Valley Industry & Commerce Association | |
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- VICA's 34th Annual Business Forecast Conference
- VICA Hosts After Dark with LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger
- VICA PAC 2022 Endorsements
- Powerful and Effective Advocacy Isn't Cheap
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"The doors of City Hall should swing open not to show corruption, they should swing open to welcome business." | |
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Mayoral Candidate Rick Caruso
Remarks Given at VICA's Business Forecast Conference
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VICA's 34th Annual Business Forecast Conference | |
Cameron Onumah (Amazon) moderated VICA's Luncheon Panel with speakers Capri Maddox (Executive Director for the LA Civil Rights Department), Theopia Jackson (Saybrook University), and Michael Trujillo (Bryson Gillette) | |
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This past Friday, October 21, industry leaders, experts, and business executives came together for VICA’s 34th Annual Business Forecast Conference. Attendees participated in an Economic Forecast Breakfast, panels on a wide range of timely topics, and a luncheon panel on race, redistricting, and politics within Los Angeles.
Attendees began the day with an Economic Forecast Breakfast, where the Economists discussed inflation, supply chain problems, and the likelihood of a recession in the coming year. Following the breakfast, attendees had the option to choose from eight different panels with topics including healthcare, water, transportation, energy, elections, housing, sports/entertainment, and crypto. Each panel was comprised of four to five experts in their respective fields, and discussions ranged from the status of current projects to the future of the industry.
The day concluded with a luncheon, where special guest Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Rick Caruso stopped by, followed by a panel on race, redistricting and politics within Los Angeles. This panel focused on both the recent events at City Hall that exposed racial injustices happening behind closed doors, as well as possible changes that will be made to ensure a more equitable redistricting process.
VICA thanks our Presenting Sponsors SoCalGas and Wells Fargo. VICA's Post Event Report & videos will be coming to you soon. Also keep an eye out for the BFC Survey, which you receive in your inbox from either SurveyMonkey or our Office Manager Cathy (cathy@vica.com).
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VICA Members received a special guest appearance from Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Rick Caruso | |
VICA Hosts After Dark with LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger | |
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VICA was pleased to present a VICA After Dark with Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger hosted at Anheuser-Busch. Supervisor Barger joined VICA members to speak on a variety of issues, including the importance of affordable housing development, workforce development, and public safety in LA County.
The Supervisor began by thanking VICA and the Valley business community, expressing her gratitude by stating that during COVID, "you all were instrumental in getting me through with a better understanding of the difficulties that small businesses, and businesses across the board were having...your advocacy truly did make a huge difference." She then moved on to discuss the growing need for affordable housing in LA County, and the importance of streamlining the development process. She argued that right now we cannot make this process any more burdensome for developers.
Barger then shifted to talking about workforce development, explaining that "businesses are still struggling to hire enough staff to operate," a problem that remains prevalent in nearly every sector, including the County. This shortage of qualified employees serves as a call to action, which is why the County has started working with local school districts to encourage students, starting in junior high, to begin developing skills needed for the workforce.
The Supervisor drew to a close by touching on the topic of public safety. She explained that money is being taken out of law enforcement, but is being reinvested into programs to ensure other employees - like much needed social workers - are getting the training needed to be prepared to best assess and address emergency situations. Despite these efforts, she strongly believes that we are facing a public safety crisis, and ended by stating that "we have to expect more and we have to support more."
VICA thanks our host Anheuser-Busch and our Presenting and other sponsors Amazon, Comcast NBCUniversal, SoCalGas, Southland Regional Association of Realtors, Wells Fargo, Flatiron, Friends of the Los Angeles Discovery Cube, Microsoft, Metro, Providence, and Armbruster Goldsmith & Delvac LLP.
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Darnell Tyler (Comcast NBCUniversal), Elizabeth de Carteret (Southland Regional Association of Realtors), Michael Exner (Anheuser-Busch), La County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Gilbert Canizales (Anheuser-Busch), Armando Flores (SoCalGas), and Sandy Sanchez (FivePoint) | |
Powerful and Effective Advocacy Isn't Cheap | |
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As Southern California’s most influential business advocacy group, VICA is devoted to advancing the economic interests and opportunities of its members through effective legislative correspondence, civic leadership representation and conscious community engagement. This work has a cost, and the time has come to increase dues so that VICA’s critical advocacy can continue.
We understand that increased rates are not ideal. With that in mind, if you would like to keep your 2022 level dues for one more year, you can if you pay your dues in full by December 31, 2022. If you would like to take advantage of the 2022 rates, contact jessica@vica.com today.
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Membership Level
Basic Membership:
Circle if Influence:
Business Leader:
Bronze:
Silver:
Gold:
Platinum:
Premier:
President:
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2022 Rate
$660
$1,1210
$1,760
$2,750
$5,500
$8,250
$11,000
$16,000
$26,000+
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2023 Rate
$750
$1,300
$1,850
$3,000
$6,000
$9,000
$12,000
$17,000
$27,000+
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VICA PAC 2022 Voter Guide | |
For the full 2022 Voter Guide, click the button below! | |
VICA Thanks Our New Members! | |
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VICA's 73rd Annual Meeting
Friday, December 9 | 11:30 AM
Sheraton Universal City
VICA concludes every successful year with a celebratory program for its members, volunteers, and business leaders from the Valley. VICA members will elect a new Board and Executive Committee for 2023 from a diverse set of businesses, organizations and industries.
VICA thanks our Presenting Sponsors San Fernando Valley Business Journal and SoCalGas.
