Permanente’s innovators andleaders.

Use the cursor to pull the 3D images in any direction you like for a 360-degree, floor-to-ceiling view of the space. Click on the blue buttons andyou’ll “walk” down the halls for an all-access look at some of the mostsophisticated innovation environments in health care today. Subject matterexperts in each space explain how the Garfield Center is being used tosupport and accelerate innovation at Kaiser Permanente.

The virtual tour can be accessed from all Web browsers and soon willbe optimized for viewing on iPads and other tablets and hand-helds. Visithttp://bit.ly/garfieldvt and “tour” this living laboratory, which serves as atest bed for the innovations that Kaiser Permanente implements in all of itsmedical facilities. �

> Take a ‘walk’ through Kaiser’sSidney R. Garfield Health CareInnovation Center


March 2012 | 15

by Wright L. Lassiter III

Any business executive will tell you that for acompany to be truly successful, leadership mustcome from throughout the organization, not onlyfrom the C-suite executives.

That’s true for a business, a health care providerand a community. We are succeeding at AlamedaCounty Medical Center because each day our 3,000employees take pride and responsibility in theirimportant work. We know that in an era of healthcare reform, we must attract patients who have achoice in health care while never losing sight of ourmission to serve all in need.

We also know that our continued commitment and leadership inimproving the quality of life in Oakland and Alameda County is crucial forthe economic success of our area. This is our home. We live in thesecommunities. And I am pleased to report that we are doing great thingsto create a healthier and stronger community for all of us.

Today, we are one of the top employers in Alameda County. In 2011,we contributed $445 million to Alameda County in combined payroll andpurchasing, and through our doors we saw nearly 300,000 outpatientclinic visits.

Tomorrow, our impact will be even greater as we are expanding nearlyevery area of our services.

It is growth that has already begun. Just this last year we enhanced ourclinical programs, opened a new state-of-the-art combined cardiaccatheterization and angiography suite, and nearly doubled our space atour south county clinic. We also expanded specialty care services, includingorthopedics, optometry, dental, and pain management.

By 2017, we will have completed construction on a $668 million invest-ment by Alameda County in a new campus for Highland Hospital, includinga new nine-story, 169-bed Acute Tower, and a 78,000-square-foot, three-story Specialty Care Building which will house our centers of excellence inCardiology, Oncology, Gastroenterology and Urgent Care – opening in 2013.

> The excellence of the AlamedaCounty Medical Center

We’re expanding our services and accesswith an understanding that, like all businesses ina competitive environment, we must continuallyprovide more value – to our customers, ouremployees and the community.

In 2011, the Joint Commission for health care institutions in the U.S.named us among the top 14 percent of the nation’s accredited hospitals,recognized for providing superior safety, quality and effectiveness. We’revery proud of that accomplishment, but we are not yet satisfied. That’swhy we’ve committed to additional improvements including a three-yearprogram in LEAN management principles to drive out waste and ensurethat all work adds value. LEAN principles have been used in severalindustries to achieve superior customer service along with effective andefficient processes.

And we’re focusing on growing our core leadership roles:

We provide health care for allWe’ve recently sought and received multi-year grants for health careinitiatives ranging from heart attack prevention to colorectal cancerscreening. Last year we established 11 Harm Reduction Teams to reduceincident rates for falls, pressure ulcers, readmissions, ventilator associatedpneumonia and other conditions. We also decreased the mortality rate ofsevere sepsis, an infection complication, by 10 percent and saved morethan 50 lives over the three-year period, ending 2011.

We are a teaching institutionWe are viewed as leaders in emergency and trauma care – withperformance that is competitive with top national providers – and morethan 200 medical school graduates compete each year for ten covetedspots in our emergency medicine residency program. We continue toexpand our role as a teaching institution that supports medical researchand a wide range of educational programs and activities for medicalstudents, interns, residents, and continuing education for medical,nursing and other staff.

We are an employer of choiceOur two-year labor agreement with the Service Employees InternationalUnion was approved by 98 percent of voting employees, creating goodjobs and dedicated workers. In fact, our employees recently rated us inan Employee Partnership survey as having strengths in sensitivity todifferences in the culturally diverse workforce and instilling pride inemployees.

We are a community partnerWe have a long and important history of being a leader in the community.Our Model Neighborhood Program was awarded $217,000 last year toprovide internships, health education and career development. We alsoprovided medical volunteers during the Avon Breast Cancer Walk, SanFrancisco AIDS Walk, Oakland Running Festival, and National Alliance onMental Illness (NAMI) Walk for Wellness, and we participated in the “Every15 Minutes Program” designed to dramatically instill in teenagers thedangers of drinking alcohol and driving.

These are only a few of the many recent accomplishments for AlamedaCounty Medical Center. We have momentum as we continue our missionof achieving excellence in how we deliver care. We also understand thatour leadership must extend beyond our own doors and we hold ourselvesaccountable for continuing the critical role we play in Alameda County.

As we transform our facilities and grow our services, we embrace thehopes and expectations of the community. We are building excellence, fortoday and tomorrow. �

Wright L. Lassiter III is the chief executive officer of the Alameda

County Medical Center.

� The three-storySpecialty CareBuilding, opening in2013.Wright L. Lassiter III



> Samuel Merritt University plans library grand openingby Elizabeth Valente

A grand opening ceremony will be held in the newly expanded John A.Graziano Memorial Library at Samuel Merritt University (SMU) onThursday, March 15 beginning at 5 p.m.

The SMU library, located at 400 Hawthorne Ave. in Oakland, first openedits doors in 1984, thanks to the generous gift of Mrs. Louise F. Graziano inmemory of her husband, John Angelo Graziano (1898-1966). At that time thelibrary facility accommodated 400 students and 300 medical staff membersas well as the East Bay community. Twenty-eight years later, through the samesupport and dedication from generous donors in the community, the SMUlibrary can now comfortably accommodate the University’s growing popula-tion of more than 1,400 students as well as the extended SMU community.

