This week, VICA hosted an After Dark featuring the CEO and General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District, Adel Hagekhalil. Attendees participated in a robust discussion on water resiliency while enjoying a beautiful sunset and some hors d'oeuvres. Hagekhalil started with his most pressing concern, climate change, outlining MWD's plan for the future. "We need to have a new playbook, a new way to manager water," he said, a playbook that includes coordinated efforts to capture, recycle, and reuse every drop of water. This includes plans for removing non-functional turf, doubling down on rebates, addressing leaky pipers, and asking the federal and state governments for funding. Hagekhalil stated that, "investment in Southern California isn't just an investment in the region. It is an investment in the whole country." Attendees then had the opportunity to ask questions of the CEO about desalination and storm water recapture. Hagekhalil ended the night by saying that MWD wants to collaborate with the business community and coordinate their initiatives with what will benefit our communities most.

Thank you very much to our sponsor and host, FIVE on the Hill, at the Hilton Universal City and our Co-Sponsor AT&T. VICA want's to thank Adel Hagekhalil for sharing his insights, and VICA also wants to thank everyone who was able to join us!

With only these six maps left as finalists, one of these maps will ultimately be adopted. VICA needs you to make the Valley's voice heard! We urge you to voice your concerns and oppose Option C-1. We also urge you to support Option B-1 for the Valley districts and A-1 for the rest of the County districts. We must ensure the map that passes should have one district that includes a minimum of 64% population from the Valley.

To Submit Written Comments: Click here

Meeting is scheduled for: Monday, November 22 at 7:00 PM

To Access the Agenda: Click Here

To Attend or Participate Virtually: Click here

This week, VICA testified at the LA County Board of Supervisors hearing in favor of ISD Option A. This is a comprehensive solution that will immediately result in access to the internet for Los Angeles County households, placing access to employment, education, and healthcare at the fingertips of so many who would deeply benefit from these resources.

Improving equity and accessibility of internet throughout LA County is vital and this is the only viable and cost-effective solution to bring equitable access to the internet for countless LA County households.

Civic Snapshot - Presented by Grant Thornton

LIVE EVENT: The Garland

At VICA's 72nd Annual Meeting, VICA members will elect a new Board and Executive Committee for 2022. Nominees from a diverse set of businesses, organizations and industries were carefully selected to lead VICA in the coming year.

A growing coalition of Central Valley farmers and Southern California desalination supporters have begun collecting signatures for a statewide ballot measure that would fast-track big water projects and provide billions of dollars to fund them.

President Joe Biden signed into law a $1 trillion infrastructure bill on Monday. The measure is designed to create jobs across the country by dispersing billions of dollars to state and local governments to fix crumbling bridges and roads and by expanding broadband internet access to millions of Americans.

Several factors are shaping demand, prices, sales and supply of new and used cars in the Golden State. The average cost of a new car has surpassed $45,000 — an historic first.

With all staff members and most students 12 and older who will be on campus expected to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by early January, Los Angeles Unified officials are planning to relax some of the school district’s health-and-safety protocols next semester.

Unionized film production workers have narrowly agreed to new contracts, removing the threat of a strike that could have brought production to a halt nationwide. The deals cover technicians, artisans and craftspeople who perform a wide variety of non-acting and non-directing jobs.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a three-year $1.4 billion plan so the state can achieve its 2025 electric vehicle charging and hydrogen refueling goals.

Co-Founder

Gina is the co-founder of ZA Lawyers, a CA Workers Compensation firm. Her husband, Michael Alder has a personal injury and employment trial firm, AlderLaw. They joined forces to form a separate law firm, to offer clients a diverse menu of representation options ‘under one roof’. They have two daughters, a boy due through surrogacy in January and two bonus kids. Gina and Michael married within nine months of meeting.

We are proud to offer a firm for injured workers that advocates with compassion and commitment.

Launching in quarantine and surviving despite COVID!

VICA has opened doors to a new network in the Valley we weren’t a part of. Networking is everything in our profession.

It was like a ‘security blanket’ to know we were a part of an organization that could help promote us when traditional marketing wasn’t available.

VICA members can promote their business, events and news in VICA Weekly. Member messages are available for $50 per week or $175 for four weeks. Messages are text-based and may not contain more than 70 words. A logo may be added for an additional $5 per week. For more information or to schedule your member message, contact cathy@vica.com or call (818) 817-0545.