April 21, 2011 (El Cajon)– GET Engineering Corporation, an El Cajon firm, was recognized for its quality and performance by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. GET received a Supplier Excellence Award at a recognition ceremony held at the Wyndham hotel in Andover, Massachusetts on April 13, 2011.

a column written for the East County Magazine

“Your guide to financial planning & socially responsible investing”

By Judith L. Seid, CFP ®
President, Blue Summit Wealth Management

April 16, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)--The market has not reacted much to the budget agreement that finally came late Friday night. This void of impact is due largely to the fact that the “budget fight is not over” but also because several other factors threaten to have an even greater impact on the overall market. We’ll brief you on them in chronological order…

By Miriam Raftery

April 9, 2011 (San Diego)—Inside the Safari Market bazaar, a Somali woman sells bright-colored beaded head scarves,  jewelry and rugs. Two dozen vendors offer other wares and services. Nearby, African Spice restaurant serves up savory sambussas (pastry shells filled with meats, vegetables and African spices), succulent fish, lamb, goat, and an aromatic tea seasoned with cloves. Safari Market also sells groceries, such as large bags of cinnamon and rice, some labeled in Arabic.

No, this isn’t a street scene out of Africa. It’s a new business incubator in the East San Diego neighborhood known as “Little Mogadishu” – a hub where refugees from war-torn East African nations such as Somalia, the Sudan, Eritria and Ethiopia are starting new lives in America, aided by the nonprofit organizations Horn of Africa Community and Somali Family Services. The Safari center has created 125 jobs for East African refugees, mostly women.  Now it's become a model that is being replicated in other U.S. cities.

By Miriam Raftery
 

April 3, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)--Many might find it daunting to head up a major business association during the worst recession in 80 years. But Scott Alevy, new President and Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce, has been in far tougher spots. 

Those include combat zones in Southeast Asia and the crash site of PSA flight 182 in San Diego, where Alevy headed up public relations for the airline after the tragedy that claimed the lives of friends and colleagues.

In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine, Alevy shared insights gained from his experiences, as well as his leadership goals and vision for the Chamber’s future.
 

March 29, 2011 (Rancho San Diego) – Cuyamaca College will again provide free classes and hands-on work experience in green building and sustainable energy to eligible students through a training program funded by San Diego Workforce Partnership. The $1.6 million in funding comes from federal stimulus money along with grants from the State Energy Program, Workforce Investment Act, State Energy Sector Partnership and others.

Robert Garber, interim president of Cuyamaca College, said the green building program is part of the college’s commitment to train workers for the expanding green economy.

Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber of Commerce WHEEL program offers special program at KGTV 10 News

March 25, 2011 (Rancho San Diego) – Want to get media coverage for your business or organization? Find out how at “Media Day” on April 1st.  This special, all-day event at KGTV 10 News is sponsored by the Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber of Commerce as part of its Women’s Higher Education Entrepreneurial Leadership (WHEEL) program, but is open to everyone. 

Get tips from editors of local print, online and broadcast media on how to maximize your exposure in the press. Hear from marketing and public relations experts on ways to write effective press releases and develop winning strategies for “earned media coverage” – in other words, free press! The program also includes an image consultant from Marinello School of Beauty, who will advise how to present your best image. 
 

By Jeremy Los

March 15, 2011 (San Diego) -- San Diego will be the scene for one of many national rallies being held Tuesday night in reaction to deep budget cuts in California, Wisconsin, Washington and across the nation. Inspired by protests in Wisconsin, America's heartland, over gutting collective bargaining rights for workers, organizers say such cuts are destroying the American dream.

Entitled “Defending the Dream,” the rally will take place at County Administration Building,1600 Pacific Highway in San Diego at 6 p.m.

Conservatives say eliminating most collective bargaining rights needed to contain costs; opponents accuse Governor of union-busting motives

By Miriam Raftery
March 3, 2011 (San Diego) – A crowd of 1,000 demonstrators turned out in downtown San Diego Saturday as part of a nationwide movement in support of Wisconsin public workers.  Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker seeks to eliminate nearly all collective bargaining rights for state workers including teachers, police, firefighters, janitors, highway workers and others. The state’s Republican-controlled House passed the proposal--and Senate Democrats promptly fled the state to prevent passage.  Today, the Governor ordered their arrest.

A crowd of over 100,000 braved a snowstorm in Madison, Wisconsin following the house vote, occupying the capitol building overnight. Now recall campaigns have been announced against eight GOP Senators in Wisconsin who back the bill.
 

Much misinformation has been spread in the media and on Internet blogs. What would the Governor’s proposal do—and is it necessary? Could California be next to face a similar proposal? ECM has researched the issues and obtained views from all sides of the aisle.

March 3, 2011 (San Diego's East County) — Over 150 local educators join the San Diego East County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual Summer Educational Tour each year. This year, the Chamber is inviting chamber members, school district colleagues and friends on an exclusive trip to Peru July 11-19 as part of the Chamber Travel Program for 2011.

February 29, 2011 (Poway)-- The Poway Chamber of Commerce and the City of Poway will be hosting a State of the Community Breakfast on Thursday, March 3rd from 7:30am to 9:30am, at Maderas Golf Club- 17750 Old Coach Rd. Featured speakers include Mayor Don Higginson and Mickey Morera, Senior Director at Cushman & Wakefield. Morera will speak on the crisis in commercial real estate.

February 4, 2011 (El Cajon) --Want to upgrade your commercial storefront or interior in Downtown El Cajon? Want to open a new retail or restaurant business in Downtown?
 

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS AND GROWTH

By Rama Beerfas

February 1, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – We’ve identified the three components of a successful trade show marketing plan:

• Have a system in place for attracting potential customers to the exhibit.
• Qualify those people who visited the booth.
• Follow up with those visitors who left contact information.

Last month, we looked at some methods to qualify the people who visit your booth as legitimate prospects. This month, we’ll explore the most critical part of the trade show process: the post-show follow-up.

Gala planned Feb. 25 at Crystal Ballroom

January 29, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) -- The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce will mark its 100th year, commemorating this milestone with an inaugural Gala and Awards Dinner billed as “East County's most elegant evening.”

Egyptian proprietor also serves up coffee, snacks, and free classes to help Arabic-speaking residents

By Miriam Raftery
 

January 17, 2011 (El Cajon) --

On Saturday, throngs of well-wishers  stopped by on Saturday to bid welcome (ahlan wa sahaln, أهلا وسهلا) to Zohny Hanna at his new business, Serenity House in downtown El Cajon. The store/coffee shop offers Christian books, art, and music in Arabic. Located on Main Street just east of Magnolia, Serenity House also offers free classes in English and community orientations for East County’s growing population of Arabic-speaking immigrants, asylees, and refugees.

“This is my land now. America is my new home,” says Hanna, who came here on a tourist vista back in 1997 with his wife and children, then received asylum status due to persecution of Coptic Christians in his native Egypt.