The library renovation and expansion was funded by contributions fromthe SMU community: alumni, foundations, corporations, employees, regentsand friends of the University. “We are grateful to the SMU community forrallying together to meet this challenge,” said Sue Valencia, executive directorof Development and Alumni Affairs. “The Library is an important resource forour students and faculty as well as the growing needs of local physicians andclinicians who use the library for medical and health care research. The libraryis open to the public and librarians are ready to help you research all health-

related topics.”As part of the library renovation project, several additions were made to

provide office and work spaces. The North Wing now houses a new computerlab, a conference room, naturally lit study niches, and Library/Academic andInstructional Innovation staff offices. The main library has three new groupstudy rooms and three new seminar rooms that are available to the campuscommunity.

Located in the Health Education Center on the University’s main campus,the expanded John A. Graziano Memorial Library is home to the recentlycombined Department ofLibrary and Academic andInstructional innovation.In partnership with faculty,the department‘s mission isto promote innovativeteaching methods, as well asthe use of quality web-basededucational resources. Thecombined skill sets of theUniversity’s educationaltechnologists, health sciencelibrarians and support staffis resulting in exciting newsynergies.

“This is an exciting venue

> Alta BatesSummit names Prospernew CEO

Chuck Prosperhas beennamed thenew chiefexecutiveofficer (CEO)of Alta BatesSummitMedicalCenter.

Prosperhas served as

the medical center’s chief operatingofficer (COO) since October 2010. Hewill replace David Bradley, who willassume the position of president ofthe Sutter Health East Bay Region. EdBerdick, the region’s first president,will become senior vice president forShared Services at Sutter Health.

“I have great respect and admira-tion for the excellent care Alta BatesSummit provides to its community,”Prosper said. “To be successful inthe future, the medical center mustfind new ways to innovate in thedelivery of care and to strengthenpartnerships between physicians,employees and our community. Ilook forward to the challengesahead and honoring our mission.”

In a memo announcing themanagement changes, Sutter HealthCEO Pat Fry said these changesensure “a smooth transition ofleadership in the East Bay.”

Prosper joined Alta Bates Summitas interim COO in October 2010.Previously, he was chief administra-tive officer at (former Sutter-affiliated) Marin General Hospitalwhere he had responsibility for allhospital operations and managedthe transfer of the hospital fromSutter Health back to its health caredistrict owner. Prosper earlier servedas the assistant administrator forAncillary and Support Services at theSan Leandro Hospital Campus ofEden Medical Center.

Chuck Prosper

� Library Director Marcus Banks (left)makes a point with Samuel MerrittUniversity nursing student Jabari Smith.

– continued on page 19

March 2012 | 17


According to a 2010 UCLA study, one in fiveCalifornians are living with a mental health condition.Chances are you or someone you know is strugglingwith wellness. How do you provide an inviting andsupportive space for customers, clients and employees?What do you as an employer or a manager need to know?

Peers Envisioning and Engaging in RecoveryServices, or PEERS, is offering a special training forbusinesses called the “Welcoming CommunityCertification.” The 90-minute workshop – open tobusinesses, nonprofits, faith leaders and housingprograms – includes an introduction to tools andresources to increase employee morale, promoteteamwork, and support wellness.

“We’re targeting businesses because they areanchors of our community and their efforts to promotehealthy practices will affect everyone,” said SharonKuehn, Social Inclusion program manager for PEERS.“Not only has research shown that supported employees

are more productive (costing the business less in sick time and medical care),businesses that genuinely care about the well-being of their client base will builda positive reputation in the community and attract more visitors.”

Two main tools will be introduced in the workshop, including WellnessRecovery Action Planning (WRAP) and emotional CPR (eCPR). Organizational

> Oakland nonprofit works to promote community mentalhealth, wellness

The sweet, retiredcouple that orders

tomato-basil soup attheir neighborhood

sandwich shop everyTuesday. A tax pre-parer’s most loyal

customer. The highschool kids whowork in the me-

chanic’s shop duringsummer break. Anyone of these peoplecould have a mental

health challenge.Any one of them

could walk into yourbusiness.

WRAP is an evidence-based system used worldwide by businesses and otherorganizations that want their staffs to attain the highest possible level of wellness.The process starts with identifying unique resources and wellness tools andexpands to use those items to develop action plans. An action plan is a customizedand self-determined series of steps that the organization can take to optimize andmaintain the health and well-being of the entire group.

Emotional CPR is an educational program designed to teach people to assistothers through an emotional crisis.

“Business owners have expressed the desire to learn to increase organizationalwellness and know how to support and interact with staff and customers who maybe struggling,” Kuehn said.

PEERS has been advocating for people living with mental health conditions forten years. Almost all the employees at PEERS are living with or in recovery of mentalhealth issues, and demonstrate that people with mental health challenges can leadmeaningful and productive lives.

The Welcoming Community Certification is a project of the Alameda CountySocial Inclusion Campaign, a PEERS-led effort to end mental health stigma anddiscrimination. With the help of the Mental Health Services Act, or Proposition 63,and Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services, PEERS hopes to make animpact on each sector of society and change misinformation around mental healthand wellness to build an authentically inclusive community.

At the end of the Welcoming Community Certification training, participantsare awarded a certificate they can display in their business to show their supportfor promoting wellness and creating welcoming cultures in their workplace.Businesses that receive this certification will qualify for an onsite, customizedconsultation with the PEERS’ team of wellness recovery experts.

The Welcoming Community Certification training is set to begin on April 18.Trainings will be held at the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.conference room. If you are interested in learning more, contact Social InclusionProgram Manager Sharon Kuehn at (510) 832-7337 or at [email protected]. �

> The Welcoming Community Certification training is set to begin on April 18.Trainings will be held at the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

conference room.

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com 18


“Often, we were able to prevent these patients fromdying,” he says, “but I felt like I was not really helpingthem as much as I could. I thought there must be adifferent approach for these patients. How can weimprove their quality of life and give them as comfort-able and comforting an experience as possible?”

That inspiration ultimately led Dr. Stoneberg tospecialize in palliative care, a highly respected branch ofmedicine that has emerged over the past 20 yearsand focuses largely on quality of life for patients facinga serious or chronic illness. In April 2011, he came to

Alta Bates Summit, where he is medical director for the Palliative Care Service.Palliative care and hospice care “are on the same continuum of services,”

explains Dr. Stoneberg, “except hospice care is for patients who have a terminalillness with a prognosis of six months or less.

“Palliative care is not exclusionary of anybody,” he adds. “It’s really for anyonewho is suffering from the symptoms or decline of a disease. Cancer patients andthose with cardiac disease, kidney failure and Alzheimer’s are just a few examplesof patients we care for. Our goal is to figure out what the patients want and howwe can help their treating physicians take good care of them.”

