Hooman Toyota Coming Soon To Willow - Long Beach Business Journal April 29 - May 12 2014

April 29-May 12, 2014 lbbusinessjournal.com

HealthWiseWhat To DoWith All ThosePill Bottles OnThe CounterSee Page 18

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Sares-Regis SubmitsPlans For Three More

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Hooman Toyota Coming Soon To Willow And Redondo; 70 New Jobs To Be Created

The Hooman Toyota dealership currently located at the Long Beach Traffic Circle is moving soon to its new home at the north-west corner of Willow Street and Redondo Avenue in Long Beach. (Rendering by Dennis J. Flynn Architects, Inc., of Orange,California, provided by Hooman Toyota)

� By TIFFANY L. RIDER

Editor

I f you run a business or areemployed in a field where you

work with computers, chances areyou’ve downloaded, uploaded andstored data. Perhaps one suchexperience involved a painstak-ingly slow upload of a video, andanother a fuzzy connection duringa live video meeting with an inter-national client.As the World Wide Web grows

wider and more devices connectto the Internet, demand for moredata storage and faster data trans-fer is growing exponentially. “We are in the midst of this big

broadband era that’s been drivenby more Internet connected

devices, more video streaming,more mobile applications,” JarrydGonzales, spokesperson forVerizon, told the Business Journal.What’s needed to serve that

ever-growing demand is a robustnetwork and vast bandwidth, bothof which are available through theuse of fiber optic cables.

How It WorksFiber optic cables are strands of

glass fibers inside an insulatedcasing, designed for long distanceand very high bandwidth networkcommunication. While expensive,these types of cables are replacingtraditional copper cables becausethe fiber ones offer more capacityand are less susceptible to electri-cal interference.

Renovation Begins Mid-May


Editor

A plan five years in themaking to construct a

brand new dealership for HoomanToyota of Long Beach is comingto fruition this year, bringing 70new jobs to Long Beach.Hooman Nissani, president of

Hooman Automotive Group, toldthe Business Journal that fiveyears ago he set plans to build a

significantly larger dealership forhis Toyota franchise. The franchiseacquired the former BoulevardCadillac location at the corner ofWillow Street and RedondoAvenue a little more than threeyears ago, and renovations of thatfacility should begin in May. “It’s going to go through a

pretty intensive renovation,”Nissani told the Business Journal,noting the existing dealershipnear the traffic circle will close afew months after the renovationproject breaks ground. “This isgoing to be huge for us. We cur-rently operate out of six differentfacilities. Now we will serviceand sell [vehicles to] our clientsall out of one space,” he said,adding that he hopes the entireproject would be finished by thebeginning of September. Hooman Toyota currently

employs about 140 people. “We’llprobably go just north of 210,”Nissani said, noting that the com-pany needs to add about 70 newemployees in the next fewmonths. The total investment forthis renovation project is roughly$8.5 million. “The location is

very accessible from the freewayand very close to our existing sig-nage,” he said. “The fact thatthere was a dealership therealready made it a lot easier.”Once completed, the newly

designed dealership will offer allof the same services and amenitiesas the existing Hooman Toyotadealership, plus more. The facilitywill have 180 loaner vehicles, twocar washes, six different waitingareas, a Subway sandwiches shopand more. “It will be far superiorto our current location,” Nissanisaid. “It will likely be a top 10location for the Toyota brand.” �

� By GEORGE ECONOMIDES

Publisher

S ares-Regis Group (SRG) ofIrvine has submitted plans

for the construction of threebuildings totaling nearly 500,000square feet of space in theDouglas Aircraft PlannedDevelopment District. The projectis called Pacific Pointe East andfollows on the heels of SRG’ssuccessful Pacific Pointe atDouglas Park project.This Thursday, May 1, the Long

Beach Planning Commission isholding a study session about theproject. A draft environmentalimpact report has also been pre-pared and is available for publicreview through May 29.According to a memo from

Amy Bodek, the director of theLong Beach DevelopmentServices Department, the pro-posed buildings are “intendedfor light industrial, light manu-facturing, warehouse, officeand/or research and develop-ment land uses.” The buildingsmeasure 144,000 square feetwith 221 parking spaces,118,000 square feet with 156parking spaces and 232,000

square feet with 345 parkingspaces on a 25-acre property. The project is located at the

southeast corner of Conant Streetand Lakewood Boulevard, wherea parking lot is currently situated.On the north side of Conant isMercedes-Benz USA, whichsigned a 15-year lease with SRGin 2013 for two aircraft hangarstotaling 1.1 million square feet ofspace on 52 acres. To the south isSkylinks Golf Course.SRG broke ground on Pacific

Pointe at Douglas Park in early2012. The seven-building,677,142-square-foot develop-ment – located on the west side ofLakewood Boulevard – immedi-ately proved popular as all build-ings were delivered and sold in a12-month period. “We knew that premium build-

ings would be in great demand inthe South Bay market,” said LarryLukanish, senior vice president ofSRG’s Commercial InvestmentsDivision, in a January pressrelease. “Nevertheless, we aregratified by the strong marketresponse. This project exceededour expectations.” �

(Staff Writer Samantha Mehlingercontributed to this article.)

Future Proofing InnovationWith Fiber Optic Cable

(Please Continue To Page 12)

Victoria Bryan, pictured above at anew art installation downtown, hasbeen named executive director of theArts Council for Long Beach. See InThe News, Page 16.

Port ReorganizesEngineering

Bureau; Adding35 New Positions

� By SAMANTHA MEHLINGER

Staff Writer

A s a $4.5 billion capitalimprovement program is

underway at the Port of LongBeach, the port’s engineering


1_LBBJ_Apirl 29_SectionA_LBBJ MASTER LAYOUT 4/27/14 5:54 PM Page 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE2 Long Beach Business Journal April 29-May 12, 2014

3 Newswatch• Update On Long Beach Medical Marijuana Ordinance• Locals Celebrate Chittick Field Grand Opening• Long Beach City Hall News In Brief• Airport Manager Rodriguez Leaving For Indianapolis• Vehicle-To-Vehicle Incidents Costly To Long Beach• Leases And Transactions

12 Technology• Fiber Optic Cable, continued from Page 1• Local Film Company Finalist In Global Competition• Wonder Women Hacks At Convention Center In May• Innovation Winners To Develop Noninvasive Medical Tool

16 In The News18 Perspective

Realty Views How Will World Turbulence Impact Housing?By Terry RossEffective Leadership Got The Blues? Do The Opposite OfWhat You Feel. By Mick UklejaHealthWise What To Do With All Those Pill Bottles OnThe Counter By Robert Tindula, PharmD.Third Sector Report The Dollars And Sense Needed ToRaise Money By Jeffrey WilcoxA Better Way To Fly When Fodor’s And Yahoo Talk, TheWorld Listens By Mario Rodriguez

Section BFocus On International Trade20-Page Section on the San Pedro Bay Ports

Staff Changes At The Business JournalIn the last edition, we announced that Business Journal Editor Tiffany Rider was

leaving for another position outside of Long Beach. Her last day was April 25, but herarticles do appear throughout this issue of the publication. Rider joined the BusinessJournal as a staff writer in September 2009, soon after graduating from CaliforniaState University, Long Beach. The Business Journal is also bidding farewell toanother long-time employee. Martha Rangel, who has been serving as vice presidentof sales and marketing, joined the staff nearly 10 years ago, a few months after grad-uating from the University of San Francisco. Her final day is May 12. She is movingto Sacramento to be near her family, with plans to return to Southern California in thenear future. “Martha and Tiffany have been so very valuable to the success of theBusiness Journal,” said Publisher George Economides. “They will certainly bemissed. They’ve been good ambassadors for the Business Journal. I was constantlyreceiving compliments from clients and members of the community about their work,their positive attitude and overall professionalism – and their willingness to help oth-ers even if it had nothing to do with their job.”On May 1, the Business Journal is welcoming three new employees: Michael

Watkins joins the staff as a sales and marketing executive, and Brandon Ferguson andCindy Santos come on board as staff writers. Michael has worked at the Daily Breezeand Press-Telegram since 2008. Brandon, a Cal State Fullerton graduate, has fouryears of daily and weekly newspaper experience, including with the Whittier DailyNews and OC Weekly. Cindy’s previous experience includes the Salinas Californianand The Press Enterprise. She is a graduate of USC. �

OOPS! The PoliticalWire column of the April 15 edition of the Business Journal indi-cated the Long Beach General Municipal Election is June 10. It’s June 3, and it coincideswith the Statewide Direct Primary Election. The city election includes runoffs betweenthe following candidates: Damon Dunn and Robert Garcia for mayor; James Johnson andCharles Parkin for city attorney; Lena Gonzalez and Misi Tagaloa for 1st CouncilDistrict; and Carl Kemp and Stacy Mungo for 5th Council District.

Saluting Bob Foster On His 8 Years As

Mayor Of Long BeachA Very Special All-Glossy PublicationBy The Long Beach Business Journal

Here’s an excerpt from the publication:

When asked if he saw relevance in Tom Brokaw’s notion of

“the greatest generation” and the values of his own parents,

Foster agreed. “I think Brokaw is right, it is the greatest gen-

eration because in a lot of ways they were very selfless.

They were extraordinarily future oriented,” Foster said. “We

are much more creatures of the present,” he said, noting that

“one of the reasons I bemoan the loss of redevelopment was

it was the one thing in public life that forced politicians to

think long term. You see very little of that now. . . . Yeah, it

was a different generation, motivated by different things . . .

in some sense, the success of their efforts has bred our

myopia; it’s just the way human beings are.