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Labor & Employment Committee Meeting
Wednesday, November 2
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Hosted by Sun Hill Properties/Hilton Universal City
RSVP
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Education Committee Meeting
Thursday, November 3
8:30 - 10:00 AM
Hosted by Los Angeles Valley College
RSVP
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Transportation Committee Meeting
Tuesday, November 8
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Hosted by The Garland
RSVP
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Energy, Environment, Manufacturing & Utilities Committee Meeting
Wednesday, November 9
Noon - 1:30 PM
VICA Office
Sponsored by Metropolitan Water District
RSVP
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Council Censures Councilmembers
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to censure three current and former council members for their part in an incendiary conversation that contained racist remarks. The vote appeared to mark the first time that the City Council has censured one of its own members, a move that carries no legal weight but adds to the public pressure on Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León to resign. Councilmember Nury Martinez stepped down two weeks ago. Before the vote, police officers cleared the council chamber of about two dozen protesters who were demanding that the council stop meeting until Cedillo and de León resigned. The police issued a dispersal order to empty the room, a tactic usually reserved for handling street protests, and demonstrators eventually filed out.
Kanye West's anti-Semitic Comments
This week, Kanye West became the latest anti-Jewish conspiracy theorist to be undone by his own delusions. What began with a few unhinged social-media posts from the artist, who now goes by Ye, culminated in a week-long whirlwind of anti-Jewish invective. In interviews and online, Ye’s tirades took a depressingly familiar form: Unable to address his problems rationally, he resorted to the age-old avoidance strategy of pinning them on the Jews. He was dropped by his talent agency. His clothing line was pulled from Gap stores. And Adidas, the distributor of Ye’s popular sneakers, severed its ties with him.
Construction Halted on Purple Line
Los Angeles transit officials have shut down construction on part of the Westside’s $2.4-billion Purple Line Extension for two weeks amid a litany of “serious safety concerns” that have injured dozens of workers since July 2021. Workers have fallen off ladders, crushed fingers, slipped in mud, been struck by falling slurry and hit in the face by a failed hose while building a 2.6-mile phase of the Purple Line, a nine-mile subway that will eventually run from Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue to the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. Metro officials say they have warned the project contractor, Tutor Perini O&G, about unsafe conditions at the underground site, but the substandard conditions remained.
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Prop 30 Polling Poorly
New polling released by the Public Policy Institute of California last night found only 41 percent of likely voters would vote yes on Proposition 30, the ballot measure that would tax people making more than $2 million to help fund zero-emission vehicle purchases and infrastructure. That’s a staggering drop from the 55 percent of voters who backed it in September. The measure seems straightforward enough, especially for liberal, climate-conscious California voters. It’s backed by hundreds of environmental groups as well as the California Democratic Party. But one key proponent, rideshare company Lyft, was the sticking point for Gov. Gavin Newsom, who came out forcefully against the measure over the summer, calling it a “cynical scheme” by a major corporation to avoid shelling out cash to meet state policies.
CA Test Scores Show Deep Drops
Two out of 3 California students did not meet state math standards and more than half did not meet English standards on state assessments taken in the spring, reflecting sizable drops in performance compared with the year before the pandemic, when large numbers of students were already struggling to meet grade-level expectations. The test results are even more devastating for Black, Latino, low-income and other historically underserved students — 84% of Black students and 79% of Latino and low-income students did not meet state math standards in 2022. The dismal results provide further evidence of the profound challenges facing California schools as educators focus on helping children recover from deep pandemic setbacks.
Britain Selects New Prime Minister
Seven weeks after being defeated in his first bid to lead Britain, former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak is set to replace Liz Truss as prime minister and make history as the first person of color in the role.
Sunak, 42, emerged victorious Monday in a lightning-fast contest by the ruling Conservatives to select a new party leader and, by extension, the U.K.'s new prime minister. The process began after Truss resigned Thursday as the shortest-serving premier in the nation’s history, following a turbulent tenure that roiled the markets and sparked chaos among the Conservative parliamentary rank and file.
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Leticia Rodriguez
DIY Girls Executive Director
DIY Girls is a Pacoima based nonprofit organization with a mission to increase girls' interest and success in technology and engineering through innovative educational experiences and mentor relationships. As Executive Director since July 2017, Leticia leads a team of 18 employees and manages an annual budget of $575,000. Before joining DIY Girls, Leticia served as Director of Development and Communications for South Central Scholars, where she led fund development and external communications to provide college preparation and STEM programs for low-income students across Los Angeles. She has also held positions as Director of Government and Foundation Relations for the Valley Economic Development Center, and as Development and Communications Manager for Project GRAD Los Angeles. Leticia graduated from Stanford University with a M.A. degree in Education and a B.A. in Political Science. She is a native of the Pacoima community and graduated from San Fernando High School. In her spare time, Leticia enjoys hiking and trail running, traveling, and listening to books on Audible.
When asked why her business chose to join VICA, the following was shared:
As a nonprofit organization that serves young women and girls in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, it was essential for us to join VICA to get an opportunity to connect with influential businesses and advocacy groups devoted to advancing the economic interests and opportunities of our Angelino community.
At DIY Girls, we aim to increase girls' interest in STEM and its related careers as a form of economic mobility and empowerment, providing a direct path to personal growth and long-term prosperity that can dramatically change not just the lives of the girls we serve, but their families and the communities in which they live.
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Member Messages
Get Your Message in VICA Weekly!
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.
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ABOUT VICA
Presenting the business perspective on behalf of employers in the
San Fernando Valley cities of Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Calabasas,
Hidden Hills, San Fernando and Santa Clarita.
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