As a physicianspecializing in palliativecare, Dr. Stoneberg doesnot replace other medicalspecialists. Instead, heoften serves as the teamleader to help bettercoordinate the patient’scare. “It’s very much acollaboration, an interdis-ciplinary team approach,”he says. “We useresources from thechaplaincy program,social work program,nursing colleagues –

everything at our disposal that might benefit the patient. Anything that mightbe helpful is considered – whether it’s massage therapy, music therapy or otherremedies. We often use the hospital’s resources beyond what might be consideredconventional Western medical care.”

At Alta Bates Summit, patients in critical care units are offered palliative care atthe referral of their doctors.

For more information or to find out if palliative care is right for you or a lovedone, consult your attending physician or nurse. �

> What is palliative care?When Jeffrey

Stoneberg, D.O., wasa resident working inan intensive care unit

at a Pennsylvaniahospital, he was

tending to very sickpatients and wasinspired to take a

different strategy intheir treatment.

� Jeffrey Stoneberg, D.O., medical director ofPalliative Care Services at Alta Bates SummitMedical Center.

> When in doubt, sit them out Since then, he has been speaking to young athletes,coaches, parents and the media about the dangersof concussions and how they should be handled.

If a bump or blow to the head is combined withsymptoms such as headaches, fuzzy vision, nausea,vomiting, dizziness, sensitivity to noise or light,fatigue or balance problems, a concussion is apossibility. If an athlete reports difficulty thinkingclearly, concentrating or remembering, those mayalso be signs of a concussion. Sleeping more orless than usual may also signal the problem, as canunusual mood changes. All of these symptomscould appear immediately or even hours or dayslater, so an athlete should be watched closely fordays after he or she suffers a blow to the head.

Anyone who has suffered a concussion must betreated carefully because a second concussion can

be life-threatening if it occurs before the first has healed, says Dr. Richardson.FYI: A California law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, prohibits any athlete

from returning to a school-sponsored sport on the same day he or she suffersa suspected concussion. Under the new law, the athlete can’t be allowed toreturn to action without written clearance from a doctor.

Get more information about kids and concussions at the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention website, www.cdc.gov/concussion/HeadsUp/youth.html. �

As an Alta Batesboard-certified

neurologist, BrianRichardson, M.D.,has a professional

interest in all formsof brain injuries, but

when his son wasplaying high schoolfootball about five

years ago, Dr.Richardson beganto focus personal

efforts on oneparticular issue:

concussions.

March 2012 | 19


by Angela Caulboy

Last summer a local funeral director received a callthat her mother had passed away unexpectedly. Asthe family rushed around trying to prepare for thetrip out of state, the funeral director worried thatshe had no idea what her mother’s final wishes were.Nothing had ever been discussed. Her mother hadalways been on a fixed income so it would be up tothe children to pay for everything.

Through the grief and shock of losing theirmother, the siblings came together at the funeralhome to discuss arrangements – the funeraldirector was now on the other side of things.

Trying to discuss what the family “thought” theirloved one would want was one of the hardest things they had to do, because

> Being unprepared A funeral director’s story about what happenswhen life throws a curve

What happens whenthe person who issupposed to help

make funeralarrangements is onthe opposite end ofthe desk, and it’s he

or she who is inneed of guidance,

direction,compassion and

empathy?

the grief, hurt and pain was so raw it took hours to discuss and come todecisions about burial or cremation, what color casket their mother wouldlike, open or closed casket, church service or not, along with many minordetails – and finally, how were they going to pay for everything – whichtotaled up to be $7,500 (not including the burial plot)?

How can a family come up with that type of money on such short notice(payment was due before the services were held)? This funeral director whoonce merely counseled and spoke to families about pre-planning for this suchan event had humbly learned the true value of pre-planning – once laid out itnot only gives the individual peace of mind, but it also allows loved ones thetime and space to properly grieve without having to make difficult decisions.

For most of us, thinking about our own death is a scary subject, but bypre-planning your funeral now, you will help your family when the time arrives.Pre-arrangement relieves your family of having to make important decisions,spares your loved ones from financial worry or limitations, and protects fromthe cost of inflation during a period of great stress and grief. The largestadvantage of pre-planning is that you are helping your family with everydetail being arranged according to your wishes. With pre-arrangement – evenif only partially – you remove that stress from them. Remember, when thetime comes the members of the family will be grief stricken and may not bethinking clearly. By planning your funeral in advance, you will help ease theirburden.

Albert Brown Mortuary in Oakland offers a free planning guide and lowmonthly payments to fit everyone’s budget, so if you or someone you knowis interested, please call (510) 652-1873 or stop by the office at3476 Piedmont Ave. �

Angela Caulboy is funeral director at Albert Brown Mortuary in Oaklandand is also co-chair of the Chamber’s Ambassador Committee.

for collaboration between librarians, educational technologists, studentsand faculty. We’ve designed this space to support seminar-style teachingand group study, while providing convenient access to experts in researchsupport and course design,” said Marcus Banks, director.

For more information call (510) 869-8900 or visitwww.samuelmerritt.edu. �

Elizabeth Valente is the associate director of publications and mediarelations at Samuel Merritt University.

Hundreds of construction workers, employees,physicians and staff of the East Bay’s largest not-for-profit hospital gathered next to the skeleton of the new11-story structure and cheered as the last beam roseinto place.

Painted white and signed by attendees, the 18-footbeam was raised to the top of the new Patient CarePavilion by a 250-foot tower crane.

“Today marks the celebration of a traditionalconstruction milestone in what has been anything but atraditional project,” said Jay Widdifield, project managerfor DPR Construction.

Part of the Sutter Health network of care, Alta Bates Summit’s Patient CarePavilion is being built on a 1.5-acre site in the middle of the hospital’s campusin Oakland, which has remained fully operational during construction. The newfacility will be attached to the existing hospital buildings on three sides andseven different floors.

“We’re extremely grateful to the hundreds of iron workers and constructionteams who have worked tirelessly to keep this important project on schedule,”said Chuck Prosper, chief executive officer of Alta Bates Summit. “Constructionon this health care asset began about one year ago and is a source of greatpride for all of us. Our entire community will benefit from its state-of-the-arttechnology, family friendly and healing environment.”