Advertising Space Deadline: May 5Publication Date: May 13

Call Martha or Heather: 562/988-1222


NEWSWATCHApril 29-May 12, 2014 Long Beach Business Journal 3

Ordinance Could Return To ThePlanning Commission By May 15


Editor

While city staff continues to research bestpractices for implementing a conditional usepermit- (CUP) based ordinance for regulat-ing medical marijuana in Long Beach, thecity attorney’s office, representatives of theLong Beach Collective Association (LBCA)and business leaders will work together overthe next month to hammer out the details ofan ordinance on which they can agree.That was the request from the Long Beach

Planning Commission on April 17 after thecity’s Development Director Amy Bodek,Assistant City Attorney Mike Mais andDeputy City Attorney Kendra Carney pre-sented a revised draft of the proposed medicalmarijuana regulations. Those regulationswould, if ultimately approved by the citycouncil, allow medical marijuana collectivesto operate and cultivate within city limits. Aspart of the request, the planning commissionasked city staff to submit a list of the elementswithin the draft ordinance on which LBCAand the city attorney’s office disagree.LBCA Attorney Jina Nam told the

Business Journal that the collective associa-

tion takes issue with some key elements ofthe ordinance, such as potentially restrictingcollectives to industrial zones. However,during the April 17 meeting, planning com-missioners asked staff to explore certaincommercial zones that could accommodatemedical marijuana collectives withoutbeing too close to schools or residences. The second issue, Nam said, is the fact

that priority for vetted operators has not yetbeen established. “Back in December whenthe city council directed this [ordinance] tothe planning commission, they [asked staff]to come up with a prioritizing scheme forthe previously vetted operators,” Nam said,referring to the operators who were estab-lished under the ordinance that was in effectbefore the February 2012 ban on medicalmarijuana. “The city attorney’s office hasno method of prioritization. That goesagainst the directive of the city council.”As of April 23, Nam said she and the city

attorney’s office had not yet set a time to workout these issues together. “I’m hoping the dia-logue with the city attorney is to find a legalway and not avoid [medical marijuana]because they want to avoid lawsuits,” she said.On the planning side of the ordinance, city

staff continues to work on determining bestpractices for conditional use permits (CUP)for medical marijuana shops. Under the new


City Staff Hammering Out Details OfNew Medical Marijuana Ordinance


NEWSWATCH4 Long Beach Business Journal April 29-May 12, 2014

ordinance, which would be structured asa zoning ordinance, medical cannabiscollectives would need to be issued aCUP as well as a business license tooperate in the city. The concern with applying for a CUP,

Bodek explained at the April 17 meeting,is that CUPs are typically issued to aproperty, and medical marijuana collec-tives are more likely to rent space than tobuy. Because CUPs tend to “run with theland,” according to Mais, assigning aCUP to a business could put the city in alegally unfavorable position. “Whenchallenged, cities usually lose when tyinga CUP to a specific owner,” he said. Medical marijuana collectives that

have a storefront and a separate propertyfor growing cannabis is also of concern,as it creates the dilemma of determiningwhether to assign the operator one ortwo CUPs. Commissioners also discussed outreach

to the business community, of which med-ical marijuana collectives would be a partpending passage of the draft ordinance.Rod Wilson, president of the EastAnaheim Street Business Alliance, sub-mitted a letter to the planning commissionon April 18 expressing his concern overonce again allowing medical marijuanaoperations in Long Beach. “We had a very bad experience with

the marijuana dispensaries,” Wilson toldthe Business Journal. “We at one timehad four [dispensaries] at the district andit was a nightmare. [The dispensary] hadarmed people strapped with guns at theirsides. Schools and neighborhoods sur-round this area. We have done so muchto get that out of the community.”

The Belmont Shore BusinessAssociation has not yet discussed thedraft medical marijuana ordinance,according to Executive Director DedeRossi. The Downtown Long BeachAssociates have not yet taken a positionon the topic.In response to Wilson’s concerns,

Nam told the Business Journal thatLBCA has been meeting with differentbusinesses, business leaders, landlordsand others before and during the ordi-nance’s development. “I’m a little surprised to hear there is

resistance,” she said. “The consensus sofar has been pretty good in terms of sup-port for medical marijuana. We defi-nitely want to build consensus. This is,after all, something that will affect thepublic. We want to work with everyoneand be on the same page with everyoneas much as possible to address issueswith businesses.” �

Locals CelebrateGrand Opening Of

Chittick Field� By SAMANTHA MEHLINGER

Staff Writer

Local residents, school children andgovernment representatives celebratedthe opening of the Chittick Field sportscomplex in Long Beach’s 6th CouncilDistrict on April 23. Located near Pacific Coast Highway

and Walnut Avenue, the 19-acre LosAngeles County site is used as a stormwater management facility, but hasalso functioned as a park for the past60 years. Recreational upgradesinclude a football field, an all-weathertrack and other track and field facili-

Operations And Supply Chain

Management ProgramAn all-star team of outside executives has been

assembled to work with the College of BusinessAdministration’s (CBA) Operations and Supply

Chain Management(OSCM) team. Leadersfrom prominent organiza-tions including Toyota,UPS, Port of Long Beach,Port of Los Angeles,global forwarder CEVALogistics, The BoeingCompany, regional logis-tics services providers andinternational consultantsmeet formally four timeseach year to move the pro-

gram forward. It’s a perfect storm of collabora-tion that benefits students, faculty and industry.CSULB students realize benefits when advi-

sory board members address classes, provideinternships, offer job shadowing, award scholar-ships, make hires and conduct tours of majorlocal area facilities. The OSCM program isgrowing rapidly with 156 students currentlydeclaring an Operations/Supply Chain major.An increasing number of grads are finding awide range of exciting, well paying careers in theoperations and supply chain industry.OSCM faculty and administration ensure rele-

vance by embracing input from industryresources. The OSCM team actively exchangethoughts on curriculum and program design.Analytics have become a huge factor in industry.CBA’s faculty has created structured course workthat readies students for the rigors of this disci-pline. Faculty make good use of the advisorygroup as a sounding board, thereby enabling realworld success for CBA graduates.Industry board members enjoy the experience

of being involved with an important universityand the satisfaction of making a contribution.Altruism is a draw, but there are strong prag-matic reasons to be involved with the OSCMprogram. The operations and supply chain indus-try in Southern California continues to grow rap-idly. Advisory board members share a vestedinterest in having capable and well educated tal-ent readily available. Members of the advisoryboard are pleased with their hiring of OSCMgraduates. Industry peers say that OSCM gradsare ready to be immediate assets for theiremployersThe OSCM program was recently honored by

Boeing as part of their nationwide focus on col-leges offering supply chain degrees. CSULB’sCBA OSCM program is the only university inCalifornia selected to be part of the Boeing ini-tiative. This speaks volumes about what hasbeen accomplished by OSCM and how muchupside can be achieved. OSCM and its advisoryboard are hard at work to take the program tothe next level.(The College of Business Administration at

Cal State Long Beach is an AACSB accreditedbusiness school that provides undergraduatesand MBAs with the knowledge and skills neces-sary to be successful in their careers and to pro-pel the economic development of our region.) �

Marijuana Ordinance(Continued From Page 3)

By Phil Ramsdale,President

Transport Solutions(CSULB Class of 1979)

Locals celebrate the grand opening of Chittick Field’s new recreational facilities. Pictured in the background, from left, are: Long Beach Director ofPublic Works Ara Maloyan; City Manager Patrick West; President and General Manager of Oxy Long Beach, Inc. Frank Komin; OccidentalPetroleum Corporation Vice President Todd Stevens; Mayor Bob Foster; Director of Parks, Recreation and Marine George Chapjian; Los AngelesCounty Supervisor Don Knabe; and former National Football League and Poly High School football player Willie McGinest. Team members fromthe Willie McGinest Long Beach Browns Youth Football Team play in the foreground. (Photograph courtesy of the City of Long Beach)

Business Journal Publisher Critical Of City Council Vote On Labor Negotiations Involving Hospital, NursesOn April 15, the city council adopted a resolution to support a contract for reg-

istered nurses at Community Hospital Long Beach similar to contracts of nursesat Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. Third District Councilmember GaryDeLong was the lone dissenting vote, with Vice Mayor Robert Garcia and 5thDistrict Councilmember Gerrie Schipske absent. The California NursesAssociation has been in labor negotiations since March with MemorialCare, whichruns Community Hospital. Business Journal Publisher George Economides criticized the action saying,

“Councilmembers were not elected to get involved in private sector labor issues.MemorialCare and its hospitals do a heck of a lot to support Long Beach and pay thecity a bundle of money in fees and taxes. This is a slap in the face to a major employerwhich is facing huge challenges within the unpredictable health care industry. “Councilmembers need to remember that if it were not for MemorialCare stepping

in and taking over Community Hospital, that hospital would have closed and therewould be no jobs there. This is precisely what happens with a city council full ofindividuals who have never had to meet a payroll and have no clue when it comes tounderstanding how to operate a business. Several of them don’t even have a job!” �



ties, three soccer f ields, restrooms,bleachers, sports lighting, landscapingand parking. “Chittick Field has beenrevitalized as a state-of-the-art facilityand will enhance the entire communityby providing so many wonderful oppor-tunities for recreation, team sports and ahealthy active lifestyle,” Mayor BobFoster said in a statement.Los Angeles County made its first ever

99-year lease with the City of Long Beachto facilitate Chittick Field’s recreationaldevelopment. “We’ve had great coopera-tion from the City of Long Beach in ourongoing efforts to protect our communitiesfrom flood risk, while creating a beautifulrecreational area. This project is a greatexample of two government agenciesworking together to not only improve theaesthetics of the area, but enrich the qualityof life for local residents,” Los Angeles

County Supervisor Don Knabe stated.The Los Angeles County Park and Open

Space District, City of Long Beach infra-structure funds, open space bonds and a$1 million donation from OccidentalPetroleum Corporation funded the project,which cost $9.9 million. “Oxy is proud tobe a part of the Long Beach community,”Frank Komin, president and general man-ager of Oxy Long Beach, Inc., said in astatement. “The revitalization of ChittickField is the result of a successfulpublic/private partnership with the City ofLong Beach and the Los Angeles CountyDepartment of Parks and Recreation andreflects our strong commitment to ourneighbors,” he remarked.Renovations to support storm water man-

agement at Chittick Field included adding alow-flow drainage system, pump stationand other storm water treatment devices. �

Long Beach City HallNews In Brief


Staff Writer

Alamitos Bay Marina Project Update– At the April 15 city council meeting,Long Beach City Manager Patrick Westand Director of Financial ManagementJohn Gross presented options for fundingthe Alamitos Bay Marina improvementproject. At that time, improvements to fourbasins within the marina had been com-pleted, but funding for the remaining fourbasins had not been identified. West toldthe council that city staff discovered that$10.9 million had been transferred fromthe Marina Fund to the Tidelands Fund inthe 1990s, and that this money may now bepaid back to the Marina Fund to pay for theAlamitos Bay Marina project. Grossexplained that it may take until June or Julyfor the State Lands Commission to approvea transfer of the money from the TidelandsFund, at which time further work on Basin2 may progress. In the meantime, the citycouncil voted to extend the contract withBellingham Marine Industries, Inc. toupgrade electrical systems in Basins 2 and3. The cost for this work is about $1.9 mil-lion, for which the city does have funds.Gross suggested funding the remainder ofthe project with city-authorized bonds,higher slip fees and other measures to beexecuted some time in 2015. The total costof the remaining work is about $60 million.FTA Review Of Long Beach Transit –

The Federal Transit Administration’s trien-nial review of Long Beach Transit, agen-dized for review at last night’s (April 28)LBT Board of Directors meeting, foundseveral deficiencies with LBT operations.In two cases, LBT did not meet the FTA’sBuy America certification standards.“During the examination of procurementfiles it was found that LBT had notobtained a Buy America certification forthe sole source award for the upgrade of itsfare box coin validators,” the report stated.LBT also did not complete proper BuyAmerica certification “for pre-award andpost-delivery for a piggyback procurementof rolling stock . . . for the purchase of 33CNG [compressed natural gas] buses.” Thereport noted that LBT did not follow FTA

procedure when it awarded a contract for10 zero-emission buses to Chinese-basedmanufacturer Build Your Dreams, whichhad not submitted a requiredDisadvantaged Business Enterprise certifi-cation to the FTA. Another issue addressedby the FTA was that while LBT providesAmericans With Disabilities Act (ADA)compliant curb-to-curb service, meaningthat persons with disabilities are assistedon and off vehicles, no assistance is pro-vided beyond the curbside for those whomight need it. The FTA report providedcorrective actions and a schedule for LBTto implement them.




