Orange County is an economic powerhouse. With the recent release of the 2019-20 OC Community Indicators, the facts are in: 3% unemployment–well below state and national levels–5th most educated county in the US, 2nd largest workforce in California, and 4th largest international population in the nation. Yet when...
Businesses and communities throughout the state are struggling to recruit companies and find qualified workers because of the pervasive shortage of housing. California must commit to funding and building more homes or the state’s economy could be imperiled. There is universal agreement that sky-high housing costs...
On June 7, I returned from a 90-day sabbatical, generously approved by OCBC’s Board of Directors, with OCBC managed during my absence by a great staff team effort lead by our COO, Natalie Rubalcava. Thank you to them all! It will take me some time to process...
After 15 years at OCBC, my board awarded me a 90-day sabbatical—a chance to explore new ideas, travel, connect opportunities, gather inspiration and information to enhance the creative output. In academia, the idea of a sabbatical has been around for years—some say with roots in the...
Scenic beaches, majestic mountains, a temperate climate and a world-class economy are a part of what makes California such an attractive place to live. But today fewer people are able to call the Golden State home. High housing costs have created an affordability crisis unprecedented in...
Healthy economies demand many things. A skilled workforce, raw materials, an efficient manufacturing base and access to capital are among the basics. But leave out a safe, well maintained, functioning transportation system to move workers and goods, and what do you have? Delayed production and delivery,...
“Playing the long game” is not a new saying. In sports, it means throwing the football down the field or driving the golf ball toward the green. Urban Dictionary defines it as “considering the future implications of current choices, thinking ahead, being deliberate and patient.” For...
Orange County is a tale of two water supplies: Much of the north county sits over an abundant aquifer that can meet half or more of the water needs of the communities above it. The south county, unfortunately, has a rockier geology with no significant...
The following article appears as it was originally published in The Orange County Register November 16, 2017. Undoubtedly, one of the most influential directors in history is Steven Spielberg. Imaginative fantasy is a hallmark of so many of his movies from E.T. to Jurassic Park to...
The LA Times report, Is Disney paying its share in Anaheim?, by its header, select information, and lack of context, leads a reader by the nose to a wrong conclusion. The correct answer, however, is a resounding “yes.” Missing from the story are some undisputed facts: Fact....