The 250,000-square-foot building is slated to open in early 2014.Designed by Devenney Group, Ltd., the $300 million project is funded

completely by Sutter Health and Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – with nocost to local taxpayers – as a commitment to health care in the greater East Bay.An additional $50 million was used to build a 1,000-space parking structure setto open in May. The new pavilion and garage are one of four Sutter Healthhospitals currently under construction – Sutter Medical Center (Santa Rosa),Eden Medical Center (Castro Valley), Sutter Medical Center (Sacramento) andAlta Bates Summit.

The topping out tradition is a cherished custom in the constructionindustry signaling that the skeleton of a new structure is completed and hasreached its maximum height. �

Alta BatesSummit MedicalCenter’s Summit

Campus inOakland

celebrated animportant

milestone in atopping out

ceremony onFeb. 28.

> Last beam placed on Alta BatesSummit Medical Center

> SMU library opening – continued from page 16


SPECIAL SECTION Health Care> An open letter from AlamedaCounty Health Care Foundation

> Join Meals on Wheels for ‘Five Star Night’ April 27by Cindy Houts

Quick with a laugh, no joke gets past her. She raisedfour children, and enjoys visits with the grandchildren.But they live far away, and the visits are few and farbetween. Her hip is acting up again, making her gaitslow and deliberate. She used to walk to her grocerystore every day to pick up food for her supper, butthese days it’s just too much. She spends much of hertime alone, and the isolation has had an impact on herformerly sunny outlook.

A neighbor urged Lois to make the call to Meals on Wheels. Now, Lois enjoysher daily visit from Joe, her Meals on Wheels delivery driver. With the goodnutrition from her meal, she is stronger and able to take better care of herself.Lois is more connected to the outside world, and has a smile to share again. Andher out-of-state family has peace of mind knowing she is checked on every day.

It’s easy to think that the problems of today are just too big to solve. In thecase of senior hunger, help is easier to provide than you may know. Thirty dollars($30) feeds a senior for a week.

The programs of Alameda County deliver almost 2,500 meals each weekdayto seniors in our area. The great majority are over 75 years old, and over half livealone. Many struggle with how to pay for both food and medicine. Each mealcosts approximately $6 to make and deliver. A year’s worth of meals costs lessthan one day in the hospital.

Meals on Wheels is an economical safety net that keeps seniors healthy andliving independently in their own homes, where they want to be.

How you can helpBecome a sponsor of Five Star Night. The 25th annual Five Star Night will be heldthis year at the Scottish Rite Center on April 27. Celebrity Chef Narsai David is theemcee, guiding guests through each aspect of the night.

Five Star Night offers attendees the unique opportunity to taste creationsfrom the East Bay’s top culinary talents all in one location. There are manybenefits enjoyed by our sponsors, with several levels to choose from. Sponsor atable, invite your VIP clients or treat your employees to a night they will alwaysremember. �

Cindy Houts is the executive director of Alameda County Meals on Wheels.

> Families and friends use heartsand feet to fight cancerby Angela Caulboy

Relay For Life events are held overnight asindividuals and teams camp out at an athletic track,park or other gathering area, with the goal ofkeeping at least one team member on the track orpathway at all times throughout the evening. Teamsdo most of their fundraising prior to the event, butsome teams also hold creative fundraisers at theircamp sites.

Relay brings together friends, families,businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups –people from all walks of life – all aimed at furtheringthe American Cancer Society’s efforts to save livesby helping people stay well, by helping them getwell, by finding cures and by fighting back.

Relay is a unique opportunity for our community to come together tocelebrate people who have battled cancer, remember those we’ve lost, andfight back against the disease. Many of the participants are cancer survivors,which serves as a reminder that Oakland is not immune to this disease and thatby participating in Relay, we are joining with the American Cancer Society’sefforts to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Funds raised at Oakland’s Relay For Life enable the American Cancer Societyto impact the lives of those touched by cancer within the community byoffering programs like “Look Good…Feel Better,” support groups, classes onearly detection and health living, along with transportation and medicalsupplies all offered at local hospitals.

One of the most memorable events during the Relay is the LuminariaCeremony, which takes place after sundown, honoring the community’s cancersurvivors and remembering those lost to the disease. Participants will circle atrack that is surrounded with glowing luminaria that bears the name ofsomeone who has battled cancer.

Luminaria bags may be purchased for $10 by calling (510) 258-3458 or byvisiting www.relayforlife.org/oaklandca.

Relay for Life of Oakland urges local companies to help support the fightagainst cancer in their communities by becoming sponsors of the event.Cancer touches everyone, and involvement in Relay For Life is a great way forcompanies to demonstrate their commitment to help the fight back againstthe disease, save lives and create a world with less cancer. Many options forcorporate sponsorship are available, including forming a team, providingin-kind donations of goods, purchasing event sponsor signs for track display,encouraging employees to volunteer at events, and collecting Relay donationsat places of business.

For more information, visit www.relayforlife.org/oaklandca or contact meat [email protected] or at (510) 258-3458. �

Angela Caulboy, the funeral director at Albert Brown Mortuary in Oakland,is volunteer event chair for Relay for Life and is also co-chair of theChamber’s Ambassador Committee.

Walkers will goaround the clock in

the battle againstcancer when the 8th

annual AmericanCancer Society’s

Relay For Life® ofOakland gets

underway withteams of residents

gathering at BishopO’Dowd High Schoolon Saturday, July 28

at 10 a.m.

by Debra A. Barnes

As the new executive director of the Alameda County Health CareFoundation (ACHCF), I want to take this opportunity to thank the businesscommunity for its support. Your corporate grants, event sponsorships, andin-kind donations to ACHCF in the past have helped us raise millions ofdollars for vital program and equipment needs at Alameda County MedicalCenter. Clearly you believe that a strong local economy relies on having ahealthy citizenry.

Oakland can be proud in knowing that it is home to a medical center soadvanced that it routinely trains tomorrow’s doctors today as the onlycommunity-based teaching hospital with residents in primary care, surgery,gastroenterology and dentistry, to name a few. Our medical staff is amongthe best. Also a jewel to the community is a Trauma Center that stands ready24/7 when accidents occur on the job, on the playground, at home, or intransit at Oakland International Airport, the Port of Oakland, or on freeways,BART or AC transit.