Long Beach Selected For EarthquakeWarning System Test – The CaliforniaInstitute of Technology and the UnitedStates Geological Survey selected the Cityof Long Beach as a beta testing site for anearthquake early warning system. The sys-tem uses seismic networks to quicklydetect moderate to large magnitude earth-quakes and to send an early warning toareas outside of the epicenter. City depart-ments are going to test the system and pro-vide feedback to help its developers refineit. There is no cost to the city for participat-ing as a beta site. “We are always looking

for ways to better prepare for a disaster,and even a few seconds of warning beforethe force of an earthquake reaches us cansave lives and protect property,” MayorBob Foster said in a statement.Grand Prix Association Of Long Beach

Extension – At the April 22 meeting, theLong Beach City Council approved a three-year extension to a contract allowing theGrand Prix Association of Long Beach toconduct Grand Prix races in the city. Thecontract has been extended until June 2018with two options for one-year extensions.The following additions were made to thecontract: the Grand Prix Association isrequired to hold an annual Motor SportsWalk of Fame event before the race, and the

association must provide a $1 million letterof credit and liquidated damages clause tothe city effective 180 days before the raceand expiring immediately thereafter, fromwhich the city may draw if the associationfails to hold a Grand Prix race.$3 Million For Property Buy-Back,

Remediation – City councilmembersauthorized the purchase and remediation ofa 5.31-acre portion of a former public serv-ice yard for $3 million at the April 15 meet-ing. The formerly city-owned property,which is part of a 12.471-acre lot, wasswapped in 2010 for a portion of the LosCerritos Wetlands. Its new owner, LCWPartners, LLC, then sold it to another com-pany, Alere Property Group, LLC, which

planned to develop the land for industrialuse. However, it was recently discoveredthat earthquake fill beneath the 5.31-acrenorthern portion of the property is contami-nated with lead paint debris. The city andAlere have developed a plan to localize thecontaminated soil in the northern part of theproperty, which the city is now buying back.Youth/Student Work And Internship

Opportunities –At the April 15 city coun-cil meeting, councilmembers voted toreceive $441,000 from the County of LosAngeles to operate a summer work programfor 300 youth, ages 14 to 21. The program,which is run by the Pacific GatewayWorkforce Investment Network, providesyouth with 100 to 120 hours of paid work

www.longbeach.gov/purchasing

www.longbeach.gov/pw/towing/auction.asp

HUD Section 3 ProgramThe City of Long Beach Section 3 Program provides economic and employment

opportunities to low-income residents and businesses. More information is located on the City’s Purchasing website.

Bidder RegistrationRegister with the City of Long Beach at www.longbeach.gov/purchasing to receive noti�cations of bid opportunities. Additional details on upcoming

bids and how to register can be found on the website.

Small Business Enterprise ProgramTake advantage of the City of Long Beach Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program. To learn more about becoming a part of the SBE Program and

certi�cation process, visit the City’s Purchasing website.

Custodial Services (Citywide) ITB LB 14-065 5/22/14Websense Upgrade RFP TS 14-042 5/20/14 NSP 3 Rehabilitation Program 1-3 ITB DV 14-053 5/15/14 Historic Preservation Consulting RFP DV 14-035 5/14/14 Purchase & Remove Scrap WD 13-14 5/07/14Helicopter Part & Service ITB FS 14-080 5/07/14Riser & Fittings ITB GO 14-071 5/07/14Inmate Visitation System RFP PD14-029 4/30/14Furnish & Deliver (1) New Vacuum WD 19-14 4/29/14Rehab of Wells Commission WD 32-13 4/29/14

City Hall News(Continued From Page 5)



experience. Also at the April 15 meeting,the city council approved a three-yearagreement with the trustees of CaliforniaState University (CSU) to facilitate intern-ships for CSU Dominguez Hills (CSUDH)students at the Long Beach Senior Center.CSUDH is funding this program.Phone Line Resolution Withdrawn –

As reported in the last edition of theBusiness Journal, on April 15 the citycouncil was set to vote to direct the cityattorney to draft a resolution askingVerizon Telecommunications to adhere tocertain standards when swapping out wiredphone lines with wireless lines in parts ofLong Beach. That item was withdrawnfrom the council agenda.Belmont Plaza Pool Demolition – City

councilmembers voted to proceed with thedesign and bidding phase for the BelmontPlaza Pool Demolition Project on April 15.The city’s building official recommendedthat the seismically unsafe pool facility bedemolished as soon as possible. TheCalifornia Coastal Commission must nowapprove the demolition. $1.8 million fromthe Tidelands Operations Fund is budgetedfor a demolition contract.Additional $1.1 Million For Chittick

Field –The city council approved a contractincrease of $1,111,934 for improvements toChittick Field on April 22. Contractor C.S.Legacy Construction Inc.’s work to improvea portion of the recreational field wasimpacted when the County of Los Angelesrequired a low-flow pump station to be leftin place, altering the contractor’s plans. Thetotal contract amount is now $6,898,026. �

Mario RodriguezLeaving Long Beach

Airport For Top Job AtIndianapolis Airport


Staff Writer

Long Beach Airport Director MarioRodriguez is resigning from his position totake on the role of executive director of theIndianapolis Airport Authority, heannounced last week.Rodriguez has served as Long Beach air-

port director since February 2009. Under hiswatch, several large-scale projects have beencompleted at the airport, including a $57million new parking garage and the $45 mil-lion modernization of the airport terminal, aproject that has since won several awards forits design and local vendor offerings.“Managing the Long Beach Airport and

being a part of the Long Beach team hasbeen an incredible experience, one that I willforever treasure,” Rodriguez said in a state-ment. “I can’t say enough about the profes-sionalism of the airport staff, the wonderfulpartnerships with the airport stakeholders,and the amazing Long Beach communitywho embraced me and helped create the suc-cess we enjoy at the airport. I am looking for-ward to this next challenge in my career andwish Long Beach the very best,” he stated.Prior to his tenure at the Long Beach

Airport, Rodriguez served as deputy direc-

tor of the Louis Armstrong New OrleansInternational Airport, which he helpedhelm during Hurricane Katrina. He hasalso held airport positions in Miami, FortLauderdale and Palm Beach.“Mario has been such an asset to Long

Beach, and I can’t say enough about his

expertise, professionalism, and what heand his team have accomplished over thepast five years working hand in hand withthe mayor and city council, the communityand our city departments,” City ManagerPatrick West said in a statement. “We wishhim all the best as he explores new profes-sional challenges and brings a little part ofLong Beach’s success with him to anothercommunity,” he added.Following Rodriguez’s departure on May

23, the city plans to conduct a nationwidesearch for a new airport director, “consid-ering both internal and external candi-dates,” according to a city press release. Aninterim director will be appointed by thecity manager in the meantime. �

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Part One In A Series InvestigatingInsurance Claims And LawsuitsPaid By The City Of Long Beach


Editor

It happens nearly every day – a publicworks employee driving a large truck acci-dentally knocks a side mirror off a parkedvehicle. Or, a gas department employeebacks a truck into another department vehi-cle in the parking lot. Incidents like this happen frequently, and

they cost the city money. So what is the citydoing to help reduce those incidents andtheir related costs? As part one in a series of articles investi-

gating insurance claims and lawsuits paidout by the City of Long Beach, theBusiness Journal examines a regularlyoccurring incident: the auto accident. Vehicle-to-vehicle incidents on city

record are those involving city-owned vehi-cles. According to Long Beach CityAttorney Charles Parkin, the city owns thevehicles, which are loaned to departmentsand maintained by the city’s fleet service. City officials investigate every incident

involving a city-owned vehicle to deter-mine the cause, Parkin explained. A city

vehicle involved in an accident is towed tothe city’s impound lot, where a privateinsurance appraiser determines the extentof the vehicle’s damage.When a non-city vehicle is at fault in a

city-related incident, the city initially paysout money to cover the damages and thenworks through the non-city vehicle owner’sinsurance company to get reimbursement,Parkin said. If the non-city vehicle ownerdoes not have insurance, the damages may

be recovered through litigation. In terms of costs, insurance claims vary

based on how significant the vehiculardamage is and, more importantly, if it’s aninjury accident. Based on the data, cityvehicle-to-vehicle incident claims are typi-cally under $10,000. However, “A signifi-cant injury can push the claim to themoon,” Parkin said. The data exemplifies this, showing that the

police department saw a sharp spike in theamount of insurance claims paid from 2011to 2012 even though the number of incidentsdropped by one. That spike is mainly attrib-uted to an incident involving Alvaro Garza, a57-year old retired U.S. Marine. According to Parkin, the case began

February 6, 2010, with an early morningcar accident on the northbound I-405.Garza was driving his 2002 Jeep Liberty towork when, at about 4:15 a.m., he lost con-trol of the SUV due to heavy rain and wetroad conditions. His vehicle hydroplanedand stopped near the center divider.Garza, who was not wearing a seat belt,

waited in his car for a tow truck to arrive.At that time, Long Beach PoliceCommander Richard Rocchi was drivingan unmarked police vehicle along the I-405northbound. He was headed to Long Beachto handle a police emergency when hisvehicle also began to hydroplane, follow-

ing almost the same path as Garza’s SUV.Rocchi’s vehicle struck the passenger sideof Garza’s Jeep, which caused Garza tosustain several injuries. In a pre-trial settle-ment, the city paid Garza $100,000.