Gifts from the business community and others have helped:• Fund the Youth Violence Prevention Program pioneered at our Medical

Center to break the cycle of violent trauma, retribution and re-injury, or evendeath, in our local youth. It is a nationwide model now used by 20 inner cityERs.

• Create the Cancer Navigator Program to help patients and familiesaccess care.

• Purchase equipment and construction materials to build a CardiacAngiography Suite.

Yes, you have made a difference in the health of Oakland and AlamedaCounty in more ways than one.

I am honored to be a member of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber ofCommerce and renewed the Foundation’s membership the first week Iarrived in my new position. As a former graduate of Leadership SanFrancisco, I know that Chambers are only as strong as the member volunteersengaged in them, and I look forward to meeting you all. Thank you. �

Debra A. Barnes is the executive director of the Alameda County HealthCare Foundation.

I want to tell youabout a senior who

is close to ourhearts. Eighty-two(82)-year-old Lois

is one of thoseladies that would

be called “spunky.”

March 2012 | 21


rates, manage overcrowding, and im-prove public safety. Each year, more than95 percent of prisoners return to theircommunities, and correctional agenciesmust coordinate re-entry and superviseoffenders once released.

Ramsell provides discharge plannersa tool that matches inmates withresources tailored to specific needs, andfacilitates discharge coordination withcommunity-based organizations. Uponrelease, parolees are matched withservices for health care, housing,employment, substance abuse, mentalhealth and other social services. Theexchange of information improves post-release continuity of care, and increasesparolees’ chances for success, and re-duces recidivism and total costs.

The Apothecary pharmacy continues in its tradition of providing personalized,professional, and caring service in the Eastmont Town Center, and sponsors an annualhealth fair, which provides free screenings, exams, and access to resources. This year,The Apothecary Health Fair will be held on Sept. 15, and promises to offer a range ofservices through broad city and county partnerships.

Ramsell has been an active supporter of East Bay organizations, and was a majorsponsor of the “Remember Them: Champions for Humanity” monument.

Throughout its 50-year history, Ramsell has always stayed, and will continue to stay,true to its mission: caring about community. �

Eric Flowers is the president and chief executive officer of Ramsell Corporation,located near Jack London Square. He is a passionate advocate for communityhealth issues, and serves on the boards of Haight Ashbury Free Clinics-WaldenHouse, the ADAP Advocacy Association (aaa+), and St. Mary’s College School ofEconomics and Business Administration.

by Eric Flowers

For nearly 50 years, Oakland-based Ramsell has been creating positive outcomes forthe health and safety of underserved populations, with a relentless focus on patientaccess to medications. Ramsell, which operates The Apothecary communitypharmacy, also provides public health solutions across several states, and assistscorrections with discharge planning and parolee management.

Ramsell’s passion is to connect people to the resources and medications theyneed for a better life.

In 1972, Ramsell’s founder, Sylester Flowers, worked with San Francisco’sDepartment of Mental Health to address the city’s opiate drug abuse epidemic andwas appointed pharmacy director. In 1992, he developed a prescription drug programfor San Francisco County residents with HIV and AIDS. A year later, Ramsell imple-mented the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) in the county. ADAPs apply stateand federal funds available through Ryan White CARE legislation to provide most HIVmedications at low or no cost to qualified patients.

Ramsell has also managed 340B Drug Pricing Programs for ADAPs since 1992,as part of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), which requires drug manufacturerdiscounts for programs that receive federal support and serve patients with specificconditions.

Within five years, Ramsell consolidated all of the county ADAPs under onecentralized program for the California Department of Health Services. Today, Ramsellmanages over a third of all ADAP claims nationwide, managing patient eligibility andenrollment, pharmacy networks, claims processing, and a call center for support.

Ramsell also provides Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services topatients with complex conditions, including an HIV/AIDS-focused program for itsADAP clients. MTM is a mandated program for Medicare Part D plans, and has beengrowing in popularity among other plan types. MTM was designed to ensure patientstake the right drugs at the right time to properly manage their conditions, as up tohalf of patients do not take their prescriptions correctly, which has been estimatedto cost nearly $300 billion a year in medical expenditures. MTM helps standardizequality interventions, improve clinical outcomes and control costs.

With its passion to connect people to the resources they need, Ramsell branchedout to assist correctional facilities with health care programs and discharge planningand parolee management. With one out of 31 adults in America incarcerated or onprobation or parole, states are challenged to reduce spending and high recidivism

> Ramsell – Serving the underserved since 1964

� Ramsell Corporation was a majorsponsor of the “Remember Them:Champions for Humanity” monument,which was unveiled in September 2011.For Ramsell, the decision to support thiswork is based on CEO Eric Flowers’ beliefthat the monument – those who arerepresented, and what they standfor – reflects the company’s belief thateveryone can be a hero. Ramsell’scommitment to Oakland and to servingthe underserved is as steadfast as themonument. Pictured at the studio ofChiodo Art Development (left to right)are “Remember Them” creator andsculptor Mario Chiodo, Ramsell founderand chairman of the board SylesterFlowers, and Ramsell President and CEOEric Flowers (holding Zachariah Flowers).

22

> Leadership looks at arts, education

Last month Leadership Oakland participants had the opportunityto learn about education and art programs that exist in theOakland community. The group also had the opportunity tolearn about higher education from representatives of a local,private and public institution.

The session was held at one of Oakland’s great treasures, the OaklandMuseum of California.

To begin the day, Lori Fogarty, the director and chief executive officer ofthe museum, gave an overview about the Oakland museum, its collections, theadministration, and milestones that have transformed its wonderful art history.

The first guest speaker of the day was Dr. Elnora Webb, president of LaneyCollege. Dr. Webb discussed the “power of education,” which really inspired thegroup. She also talked about how Laney is a leader in academic and vocationaleducation and highlighted some on the programs that are currently beingoffered. The public institution currently has more than 14,000 students.

The second speaker was Dr. Craig Elliot, assistant vice president ofEnrollment and Student Services from Samuel Merritt University. He gave apresentation that focused on “Transformative Learning: Education in the 21stCentury.” As part of an exercise, Leadership participants were asked to discuss

in groups and come up with waysin which each one can take part intheir community and be a leader aswell as be more engaged and moveeducation forward.