Saving Lives And Taxpayer DollarsThe City of Long Beach strictly enforces

its vehicle accident reduction policy, whichrequires departments to follow certain pro-cedures after a city vehicle-to-vehicle inci-dent, regardless of how minor the incidentmay be, according to Mike Alio, whoserves as the city’s manager of risk andoccupational health services. “Any employee who drives a city vehicle

has to complete defensive driver training,”Alio explained, adding, “And anytimethey’re involved in an accident where theyare at fault, they have to take remedialtraining.” The city investigates eachreported case not only to determine causebut also to support best practices that helpreduce future incidents. For instance, cityofficials may determine that a vehicle hascertain blind spots that could cause a driverto get in an accident. Or, perhaps a policesquad car’s computer could be positioneddifferently to be less distracting to the offi-cer in the driver’s seat.All incident data are collected, analyzed

and presented to each department monthly.The reports include recommendations based

City Of Long Beach Insurance Claims Paid OnVehicle-To-Vehicle Incidents 2013-2011

2013 2012 2011 Total Three Years

Department Incidents Amount Paid Incidents Amount Paid Incidents Amount Paid Incidents Amount PaidPolice 23 $113,146.09 21 $172,724.38 22 $58,429.86 66 $344,300.33

Public Works 18 $37,415.53 26 $68,986.30 17 $27,834.12 61 134,235.95

Water 0 0 5 $32,633.24 5 $17,348.32 10 49,981.56

Fire 4 $15,624.43 5 $9,240.28 1 $2,289.81 10 27,154.42

Gas & Oil 2 $1,504.66 4 $14,842.24 3 $4,012.31 9 20,359.21

Parks, Rec & Marine 3 $7,374.80 1 $2,600.00 2 $3,667.49 6 13,642.29

Development Services 2 $3,720.78 1 $2,507.88 1 $1,825.00 4 8,053.66

Technology Services 1 $11,700.00 0 0 0 0 1 11,700.00

Health & Human Svcs 0 0 0 0 1 $2,059.51 1 2,059.51

Totals 53 $190,426.29 63 $303,534.32 52 $117,466.42 168 $611,487.03Source: City of Long Beach

More Than $600,000 Paid In Insurance Claims On City-Involved Vehicle-To-Vehicle Incidents

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on trends seen with a certain vehicle ordriver. “The department heads get the num-ber of accidents reported, whether the driverwas at fault or not at fault,” Alio said. “Theyare aware of employee driving performance.”According to Parkin, a city attorney

meets and reports quarterly to the policedepartment on outstanding cases andtrends. If the police department has had arise in squad cars rear ending other vehi-cles, for instance, the city safety officer willadvise police officers to avoid certain activ-ities while driving, like looking at computerscreens or using the phone for non-urgentmatters. These recommendations are part ofongoing training to make command staffmore aware of the likelihood of vehicle-to-vehicle incidents, Parkin said. Based on those recommendations and

identified patterns of behavior, the LongBeach Police Department providesemployee-specific training, according to Lt.Kris Klein, who works in the department’straffic section. “We closely monitor all ofthose incidents,” he explained. Regardlessof an employee’s driving record, all officersare required to participate in driver trainingover a two-year cycle, he added.When the department seeks to upgrade

vehicle equipment, the new equipment isstrategically installed to reduce the likeli-hood of an accident, Klein said. Moreover,the department also works with the city’straffic engineer if the department believessomething mechanical caused an accident,such as the timing of traffic lights. “We allwork toward the same goal,” Klein said. Commercial vehicle drivers are more

heavily scrutinized due to vehicle weight andfederal regulation compliance, Alio said. Thecity works directly with the CaliforniaDepartment of Motor Vehicles (DMV) toensure that the city is notified when a city-employed commercial truck driver receives apoint against his or her record – regardless ofwhether that employee was driving a per-sonal or city vehicle. The DMV also pro-vides information on driver history, includ-ing license revocations. Under federal law, commercial vehicle

drivers are drug tested and receive com-prehensive physicals every one or twoyears based on physician recommenda-tions. If a driver has high blood pressure,sleep apnea, loses a thumb, or is diag-nosed with anything that may inhibit driv-ing ability, the city receives that data.“That’s another portion of our policy tokeep everybody safe,” Alio said. The state legislature started to consider

firefighters as commercial truck driversabout two years ago, Alio said, so when fire-fighters are at fault in an accident the cityrequires mandatory drug testing as part ofthe Long Beach Firefighters Association’scontract, called a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MOU). “Firefighters areexempt from having commercial licenses soit was something the city negotiated becausewe feel they are still technically [driving]commercial vehicles,” Alio said. Discipline of both standard and commer-

cial city vehicle drivers does happen andhappens often, Alio pointed out. The processgoes through civil services, where discipli-nary action can be upheld or dismissed.“Our departments are pretty diligent,” hesaid. “There have been employees termi-nated, but it’s all on a case-by-case basis.” �

Civic Center RFPAddenda Include

Additional DirectionOn Design, FinancingEdits have been made to the proposed

civic center request for proposals (RFP)documents to reflect the city’s design andconstruction needs, as well as to addupdated specifications for the financialprocurement process. The Business Journal obtained five

addenda to the RFP numbered 4 through 8,all of which had been issued between April 4and April 23. Addendum 5, issued April 15,

includes redline edits to various RFP sec-tions including land use considerations, therisk matrix, procurement schedule and more.According to Addendum 5, the negotiat-

ing period for the RFP changed from 365calendar days to 20 months. The city addeddefinitions to the RFP as well, includingcost of construction, which is “The totalcost of construction including direct costs(materials and installation), contractor indi-rect costs, contractor overhead and profit,soft costs and contingency costs,” and portpayment, which is “The amount paid by thePort for use of the new Port facilities.” The addendum also includes a new sec-

tion called “Community Outreach” thatrequires bidders to provide plans forcommunity engagement with their proposals.

Addendum 8, the most recently issued,includes financing requirements for theproposed civic center’s responsible bidder.Those requirements are as follows:• “Equity (or equity substitute) must be

responsible for the performance of anywork under the Agreements; • “The City must have remedies to

enforce the contract directly with the spe-cial purpose entity formed for delivery ofthe requirements of the RFP, including theright to withhold/reduce payment and ter-mination; and • “There can be no increase in payment

by the City beyond the indexation out-lined in this RFP unless otherwise statedin the RFP.” �

– Tiffany Rider, Editor

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bureau is being restructured and addingmore than 35 positions to ensure it has boththe capability and best practices in place tooversee the improvement program.In 2012, the national consulting firm

PMA Consultants LLC was hired by theLong Beach Board of HarborCommissioners to determine if the engi-neering bureau had sufficient capacityand controls in place to handle the port’sunprecedented capital spending. Last fall,representatives from PMA presented sug-gestions to the board. Two of PMA’s keyfindings were that the engineering bureauneeded to be restructured for efficiencyand that 30 to 35 new positions needed tobe added to support the capital improve-ment program.“The general story is that the board of

harbor commissioners agreed with thefindings of the PMA study and in our fis-cal 2014-year budget there are a numberof positions added to the engineeringbureau to help us deliver our capital pro-gram,” said Douglas Thiessen, managingdirector of engineering. The Long Beach City Council

approved the port’s salary resolution,which created and budgeted for thesepositions, in March. “There are posi-tions in all levels of the bureau, includ-ing entry level to mid managers to direc-tors,” Thiessen explained. “We havebeen in the process of hiring staff to fillthose various positions.”

In addition to the new positions,Thiessen said that recently there havebeen several staff retirements, whichnecessitates additional hiring. “It’s kindof a challenge. We have a lot of babyboomer types who were born after WorldWar II who are retiring,” he said, addingthat when factoring in retirements, theengineering bureau is hiring for about 45new positions. Currently, about 200employees work within the port’s engi-neering division, which includes “engi-neers, inspectors, surveyors and mainte-nance workers,” Thiessen said.“We’re also adding new positions in

areas where we have been weak,”Thiessen said, explaining that PMAConsultants identified several areas thatthe engineering bureau needed toimprove upon and that these new posi-tions help accomplish that. For example,the bureau has relied heavily on consult-ing groups – in fact, according to thePMA study, “Currently almost all designfor the capital program is being per-formed by consultants.” The solutionwas to create positions to do more of thatwork in-house. “PMA felt that . . . weshould reduce the use of consultants anduse more internal staff,” Thiessenexplained.

In March, the harbor commissionapproved a new engineering bureau struc-ture suggested by PMA and the bureau.The new structure included majorchanges, such as creating an independentclaims group in charge of reviewingchange orders. “That was one of therequests of the harbor commission,”Thiessen said of this new division withinthe bureau. Another change incorporates the port’s

maintenance staff into the engineeringbureau. “There was a recognition that ourengineers are building new facilities andour maintenance employees were repair-ing and maintaining them, and thereneeded to be better integration betweenthe two groups so that we could look at theentire life of the asset,” Thiessen said. “Inother words, if you build a road and thenyou maintain the road, you want to be surethat money is well spent through the entirelife [of the road].” By moving the mainte-nance team into engineering, this is moreeasily accomplished.Procurement, the process by which the

engineering bureau secures outside ven-dors for services, was also consolidatedand moved into the finance division.PMA’s study indicated that before thisshift, the bureau’s procurement practices

were “decentralized” so that each divisionwithin engineering handled procurements.Thiessen called the change a “best prac-tice” for a government agency. PMA’sstudy said that the shift ensures “that pro-curement contracts are dealt with in thesame manner and that they comply withall laws and regulations.”Other new groups within the engineering

bureau include one for alternate projectdelivery, which is currently tasked withoverseeing the Gerald Desmond BridgeReplacement Project and would take onother large projects in the future, and theproject controls division, which “createscentralized estimating, budgeting andscheduling tools for the entire bureau,”Thiessen explained.“I think it’s a step in the right direction,”

Thiessen said of the changes within hisbureau. “We think by adding some of theseadditional staff, reorganizing and focusingon key areas we can implement best prac-tices, deliver our program efficiently and ata low cost and have long-term benefits.”In addition to hiring within engineering,

POLB is hiring for a number of other posi-tions ranging from entry-level to executive-level. Thiessen encouraged interested par-ties to visit the POLB’s employment web-site at www.polb.com/contact/employmentto view openings and apply. Lee Peterson,POLB spokesperson, told the BusinessJournal that from October of 2013 to date,the port has hired 34 new employees intotal across all departments, and plans tohire 34 more by the end of the 2013-2014fiscal year, which ends September 30. �

Long Beach Business Journal

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Port Engineering Jobs(Continued From Page 1)

“We think by adding some of these additional staff, reorganizing and

focusing on key areas we can implement best practices, deliver our

program efficiently and at a low cost and have long-term benefits.”Douglas Thiessen, Managing Director of Engineering, Port of Long Beach



Leases AndTransactions

Shimadzu Precision Instruments ofTorrance has acquired 3.7 acres of land atDouglas Park to build its 53,000-square-foot U.S. corporate headquarters and man-ufacturing facility. The location is at thesouthwest corner of Conant Avenue andLakewood Boulevard. The firm is awholly-owned subsidiary of ShimadzuCorporation of Japan. It provides sales andservice in the U.S. representing Shimadzu’saircraft equipment, medical equipment andindustrial equipment business units; semi-conductor division, fluidics departmentand device department. ShimadzuPrecision Instruments was represented byThe Klabin Company’s todd Taugner,Frank Schulz and David Prior, while BrianDeRevere of CBRE represented the seller,Sares-Regis Group. Occupancy is expectedduring the first half of 2015. The transac-tion was valued at $3.8 million.Coldwell Banker Commercial BLAIR

WESTMAC announced the followingtransactions:• The 2000 Nancy L. Downs Revocable

Trust purchased a 6,270-square-foot retailproperty at 8545 Rosecrans Ave. inParamount for $655,000 from RoseMortuary. Blair’s John Eddy, Marc Bonandoand Tyler Rollema handled the transaction.• Antoine Macoule purchased a 7,504-

square-foot retail property at 437 E. 5th St.

in Long Beach for $325,000 from FletcherFamily Trust. CBC’s Becky Blair and ShevaHosseinzadeh handled the transaction.• Bradley S. Taufer purchased a 2,557-

square-foot mixed use space at 702 CedarAve. in Long Beach for $450,000 fromCleveland Family Trust. CBC’s CameronJacques, George Bustamante and SteveWarshauer handled the transaction.• ACT-Lab LLC signed a five-year lease

for 12,000 square feet of industrial space at3280 E. 59th St. in Long Beach. The trans-action, valued at $318,420, was handled byCBC’s Eddy, Bonando and Rollema.• KRDC, Inc., dba/Krisda Trucking,

leased 37,200 square feet of industrialspace at 1661 E. 32nd St. in Long Beach.CBC’s Bonando and Eddy had the listing.Lee & Associates announced the follow-

ing transactions:• Western Shipping America leased a

20,700 square feet of industrial space at1515 W. Wardlow Rd. in Long Beach for65 months. The million dollar transactionwas handled by Lee’s Brandon Carillo, JeffCoburn, Greg Gill and Craig Poroput.• Olas Pacific Group leased 6,268 square

feet of office space in the 400 block of 4thStreet in Long Beach. The transaction is val-ued at $1,725,000 and was handled by Lee’sShaun McCullough and Coburn and byToliver Morris from WM Commercial.• NovaWurks, Inc. leased 5,750 square

feet of office/industrial space at 10751Noel St. in Los Alamitos. Lee’sMcCullough represented the owner, JackMarkovitz Family Trust. �

562/498-3395

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TECHNOLOGY12 Long Beach Business Journal April 29-May 12, 2014

“You can think of it as two flashlights ateach end of the glass [fibers],” JonDeLuca, president and CEO of fiber opticand data center infrastructure companyWilcon, told the Business Journal.“[Unrestricted], the data is transmitted atthe speed of light, which is the fastest[speed]. It’s future proof.”Original fiber optic technology came

into the private sector after usage in highcapacity cameras and other equipment bythe National Science Foundation andNASA (National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration), Dave Daigle, senior vicepresident of corporate development forWilcon, explained. Daigle, who has morethan 20 years experience in the telecommu-nications industry, said that private sectorindustry was enthralled by fiber optics,seeing the technology as a great way toenhance capacity. “It took both sides, gov-ernment and private industry, to collaboratefor fiber optics to really take root,” he said,noting fiber optics got a jumpstart with the1996 Telecom Act. Wilcon, a fiber optic and data center

infrastructure company, was founded in1998 and initially focused on building outfiber optic infrastructure in Downtown LosAngeles, specifically in the WilshireBuilding, which is considered the commu-nications hub of the Western United States. “We’ve since expanded through our

[acquisition of] Dave’s company, FreedomDark Fiber Networks,” DeLuca said. The

acquisition was announced last October,when Daigle’s company was renamedFreedom Telecommunications. Both com-panies serve Southern California.“When you look at greater Southern

California – the five-county area – thatequates to the 13th largest world economy,”Daigle said. “That’s an immense thing ifyou think about it. Long Beach is a micro-cosm of this [geographic epicenter].”

Fiber Optic InfrastructureSanford “Sandy” Taylor, infrastructure

bureau manager in the City of Long

Beach’s technology services depart-ment, said communicationsproviders often approach the cityseeking dark fiber, or fiber opticcables that have been installed butare not in use.“When [our fiber optic cable net-

work] was first built out, some ofthe technical folks didn’t have thewherewithal to put in more than 40fibers,” Taylor explained. “It’sworth it to [install] double theamount you need.” According to the city’s website,

Long Beach is expanding its fiberoptic cable network, which currentlyconnects from city hall to the emer-gency operations and communica-tions center, as well as from gas, waterand harbor department administrativefacilities to the fiber network.While the city is using its fiber net-

work to connect city facilities, itwould consider using it as a utility tobring in other communicationsproviders. “For [a communicationsprovider] to have to pull fiber throughthe city will be expensive and they’lllook at ROI (return on investment),”Taylor said. “That’s where the city’sfiber can play a role. We can use thatas a utility. It will cost them, but wecan help them . . . so they can provideservices to other businesses.”Some major telecommunications compa-

nies have the capital and the foresight tomake the investment themselves, includingVerizon. Verizon deployed FIOS, its brand of

fiber optic cable network communication,in Texas in 2005. The service first becameavailable in California the following year.According to Gonzales, 1.1 million exist-ing Verizon customers upgraded to FIOSQuantum, its fastest Internet service avail-able, in 2013. FIOS Quantum reachesInternet speeds of up to 500 million bitsper second (Mbps). Telecommunications companies typi-

cally sell Internet service packages thatoffer a range of speeds up to a peak speed.Basic packages can cost $30 per month forup to 3 Mbps. Verizon’s FIOS Internetpackages can start at $70 per month for up

to 15 Mbps. FIOS Quantum starts at $130a month for 150 Mbps. “It’s the differencebetween a download taking minutes versushours,” Gonzales explained. “It’s very crit-ical for businesses.”Also last year, Verizon invested $514

million in California alone. “Long Beach isone of the recipients of that investment,”Gonzales said. FIOS is accessible to mostof Long Beach, but Verizon is still buildingout for small businesses. It has increasedits network for households, he noted, so thecompany is now focusing on penetration.“We have built it out and are working onrecouping the capital expenditure on theconsumer side,” Gonzales said.“Our fiber optic [network] is the largest

and fastest as it goes to the home,” heexplained. “We have competitors who havefiber but it’s split to go to the home.”Splitting fiber optic cables is done through

This scale shows the data speed capacity of different types of telecommunication connections, ranging from 50,000 bits per second (or 50 Kbps) to the max-imum bitrate, which is above 500,000,000 bits per second (or 500 Mbps). Dial-up connections are made through landlines. DSL is a digital subscriber lineor separate landline for connecting to the Internet. T-Carrier is a dedicate phone line consisting of 24 individual channels. Cable modem is a network bridgethat provides data communication over radio frequency. Fiber optic cable, connected to the premise, provides the largest data speed capacity compared toother telecommunication networks. (Image courtesy of CTC Technology & Energy)

Jason Raine, a Verizon FIOS business pre-fielder techni-cian, installs FIOS fiber optic cable at a business officemanaged by Precision Shotcrete Innovations in LosAlamitos. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s ThomasMcConville)

Fiber Optic Cable(Continued From Page 1)


TECHNOLOGYApril 29-May 12, 2014 Long Beach Business Journal 13

a multiplexor, a device that extends com-munications services from one point to cre-ate, say, 40 connections over two strands.The reason why some companies choose tosplit fiber in this way is because they don’thave access to dark fiber.

Making The SwitchWhen a company or municipality

installs fiber optic cable, it’s typicallydone with ROI in consideration.Businesses or cities that deploy a newsystem must pull, or string or hang fiberoptic cables on poles above ground orbury the cables below ground, and there-fore look to profit from their efforts. “It’s extremely costly to build, consid-

ering the time and labor, not the actualmaterials,” Joanne Hovis, president ofCTC Technology & Energy, told theBusiness Journal. CTC is a communica-tions and IT engineering firm based inMaryland with public and nonprofit sec-tor clients across the U.S. To build a network that extends the length

of every street, driveway and road requiresa major up-front investment, Hovisexplained. “For private entities, it will takea long time for these investments to be paidback,” she said. “Many of these companiesmust show quick results. That is the keychallenge for why we haven’t seen thesenetworks emerging at the level we’d like to.”Adding to the financial challenge is

getting permits to complete construction,Daigle noted. “It’s the permit timelinethat is probably the most critical or gatingfactor in terms of developing things,” he

said. “If you look at existing copper infra-structure, the demand for bandwidthmany times far surpasses what the coppersystems can handle.” Daigle compared the process to replacing

100 years of telecommunications infrastruc-ture. “It first happened in the long haul mar-ket,” he explained. “It keeps spreading out tocreate connections between regional areas.Then within each regional market, the fiberoptic network keeps getting deployed.”

Future ProofingHovis described fiber optic infrastruc-

ture as “the holy grail of communicationsnetwork,” saying, “It’s the 21st Centuryversion of installing electrical lines acrossthe U.S. – a massive undertaking but neces-sary for the future of innovation.” What drove the build out of the electrical

grid was electric light, Hovis explained.What emerged from electricity changedlives forever as machines like washer anddryers, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers,modems, fax machines and personal com-puters became commonplace. “The pres-ence of the network made that happen andsupported the prosperity of our country forover 100 years,” Hovis said.“Communications networks are the samething for the 21st century.” Once the fiber is in place, it attracts busi-

ness. Abundant fiber optic infrastructurethat provides high Internet speeds and vastdata storage is a foundation for creativeingenuity. As Daigle put it, fiber optic cable“is the future-proof, long-term solution” forlocal collaboration and innovation. �


TECHNOLOGY14 Long Beach Business Journal April 29-May 12, 2014


Staff Writer

At this year’s California Women’sConference, more than 500 female (andmale) coders and visionaries are poolingtheir brainpower to create mobile applica-tions and websites geared toward helpingwomen overcome challenges in the areas ofcareer, finance, health and wellness, com-munity and social life. The event, calledWonder Women Hacks (WWH), is part ofthe conference at the Long BeachConvention & Entertainment Center onMay 19 and 20.“Wonder Women Hacks is a two-day

event celebrating women in technologyand highlighting women innovators,” saidthe event’s founder, Lisa Mae Brunson,CEO of EqualityTV, a global entertain-ment network and social community thatis backing the “hackathon” event. “Thereis a myth that women don’t want to par-ticipate in hackathons or technologyevents,” Brunson said. “I thought it wasincredibly important to offer an eventwhere we could dispel that myth and have500-plus women come in and build inno-vation,” she explained of the inspirationbehind the event.A hackathon, like WWH, isn’t about the

traditional idea of hacking into databases,but rather is a term for a technological

think-tank event “where you actually buildsomething” – in this case, websites andmobile applications to provide solutionsfor women in the areas of career, finance,health and wellness, community and sociallife, Brunson explained. These five areas for which hackathon

participants are creating technology arealso the focuses of this year’s CaliforniaWomen’s Conference, Brunson noted.“We thought it would be a great idea topiggyback on what’s happening withinthe conference and engage the values ofthe conference through technology.” TheCalifornia Women’s Conference is a two-day forum designed to help women fromall walks of life. It attracts more than100,000 attendees in person and online.Local schools and organizations are par-

ticipating in Wonder Women Hacks, suchas California State University, Long Beach,University of California, Los Angeles’hackathon group LA Hacks and the localorganization Chicks Can Code. “When we met Lisa Mae and members

of the Wonder Women Hacks team, weknew right away that the hackathonevent was a perfect fit for Chicks CanCode,” Kelsey O’Neill, co-founder ofChicks Can Code, told the BusinessJournal. “Our intention with Chicks CanCode is to provide opportunities to learnscalable, impactful skills for practicalapplication.” Chicks Can Code is Long Beach’s first

nonprofit focused on providing com-puter science and web development edu-cation to women (and men) in the greaterLong Beach community. During theCalifornia Women’s Conferencehackathon, the group intends to build awebsite to support Long Beach’s urbanfarmers. Participation in Wonder Women Hacks

is free and includes access to the confer-ence’s exhibitor hall. Megan Smith, vicepresident of Google’s secretive think-tankdivision, Google[x], is the event’s keynotespeaker. “Participants can jump online towww.wonderwomenhacks.com and regis-ter for free,” Brunson explained. Shepointed out that anyone, regardless ofcoding experience level, may participate.“They don’t have to have a coding back-ground,” she clarified. “The neat thing we are doing is we are

offering a free learning center . . . that willteach people how to code in a variety oflanguages,” Brunson said, so those whowant to participate but don’t know how tocode can learn on site at the hackathon. Brunson hopes that Wonder Women

Hacks will become a regular componentof the California Women’s Conference.To register or contribute to the event,

visit www.wonderwomenhacks.com. �

Wonder Women Hacks: Innovating TechAt The California Women’s Conference

Two years into his venture, Andy Bell,owner of Long Beach-based film produc-tion company Sweatpants Media, is see-ing the fruits of his labor. SweatpantsMedia’s web series, “On Pace withPastrana,” was announced as one of fourfinalists for the 2014 Realscreen Award.Formerly the Factual Entertainment

Awards, the Realscreen Awards is a globalcompetition to recognize outstanding con-tent in non-fiction and factual video enter-tainment. “On Pace with Pastrana” wasnominated in the category “Digital &Branded Content – Brand FundedProgram.” The winner is being announced atthe Realscreen West conference on June 4.The two-season series produced by

Sweatpants Media follows motocross leg-end and NASCAR rookie Travis Pastrana

and his wife, Lyn-z Hawkins Pastrana, asthey work and play in the racing world.The series is up against some heavy hit-ters – Hulu’s “Raising the Bar,” TV One’s“Verses and Flow,” and the TravelChannel’s “World’s Best Bartender.” The team is more than honored to have

“On Pace with Pastrana,” one ofSweatpants Media’s first productions,placed among the other finalists, accord-ing to Bell. “We are so proud to be amongsuch iconic industry leaders and couldnot be happier to see the hard work anddedication that our team put into theseries be recognized by Realscreen West,”Bell said in a statement. For more infor-mation on Sweatpants Media, visitwww.sweatpantsmedia.com.

– Tiffany L. Rider, Editor

Local Film Production Company’s Web SeriesNamed Finalist In Global Competition


TECHNOLOGYApril 29-May 12, 2014 Long Beach Business Journal 15

InnovationChallenge Winners

To DevelopNoninvasiveMedical Tool


Staff Writer

Thanks to California State University,Long Beach’s (CSULB) 2014 InnovationChallenge sponsored by the Colleges ofEngineering and Business Administration,two students have the opportunity to kick-start their own business and develop a non-invasive diagnostic tool for pulmonaryphysicians. Shahab Taherian and his team-mate, Jeremy Bonifacio, presented theirbusiness plan, InFluidS, before a panel ofjudges, winning $10,000 in seed money anda set of services worth up to $40,000 to fundtheir idea. The two competed against fourother teams. “At InFluidS, we bring clarityand insight to pulmonary physicians’ mostcomplex diagnostic challenges througheasy, accurate and reliable computer simula-tions,” Taherian said during his presentation.“Due to the noninvasive nature of our soft-ware, we see a great potential for fast adap-tation in hospitals.” Learn more aboutCSULB’s Innovation Challenge atwww.csulb.edu/innovationchallenge. �

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Above, pictured, from left: California StateUniversity, Long Beach (CSULB) College ofEngineering Dean Forouzan Golshani; 2014Innovation Challenge winners Shahab Taherianand Jeremy Bonifacio; Innovation ChallengeOrganizing Committee Chair Mike Baghramian;and Associate Dean of CSULB College ofEngineering and InFluidS faculty mentor HamidRahai. (Photograph provided by CSULB)

At right, InFluidS team leader Shahab Taherianpresents his business plan for a noninvasivepulmonary diagnostic tool to a panel of judgesat the 2014 Innovation Challenge at CSULB’sWalter Pyramid. (Photograph provided byCSULB)


IN THE NEWS16 Long Beach Business Journal April 29-May 12, 2014

Long Beach Rotary ClubDonates Another $38,000 In BooksMembers of the Long Beach Rotary Club con-tributed another $38,000 in books earlierthis month to students of the Long BeachUnified School District. On April 17,preschoolers at Twain Child DevelopmentCenter thanked Rotarians whose contribu-tions are now more than $400,000 in booksto local students and school libraries since1999. The service club’s Reading By 9 pro-gram has surpassed 200,000 booksdonated and this year is providing $6,000in scholastic books for the school districtschild development center preschool pro-gram, including a book for each of the morethan 1,000 preschool children in the pro-gram. Pictured at right reading to preschool-ers at Twain is rotarian Paul Kennard.(Photograph courtesy of Caught In TheMoment photography)

Arts Council For Long Beach Selects New Executive DirectorVictoria Bryan, the new executive director of the Arts Council for Long Beach, climbsinside a new art installation called “Unboundedness” by Rob Neilson at the corner of4th Street and Elm Avenue. Bryan has been teaching at California State University, LongBeach’s School of Art, Department of Theatre Arts and College of Education since 2003.She began her duties for the Arts Council on April 21. Bryan holds a Ph.D. from TheDrucker School of Management, studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art’s techni-cal theater program in London, is a former head of the Abbey Theatre’s prop departmentin Dublin, Ireland and has six years of experience in educational television productionin Tehran, Iran. The London native has lived in Long Beach since 1985. Bryan said sheis honored to have the position and that she looks forward to collaborating with artistsand audiences in the local community. She said in a statement, “Together, we can advo-cate for arts and culture as the creative heart of our city and [as] central to its greatfuture.” (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Thomas McConville)

Former Ambassador To Hungary Named Chair Of NewState Council On International Trade, Investment

As part of California’s ongoing efforts to bolster international businessopportunities for companies across the state, Gov. Jerry Brown estab-lished the California International Trade and Investment AdvisoryCouncil earlier this year. He appointed the former U.S. Ambassador toHungary, Eleni Kounalakis, as the council’s chair. “As the economyrecovers, California is well-positioned to expand its reach into foreignmarkets,” Governor Brown said in a statement. “Under the leadership ofAmbassador Kounalakis, this council will help the state do just that.”International trade and investment greatly benefits the California econ-omy, as shown by the record number of exports in 2013 which totaledmore than $168 billion in goods. According to the Governor’s Office of

Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), foreign-owned companies provide 590,100jobs for Californians and investment from foreign countries accounts for nearly 5 percent of thestate’s overall private industry employment. The advisory council is tasked with guiding GO-Bizin identifying foreign markets for export expansion and creating specific export tactics for thosemarkets – including the state’s top export markets, Canada, Mexico and China, along withemerging markets such as Brazil and India. “California’s businesses are uniquely positioned totake advantage of the global economy and the state can be a strong partner in their success,”Kounalakis said in a statement. Kounalakis, a businesswoman and philanthropist based in SanFrancisco, served as the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary from January 2010 to July 2013.

CSULB Museum Director Scoates Selected For GettyLeadership Institute’s Executive Education ProgramChristopher Scoates, director of the University Art Museum at California State University, LongBeach, is among those chosen to participate in the Getty Leadership Institute at ClaremontGraduate University. He is one of 39 museum leaders from the United States and eight countriesselected to participate in the 2014 Executive Education Program for Museum Leaders. “I'm hon-ored to be part of such an esteemed group of leaders from the museum world, and to be giventhe rare and exciting opportunity to work alongside them. I look forward to participating in arigorous and engaged dialogue as we begin to address many of the pressing issues facingmuseums in the 21st century,” Scoates said in a statement. The program, according to the state-ment, “features a comprehensive and intensive curriculum aimed at deepening participants’leadership skills in order to manage change and forge success in the global museum field. . .. Participants are primarily museum directors, but also include those who lead museum curato-rial, education, exhibitions, collections, research, development and public programming initia-tives. Senior level managers from leadership education programs and botanical gardens fill outthe class to ensure a diversity of perspectives and experiences for group discussions.”

Courtney Higuchi Joins LBS Financial Credit Union TeamCourtney Higuchi has joined the management team at LBS FinancialCredit Union and is serving as vice president and branch manager of theNewport-Mesa office. “Courtney’s previous management experience andover 15 years in credit union operations will be a great asset to LBSFinancial,” said Jeffrey A. Napper, president and CEO of LBS Financial.Higuchi most recently served as the branch manager at USC Credit Unionin Los Angeles. She earned a bachelor’s degree from California StateUniversity, Long Beach and is enrolled in the Executive Masters ofLeadership program at USC. LBS Financial was founded in 1935 as theLong Beach Unified School District Employees Federal Credit Union.