The participants thenwelcomed Amana Harris, associate director of Attitudinal Healing Connection, anonprofit located in West Oakland. She discussed the organization’s principlesand the education programs that serve many of the Oakland Unified SchoolDistrict students.

One of the programs highlighted was an art and literacy program,ArtEsteem. As part of the presentation, Harris shared many samples of artcreated by students. The group was amazed at how creative children can beif they have the inspiration, education and resources – reinforcing why art isessential and needs to be part of the curriculum in all public schools.

One of the highlights of the day was a docent-led highlight tour of Galleryof California Art. The group was able to see the wonderful art pieces that theOakland Museum had in several different displays. Following the tour, the groupbenefited from another great speaker, Michael Fried, the executive director ofCantare con Vivo. He talked about the organization and featured one of itsprograms, the Children’s Choir of Oakland, which provides free quality musiceducation weekly for more than 1,300 underserved Oakland students. This wasan eye opener to many Leadership participants – we saw how music has becomean important part of a student’s life and has allowed him or her to be sociallyactive and involved in such a positive extra-curricular activity.

The day couldn’t have ended any better – the last presenter had Leadersparticipants involved in an activity that gave everyone a sense of what it is to bean artist. The concept of the activity was “creative education.” This part of thesession was led by Margo Dunlap, executive director of ProArts and by SusannahWood from SWEET Theatre. Like the other nonprofit art education providers,they also talked about the importance of art in schools.

Dunlap discussed the role of ProArts as a nonprofit that provides criticalaccess to contemporary art in the Bay Area through its independent curatedexhibitions, capacity-building artist services, open studios and juried programs,and diverse collaborative programs. �

Luis Aguilar is program associate at the East Bay CommunityFoundation, Lily Marquez is a financial aid counselor at SamuelMerritt University, and Ryan Rubio is director of sales and operationsat Goodwill Industries. All are members of Leadership Oakland.

> Learning about boards and commissions

Leadership Oakland 2012 participants recently had an engaging andinformative session on the topic of “Boards and Commissions.”

The conversation was led by Darien Louie, director of Public and PrivatePartnerships for the East Bay Community Foundation, and Zach Wasserman,attorney and partner at Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP. The half-daysession covered the role that boards of directors and commissions play inthe building of Oakland’s future, as well as the importance of participatingon those entities.

It was emphasized, in fact, that a key outcome of the LeadershipOakland program is to develop future participants by providing a broad-based knowledge of Oakland.

The day began with an overview of the role that nonprofit board ofdirectors and commission members are asked to fulfill. Wasserman andLouie shared their knowledge of specific responsibilities and expectationsassociated with being on a board or commission. Those responsibilitiesinclude – but are not limited to – meeting requirements, level of financialcontributions, level of activity, addressing potential conflicts of interest,legal obligation, fundraising, general oversight, and agency representation.

Wasserman and Louie discussed ways of getting on various boards andcommissions – being appointed, being sought out, or soliciting. Appoint-ments are more typical with commissions (although there are a few electedpositions) and often require a greater level of visibility to city officials.

Being sought out is generally the case when an organization is in needof board members. When this is the case, sitting board members reach outto their networks to try and fill the vacancies.

In addition to learning about the expectations and obligations of beingon a board or commission, Wasserman and Louie stated important factorsto consider before sitting or applying – identify the reasons you want to beon a board or commission, and identify your strengths.

Finally, if you are interested in sitting on a particular board, you can alsosolicit it directly. This requires patience and timing as your request needs tobe during a time when there is a vacancy and it’s important that your skillset meets the need.

As the session closed, the Leadership Oakland team was inspired andmotivated to serve on a board and continue to help Oakland prosper andshine. As Senator Robert Kennedy said, “It is more important to be ofservice than successful.” �

Jamil Akoni is project manager for Kaiser Permanente, Sofia Navarrois director of Workforce Development at The Unity Council, and DaleMarie Golden is vice president of Torrey Pines Bank. All three aremembers of Leadership Oakland.

| OBR Oakland Business Review | www.oaklandchamber.com

by Luis Aguilar, Lily Marquez and Ryan Rubio

� At Art and Education Day, Dr. ElnoraWebb, president of Laney College (secondfrom the right) is welcomed byLeadership participants (left to right)Luis Aguilar, Lily Ana Marquez and RyanRubio.

by Jamil Akoni, Sofia Navarro and Dale Marie Golden

> A tasty mixer with a view

Scott’s serves the finest cuisine with a professional,courteous staff ready to make your dining experience amemorable occasion. Whether you visit for lunch, dinneror champagne jazz brunch, your dining experiencepromises to be as delicious as it is memorable.

And if you’re interested in a meeting, Scott’s hasseven different banquet rooms – some with waterfrontviews – from which to choose.

Pictured at the mixer, which was held in conjunctionwith the African-American Chamber of Commerce, includes Scott’s General ManagerRamiro Carabez (fourth from the right), Wil Hardee (third from the left), presidentand chief executive officer of the African-American Chamber, and Metro ChamberPresident Joe Haraburda (center). Others include Scott’s representatives andmembers of the Chamber Board of Directors – Eric Kisshauer (far right, PankowBuilders) and Charissa Frank (Swinerton Builders, third from the right). �

The Chamber’s AfterFive Reception for

February was held atScott’s Seafood Grill

& Bar in Jack LondonSquare, which hasbeen serving freshseafood for more

than 30 years.

March 2012 | 23

The purpose of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamberof Commerce is to promote commerce and industry,to advance economic growth and to enhance thequality of life in the city of Oakland.

OBR OAKLAND BUSINESS REVIEW (ISSN 1092-7220)is published monthly at $100.00 a year by the OaklandMetropolitan Chamber of Commerce, 475 14th Street,Oakland, CA 94612-1903. Membership dues includesubscription. Periodicals postage at Oakland, CA.Contents can’t be reproduced without permission.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OAKLANDBUSINESS REVIEW, 475 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612.

Editor

HANK MASLER, (510) 874-4808

[email protected] | www.oaklandchamber.com

Design/Production Editor

CARTER DESIGNS

The articles published in this publication do not necessarily

reflect the policies or opinions of the Oakland Metropolitan

Chamber of Commerce.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEChair of the BoardJOHN NELSONmurakami/Nelson

Vice Chair MARIO CHIODOChiodo ArtDevelopment

Vice Chair SHANNON PEDDERBRAND: CREATIVE

DAN COHENFull Court Press

CHARRISA FRANKSwinerton Builders

ERIC KISSHAUERPankow Builders

DICK SPEESHonorary Member

ZACK WASSERMANEx Officio CorporateCounselWendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP

KEN WHITEFidelity Roof Company

MICHAEL ZIEMANNSummit Bank

BOARD OF D IRECTORS

MANETTE BELLIVEAUVisit Oakland

ALICIA BERTPG&E

TERRY BRADYSecuritas SecurityServices

DAVE CANNONBarney & Barney LLC

ANA CHRETIENABC Security Service

KIM DELEVETTSouthwest Airlines

JOHN DOLBYGrubb & Ellis

CHRIS DONOHOECIM Group

SOLOMONETS-HOKINColliers International

MARK EVERTONWaterfront Hotel /Miss Pearl’s JamHouse

ALLYSON FATTORESunwest Bank

JOHN GOODINGThe Quadric Group

GEORGE GRANGERAT&T

STAN HEBERTCalifornia State University, East Bay

MICHAEL HESTERMcGuire & Hester

VICTORIA JONESThe Clorox Company

ISAAC KOS-REEDPort of Oakland

MICHAEL LEBLANCPicán

KEN MAXEYComcast

IKE MMEJEAlta Bates SummitMedical Center

NATHAN NAYMANVisa

NATHANIELOUBRE, JR.Kaiser Permanente

MICKY RANDHAWAWells Fargo

EMILY SHANKSBank of America

DAVID TUCKERWaste Managementof Alameda County

ELÑORA TENA WEBB,PH.D.Laney College

RICHARD WHITEFitzgerald Abbott &Beardsley LLC

JOSEPH HARABURDAPresident and CEO

Keeping you connected and informed

> march

14 | Ambassador Committeemeeting |noon - 1 p.m.

14 | Economic DevelopmentForum |3 - 4:30 p.m.featuring a distinguished panel of seniorEast Bay Regional Park District officials fora discussion on the economic value of theparks

15 | Breakfast at the Chamber |7:30 - 9 a.m.an update of Chamber activities forprospective, new and long-timemembers, hosted by HilliardManagement Group

20 | Nonprofit RoundtableCommittee meeting |2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

22 | After Five Reception |5:30 - 7:30 p.m.JDB Event Center, 2500 Embarcadero, nocharge for Chamber members, $15 fornon-members

23 | Inside Oakland BreakfastForum |8:30 - 10 a.m.featuring guest speaker Oakland CityCouncilmember Pat Kernighan, no chargefor Chamber members, $10 for non-members

> april

6 | East Bay Women in BusinessRoundtable luncheon|11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.featuring guest speaker Terri Swartz, deanof the College of Business & Economicsat California State University, East Bay,Waterfront Hotel in Jack London Square,$35 for Chamber members, $45 for non-members, $10 late registration fee afterApril 4


11 | Economic DevelopmentForum |3 - 4:30 p.m.featuring Doug Johnson of theMetropolitan Transportation Commission(MTC) discussing “Update on Plan BayArea: A Regional Land Use andTransportation Plan to 2040”


19 | Breakfast at the Chamber |7:30 - 9 a.m.an update of Chamber activities forprospective, new and long-timemembers, sponsored by Fountain Café

26 | After Five Reception |5:30 - 7:30 p.m.Scottish Rite Center, 1547 Lakeside Drive,facing Lake Merritt, no charge forChamber members, $15 for non-members

27 | Inside Oakland BreakfastForum |8:30 - 10 a.m.featuring guest speaker Alameda CityManager John Russo, no charge forChamber members, $10 fornon-members

> may

4 | 3rd annual EconomicDevelopment & half-day Summitreception, “Oakland: Heart of theMegaRegion,” | noon - 6:30 p.m.Jack London Square Market Building (55Harrison St.),



17 | Breakfast at the Chamber |7:30 - 9 a.m.an update of Chamber activities forprospective, new and long-timemembers, sponsored by Carolyn’sMarketing Services

24 | After Five Reception |5:30 - 7:30 p.m.no charge for Chamber members, $15for non-members

25 | Inside Oakland BreakfastForum |8:30 - 10 a.m.no charge for Chamber members, $10for non-members

25 | Chamber Night with the A’s,Oakland vs New York Yankees|game begins at 7:05 p.m.with seats almost directly behind homeplate, some of the best seats at O.co(Oakland) Coliseum, with a fireworksshow following the game, tickets $40per person for Chamber members, $50per person for non-members

All events held at Chamber offices, 475 14th Street, unless otherwise noted. Call 874-4800 to confirm dates and times. Meetings are open to all Chamber members.

Inside Oakland Breakfast Forum| March 23, 8:30 - 10 a.m. Guest speaker Oakland City Councilmember Pat Kernighan

East Bay Women in Business luncheon| April 6 | Guest speaker Terri Swartz, dean of the College of Business & Economics at California State University, East Bay

Economic Development Forum| March 14, 3 - 4:30 p.m.Economic value of East Bay Regional Parks

> Restaurateurs are a vital partof our community

SPECIAL SECTION The Oakland Restaurant Association

Faz Restaurant • 1111 Broadway(510) 272-1111 • www.fazrestaurants.com

BACKGROUNDThe success of Faz Poursohi, the ownerof Faz in the lobby of 1111 Broadway indowntown Oakland, is based on his loveof food and cooking that he acquiredgrowing up in Tehran. His family tookculinary matters seriously and their tablewas always laid with freshly baked breads,fruits and vegetables from the familyfarm. He owns and operates restaurantsin Danville, Pleasanton, Silicon Valley andPalo Alto.

First job? Working on my family’sfarm growing organic produce and cattle.

Residence? Danville, CA

BUSINESS STRATEGYHow’s business? Business is growing every day. Of course it is challenging at

times, but our goal is to remain positive and continue to move forward.Biggest challenge? Conveying to our customers the excitement and passion

we have for our healthy Mediterranean cuisines.Personal goal yet to be achieved? I actually have two personal goals.

1) Becoming a major contributor in bringing the best of food and beverage to thehotel industry. 2) Expand our business to own and operate Mediterranean organicsidewalk cafes.