IN THE NEWSApril 29-May 12, 2014 Long Beach Business Journal 17

New York Live Awards $10,000 Grant To Long Beach Library FoundationDuring an April 22 check presentation at the Dana Branch Library, New York Life executives gave the Long BeachLibrary Foundation a $10,000 Community Impact Grant to support the foundation’s Family Learning Centers pro-gram. The program provides homework assistance and access to computers and printing for students and their fam-ilies throughout Long Beach, according to a statement from the foundation. Since 2010, New York Life has providedmore than $46,000 to the libraries. “We are grateful for New York Life’s investment in this program, which will havea lasting effect on the entire community,” said Sara Myers, executive director of the Long Beach Public LibraryFoundation. “New York Life’s commitment has helped us serve thousands of families in Long Beach.” Pictured:Managing Partner Mark McCollough (center) of New York Life’s Long Beach Sales Office, along with NYL Agents(left to right): Kenny Taing, Rick Alsagoff and Christopher Hicks presenting the check to (far left to right): JenniferSongster, Nancy Young, Sara Myers, Susan Redfield, Glenda Williams and Nicole Negron of the Long Beach PublicLibrary and Library Foundation in support of the Family Learning Center program. A new sign at Dana Library wasrevealed with New York Life as sponsor. (Photograph by Isaiah Ryan)

Tykes On Trikes Race Against Doctors At the Tykes on Trikes Race Against Doctors on April 16, professional cyclist and U.S. Olympian Tony Cruz raced doctors and patients from Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach’s JonathanJaques Children’s Cancer Center – with all competitors riding tricycles. Family, friends and even Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster cheered the participants as they raced. The event was aprecursor to Wells Fargo’s Tour of Long Beach, a bicycle fundraising event for the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center on May 10. That event includes a five-mile Family Fun Ride,a 30-mile course on the streets of Long Beach, a 62-mile ride through Long Beach to Huntington Beach and a 100-mile bike ride down the Southern California coast. For more information,

Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach patient Jacob Delacruz, who isthree years old, crosses the finish line at the hospital’s Tykes on TrikesRace. He is followed closely by U.S. Olympian Tony Cruz (left) andBen Alvarado, president of Wells Fargo Orange Coastal CommunityBank and advisory boardmember for Miller Children’s. (Photographby the Business Journal’s Thomas McConville)

Yanzi Camacho, a six-year-old patient of Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, crosses the finish line at the Tykeson Trikes Event on April 16, which is a kickoff event to Wells Fargo’s Tour of Long Beach fundraiser for the hospital.(Photograph by the Business Journal’s Thomas McConville)

California State University, Dominguez Hills To CelebrateInauguration Of Dr. Willie J. Hagan

Dr. Willie J. Hagan is being installed as the 10th pres-ident of California State University, Dominguez Hills(CSUDH) during an investiture ceremony this Friday,May 2, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the North Lawn cam-pus. According to a statement from CSUDH,“Stepped in academic traditions and pomp and cir-cumstance, the investure ceremony features a formalprocession of visiting delegates from higher education

institutions from across the state and country, CSU Board of Trusteemembers, along with CSU Dominguez Hills emerti presidents, adminis-tration, faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the university.Hagan is to be formally installed by CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White.Recently retired U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary MarthaKanter is giving the keynote address, followed by Hagan’s presidentialaddress. Hagan was first appointed interim president in June 2012.White announced Hagan’s permanent appointment in May 2013.

Colby Communications Celebrates 20thColby Communications, a full-service international public relations andadvertising firm, is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. The company,founded in 1994 by Colby Haines, specializes in maritime and trans-portation and represents a diversity of clientele in industries coveringsoftware technologies, media, data research, stevedoring, terminaloperations, port authorities, retail and nonprofit ogranizations. “Wewould like to acknowledge the loyalty of our valued clients that con-tributed to the company’s success,” President Colby Haines said in astatement. “We are honored to have served and worked in partnershipwith them and look forward to continuing to provide quality public rela-tions, advertising and branding-related services with the honesty andintegrity for which we have become known.”

Wells Fargo Gives $75,000 To Long BeachNonprofit For “Urban Forest” ProjectWells Fargo is giving Century Villages at Cabrillo in West LongBeach a $75,000 UrbanLIFT grant for its urban forest project. Thegated residential community established to break the cycle of home-lessness provides transitional and permanent housing to the home-less and those at risk of becoming homeless, with more than half ofthe community population being U.S. armed forces veterans. Theurban forest, according to a statement, will consist of a 300-tree bar-rier intended to capture 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide and airborne pol-lution each year. In addition to a rich palette of plants, shrubs andtrees, the forest will feature a walking path, fitness zones, recre-ational opportunities, seating nodes and educational signage.


PERSPECTIVE18 Long Beach Business Journal April 29-May 12, 2014

The collection of plastic containershas gathered in the corner of the

kitchen counter, some are white, manyare orange and others are green. Youreyes scan the yellow highlighted labels;there are many instructions such as,“Drink plenty of water,” “Take two pills,three times a day,” “Do not operateheavy machinery,” “Take with food.” Even though you’ve been on your

medications for days, you still doublecheck your labels every morning. Youstill stop as the questions begin to runthrough your head . . . When was the

last time I took my medication? Is this pill daily or asneeded? Have I eaten? This is a common situation many people find themselves

in. The reality is as people get prescribed more and moremedications it gets more and more confusing to follow eachmedication’s guidelines and regimens. There are no age or gender biases with medicine manage-

ment; anyone can be affected. For this reason, patients needto know their medications, understand the instructions andmore importantly feel comfortable enough with their healthcare providers to ask questions. Before leaving the pharmacy it’s important to have a clear

understanding of a medication’s instructions. Patients shouldbe counseled on every newly prescribed drug. Some phar-macies offer direct phone lines for patients to contact a phar-macist if they ever have any questions, concerns or issues. Tips To Knowing Your Medications:• Be knowledgeable of what symptoms or condition the

medication is for • Understand the instructions for taking the medication• Know the side effects that can result from taking the med-

ication• Keep in mind the strength of your prescription (i.e., 10 mg) • Make sure the medicine is the same if it is a refill• Properly dispose of medications that are expired or that

you no longer takeTips For Managing Multiple Medication Prescriptions:• One of the most important things that you can do is keep

a current list of all your prescriptions, over-the-counter med-ications and any herbal supplements. Laminate it and carry awallet size list with you in case of an emergency and for yourdoctor appointments; this way there is less risk for drug inter-actions. When developing your list be sure to include:o The name of the medicationo When it was prescribedo How often you take ito What dosage has been prescribed (the dose is better than

the number of tablets)o Why you take that particular medication• If you have trouble remembering when or if you have

taken your pills, a 7-day medication organizer can help. • Medication charts can help you take your meds on time

throughout the day. o Some physicians have electronic medical records that

you can access as well, to see the medications you are onand so your physician can know what you’re prescribed. It’salways important to ask your physician if they have elec-tronic medical records. Never ignore your confusion with your medications. If you

don’t understand your medications, feel effects from takingyour medications or have any concerns contact your medicalprovider or pharmacist, or if it’s serious call 911. Disposing Your Medications:Properly disposing your expired medications is extremely

important. Medicines that are not properly disposed of can beeasily used by youth and teens and can be harmful to waterways.To help the community properly dispose of expired or unusedmedications, the Drug Enforcement Administration hosts “phar-macy take back” events biannually. To find out more informa-tion on events and safe drug disposal, visit the DEA’s Office ofDiversion Control website or call your local Police Department. (Robert Tindula, PharmD, is the director of inpatient

pharmacy services at Long Beach Memorial.)

The study of happiness goes back thou-sands of years. So much of it deals

with the human brain. The experts – neu-rologists – remind us that the brain is still amystery. Yet it is helpful at a layman’s levelto understand some basic things about theway our brains function in relationship tohappiness.For the past few years Positive

Psychology has helped. This disciplinestudies healthy minds as opposed to sickminds to get insights on the best way to liveand be happy – thus the word “positive.”To summarize some of the discoveries:• The multiple choices we have in life

often stress us out and hurt our happiness.• Good looking people aren’t happier

than us less fortunate ones. They simplylook better unhappy.• After our basic needs are met, having

more money doesn’t make us happier.• Old people are happier than the young.• Happiness is an inside job more than

we ever thought – meaning that happinessleads to success more than success leads tohappiness. This is revolutionary in itself.One thing that rings true over and over

again is that the things we think will makeus happy usually do not deliver. So in theadvice of Jerry Seinfeld to GeorgeCostanza, “Just do the opposite.”

Now the flipside of that is also true.When our mood is down – whether we arejust blue or even depressed, the things thatwe feel will help overcome that emotionalstate will not deliver. They usually makethings worst.Let me give you six things to avoid.

They are really action steps in reverse.When you feel like doing these things, thendo the opposite. Trust the research on thisor you will fall prey to their harmfulresults.1. Letting your motor stay in neutral.

This could be as simple as pulling the cov-ers over your head and avoiding the reali-ties of the day. You feel powerless, lethar-gic, a lack of direction, or just defeated.Lying there and not overcoming inertia willsimply make you feel worse. One of thebest things you can do is get up, make yourbed, get dressed for the day. You will feelmore prepared for whatever the day brings.2. Staying isolated from others. This is

not about being an extrovert or introvert.We all need down time, but connectingwith other people will boost your mood.We often feel the opposite when we aredown or depressed. Isolation makes itworse. Start connecting. 3. Indulging in comfort activities.

Comfort “treats” can be in the form of thethings we eat, drink or smoke. It can comein the form of shopping with the subliminalmessage – this will make me feel better.Often it’s the mind-numbing activity of los-ing ourselves in television, Facebook orsome other “time stands still” event. Weusually end up feeling worse.4. Easing your personal accountabil-

ity. “I think I’ll skip that workout today.”

Two problems result from this. First, whenI stick to a personal commitment, my self-control is strengthened, right along with myself-esteem. Second, exercise boosts mylevel of happiness. So doing the opposite ofwhat I feel can turn a blue day into a betterday. If nothing else happens, at least I feelbetter about what I accomplished – goingto the gym, finishing that term paper, writ-ing that dreaded report (or finishing thisarticle).5. Expressing my anxious thoughts.

Knowing what is causing my anxiety andanger is a good thing. Expressing it inunhealthy ways (the catharsis hypothesis),might seem to relieve those blue feelings,but studies show that it aggravates the anx-iety and anger we are trying to overcome.If anger is a deeper issue, then get help.But by and large being a none anxious pres-ence – expressing yourself in a calm way –will help you feel less anxious or angry,and will encourage a better response fromothers.6. Feeling before acting. This is at the

CORE of all the above. The truth? It’s eas-ier to act your way into a feeling than it isto feel your way into an action. Researchshows that initiating motion before emo-tion can actually change the way we feel. Itis the key to better health and happiness.To do the opposite of these six common

strategies is counter-intuitive.Excuse me, now, while I go make my

bed. :)(Mick Ukleja is the author of several

books, a coach, keynote speaker and presi-dent of LeadershipTraq, a leadership con-sulting firm. Check his weekly blog atwww.leadershiptraq.com.)

� EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIPBy Mick Ukleja

Got The Blues? Do The Opposite Of What You Feel

What To Do With All ThosePill Bottles OnThe Counter

Our city is a great city and as suchdeserves a great gateway. One that not

only serves your travel and business needsbut does it in a world class way. Your gate-way was recognized on the topten list of terminals and air-ports on Fodor's Travel Guideand Yahoo Travel. Other air-ports include HeathrowInternational in London andQueen Alia International inAmman. We can all be proud to live in a citythat boasts a world-class municipal airport.At LGB, the classic and the contemporarynot only coexist, but also complement eachother, honoring the city’s great aviation his-tory. Your airport continuously works to tackle

typical problems of the average businessand leisure travelers in order to deliver aseamless experience. Your airport wins overfliers with a rather simple recipe, consistingof tasty local dining options, the ease ofcheck-in and security, and the welcomingattitude indicative of what the City of Long

Beach has to offer. The work is paying offwith praise from surprised travelers andawesome reviews from near and far.The steady trickle of positive feedback

about the open-air concourse that opened in2012, has reached an international audi-ence. Some reviews, like soaring anthemshave reached places as far as New York,New Zealand and Mumbai. For example, out of nearly 1,000 reviews

on Yelp, LGB maintains a 4.5 star rating(half star away from a perfect score).Obviously, most of the reviews on Yelphave been extremely complimentary:

“Most amazing airport ever. Never waitfor security, flights always on time…,” saidTiffany S. “So many improvements make this once

little and eclectic airport a true gem! Thecivility is amazing! So many haunts locatedinside the airport, to relax, read a magazineor have a glass, or a bottle for that matter,of nice wines,” gushed James M. “I've got to say this is by far my favorite

airport to fly in and out of within the U.S.The new remodel is excellent! The ease ofgetting in and out, zero security lines,friendly staff, and a good food selection are

all a benefit to this airport,” said Dale G. Long Beach Airport is also #1 on a list of

attractions to visit in Long Beach accordingto TripAdvisor. The reviews on the onlinesite are similar:“Best little airport ever!” said Mary

Louise H.“A nice place to start your journey,” com-

mented Articus Blue.MichaelBush6417 said, “Clean – to the

point – Get on board.”While we couldn’t be more proud of the

reviews, this means that your airport mustwork to keep up the reputation. Travelers

coming to Long Beach Airportfor the first time who haveheard the reviews are primedfor a daydream travel experi-ence and we don’t want to dis-appoint. We’ve learned thatwhen people talk, the world

listens. Long Beach Airport’s reputation isreliant on your opinion. Our commitment tocustomer service will not become indiffer-ent. There is always room for improvementand where it is needed, we will comply.Long Beach Airport, where the going is

easy.(Mario Rodriguez is director of the Long

Beach Airport. He has more than 25 yearsof experience in the aviation industry andhas overseen airports from Kuwait to NewOrleans. Questions about this column maybe directed to public affairs at the LongBeach Airport 562-570-2678.)

When Fodor’s And Yahoo Talk, The World Listens

� HEALTHWISE

By RobertTindula, PharmD.

� A BETTERWAY TO FLYMarioRodriguez

Long Beach Airport

A Better Way to Fly


PERSPECTIVEApril 29-May 12, 2014 Long Beach Business Journal 19

EDITOR & PUBLISHERGeorge EconomidesVICE PRESIDENT

SALES & MARKETING

Martha RangelSALES & MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Michael WatkinsSALES & MARKETING ASSISTANT

Heather DannGRAPHICS/PRE-PRESS

Luke DuBoisDISTRIBUTION

Conrad Riley

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

STAFF WRITERS

Brandon Ferguson Samantha Mehlinger

Cindy SantosCONTRIBUTING WRITER

Michael GougisPHOTOJOURNALIST

Thomas McConvilleCOPY EDITOR

Lindsay Christopher

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Housing, commercial real estate,the stock market, investing –

they all involve some element of riskand are all connected when it comesto looking at the economic outlookgoing forward. The first quarter ofthis year has been a mixed bag forstocks, housing, interest rates and theworld economy in general, and someof our home-grown economists arewondering if an impending stockmarket decline based on the debt cri-sis in China and geopolitical unrest inthe Ukraine will in turn create chaosin our real estate markets.The S&P 500’s index of stocks

gained 30 percent-plus last year, butafter the first three months of 2014has nudged up only 1.3 percent,which has analysts predicting nothingeven remotely similar to 2013’s mas-sive gains. Investors and consumersare already feeling this, and coupledwith a real slowdown in housing sales

and appreciation, these trends mayalso have a rebound impact on thehealth of the stock market.Interest rates have been fluctuating

as of late – mostly in an upward direc-tion – and most investors are awarethat the Federal Reserve is on track toraise key interest rates in the next 12to 18 months.Mortgage rates were elevated in

March and, according to Freddie Macmortgage survey data, would markthe highest levels since July 2011.This additional cost burden could

price people into smaller homes ordeter them from shopping altogether.This recent rate increase has occurredeven without a Fed-driven rate hikebehind it, so mortgage interest ratescould move significantly higheracross the coming months.Those with adjustable-rate mort-

gages will see some surprises if gen-eral interest rates jump, which couldfurther depress the market. The bot-tom line is that higher borrowingcosts will undoubtedly cool some ofthe demand for housing later this yearand on into 2015.According to the data firm

CoreLogic, there was yet anotheruptick in prices nationwide inFebruary as prices rose at the fastestyear-over-year pace since 2006.

But that growth was propelled by avery tight housing supply much morethan it was by demand and, since themid-way point of last year, sales havebeen in decline as prices have risen.Through February, housing starts

had fallen for three straight months,in part due to the harsh winterweather. And while January’s num-bers were revised up, the massive11.2 percent dip still has had a bigeffect on inventory during the all-important spring buying season.While building permits did surge

in February, the rise for single-fam-ily housing permits was just 1.8 per-cent. It was a multifamily-permitsurge of 24.3 percent that many peo-ple latched on to as a hopeful sign,but this will do more on the invest-ment side than for the single-familyhome market.CoreLogic’s chief economist pre-

dicted that “price increases shouldmoderate over the next year as homeequity releases pent-up supply,” say-ing in essence that there are a lot ofpeople who have been sitting on theirhomes waiting for them to rebound invalue and may look to get out whilethe getting is good.The National Association of

Realtors reported that existing-homesales declined 0.4 percent in February

to the slowest pace since 2012. Risingprices have priced many people out ofhomes while investors have taken tothe sidelines because the deals justare not there the way they were a yearor two ago.Prices have been supported by tight

supply more than red-hot interest inhome ownership again, and that does-n’t leave a lot of margin for error aswe face higher interest rates andhome prices that have rebounded tohigher levels in many places.The good news is that there has

been a 35 percent drop in foreclosureinventory over last year with a valueof about $70 billion, and as long asinterest rates don’t spike andAmericans don’t flood the marketwith houses for sale, things couldremain stable.But we live in an unstable world

with many forces at work, and withthe fragile nature of housing at thecurrent time, world events, the stockmarket and a number of other issueshave the ability to derail the recoveryin real estate markets.(Terry Ross, the broker-owner of

TR Properties, will answer any ques-tions about today’s real estate mar-ket. E-mail questions to Realty Viewsat [email protected] or call949/457-4922.)

� REALTY VIEWS

By Terry Ross

How Will World Turbulence Impact Housing?

Vol. XXVII No. 8April 29-May 12, 2014

The Dollars And Sense Needed To Raise Money

There’s no faster way for a non-profit organization to create

headlines, invite online spin, or carrythe conversation at the neighborhoodcoffee shop than to release informa-tion about its salaries and overheadcosts. The subject of what nonprofitpeople are paid, and often, how theyare paid, is ripe with differing opin-ions and deeply held convictions.While the discussion of nonprofit

executive pay has been a sensitivesubject for decades, levels of inter-est in compensation for fundraisingprofessionals has soared to the topof the charts.We shouldn’t be surprised. The

development dilemma is a hot topic;and, often, it’s a heated conversationfor most nonprofit organizations asdemands for service soar, productioncosts increase, technology needsrise, and rates of volunteer involve-ment in fundraising decline. For a growing number of decision-

makers the definition of insanity hasproven itself in repetitive cycles ofimpressive fundraising ideas yield-ing unimpressive processes, involve-ment and results. Their conclusion:If an organization wants to raise seri-ous money to advance its mission,it’s going to have to spend some seri-ous money.The cries for reforms in fundrais-

ing economics are dramatic.

CompassPoint Nonprofit Services inOakland reports in their“Underdeveloped” survey of 2,880nonprofits that:• The length of vacancy for more

than half of open fundraising posi-tions is greater than six months; • Termination rates for fundrais-

ing professionals are hovering at 25percent;• 75 percent rate board or execu-

tive leadership to the fundraisingeffort as ineffective; and• Half of currently employed

fundraisers anticipate leaving theirjobs in two years or less. With numbers like this, action is

being taken, but not to everyone’sliking. Last week, the Chronicle ofPhilanthropy reported that there arenow chief development officerswhose compensation exceeded $1million last year with a long line-upin the wings that isn’t far behind.The once taboo notion of bonus

pay for fundraisers has become anecessity according to a number ofcharities in order to keep their goodpeople. Defenders of the bonusapproach to fundraising say that sus-tainable contributions and multi-yearcampaigns must contain incentivesfor good professionals to see themthrough and not get lured away in ahigh demand job market. A one-per-cent bonus on a successful $100 mil-lion campaign, for example, createsan inviting proposition that at leasttwo people last year accepted.Defenders are also quick to vehe-

mently debunk any notion that a well-managed executive bonus programconstitutes a commission, somethingadamantly opposed by the Code ofEthics approved by the Association ofFundraising Professionals.

The name of the game in fundrais-ing economics reform is to reduce anonprofit’s turnover costs and oppor-tunity loss by raising the price paid forretention. The rules of the game areinvesting capital until it hurts buildingand sustaining an ongoing and suc-cessful in-house fundraising program,mobilizing a dedicated volunteerinfrastructure, and highly restrictingoutsourcing which often generatesunsustainable dollars and systems.Winning the game is shared rewardsfor an ambitious job well done.While bonus programs are gaining

significant traction; for many, thereal issue is parity.Consider this published example:

The head coach for the University ofNebraska football team is compen-sated $50,396 for every million dol-lars in revenue that the football pro-gram generates. The senior vice pres-ident responsible for fundraising atthe same university is compensatedat a rate of $1,285 per million dollarsraised. Last year, the football pro-gram at the University of Nebraska,according to Forbes, created $55 mil-lion in total revenue. The philan-

thropic kitty raised by the develop-ment office amounted to $172 mil-lion. For some, this unreasonable dis-parity is a foul ball and represents thestate of the profession in manyorganizations both large and small.The sobering reality is that people

are doing the math, looking at themarket, analyzing the data, compar-ing fundraising performance againsta nonprofit’s bottom line and con-cluding that the old way of manag-ing fundraising economics isn’t des-tined to add up.When it comes to compensating

nonprofit professionals, there arefew right answers. The key is fordecision-makers to know and defendthe best answers for their organiza-tion. It would appear, however, thatyesterday’s best answers that werebased on the assumption that“fundraisers are a dime a dozen”aren’t worth pocket change.( (Jeffrey R. Wilcox, CFRE, is pres-

ident and CEO of The Third SectorCompany, Inc. Join in on the conver-sation about this article at the LongBeach Business Journal websitewww.lbbusinessjournal.com) )

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� THIRDSECTOR REPORTBy JeffreyWilcox