People like to work for me because? Let me ask my staff ☺ – “Faz is a REALguy. He first and foremost cares for the well being of all his employees. He realizesthat we are all here to do a very important job, and holds us each accountable for ourpart. He also realizes that we all have lives outside of work, and he greatly respectsthat.”

Mentor? Richard Mellman of “Lettuce Entertain You” in Chicago, and LarryMindell of Spectrum Foods and Il Fornaio.

What do you like most about your job? Feeding people. I have a beautiful job.It gives me an opportunity to make people happy three times a day – breakfast, lunchand dinner. If you do this with integrity and honesty it makes for a beautifulcombination.

What do you like least about your job? Long hours.Best meal/dish you ever created and to whom was it served? Starting the

tradition of flat bread in San Francisco. We were one of the only restaurants in the 80sserving fresh warm flat bread.

Most respected competitor? I don’t view this as a competition. I look at this asa team effort – we have a lot of good chefs trying to bring great food to many.

PREFERENCESStranded on a desert island; what cookbook would you want? Food of Life

by Najmieh Batmanglij.Lunch with Julia Child - one question for her? How did you bring French

food to such a large scale in the U.S?Favorite cause? Supporting our local farmers and families.Favorite movie? The Thornbirds.Favorite restaurant? Chez Panisse, by Alice Waters.Favorite way to spend spare time? With wife and family.What’s on your iPod? Classical & European. Automobile? Anything that allows me to haul produce in the back. �

> Chef’s / Owner’s Corner –Faz Poursohi

> Miss Pearl’s – Southern Heat. Oakland Cool. After experiencing a devastating flood in October, Miss Pearl’s in Jack LondonSquare re-opened on Fat Tuesday. The Mardi Gras celebration was enjoyed bymore than 400 loyal Miss Pearl’s fans who had waited patiently for there-opening.

The extensive remodel that was precipitated by the flood damage includesall new furnishings in the lounge and restaurant. The contemporary look andfeel has transformed Miss Pearl’s from its island roots to a very hip Southerngathering spot for casual Southern dining and libations.

Seldom is a restaurant afforded the opportunity to reset itself by a completetransformation of the décor, menus and ambiance. Miss Pearl’s new look, feeland vibe are wonderful compliments to the Southern-inspired menu andspecialty drinks.

In addition to Miss Pearl’s famous Creole Gumbo, the menu also offers9-Spiced Blackened Catfish, Georgia Shrimp and Grits, and Niman Ranch SmokeyBBQ Ribs. The lounge now offers an extensive bourbon selection and signaturecocktails such as Miss Pearl’s Hurricane, Mississippi Punch and Mint Julep.

The restoration includes bringing back Oakland’s premier Sunday Bruncheither indoors or a relaxing Sunday morning spent on Miss Pearl’s patiooverlooking the bay.

Visit www.misspearlsjamhouse.com for Information, menus and reservations.

by Mark Everton

This column in past editions has covered restaurant-related topics thatincluded how restaurants help our Oakland environment by using organicproducts and how Oakland restaurants recycle, compost and re-use wasteoil to improve the quality of life.

The recent publicity surrounding the Occupy Oakland events and the height-ened awareness of the 99 percent differentiation heightens the awareness of howimbedded Oakland restaurants are in the 99 percent.

Oakland has more than 700 restaurants, according to the restaurant listmaintained by Visit Oakland. Assuming that the average restaurant employs10-15 people, Oakland restaurants account for 7,000-10,500 employees. Mostrestaurant employees earn an hourly wage that is near the minimum wage.Using the 10,500 employee figure and assuming most workers work an averageof 30 hours per week at $10 per hour, Oakland restaurants account for approxi-mately $163,000,000 in wages. Yes, that is $163 million in wages that staysprimarily in Oakland.

Given the modest wage most restaurant workers earn, most live nearby therestaurants where they work. An Oakland employer with 10,500 employeespaying $163 million in wages would make that employer rank as one of the largestemployers in the city. Clearly the annual wage of most restaurant workers putsthem smack in the middle of the 99 percent classification. It may be said thatlocal restaurants are the largest 99 percent employer in Oakland.

Miss Pearl’s Restaurant and Lounge, located in Jack London Square, experi-enced a catastrophic flood in late October. The restaurant was closed for fourmonths. The 60 or so employees of the restaurant were facing the prospect ofnot having viable employment through the holiday season and into February.Miss Pearl’s and the Waterfront Hotel continued to pay all of the restaurantemployees their regular wages plus the tips that they would have earned duringthe four-month shut-down. The 60 families that relied on the wage earners thatare employed at Miss Pearl’s to pay rent and mortgages, to purchase food andclothing from Oakland stores, to make car payments and purchase gasolinefrom Oakland stations, were relieved that wages were continued throughoutthe shut-down.

It is easy to overlook the importance that restaurants have. Oaklandrestaurants bring people into the city from all over the Bay Area. Michael LeBlancat Pican believes that 45 percent of his clients come “across the bridge or throughthe tunnel.” The money that these visitors bring stays here through wages paid toworkers at Oakland’s restaurants. Supplies, food, decorations, musicians, florists,and laundries all benefit from successful Oakland restaurants and they in turnconsistently employ residents in their businesses.

The New York Times recently ranked Oakland as one of the top five cities tovisit in the world. A major basis for selecting Oakland was the influence thatOakland’s culinary renaissance is having. We are blessed with some world-classrestaurants in Oakland and with scores of family-owned specialty neighborhoodrestaurants that provide a vital link to the Bay Area and the world.

The importance of Oakland as a great place to visit and an exceptional placeto dine is overshadowed, at times, by the constant media portrayal of Oakland’scrimes and coverage of the Occupy Oakland events. Oaklanders need to supportour city as a great place to visit, work, live, shop and dine. We can do that bysupporting local restaurants. Use an Oakland restaurant to cater your next event.Grab a to-go meal from an Oakland restaurant the next time it’s your turn to “dodinner” at home. Show off Oakland restaurants to your out-of-town clients.

Our restaurants are forefront in improving the quality of life in Oakland, andthe more we support them the better the quality of many lives will be. �

Mark Everton, the executive director of the Waterfront Hotel and MissPearl’s, is co-chair of the Oakland Restaurant Association.

obr march 2012

Documents

city of oakland

port of oakland

oakland restaurants

city ofoakland

workshop tours oaklands

summit participants

thriving city

business leaders